《My Beautiful Disciples, I’m really not the Main Character!》


 Chapter 1: The Consent

    <h4>Chapter 1: The Consent</h4>


    "Urgh..."


    As the morning light filtered through the curtains, a young man slowly opened his eyes.


    Confusion clouded his mind as he tried to piece together the events of the previous night.


    He held his head, letting out a sigh. "Did I drink too muchst night?"


    His memories were hazy and fragmented, but he was certain that it was only because of a hangover.


    "Huh, wait? Wasn''t it the middle of the week yesterday?" he wondered, rubbing his forehead.


    He was a teacher who taught college students. Moreover, his shift was early in the morning. He never drank the night before work.


    That was his one rule that he never broke, so he didn''t understand why he felt this headache? Did he really drink?


    Pushing himself up on the unfamiliar bed, Eren looked around the room noticing that the walls looked strange, and the furniture had a worn, antique charm.


    It dawned on him that he was not in his room. Panic set in as he realized he was in a ce he did not recognize, surrounded by unfamiliar sights and sounds.


    "Don''t tell me I broke inside someone else''s house when I was drunk?"


    Rubbing his temples, Eren struggled to recall how he ended up in this room with ancient architecture.


    Had he wandered off in a drunken state?Questions filled his mind, but there were no answers.


    As he gathered the courage to get up, the creaking floorboards beneath his feet echoed.


    A faint scent of incense lingered in the air, heightening the sense of disorientation.


    "I need to get home, dress up and then go to college. I can''t lose my perfect record." Still not in his perfect state, he walked towards the door.


    He opened the door and stepped out of the room.


    "Huh?" As soon as he stepped out of the room, his expressions twisted as he felt that there was no ground beneath them.


    "Aaaaahhhh!" A frightened scream escaped his lips as he started falling down.


    While falling, he noticed that the room where he was staying... It was right at the edge of the cliff with the exit facing a deep chasm.


    His eyes were filled in disbelief. He didn''t know what to even think? How could he have walked up a cliff when he was drunk? Let alone climbing the cliff, how could he even enter the room where the only exit was blocked by the vast chasm outside?


    As he continued to plummet down towards the seemingly endless abyss, his mind was filled with confusion and fear.


    Just as panic started to set in, a sudden rush of wind enveloped him. He felt as if he gently fell on something, but it didn''t hurt.


    Frowning, he looked down.


    "Haa? Haaaaa?!" His disbelief and fear only increased as he found out that he still wasn''t on the ground.


    Instead, he was standing on the back of a bird that was asrge as a football field! The entire body of this bird was burning but the mes didn''t hurt him.


    "This isn''t real! This can''t be real! That''s right, I''m dreaming! Yes, it must be a dream!" Eren started repeating after himself.


    Nothing about this ce made sense after all. There was no way such a giant bird could exist on earth without being discovered.


    He pinched his waist, trying to wake up from this bizarre dream.


    "Arghh!" He groaned in pain, feeling the brunt of his pinch. But he still didn''t wake up.


    Meanwhile, the Giant Phoenix kept flying through the air, as if it was the lord of the sky.


    The Phoenix soared gracefully through the sky, its fiery wings casting a warm glow around Eren.


    Despite his disbelief and confusion, Eren couldn''t deny the breathtaking sight unfolding before his eyes. Thendscape below shifted rapidly as they flew over mountains, rivers, and lush forests.


    As the wind whipped through his hair, Eren''s initial fear began to give way to a sense of wonder and curiosity. He marveled at the beauty of this surreal world, wondering how such a ce could exist beyond the realms of reality.


    It was nothing like he had ever seen before. It was a scene that was impossible for him to even dream about.


    The Giant Phoenix''s feathers shimmered like embers in the sunlight, radiating a sense of power and majesty. Eren couldn''t help but feel a strange connection to this mythical creature that carried him through the sky with ease.


    As they glided through the clouds, Eren''s mind raced with questions and possibilities. Was this truly a dream?


    As he thought about it, his head started hurting even more. He grabbed his head, dropping to his knees.


    Some of the haze around his mind started clearing and he started remembering some things.


    He remembered thatst night, he had safely returned home. He definitely hadn''t drank anything and wasn''t near any cliff.


    After preparing the lecture for tomorrow, he walked back to the bed. But since he couldn''t sleep, he started checking his phone.


    While he was scrolling through his social media feed, he came across an ad that intrigued his curiosity. It was an ad about a web novel whose synopsis managed to intrigue him.


    Since he had time to waste, he clicked on the ad and decided to check the novel.


    Following the link, he was taken to a website that he had never even heard about before.


    On the front page itself, he was greeted with a weing message.


    [Wee to the Celestial Novels]


    [Would you like to enter the Celestial World?]


    [Yes] [No]


    [Warning... Consent can''t be removed]


    "What an amusing way to invite people to read a novel." Eren let out augh, not thinking much about it. He clicked on yes, entering the website.


    He was taken to the main page, where strangely enough, there was only one novel present.


    "They made a website for only one novel?"


    He wondered as he clicked on the novel, only to get surprised at the realization that all the chapters of this novel showed that they were updated merely a few seconds ago.

 Chapter 2: The Bad Review

    <h4>Chapter 2: The Bad Review</h4>


    Eren scrolled through the first chapter of the novel on the Celestial Novels website. The story seemed to be filled with surreal elements, much like his current dream-like experience on the back of the Giant Phoenix.


    Despite his initial skepticism, Eren found himself intrigued by the vivid descriptions and the mysterious world depicted in the novel. The author''s writing style was captivating, drawing him in with each passing paragraph.


    Moreover, the world described in the novel was fascinating. There were aspects from Western Mythology, but there was also Eastern Mythology mixed in.


    Chapter after chapter, Eren delved deeper into the fantastical tale, unable to tear himself away. The plot twists and turns kept him on the edge of his seat, immersed in a world unlike anything he had ever imagined.


    However, after reaching the 200th chapter, Eren couldn''t shake off a lingering sense of unease. The story had taken a turn, leaving him with more questions than answers. There were many aspects in the story that he didn''t like.


    The characters'' motivations seemed unclear, and the plot felt disjointed.


    Frustrated and slightly disoriented, Eren stopped reading. He couldn''t deny the creativity and imagination behind the novel, but theck of coherence and depth left him unsatisfied.


    With a sigh, Eren remained on the bed, reflecting on his brief journey into the Celestial World of the novel.


    He opened the review section, noticing that there were almost no reviews on the site, even though they have an option to leave a review behind.


    He decided to be the first one to leave a review.


    "Two stars out of five, and that too because I''m feeling generous. Although the concept is good and the description is vivid, there are also many problems."


    "It''s like the author has never seen the real world. He''s like some ten year old child who keeps taking the story in a nonsensical direction. What a waste of such a good start. I can''t believe there are five thousand chapters of this novel."


    "One example is the character introduced in the tenth chapter! He''s an Elder who''s made to be an antagonist but it doesn''t make sense! It''s said that he''s a member of a Hero Academy who is undercover at the Devil Sect."


    "How does it make sense that someone can enter the Evil Sect and the Master of the Sect doesn''t even find out about it? Instead, the Sect Master makes this guy an elder? It''s like the author does things for the sake of doing things instead of following any kind of logic."


    "If this is the quality of the remaining chapters, then I can only wonder why the author wasted his time in writing over five thousand chapters of this mess. Once again, I will iterate my point. It''s a good concept, wasted by a bad writer."


    "Authors like Exloria, Region68 or Hector would''ve done more justice to a web novel like this. What a pity. Anyway, I''ll wish the author luck in his future endeavors and hope he drops this and starts with something better. It''s toote to save this carnage now."


    After he finished writing his review, Eren posted it and closed the website, thinking he was never going to return to this strange sight. However, as soon as he put the phone aside, he suddenly started feeling sleepy.


    He closed his eyes, not even realizing when he fell asleep.


    As he fell asleep, he didn''t notice his phone had started shining in a strange light. The light spread out, soon surrounding him as well.


    After an hour, the light disappeared. But it wasn''t the only thing that had disappeared. The phone also disappeared, along with Eren, leaving the bedpletely empty.


    ....


    "This..." Eren opened his eyes on the back of the Phoenix, his expressions getting worse by the second.


    "This world... It''s the world of that novel?" he eximed, his voice trembling. "How could I have entered a freakin novel?!"


    He remembered the description he read in the first few chapters and this ce matched that descriptionpletely. There was no doubt about it!


    If anything, it felt even more incredible now that he was seeing what he had only read until now.


    Things became even worse as he realized who had lived in the room at the top of the cliff! Not just that room, but the entire cliff belonged to the Elder of the Devil Sect who he hadined about!


    He also remembered one more thing. When the Devilish Elder was introduced, it was also mentioned that he also has a Mythical Beast as his mount! And that beast was...


    "A phoenix..." he eximed, looking down at the Phoenix. "This can''t be happening. I couldn''t have entered the world of the novel, and that too as a spy from the Hero Academy?"


    In the tenth chapter of the novel, it was also mentioned that only the Master could ride the phoenix. If anyone else sat on its back, they were going to burn to ashes in an instant!


    Since he was fine, he thought of the worst possibility. He was in the room of that Elder, and the phoenix was carrying him without hurting him. As he thought about the implications, his expressions turned darker.


    "Can you take me down near that pond?" he asked the Phoenix. And to his surprise, the Phoenix also listened


    The phoenix took him down andnded near a pond that was surrounded by beautiful scenery.


    Eren jumped down from the Phoenix. However, as soon as hended on the ground, he groaned in pain loudly.


    "Urgh!" He held his right leg, falling to the ground. Simply jumping from a few meters of height, he broke his legs, leaving him in disbelief as to how weak he was.


    Even on earth, he could jump from that height safely, but here, he felt even weaker.


    "That''s right. There''s no way I can be that Elder if I''m this weak." Eren tried to be optimistic even in this situation.


    If he had traveled to the world of the novel, he really preferred to be anyone but that Elder as it was a shortcut to death for someone like him.


    The Phoenix looked at Eren. A tear came out of its eyes. The tear flew toward Eren, falling over his leg.


    "A Phoenix''s tear?"


    As soon as the tear fell on his legs, all the pain disappeared. His broken bone also healed, allowing him to once again walk on his legs.


    "T-thank you." He thanked the phoenix, still somewhat confused.


    He walked towards the pond. Although he was mostly certain that he wasn''t the Elder, he wanted onest confirmation.


    Standing before the Pond, he looked down to his reflection in the pond.


    "This... can''t be..."

 Chapter 3: I’m going to die

    <h4>Chapter 3: I''m going to die</h4>


    Eren couldn''t believe his eyes as he stared at his reflection in the pond. The person looking back at him was not his own familiar face. Instead, it was as if aplete stranger was looking back at him.


    "It''s just as the novel described. A skin as wlessly as a majestic prince of a Dynasty. Long hair, ming red akin to the setting sun," Eren muttered, his fingers subconsciously running through his long red hair.


    Although he was an Elder in the Devil Sect, he wasn''t very old. In fact, he was even younger in this world than he was in real life.


    In real life, he was the youngest in his country to be assigned a professor position at an Ivy League University. Even after working there for years, he was only twenty four years old presently.


    As per the description in the novel, he was only twenty one years old in this world. He was the youngest Elder in the Devil Sect as well. Even though he was a traitor to this sect, no one knew about it.


    It wasn''t wrong to say that he had fooled almost everyone in this sect, not letting anyone know that he was a spy from the Mythical Hero Academy.


    He saw the visage of the Elder from the novel, the one he had criticized so harshly in his review. It was as if heaven was punishing him by sending him into the body of the same Elder he had called illogical.


    His heart raced as he realized the truth that was sinking in. He had indeed be a part of the fantastical world he had only read about moments ago.


    The realization sent shivers down his spine, and he struggled toe to terms with this surreal turn of events. He sat on the ground, holding his head.


    "I''m going to die... I''m really going to die this time..." He kept repeating, his mind filling with dark thoughts.


    He was tossed into an unfamiliar world. It didn''t make sense in any way. He was a professor at an Ivy League! Although he did read some fantasy novels, he knew that they were only imaginary. He only believed in sciences but his current situation couldn''t be exined with science.


    "A higher power?" he muttered as he looked at the sky. "Something beyond science... But why me... Just because of a review?"


    He wanted to go back, but he didn''t even know where to begin.


    "I need to go back to the room! There must be some clues there!"


    He was in shock, but he hasn''t lost hope yet. He was persistent.


    "That''s right! Every problem has a solution!" He stood up, his fist tightening. "If there is no solution to a problem, it just means that the solution hasn''t been found yet!"


    He turned towards the Phoenix. It was only now that he looked at the Giant Phoenix, realizing just how huge this beast actually was.


    He didn''t understand how the Elder had managed to tame this Phoenix. In the two hundred chapters he read, there was no exnation given for it.


    All he knew was that the Phoenix was with him from the first moment he was mentioned.


    He even felt slightly scared, his legs hesitating at the thoughts of approaching that fierce bird which could kill him with a simple swing of its ws.


    He took a deep breath. In this Devil Sect, this Phoenix was his only ally. It was the only way for him to get to that room, unless he wanted to climb a mountain.


    He tried to calm himself. He didn''t want the Phoenix to realize that he wasn''t its master but an outsider. He didn''t want to face the wrath of a mythical beast.


    After regaining someposure, he walked towards the Phoenix, trying to use everything he knew about this Elder from the first ten chapters.


    He stopped before the Phoenix, reaching out his hand. The Phoenix lowered her head happily, letting Eren pat her.


    "Little Sun, it''s time to go back home."


    The Phoenix nodded. A warm gust of wind wrapped around Eren. The wind carried him in the air, helping himnd on the mythical beast''s back.


    The Phoenix spread out her wings as she soared through the clouds. The Phoenix''s feathers shimmered in the sunlight, radiating a dazzling array of colors that painted the sky around them.


    On the ground, many people saw the beautiful phoenix flying in the sky. It didn''t matter if it was a man or a woman, all of them looked at the Phoenix in amazement.


    "One day, I''ll be as strong as Elder Ren and tame a mythical beast as well." A young girl said, gazing at the sky in a daze.


    "Keep dreaming!" Another girlughed. "Who do you think Elder Ren is? He is the genius of Devil Dao that''s only born once every millennia! Look at his talent and then look at your talent! It''s like heaven and earth!"


    A dark haired girl joined in, her eyes filled with adoration. "That''s right. Elder Ren is so amazing. We can only appreciate him from a distance. But not for long."


    "Not for long? What do you mean?" One of the girls asked in confusion.


    "Didn''t you hear? Tomorrow is the Sect Entrance Exam!" The first girl replied. "Usually, you can only have an opportunity to be selected by an Elder if you be a Core Disciple. But the Entrance Exam is different!"


    "The top five performers in the Entrance Exam will have an opportunity to be selected by the Elders. If more than one Elder chooses them, they can decide which Elder they want to go with."


    "As for the first rank, he can decide on which Elder he wants to study under, even if no Elder chooses them."


    The girl further continued, proudly exining to her friends. "Elder Ren joined after the Entrance and the Promotion Examst year, so he missed both the opportunities to select a disciple. But it will be different tomorrow!"


    "I heard that all the Elders will be observing the Sect Entrance Examination. I feel so jealous of the new disciples who might have an opportunity to be his personal disciple!"


    "Urgh, why couldn''t I have joined this year! Why did I have to enterst year!"


    "I want to leave the sect and join again, all so I could be Elder Ren''s disciple! Unfortunately, that''s not allowed."


    "My dear sisters, don''t worry. Just strive harder to be a Core Disciple. We still have that opportunity! We will definitely seed! We can''t bezy like the Hero Academy bastards!"


    "For Elder Ren!"


    "For Elder Ren!"


    .....


    "Huh? Why do I suddenly feel a cold?" Eren felt a shiver run down his spine. He looked around, not understanding what this strange feeling was.

 Chapter 4: The Blood Demon

    <h4>Chapter 4: The Blood Demon</h4>


    A beautiful phoenix came flying towards a cliff, stopping right before an ordinary looking house at the edge of the cliff.


    Eren looked at the house which only had one room. He never understood why an Elder lived at such an ordinary ce when he could''ve had a much better ce. Was it because he was scared that his truth might be exposed?


    That didn''t make sense to him either. He had read a few things about this character. And he definitely wasn''t this cautious.


    In any case, his problem wasn''t how small the house was. Instead, his problem was how to enter the house.


    The door was still open, but the phoenix couldn''t get closer unless it wanted to destroy the entire house identally.


    Eren thought about jumping from the back of the phoenix so he couldnd inside the house, but he dropped that thought just as quickly as he remembered how easily he broke his leg.


    If it was his real self, he could''ve covered that distance but not here.


    "Sun, send me inside the house." Remembering how the phoenix helped him fly before, hemanded his Spirit Pet, still not knowing if it was going to work.


    The novel never mentioned how the Elder entered the house after all. All it mentioned was that the phoenix carried him atop the mountain.


    Eren felt a warm gust of wind surround him as soon as he finished issuing hismand. The wind carried him inside the house, helping him safelynd.


    "So it did work." Eren sighed in relief, looking back at the Phoenix. The Mythical Beast was more useful than he had thought. If not for the Mythical Beast, he would''ve been dead already.


    "Thanks, Sun." He thanked the beast before he shifted his attention to the room.


    He wanted to find a way to get back. Even if this world was filled with magic and legendary beasts, he didn''t want to live here.


    He was an undercover agent in this ce, who had a sword hanging around his throat at every moment.


    If he was exposed, the Devil Sect Matriarch was going to kill him. And if he failed his quest, the Holy Empress was going to chase him to the depths of hell. He didn''t want to be caught in the middle of those two monsters.


    He started his search from the shelf. But other than a few books, there was nothing on those shelves.


    Other than the shelf, there was only a bed in this room. It was as if Ren was a minimalist.


    "I''m sure this guy never actually nned to live here in the long run. He was nning to leave after finishing his task. No wonder he doesn''t have any stuff."


    Eren looked under the bed, once again finding nothing but dust.


    "Cough!" As he breathed under the bed, the dust entered his nose, making him cough and sneeze.


    "At least clean your house!" he eximed, scolding the Elder who he had possessed now.


    There was nothing under the bed either. Unlike his assumption, he had failed to find anything.


    "Is there really nothing that could help me?" Eren sat on the bed, slightly exhausted.


    As soon as he sat, he stood up, feeling something under the mattress. That was the only thing he hadn''t checked.


    More dust spread in the air as he raised the mattress. Beyond all that dust, his gaze fell on things underneath the mattress.


    "This? What is this doing here?" He reached out his hand, picking up his smartphone that was lying under the mattress.


    Other than the smartphone, he also saw a golden ring. He kept the phone in his pocket for the moment and picked up the ring.


    "This bastard, are you looking to get caught?" He cursed out loud as soon as he looked at the ring.


    "Did you want to announce to the entire world that you''re from the Hero Academy? I was right, that author is a fool who didn''t know how to make their antagonist smart!"


    He could see the symbol of the Hero Academy on the ring. It was also shrouded in holy energy. Just at a single nce, it was easy to guess where this ring came from.


    Eren couldn''tprehend why someone would be this foolish. If they were infiltrating, they should''ve bought an ordinary storage ring! At least that''s what he would''ve done.


    "What a fool." Eren rolled his eyes.


    "Who is a fool, Elder Ren?" As soon as Eren finished speaking, he heard a charming voiceing from outside.


    Shocked, he quickly hid the ring behind his back, cursing his luck. Just now, a guest had to arrive!


    A woman came flying inside the room, dressed in a long ck gown that wrapped around her figure tightly.


    "Did someone offend, Elder Ren?" The woman''s melodious voice fell in Eren''s ears, almost charming him in an instant.


    The woman standing before him looked like a real fairy. He had lived on earth for a long time, but he never remembered seeing someone so beautiful. Even the actresses from his world failed before this woman.


    Unfortunately, he didn''t have the time to appreciate the woman''s beauty as he realized who that woman was.


    There was only one person in the novel that matched her description. It was she who possessed devilish red eyes that looked like they could see through a person''s soul.


    Her pitch ck hair flowed like a waterfall down her back, adding to her otherworldly aura. Just a single nce at her could make any man''s heart start beating faster.


    The novel did mention many things about this woman. It wasn''t wrong to say that she was one of the important characters in the novel!


    The novel mentioned that she was one of the worst demons in the Devil Sect.


    She was someone who had killed her own personal Disciple. It was a disciple that she had taught since he was only three years old. She killed him, all because he lied to her once!


    In the Hero Academy, the woman was known as the Blood Asura, who had wiped cities, killing anyone in her path.


    It was said that whenever this woman was angry, rivers of blood started flowing. Even many Elders of the Devil Sect were scared of her! She was Zhang Wei!


    Eren looked at the woman, his back already drenched in cold sweat as his eyes kept moving to her sharp nails that could rip him in half.

 Chapter 5: Making the Beauty Blush

    <h4>Chapter 5: Making the Beauty Blush</h4>


    Eren''s heart raced as he found himself standing before the person he least wanted to meet.


    He knew that his life was hanging by a thread. This wasn''t a dream.


    He wasn''t even sure if he would return to his world if he were to die here. The risk was too great to take.


    With a calm facade, Eren stood up from the bed and faced Zhang Wei, desperately trying to hide the fear that was consuming him.


    "I was merely talking to myself. Is there something I can help you with?" he replied, attempting to divert her attention.


    Zhang Wei''s piercing gaze locked onto Eren, her eyes filled with suspicion.


    "You seem nervous, Elder Ren. Is there something you''re hiding from me?" she questioned, her voiceced with a hint of danger.


    Hearing her questions, Eren felt his heart skip a beat. He wanted to curse out loud at the woman.


    "Am I hiding something? Of course I am! I''m hiding a ring that exposes my true identity! Can''t you y along when I''m trying to divert your attention? Do you really want to kill me that badly?!"


    Fortunately, he didn''t speak his thoughts out loud.


    In front of him stood the Blood Asura, capable of killing him before he could even blink. Behind him was the ring from the Hero Academy, and in his pocket was his phone.


    He felt trapped between a rock and a hard ce. He tried to calm his mind and prepare an excuse, but just as he was about to exin, his vision began to blur.


    A semi-transparent screen appeared before him, disying four options.


    [Option One: You havemitted a sin by betraying the trust of the Devil Sect. Confess to Zhang Wei and tell her that you are a spy sent by the Mythical Hero Academy.


    Reward: ck Dragon Sword (Rare Tier)]


    [Option Two: Tell Zhang Wei that you are just not ustomed to thepany of a beautiful woman like her. Seeing her, you grew slightly nervous.


    Reward: A Question Voucher]


    [Option Three: Take a step back and exin to Zhang Wei that everything is fine and she is just overthinking.


    Reward: An unknown egg (Mid Tier)]


    [Option Four: Tell her that you have been feeling unwelltely and that you were just about to go to sleep. Tell her to leave so you can rest.


    Reward: Healing Pill (Low Tier)]


    Eren gazed at the screen that had seemingly materialized out of thin air, his mind filled with bewilderment.


    He had delved into numerous chapters of this web novel, yet not once had the existence of such a system been mentioned when it came to Elder Ren.


    Even in the chapter where the Elder died, there was no mention of any system whatsoever.


    In contrast, the protagonist of the novel possessed a distinct system, though vastly different from the one now presenting itself before Eren.


    That systemcked any options or choices for the main character. Instead, it mainly granted quests upon him, serving as a means to enhance his strength.


    As the Main Character grew stronger, more options in the system were unlocked, like the store from which he could buy various special items.


    That system had be the biggest helper of the main character, allowing him to survive even the wildest of situations.


    On the contrary, the screen that had materialized before Eren was clearly different from the system he was familiar with.


    There was no quest. If anything, it looked more like a guide. There was no punishment for failure, at least none mentioned. At the same time, all options came with certain rewards.


    "Are you listening to me?" Zhang Wei frowned, noticing the strange behavior of Eren.


    She stepped closer to Eren, feeling even more suspicious.


    Eren came to his senses, watching Zhang Wei getting closer to him.


    ''Argh, screw it! I''ll go with option two!''


    With no time to think about it, he selected the second option.


    Instead of stepping back, he confidently stepped forward, locking his gaze with Zhang Wei.


    The chilling intensity in her eyes, as if they had witnessed the horrors of countless battles, would have unsettled most people. Eren, though unnerved, refused to show any signs of fear.


    "Elder Zhang, you are absolutely right. I must admit, I was nervous," Eren confessed as he closed the distance between them.


    Zhang Wei was taken aback, slightly overwhelmed by his unexpected approach. She hadn''t anticipated him moving closer.


    As a result, the space between them dwindled until only a few centimeters separated their lips.


    "I was nervous because of you," Eren revealed, his voice filled with a mixture of vulnerability and admiration.


    Zhang Wei instinctively wanted to retreat, overwhelmed by the proximity.


    She had never been this close to a man before. However, she resisted the urge to step back, not wanting to appear frightened.


    Instead, she remained motionless, resembling a frozen statue.


    "B-because of me?" she stammered, her warm breath grazing his skin.


    Eren''s heart skipped a beat, a surge of unfamiliar emotions coursing through him. This woman was truly a beauty that could bring kingdoms to their knees with her charm alone.


    He quicklyposed himself, reminding himself of the danger that lurked within this woman. She was beautiful, but more than that, she was dangerous.


    "Yes, it''s because of you," Eren repeated, his voice steady butced with sincerity. "Encountering a woman as beautiful as you is a rarity for me. Your presence here has made me nervous. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."


    Zhang Wei heard Eren''s words, unsure of how to respond. A faint blush tinged the tips of her ears.


    No one had ever spoken to her in such a manner before. Even within her own sect, people were too intimidated to approach her. Yet, this man...


    "Don''t be absurd!" she retorted, turning away in an attempt to conceal her flushed cheeks. "Stop joking. I am not beautiful."


    However, deep down, Zhang Wei couldn''t help but feel a flutter in her heart at his genuine words.


    Though she was aware of her own beauty, hearing it from someone else was a novel experience in itself.

 Chapter 6: First Time

    <h4>Chapter 6: First Time</h4>


    It was even more effective since she didn''t see any malice in Eren''s eyes when heplimented her.


    Eren noticed the subtle change in Zhang Wei''s demeanor. Her flushed cheeks and the flutter in her heart revealed a vulnerability that he hadn''t expected.


    He still couldn''t believe it. The Demoness was blushing because of apliment? Had he discovered... her weakness?


    [Chosen Option Completed]


    [You have been rewarded with a Question Voucher]


    [You can use a Question Voucher on anyone, irrespective of their strength. Issuing the Question Voucher, you can ask one question and the other side will answer]


    Eren noticed a small icon appear in the corner of his eyes, which had an icon simr to a treasure chest.


    Beneath that chest icon, a few numbers became visible.


    [1/25]


    He really wanted to press the icon, wondering if it was a storage box for him. Even the main character didn''t possess something like this after all.


    The Main Character only used a storage ring that he received from the system as a reward.


    After thinking for some time, he decided to check it, taking advantage of the momentary distraction of Zhang Wei.


    He tapped on the Treasure Box Icon.


    The Icon became bigger, turning into a new screen which had twenty five slots. And only the first slot appeared to be filled, having a small scroll icon visible.


    As soon as he opened the treasure box, he felt some knowledge get imprinted in his mind. These were the instructions on how to use the treasure box.


    Although the knowledge was just assimted, he felt as if he had known how to use this treasure box for an eternity.


    He quickly brought the ring from the Hero Academy, cing it inside the second slot. That was the only ticking time bomb for him that he didn''t want to be discovered at any cost.


    After thinking about it more, he also brought out his phone and ced it in the third slot before closing the screen.


    It was only after he got rid of all the incriminating evidence, that he sighed in relief. As long as those things weren''t discovered, he could live longer.


    He once again shifted his attention to the woman who was facing the other side.


    Eren took a step back, giving Zhang Wei some space to collect herself. He really didn''t know that all the acting sses he took in his early years were going toe so handy.


    He had managed to convince even the Blood Asura. He didn''t realize that most of it was because he wasn''t really acting.


    Most of these words were genuinelying out of his mouth when heplimented her.


    "I apologize if my words caught you off guard, Elder Zhang," Eren said sincerely, his voice gentle yet resolute. "I didn''t mean to make you ufortable. It''s just that your presence has a certain effect on me."


    Zhang Wei turned to face Eren, her expression a mix of curiosity and skepticism.


    "What kind of effect?" she asked, her voice tinged with a hint of caution.


    Eren took a moment to gather his thoughts before answering. He knew that his next words could potentially shape the course of their interaction in the future.


    He knew Zhang Wei was strong. If he wanted to live longer, he had to get into her good books. In his quest for survival, she was an important piece.


    "You are as beautiful as you are strong," he began, choosing his words carefully. "But beyond that, there''s a certain aura around you that draws me in. It''s as if there''s more to you than what the world knows."


    Zhang Wei''s eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn''t interrupt.


    Eren continued, his voice filled with sincerity. "I believe that getting to know you better would be a privilege."


    "It''s not often that I get to meet people like you. That''s why I felt nervous when I found myself in your presence."


    Zhang Wei remained silent for a moment, contemting Eren''s words. She had always been wary of people''s intentions.


    But Eren''s words felt different. They resonated with her on a deeper level, touching a part of her that she seldom allowed others to see.


    He wasn''t scared of her. No, he was scared of her, but he didn''t let his fears shape his opinions about her!


    Finally, Zhang Wei spoke, her voice softer than before. "You have a way with words, Elder Ren."


    "I appreciate your honesty, even if it caught me off guard. Let''s put this behind us. I almost forgot what I came here for."


    Eren nodded, relieved that Zhang Wei had responded positively to his words.


    "Of course, Elder Zhang," he replied respectfully. "I apologize once again for any difort I may have caused."


    With that, the tension in the room dissipated. Moreover, with the ring hidden, Eren felt more calm. In any case, he wasn''t supposed to die yet, even in the novel.


    The bigger problem was what was toe in the future. He had to make a lot of preparations. He had to make many changes to the story, all so he could survive the tsunami known as the main character.


    As Zhang Wei regained herposure, her voice again turned colder. Or rather, this was the way she actually talked.


    "The Sect Leader sent me here to remind you about tomorrow. It will be your first time after all."


    "My first time?" Eren asked, wondering what she was talking about? What first time?


    "Did you already forget?" Zhang Wei was stunned at the response. "How could you be so forgetful? Tomorrow is the day you''ll be able to select your first disciple. It''s the Entrance Ceremony."


    "Entrance Ceremony?" Eren gulped heavily, realizing the meaning behind these words.


    For many, it was just a normal entrance ceremony. But for him, it was the day when the Main Character was about to enter the Sect!


    It was the day from where the first chapter began... The day this story began...

 Chapter 7: Be a man

    <h4>Chapter 7: Be a man</h4>


    After the initial shock, a wave of happiness engulfed him.


    The new information he received, provided him with a rough estimation of where he stood in the timeline of the story after transmigrating.


    The novelmenced with the Main Character''s arrival at the Sect for the Entrance Exam.


    Throughout the exams, the Main Character demonstrated exceptional skills, surprising those who had underestimated him.


    It was also the day when the Main Character had a conflict with Elder Ren.


    Since Elder Ren had no disciple, he had made up his mind to take the Main Character under his wing.


    Unfortunately, the Main Character secured the top position, granting him the freedom to choose his own master.


    Despite Elder Ren''s desire, the Main Character did not select him. Instead, he chose the person standing right before him: Zhang Wei.


    Yes, Zhang Wei was the chosen master of the Main Character. Even if she wanted to refuse, she had no choice.


    ording to the rules, the First ce Candidate of the Exam had the privilege to select any Elder as their master.


    "Wait a minute. If the Entrance Exam hasn''t started yet, it means I have the opportunity to alter the future," Eren thought to himself.


    Although he hadn''t figured out how to return to his own world, he had discovered a means to survive longer in this new world.


    All he needed to do was avoid catching the Main Character''s attention and keep his true identity concealed.


    Zhang Wei observed Eren''s constantly shifting expressions, unable toprehend what was going through his mind. Sometimes he appeared depressed, while other times he seemed happy.


    "Thank you for the information."


    Eren came to his senses and realized that now wasn''t the time to think about anything else. Zhang Wei was still before him.


    "I will definitely attend the Entrance Exam and select a disciple. Please tell the Sect Master to not worry."


    Zhang Wei nodded.


    Since she had finished delivering the message, she turned to leave.


    Eren watched her leaving. He let out a sigh of relief. He had survived the first interaction with the Blood Asura. But how long he could do that, he wasn''t sure.


    When Zhang Wei disappeared from his view, he dropped on the mattress, exhausted. His entire body was covered in sweat.


    He didn''t even have the courage to move anymore. He simply looked at the in ceiling.


    "In just one night, my entire world changed. It doesn''t make sense at all. Just what was that website? What was this novel? How could it drag me inside?"


    He was talking to himself when a screen with certain options appeared again.


    [Option One: You have been sent to an unfamiliar world. You decided that it''s better to die than to live in this scary world. Jump off the cliff. Don''t take the help of the Phoenix.


    Reward: Strength +1]


    [Option Two: Life is hard. Be a man and go with the flow.


    Reward: Luck +1]


    [Option Three: Contact the Mythical Hero Academy and tell them that you are quitting.


    Reward: A beautiful ck coffin (Rare Tier)]


    [Option Four: Tell the Sect Master that you aren''t Elder Ren. Ask her if she knows of any method that can send you back to your real world.


    Reward: A beautiful white coffin (Rare Tier)]


    "Jump off the cliff? You motherf-" Eren cursed out loud, seeing the first option.


    "Are you trying to be funny? Jump off the cliff? You freakin bastard, just let me see you once and I''ll make you experience what jumping off a cliff feels like!"


    Seeing the options, Eren couldn''t control his anger.


    The first option was basically telling him to die if he didn''t want to live in this world. If he jumped off the cliff, the only thing waiting for him was certain death.


    What was he going to do with one point of increase in strength after dying? What kind of stupid suggestion was this?


    As for the third and fourth option, they didn''t make sense either. It wasn''t as if he didn''t know about the strength of the Mythical Hero Academy.


    If he told them that he was quitting, it was only a matter of time before he was killed. And the worst part was that he wasn''t even going to see his deathing.


    If he went with the flow of the story, he could at least avoid some mistakes. He knew about the future after all.


    But if he changed things drastically, even he couldn''t predict what might happen in the future.


    In the story, Elder Ren died in the fiftieth chapter. But if he was to tell the Hero Academy that he was quitting before the story even began, it wasn''t impossible for him to die within the first ten chapters!


    As for telling the Sect Master about his transmigration, she would have to be crazy to believe him. She might even kill him directly, saying he had gone crazy.


    "And coffins as a reward? Was that supposed to be funny? Are you some cheap troll?" Eren asked out loud. "You''re having revenge for the bad review, aren''t you? I was right! You really are a child!"


    ....


    The beautiful Phoenix circled around the mountain, asionally hearing its master shouting. Fortunately, there was no one else to hear Eren''s words.


    No one was allowed to approach the Mountain except the Elders.


    After cursing the Author for a long time, Eren finally calmed down. He could only curse but there was nothing else he could do. He didn''t even know why he was inside a novel. Was it all because of a mere review?


    What kind of site could pull someone to a different world? Just what kind of being was the person who wrote this novel? And why him? Just because of criticism?


    Although he wanted to believe his theory, he felt that something was amiss.


    "Ah, that''s right. My phone..." He sat up remembering his phone that had arrived into this world with him.


    He opened his System Storage and pulled out the phone which still had a fifty percent charge.


    "What the heck? It is still getting a signal?''

 Chapter 8: This is my luck?

    <h4>Chapter 8: This is my luck?</h4>


    Eren was surprised to see that his phone was still getting a signal. It should''ve been impossible as it was apletely different world.


    He could even see a few missed call notifications, mainly from his colleagues at the University.


    [Warning: Please confirm an option or a penalty will be applied]


    "What penalty? Are you going to give me two coffins instead of one?" Eren rolled his eyes in frustration.


    Despite that, he still made a choice. He didn''t want to create unnecessary problems for himself.


    "Option two... I''ll go with the flow. Not as if there was any other choice."


    [Congrattions. Your luck has increased by one]


    "Increased by one? What is it at now? Minus 68?" Eren sarcastically asked. If he really had luck, he wouldn''t be stuck in this world.


    If he had good luck, he would''ve fallen asleep earlyst night, instead of reading a suspicious novel.


    He opened the dialer that showed multiple missed calls. Some were from the administration as well.


    Today, he was supposed to be at the ss, giving a lecture. But here he was, deciding if he wanted a ck coffin or a white!


    He didn''t believe that he could actually call back to earth. Which service provider even covered other worlds? Still, just for the sake of it, he called back.


    "Huh? It''s ringing?"


    Eren was taken aback as he heard the faint sound of ringing on the other end of the line. He couldn''t believe his ears.


    With a mix of excitement and skepticism, Eren waited anxiously for someone to pick up the call.


    After what felt like an eternity, a voice finally came through the receiver.


    A woman''s voice chimed in. "Where were you? Everyone has been worried about you. It''s not like you to miss a ss."


    Everyone knew that Eren had a perfect attendance record. This was the first time he had missed a ss.


    The woman was his colleague, Professor Eva. But before being a colleague, she was his friend.


    Hearing her words, Eren was convinced that the call actually worked. Moreover, there was no time difference between this world and earth. But the problem still remained.


    He could contact earth, but how could he go back?


    "If I''m able to contact you, there must be a way for me to get back as well."


    "Get back? Are you out of town?" Eva asked, hearing Eren''s mumbling.


    "If only," Eren muttered. He wanted to tell her everything, but he knew that she wasn''t going to believe him.


    Let alone her, even if he was in her ce, he wouldn''t have believed this absurd story.


    In the end, Eren chose to withhold any mention of this alternate world from her.


    After engaging in conversation for some time, he reluctantly ended the call.


    He then dialed the administrative block, requesting leave and providing them with a usible excuse.


    Although the staff at the administration block was not happy that he was informing them sote, they didn''tin. After all, Eren was the shining star of their University.


    Eren didn''t know how long he was going to be in this world. It might even be for an eternity, but he still only asked for only a week of leave.


    If he couldn''t return after that time, then it was better to resign.


    After getting a leave, he disconnected the call. He sent a message to all his friends that he was going out of state so they didn''t worry about him.


    "I never knew I was going to miss that ordinary life so much." He sat down, looking at the time on the phone screen.


    It was already afternoon. He had only been here for a few hours, yet it felt like he was here for an eternity.


    "I really should have put the phone on charge before sleeping."


    "I don''t even have a charger here. What''s the point in being able to call back when this phone is going to die soon?"


    He looked at the battery percentage which had dropped by five percent.


    Since the signal was working, the inte was working as well. He decided to find out more about the website that sent him to this world.


    "Huh? What?"


    As he opened the browser, he noticed that the website was missing. The link wasn''t present in the history either.


    He opened a search engine and typed the name of the website.


    "Celestial Novels."


    He pressed on search, and a list of results popped up. But none of the results were what he wanted.


    Most of the main page was spammed with results that had nothing to do with his search.


    He kept scrolling down, but no matter what, he didn''t find the website he was looking for.


    As it didn''t work, he tried a different approach. He directly used the URL which he didn''t remember perfectly either.


    Unfortunately, the URL also redirected him to a shopping website. Nothing was going his way.


    "Is this what you call increased luck?" he asked, looking above.


    It was as if the website he wanted had just disappeared like it never existed.


    "Don''t tell me that you got so upset that you took my advice and deleted that novel?" he asked, his toneced with sarcasm.


    There was no response to his question.


    For a long time, Eren kept searching for any clues. He even went to the social media app, scrolling through an endless cycle of short form video content, hoping toe across that ad again.


    He came across many ads, but not one of them was the one he wanted.


    Before he knew it, it was already night. And the phone showed him a low battery warning. There was only four percent battery left.


    It was the point he would have already started searching for a charger back home. But he couldn''t do that either.


    To save the battery for an emergency, he could only stop the search. He turned the phone off, putting it back in his System Storage.

 Chapter 9: Zhang Wei’s Kiss

    <h4>Chapter 9: Zhang Wei''s Kiss</h4>


    Eren walked over to the shelf and picked up an empty diary.


    He started writing everything he remembered about this story inside the diary so that he couldn''t forget anything important.


    As he had read it onlyst night, he remembered most of it. But he wasn''t sure how much of it he was going to remember if he was to go to sleep again.


    As his life was on the line, even the smallest pieces of information that he initially hadn''t paid attention to, could be significant.


    "If I had been able to find that website again, I could have read the remaining chapters. If only I had known what kind of mess I was going to get dragged into..."


    As he finished writing the main points rted to the first two hundred chapters, including the various arcs rted to the Main Character, he ced the diary inside his System Storage.


    If anyone discovered it, this could be incriminating evidence after all.


    For a moment, he also nced at the ring that he kept in the second slot.


    The ring could be used to contact the person in the Hero Academy who had sent him here. But thest thing he wanted to do was contact them.


    Although Elder Ren was a minor antagonist, quite a lot of attention was paid to him for some reason.


    This was also one of the reasons Eren had been annoyed at the character. But now he felt d. The more he knew about the character, the more chances he had of surviving this story.


    He closed the screen, going back to bed. He didn''t have the courage to even leave the room, partially because this room was on top of a cliff.


    He wasn''t even sure that if he fell again, the Phoenix was going to get to him in time to save him from a cruel fall.


    "What kind of fool makes a house at a ce like this?" he said, realizing that there were a lot of things he didn''t know about this character, despite previously believing that he did.


    He had always thought that Elder Ren was a strong character. But when he fell from a small height, he broke his legs. It made him realize that it wasn''t the case.


    In reality, Elder Ren was physically very weak. It''s just that no one knew about it.


    He was even weaker than an ordinary mortal when it came to physical strength. It was a miracle that he had managed to keep it hidden.


    In the story, he had only seen Elder Ren scheme against the main character, but he had never seen this guy personally take action.


    He had thought that it was because the character was cautious, but he was realizing that it might not have been the case.


    "How was someone like this selected as an Elder of the Devil Sect?"


    "Should I use the Question Voucher on the Sect Master?" he pondered, but quickly rejected the idea.


    All he knew was that Question Voucher could make anyone answer. But what after the answer? Were their memories going to be erased?


    If that wasn''t the case, wasn''t it no different than him courting death?


    "Sigh, tomorrow is a big day. It''s where it all starts. But now that I have taken over this body, I will make sure to survive."


    "I will do whatever it takes to free myself of this fate. With my knowledge about this story, I should be able to do a lot of things."


    Eren kept talking to himself, thinking about the Selection Ceremony.


    Throughout the day, his mind had been stressed. He didn''t even realize when he fell asleep, his body also feeling just as exhausted.


    During sleep, he had a dream. A dream in which he was back on earth.


    He was back at the University, getting weed by his students. He was teaching them various scientific theories, while answering their questions.


    While teaching, Eren had almost thought that he had never entered another world. He was still on earth, and all that he saw before was no more than a dream.


    He sighed in relief, realizing that he was still safe.


    "Any other questions?" he asked the students right as his lecture was about to end.


    One of the students raised their hands in the back.


    "Yes?" he asked.


    A girl stood in the back, asking, "Is it true that you will die in the first fifty chapters?"


    Hearing the question, Eren was stunned. His eyes darted around the ssroom, trying to find the source of this peculiar question.


    He looked at the girl in the back. He was shocked to find her there. She was none other than Zhang Wei.


    The only difference was that she was dressed in modern clothes now.


    Even in the modern clothes, she looked just as beautiful, if not more.


    "How are you here?" Eren asked, shocked.


    "Why can''t I be here when you can be in our world?" The girl''s seductive voice fell in Eren''s ears as she appeared behind him.


    Her arms wrapped around him as the distance between them decreased. Eren could already feel something soft pressing against his back.


    "You are not real!" Eren eximed, feeling the hand of the girl on his lower abdomen, slowly sliding down.


    "I''m as real as you want me to be," the girl smiled as she ced her hand under Eren''s chin, slowly turning him towards him until her eyes were looking deep in his eyes.


    Before he knew it, the girl ced her lips on his, her hands gently cupping his face.


    Eren abruptly opened his eyes, waking up from the strange dream. He sat up, feeling his heart beating faster.


    Taking a deep breath as he lightly touched his lips, still feeling the lingering sense. He tried to shake off the lingering feeling of the dream. He felt like he was going crazy.


    Even his dreams were getting more and more bizarre now.


    "Huh? It''s already the next morning?"


    As he looked out the window, he noticed that the sun had started to rise again. Today was the day of the Selection.

 Chapter 10: The Prestige

    <h4>Chapter 10: The Prestige</h4>


    It was the day of the Sect Selection Exams. Arge crowd of youngsters had already started gathering at the entrance of the Sect.


    In this region, the Devil Sect was considered the overlord. Although they didn''t have a good reputation throughout this world, their strength was undeniable.


    Many youngsters wanted to be a part of the sect and begin their journey to be stronger. They didn''t care if the Sect was known as an evil sect. This was their only choice.


    The Devil Sect was the only sect in this region after all. Every other sect here had been destroyed by the Devil Sect.


    If one wanted to join any other sect, they had to travel to other provinces, and the journey itself was expensive and long.


    Just to reach the next sect that was on the same level as the Devil Sect, they had to travel for over six months.


    Since they had no other choice, the people of this province had embraced the Devil Sect. If they couldn''t avoid it, it was better to embrace it.


    For them, joining the Devil Sect had be a symbol of prestige.


    Just the Nether Province that was ruled by the Devil Sect had thousands of cities within. And each of those cities had their own power structure.


    Some weak families looked at the Devil Sect as their only hope of survival. If a family member could join the sect, it was enough to work as a deterrent.


    The Devil Sect didn''t interfere in the matters of the mortals, but it didn''t mean that they couldn''t.


    If one managed to attract the attention of an Elder and gain enough importance in the sect, they could rise to the top in one fell swoop.


    There was also one such story that was very famous. There was a n that was almost on the verge of getting destroyed by other major powers in the city.


    The n had already lost hope. But one day, a member of the n returned from the Devil Sect, telling everyone that he had managed to be a disciple of an Elder.


    The major ns in the sect didn''t take him seriously.


    Even if he had be an Elder''s disciple, they believed that there was no way the Devil Sect was going to interfere in the matters of a small city like theirs, just because of a disciple.


    They believed that as long as they didn''t harm the disciple, they could do anything to the family.


    They destroyed the family, despite the pleading of the youngsters. However, the very next day, the entire city was painted red in blood at the hands of the youngster''s master.


    From that day on, the prestige of the Devil Sect rose even more.


    It was said that if one was a disciple of an Elder in the Devil Sect, they could do anything in the Nether Province.


    Even if a Disciple of an Elder was to p the Patriarch of some great family, the family was most probably not going to react.


    Fortunately for this province, very few people had managed to be the Disciples of an Elder. And those who achieved this feat, rarely left the sect.


    They tried their best to be stronger so they didn''t disappoint their master.


    Today, all the youngsters had gathered here for one such opportunity. If they could take the top positions in the exam, they could be selected by an Elder.


    However, if they failed, they had to wait for a long time before another opportunity. And for the next opportunity, they had to face even morepetition.


    It was said that if one failed the opportunity given at the entrance exam, then it was basically impossible to be an Elder''s disciple.


    Let alone bing an Elder''s Disciple, it was impossible to even see an Elder!


    "I will definitely take first ce!" A young man eximed, looking at the entrance of the sect.


    The entrance was blocked by a few disciples of the sect as it wasn''t the time yet.


    "Hahaha, look at this idiot. He says he will take first ce!" A mockingughter resounded. "You little fool, the first ce is mine!"


    Many great families had sent their heirs, hoping that they were going to seed. Most of the youngsters gathered here were proud and arrogant.


    Not only were they talented, but they also had the support of their families. Some of those families even had some influence within the sect after all.


    "These fools. They think they can take first ce? They don''t know that the first ce is mine." Another young man smirked in the distance, hearing the confident tones of the others.


    "They don''t know that my Uncle is already an Elder of the Sect. Thanks to his help, the first ce is as good as mine. He will be incharge of the tests after all."


    The man didn''t speak his thoughts out loud. But he really looked forward to everyone''s faces and their gazes of worship when he took the top position and selected a master.


    He had already decided who he was going to select as a master.


    At the same time, another young man was climbing up the stairs of the Sect.


    Unlike the prominent young masters of various families, the red haired boy wasn''t dressed luxuriously. His clothes were old but they were still very clean.


    The boy wasn''t apanied by any family members. Instead, he was climbing all alone, carrying a heavy sword on his back.


    Many people looked at him, but didn''t spare a second nce. Just by looking at the boy, they were sure that he wasn''t worth paying attention.


    He looked poor. It was clear that he didn''t have any prominent family supporting him. And without the resources of a family, it was only as far one could go before reaching their limit.


    "Look at that, even beggars are taking part in the demon sect exams now."


    Most people ignored the red haired boy, but not all did. There were many who looked down on him and weren''t shy from expressing their thoughts.

 Chapter 11: Main Scenario Quest

    <h4>Chapter 11: Main Scenario Quest</h4>


    As the Sect Selection Exams were about to begin, the atmosphere at the entrance of the Devil Sect was buzzing with excitement and anticipation.


    The crowd of youngsters grewrger by the minute, each one eager to prove themselves worthy of bing an Elder''s disciple.


    The red-haired boy, who had been dismissed and mocked by many, stood tall among the crowd, ignoring the taunts.


    asionally, he could be heard talking to himself and looking nkly into the distance in front of him.


    After another hour passed, the gates of the Devil Sect opened.


    The candidates were led into a vast arena, surrounded by towering walls and adorned with intricate symbols of the Sect.


    "Where are the Elders? Aren''t they going to arrive to witness our performance?" One of the youngsters asked a Sect Disciple who had brought them here.


    The young disciple scoffed. "You think you are worthy of an Elder''s presence?"


    The young boy''s face turned red in embarrassment, hearing the words of the Sect Disciple.


    Him, being worthy of an Elder''s presence? How could that be possible? Even his father would have to wait in line if he wanted to meet an ordinary disciple of the Devil Sect, let alone an Elder.


    Another young disciple smiledpassionately as he stepped forward.


    "It''s alright, Junior Brother. It''s understandable that they are excited. We were the same when we had just arrived here."


    He turned towards the youngsters who had gathered there, numbering in the thousands.


    "The Elders would be in attendanceter. But first, we have to make sure if you''re even worthy of participating in the entrance exams."


    He pointed towards a crystal sphere that was ced over a stone table in the distance.


    "The Sphere will tell us your innate talent," he exined. "Only those who meet the minimum criteria will be able to pass and actually get the opportunity to take part in the Sect Entrance Exam."


    "As many of you may already know, there are seven levels of talent. Each level is represented by a color. If the sphere shines red, it means you have level 1 talent."


    "Level one talent? Does that mean it''s good?" A young boy asked.


    "It basically means you''re worse than trash." The sect discipleughed, causing murmurs of disbelief among the crowd.


    "Only those who have a level three talent or higher will have an opportunity to go further. Everyone else will be sent back before they even see the shadow of an Elder."


    Many young men gulped heavily. They hade all this way, and if they failed here, they couldn''t even see the Elders, let alone take part in the exams?


    When it came to fighting, they could at least put their lives on the line to win. They could control their fate. But what about the talent? They had no control over it!


    Many youngsters who had never once tested their talents previously were nervous.


    Meanwhile, the youngsters who hade from the Great ns, were confident.


    Their family had a lot of information about the demon sect entrance exams.


    In fact, they had already tested their talents back home, thanks to their families spending an exorbitant amount of wealth to buy talent measuring stones.


    Only when they at least reached three stars were they allowed to even attend the Sect Entrance Exams, in order to not embarrass their ns.


    After some time, the testing finally began. One after another, youngsters stepped forward and ced their hands on the Crystal Sphere.


    Most of them only made the Crystal shine in a red light, feeling dejected. They had the weakest talent that wasn''t even enough to allow them to be a servant at the Great Demon Sect.


    Within the first hour itself, thousands of youngsters were tested. And a vast majority of them were one star talents. A small number of them were two stars. And only a rare few were three stars or more.


    After three hours passed, almost all youngsters were tested. And amongst the thousands, only around five hundred of them were selected for the next stage of the entrance exam.


    There was only one person left to be tested now. A young red haired boy who carried a heavy sword on his back.


    The red haired boy stepped forward, muttering to himself.


    "The System did give me a three star talent as a rewardst time, but will that really be reflected on the Crystal? Or will it see my real one star talent?"


    Even he didn''t appear to be confident. But still, he stepped forward.


    Taking a deep breath, he ced his hand on the crystal sphere and eagerly waited for a response.


    Only a few seconds had passed before the crystal even started reacting. A minor red shine enveloped the crystal.


    "Another one star talent." The Sect Disciple rolled his eyes. "You can leave as well."


    The red haired boy looked in disbelief. So it was true. The crystal only saw his real talent and not the one rewarded by his system?


    He felt disappointed. He had failed the test. But still, he had the help of the system. He believed that even without the sect, he could be stronger!


    As long as he was guided by the system, he had faith.


    "What a pity that I can''t finish the quest given by the system."


    Letting out a sigh, he was about to take his hands off the crystal. But before he could take his hands off, he saw some movement in the crystal.


    The red color in the crystal slowly turned into orange.


    "A two star?" The Sect Disciple asked, slightly surprised. "What a pity, that it''s still not eno-"


    Before he could even finish his sentence, the color in the Crystal changed again, turning into yellow.


    "A three star?" Even the disciples of the Sect were surprised.


    Usually, Crystal showed talent right at the start. It was the first time they had seen the colors climbing slowly to real talent.


    They waited for a few minutes to see if the color was going to change again. But it never did.


    "A three star talent, barely enough I suppose." The Sect Disciple pulled out a participation token.


    "What is your name?" He asked the red haired boy, prepared to carve the name in the token.


    "Ye Liang." The red haired boy let out a smile. He had finally done it.


    He could enter the sect andplete the quest given by the system not long ago!


    He could finally kill the man known as Elder Ren,pleting his Main Scenario Quest!

 Chapter 12: The Cry of a Pheonix

    <h4>Chapter 12: The Cry of a Pheonix</h4>


    A little over five hundred youngsters were carefully selected to participate in the Sect Entrance Exam, which was to be observed by the Elders.


    Among this group, there were more than four hundred youngsters who possessed three-star talents.


    Additionally, there were approximately eighty participants with four-star talents, and fifteen youngsters with five-star talents.


    However, what drew the most attention was the presence of a sole six-star talent.


    This exceptional person happened to be a young girl, her stunning blue hair gracefully flowing behind her, enhancing her already captivating appearance.


    Even prior to the revtion of her talent, many participants couldn''t help but be drawn to her as she was undoubtedly the most beautiful girl present.


    Even some of the Sect Disciples, responsible for overseeing the proceedings, couldn''t resist discreetly stealing nces at her.


    Many people believed that she was going to be selected by an Elder. Even if she didn''t take first ce, she still had six star talent which was rare.


    Just her talent alone had confirmed her position as an Elder''s Disciple.


    Many youngsters thought about getting closer to the girl who was going to be an Elder''s disciple.


    Even the Sect Disciples treated her with respect that others didn''t receive.


    Many five star talents also tried to start a conversation with her, talking about their families and how influential their families were.


    Unfortunately for them, the girl didn''t even spare them a second nce.


    "Junior Sister, looks like we will both be selected by the Elders."


    It was only when a five star talent made a statement, she frowned. "Why do you believe that we will have the same master?"


    "Hahaha, because I''ll be taking first ce. I will have the right to select any Elder as my master." The young man smiled, making his meaning clear.


    He was going to select the same Elder that selected her, so they could be under the same Elder.


    "What makes you think you''ll be able to take first ce?" The girl asked.


    Although she could be an Elder''s Disciple just based on her talent alone, it didn''t mean she wasn''t going to take the first ce.


    She was already aiming for the top position. She didn''t want to be a prize that was selected by an Elder.


    Instead, she wanted to be the one who selected her own master! And she had already made up her mind as to who she was going to select.


    There was only one person she wanted as her master! It was the Blood Asura Zhang Wei!


    "Good to see that you are all excited." The Sect Disciples chimed in. "It''s time I take you to a ce where you''ll go through your real entrance exam."


    "It''s a ce where you will get to see the Elders. So make sure you are respectful. Otherwise, don''t me me for being rude..."


    The Sect Disciples guided the young participants through a portal, transporting them to an expansive arena that surpassed the size of their previous location.


    Instead of resembling the familiar surroundings within the sect, the arena bore a striking resemnce to an immense desert, seemingly stretching infinitely into the unknown.


    If they hadn''t seen the familiar mountains of the sect in the distance, they would have thought that they had been taken to another continent entirely.


    The ce waspletely empty. There was no Elder present here, which made some wonder if they were at the wrong ce.


    Just as they were about to ask the Sect Disciples, they saw the disciples going down to one knee, as if weing someone.


    The temperature suddenly dropped, as if they had been shoved into the Frozen Lands.


    Only the people who knew about this sect understood what this phenomenon meant.


    "Elder Li!"


    The five star talents that hade from the Great Families instantly realized what this meant. There was only one Elder in the sect who could be associated with this strange phenomenon.


    It was said that there was once a time when Elder Li was offended by a Kingdom.


    He froze the entire Kingdom into a thick block of ice, killing countless. From that day, the ice over that Kingdom still hadn''t melted!


    That was why Elder Li had another nickname. He was called the Frozen Demon!


    Following the Sect Disciples going down on their knees, the other youngsters also followed suit.


    The first person to go down on knees was the girl possessing six star talent. The rest also followed suit, including Ye Liang.


    Although Ye Liang didn''t know who was arriving, he could feel that the person was strong. That person was someone that he couldn''t afford to go against, at least not yet.


    As the young participants knelt in anticipation, a powerful presence began to fill the arena.


    Suddenly, a figure emerged from a portal, walking with an air of authority and grace.


    Elder Li, the Frozen Demon, made his entrance. His presence alone was enough to send shivers down the spines of those present.


    d in a flowing robe of icy blue, he exuded an aura of absolute power and control. His piercing gaze, as cold as the frozen dragon, surveyed the crowd with a mix of curiosity and expectation.


    Many had expected Elder Li to look old, since he had lived for over five hundred years at least. But to their surprise, the man looked like he hadn''t even turned thirty yet.


    As he approached, the temperature dropped even further, causing frost to form on the ground beneath his feet.


    The young girl with the stunning blue hair, who possessed the exceptional six-star talent, felt a chill run down her spine.


    Elder Li''s gaze fell upon the young girl, and a glimmer of intrigue shed in his eyes. He recognized the immense potential within her, which slightly impressed him.


    "Greetings Elder Li!" The Sect Disciples greeted loudly. The others also followed suit.


    As they finished greeting Elder Li, the atmosphere changed once again.


    The sky turned blood red, making the participants feel as if they were suffocating. They felt as if they were shoved into the sea of blood!


    Another portal opened, and a beautiful woman stepped out of the portal.


    Although she looked beautiful, she was the scariest Elder in the Demon Sect! She was Blood Asura, Zhang Wei.


    The youngsters couldn''t even look at her, without feeling like they were going to die. They had thought that Elder Li was strong, but Zhang Wei was in an entirely different league altogether!


    The ce waspletely silent. People didn''t even dare to breathe loudly in Zhang Wei''s presence.


    The silence on the field was only broken when a beautiful cry of a Phoenix resounded in the sky.

 Chapter 13: You really want me dead?

    <h4>Chapter 13: You really want me dead?</h4>


    The silence on the field was only broken when a beautiful cry of a Phoenix resounded in the sky.


    As the sound echoed through the arena, all eyes turned towards the source of the sound.


    A magnificent phoenix, its feathers aze with vibrant hues of red, orange, and gold, soared gracefully above the heads of the participants. Its wings spanned wide, casting a radiant glow that illuminated the entire arena.


    The young girl with the stunning blue hair couldn''t help but be captivated by the sight.


    "Is that a... phoenix?" she mumbled in disbelief.


    Until now, she had only heard about Phoenix. This was her first time seeing one! It was said that Phoenix was one of the Mythical Beasts.


    A Phoenix was blessed by mes. It could burn anything in its path. It could also revive from its ashes.


    The only way to kill a Pheonix was to kill the master who was bound by the soul with the Phoenix.


    That''s why, Phoenix never epted a human master. Because epting a human master was no different than epting a weakness!


    Only a few other Mythical Beasts like a Dragon or a Celestial White Tiger couldpare to a fully grown phoenix.


    She had heard stories about the legendary Phoenix, a symbol of rebirth and power, but to witness its majestic presence in person was beyond her wildest dreams.


    "Looks like he really does know how to make an entrance," Elder Li looked at the Phoenix above, realizing who had arrived.


    Usually, most Elders arrived using a spatial portal. But for some reason, this guy had chosen to arrive this way.


    He thought that Eren wanted to make a good entrance as it was his first time where he was going to be epting a disciple.


    He didn''t realize that it wasn''t the reason at all. The reason Eren didn''t arrive with a spatial portal was because he literally couldn''t.


    He didn''t know how to create a portal unlike the others. He didn''t have the memories of Elder Ren.


    He didn''t know how to use the skills of that guy as all the skills were rted to understanding, and without those memories, he couldn''t use them.


    Moreover, since Elder Ren had died early on and didn''t fight much, he didn''t even know what this guy was physically capable of in the first ce.


    As the Phoenix circled above the sky, many disciples looked at the majestic creature. Some could also see the silhouette of a man, standing atop the Phoenix, looking down on them like a god.


    Most youngsters knew that it must be an Elder. But none of them were able to guess who.


    Elder Li and Elder Zhang Wei were famous. Even their ns had heard about these two elders so they were able to recognise them based on the change in surroundings with their appearance.


    Elder Ren was different. He wasn''t famous. None of the youngsters had ever heard of an Elder of the Demon Sect who possessed an actual Phoenix.


    "Greetings, Elder Ren!" The Sect Disciples greeted the man atop the Phoenix.


    It was only now that the participants heard the name of the Elder. But even with the name, they couldn''t recognise him.


    "Elder Ren? Was there someone like that at the Demon Sect?"


    "My Uncle is an Elder at the Demon Sect. He sent us a lot of information about the Elders at the sect, but there was no mention of any Elder Ren. Is he new?"


    "Is he a hermit that isn''t famous because he stays in the sect, unlike the other Elders who make a name for themselves whenever they go out?"


    Many youngsters were thinking about the person addressed as Elder Ren.


    They didn''t know about this man. But they were certain of one thing! That man looked dignified!


    He was high in the sky, and they couldn''t see him clearly. But they could still feel that the man was handsome beyondprehension.


    With the sun behind him, and mes all around him, a beautiful silhouette was cast, captivating everyone''s attention.


    As they continued to gaze up at him in awe, they couldn''t help but wonder what remarkable skills and knowledge this mysterious figure possessed.


    Many female participants couldn''t take their eyes off the man above.


    Even though they didn''t know him, since he was an Elder of the Demon Sect, his strength was guaranteed.


    While everyone looked at him with awe, Eren stood atop the Phoenix, sweating.


    "Do you really want me to die?" Eren asked in a low voice, looking before him.


    There were four options in front of him.


    [Option 1: A good man doesn''t make people wait!Jump down without the help of the Phoenix and show everyone your acrobatic skills.


    Reward: Heavenly Cloud Step Skill (High Tier)]


    [Option 2: A King must never cower! A King must stand tall, even if the sky falls apart! Stay where you are, looking down at everyone else with dignity.


    Reward: Sword Emperor''s Aura (Unique Tier)]


    [Option 3: Shout loudly that every participant this time seems like trash and that none of them are worthy of your tutge! Return to your room after rejecting everyone.


    Reward: Seven sh Sword Skill (High Tier)]


    [Option 4: Time is precious. You don''t want to waste any time. Select a Disciple before the beginning of the Entrance Exam. Take your disciple with you, saying that he didn''t need to participate anymore.


    Reward: Celestial Wisdom Scroll (High Tier)]


    Eren looked at the options, feeling as if these options were really asking him to die. All these options were no different than ticking time bombs.


    Last time, he couldn''t even jump down from a few meters of height without breaking his bones. How could he ept the first option and jump down from such a great height?


    If he was alone, he might have done that since the Phoenix Tear could heal him, but in front of everyone? Absolutely impossible!


    As for the second option, how was it different from disrespecting the other Elders? Each of these elders could kill him a thousand times over before he could even plead for help.


    The third and fourth options were just as bad.


    He wasn''t the Sect Master to be able to ept a Disciple without the Sect Entrance Exam. As for calling everyone trash? He didn''t even want to think about it.

 Chapter 14: Selection and Reward

    <h4>Chapter 14: Selection and Reward</h4>


    [Warning. Please select an option in the next sixty seconds, or a penalty will be applied]


    Eren looked at the options, feeling a headache. All the options had their own ws. However, only one of them seemed usible and the least risky.


    "I will take the second option."


    Eventually, he decided on the second option. The first option was the most risky as it could expose his weakness before everyone present here.


    The third option was basically going against the Sect Master''s orders who wanted him to select his first Disciple.


    As for the fourth option, it could only raise more suspicions on him if he was in a hurry to select a disciple.


    Although he might offend a few Elders with the second option, it was better than offending the Sect Master any given day.


    Elder Li looked at the Phoenix in the sky, slightly confused. "Is he not going toe down?"


    He had no opinions about Elder Ren. He didn''t know that guy well enough, let alone knowing what kind of person he was.


    The only thing he knew was that the Sect Master had personally selected him as an Elder.


    "Elder Ren, it''s time we begin the Selection Trials. Can youe down so we can begin?" he asked after waiting for a few more seconds.


    Eren didn''t appear as if he had any intention ofing down.


    "You can begin the Selection Trials. I''ll be observing from here," Eren answered.


    Although his tone was confident when he replied, but in his mind, he kept praying. ''Please don''t be offended! Please don''t be offended!''


    "Elder Ren, I think that''s not a wise decision." Elder Li frowned in response.


    Was it really a good idea for another Elder to be above their heads? Was he trying to establish his prestige at the cost of looking down on others?


    "You fuckin idiot, did you think it was my idea?! Of course I know it''s not a good idea!" Eren wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, but he controlled himself.


    [Congrattions on selecting the Second Option. You have been rewarded with Sword Emperor''s Aura]


    [Reminder: If you select an option and don''tplete it, you will face a penalty]


    Eren was rewarded with the Sword Emperor''s Aura. But he was only left in confusion.


    He didn''t feel any change in his strength. He still felt exactly the same.


    Although it was his first time hearing about the Sword Emperor''s Aura, but still, shouldn''t it have been more noticeable when he received it?


    While Eren was wondering if he had been scammed, the people beneath him weren''t the same.


    All the students had thought that Elder Ren was the weakest of the three Elders because when he arrived, his momentum wasn''t as heavy as the other Elders.


    He wasn''t even famous. If it wasn''t for his position in the sect and his Phoenix, none would have taken him seriously.


    However, in this moment, everything changed.


    They felt a terrifying aura descending above them, that made them feel like they were suffocating.


    This aura wasn''t weaker than the pressure they felt during the arrival of the other Elders at all. Instead, it felt only stronger.


    While other Elders had a powerful aura, Elder Ren''s aura felt more destructive.


    It was sharp like a destructive sword that could strike their necks at any moment.


    In this moment, Elder Ren appeared like he was a true God of Sword who could annihte an entire Kingdom with a single swing of the most ordinary sword in his hand.


    Even Zhang Wei was momentarily stunned. She had met Elder Ren many times in the past.


    Every time she met him, she couldn''t find anything special in him. She only felt that he was hiding a lot of things.


    However, this suppressive aura even surprised her. She was certain that it was stronger than hers! A Cultivator''s aura was directly connected to thews they hadprehended and their strength.


    She possessed the Aura of Blood and her cultivation was very high. Simrly, Elder Li possessed the Aura of Frost, and his cultivation was also in the Upper echelon in the sect.


    Still, Zhang Wei could feel it more clearly than the youngsters. She could feel that her aura was weaker than the aura of Elder Ren. Did this mean he was stronger than her? Did this mean his cultivation was also higher?


    Even Elder Li was surprised. This aura was stronger than he expected. Although it wasn''t as strong as the Sect Master''s aura, but it felt just as unique.


    He could feel that if cultivation was on the same level, Elder Ren''s aura was even more dangerous than their Sect Master''s aura. It was an aura that they hadn''t even heard about before!


    Eren was still confused, standing atop the Phoenix. He rubbed his chin, observing his body for any changes, but he still couldn''t find any.


    He was still just as weak. He could still break his bones if he was to jump down from the same height as before.


    "Was I really scammed?" he wondered as he looked down at the disciples.


    It was only when he looked down on them that he noticed something strange. They were looking at him with a gaze of worship. And unlike before, he could clearly feel that fear was visible in their eyes.


    He shifted his attention to Elder Zhang Wei and Elder Li, both having different expressions as well.


    "Why are they looking at me like that? As if they are looking at someone in the same league as them, or even stronger? It wasn''t like that before when Elder Li was telling me toe down? What changed?


    The only thing he could think about was the Sword Emperor''s Aura, which was practically non-existent for him.


    "Wait a minute? Sword Emperor''s Aura? Is this... actually only an aura and nothing more?"


    As soon as he came to the realization, his expressions turned dark.


    "The unique tier reward is... just a bluff?"

 Chapter 15: I select...

    <h4>Chapter 15: I select...</h4>


    Eren scratched the back of his head as the realization struck him.


    He had thought that the unique grade reward was going to be special that could help him get stronger, but at the end of it all, it turned out to be just a bluff skill.


    What was he going to do with a bluff skill? Toss it at the Demon Sect Master''s face when she came to kill him?


    "You''re so kind, my dear system," he sarcastically stated.


    Although he was disappointed, he knew he had to do the best with what he received.


    Although the Sword Emperor''s Aura couldn''t help him in an actual battle, but from the reaction of the other Elders, he could see that the bluff effect wasn''t bad.


    He thought that maybe he could actually survive if he bluffed his way out of problems.


    He wanted to test his theory. He couldn''t feel his own aura, so he wanted to see if it was enough to intimidate the other Elders.


    Although it was risky, he tried it.


    "Are you telling me what I should be doing?" he asked, his eyes coldly staring at Elder Li on the ground.


    Elder Li didn''t know how strong this guy actually was. He was selected by the Sect Master who had assigned him the position of an Elder. But from his aura, he felt that this guy could be dangerous.


    Although Elder Li didn''t know if Eren was strong enough to defeat him, but he didn''t want to test it.


    If they fought amongst each other, the Sect Master was going to get involved. Elder Li was scared the most of the Sect Master of Demon Sect. Thest thing he wanted was to have here here.


    "I certainly can''t tell you what to do," Elder Li replied, folding his arms around his chest. "If you want to stay there, it''s your wish."


    Eren nodded. "In that case, we can begin."


    He was slightly pleased to know that the effect of his passive bluff skill was quite good. In fact, it was better than his expectations.


    As long as he didn''t expose his weakness, he might change the future and survive.


    ....


    The Sect Entrance Exam was the most important event for the youngsters who wanted to join the Demon Sect.


    The test was personally witnessed by three Elders of the Sect. Every year, the three Elders responsible for the exams were different.


    No one knew which three Elders were going to be selected next year. But even though three Elders were the observers, it didn''t mean only they could be selected by the disciples.


    It just meant that the three Elders were the judges who gave scores to the disciples. And on the basis of that score, the participants were ranked.


    Once the ranking waspleted, all the disciples who received more than ten percent in the Elders'' Scores were selected as the new Outer Disciples of the Sect.


    Those who received more than thirty percent as their score were selected as the new Inner Sect Disciple. As for the ones who received more than fifty percent... There were none.


    From the beginning of time, no one had received more than fifty percent in the Trial Score.


    The top five scorers had an additional privilege. They were selected by the Elders of the Sect!


    Only after the ranking waspleted, the scores of the top five were sent to all the Elders in the sect, along with the recordings of their exam performance.


    Based on those scores and the recordings, all the Elders could decide who they wanted as their disciple.


    An elder could only select one disciple as their choice. And if that disciple was selected by more than one Elder, it was the disciple''s choice which of those Elders he wanted as his master.


    The top ranker had an additional advantage. Irrespective of the Elders who selected him or not, he could select any one Elder as his Master.


    That was why many people hoped to take the top rank in the exam, so they could study under the strongest Elders.


    Once all three Elders were here, it was time for the Sect Entrance Trials to begin.


    The Trials had two parts. The first part was where the disciples showed their skills in actual battles.


    All the disciples were divided in groups of two. And each group had to fight another group they were paired with.


    The group that lost wasn''t eliminated, but their performance in the battle did affect their scores.


    This way, there were over a hundred battles. And each participant recieved an opportunity to show their fighting prowess.


    Eren didn''t pay much attention to these battles as he had already read the results of the main battles in the book.


    The best performing team in the exams was the team in which the Main Character and the Six Star Talent were paired together.


    Most people had thought that the main character was lucky to be paired with the girl who was a six star talent. They thought he was going to win without even having to fight.


    But at the end of it, the Main Character surprised everyone with his performance. He didn''t fall behind the six star talent. If anything, he defeated his opponent before the Six Star talent did.


    His performance shocked quite a few people. Even Elder Zhang Wei and Elder Li paid quite a lot of attention to him.


    "Of course he wins." Eren rolled his eyes, seeing the battle finish.


    Although he didn''t like the main character because this guy was going to kill him in the future, it was still fascinating to see the battle he had only read in words actually be reality.


    Once the first stage of the battle wasplete, the teams were broken again.


    Soon began the next stage. A stage in which the disciples had to actually fight an Elder that they selected.


    Amongst the three who were present here, they could select anyone.


    Of course it was impossible for the youngsters to win, but it was just a way to have them show their battle skills when facing an enemy that they had no chance of winning.


    This way, the Elders could judge them better. It was also a way for the Elders to humble the youngsters and make them realize that they had a long journey ahead.


    It was also an opportunity for the youngsters to directly interact with the Elders who they wanted to impress.


    Eren knew that this was a stage in which Elder Ren wasn''t selected. So he was quite rxed.


    From what he had read in the story, everyone selected Elder Zhang or Elder Li. They were the famous Elders that everyone wanted to impress after all.


    For Eren, that was the best thing to happen. He didn''t want to have to fight a youngster and have his bluff called out.


    The second trial began, and continued just as Eren had expected.


    The Six Star Talent chose Elder Zhang Wei as an opponent to fight. She couldn''t even get close to Zhang Wei, but her performance wasn''t bad.


    Even though she passed out, she gave it her all.


    Over an hour passed and youngsters kept challenging Elder Li or Elder Zhang.


    Soon, it was finally the turn of the Main Character.


    Eren paid attention to this battle as the main character had chosen Elder Li in the book.


    It was also the first time the main character was brutally thrashed. However, he also received the best score out of everyone, eventually taking the top rank in the Exams.


    "Who do you want to challenge?" Zhang Wei asked Ye Liang.


    "Is there even a need to ask? He''s selecting Elder Li." Eren thought, but didn''t say out loud.


    However, as he heard Ye Liang''s response, his expressions darkened.


    "I select Elder Ren," Ye Liang said.


    "You motherf-" Eren almost cursed out loud.

 Chapter 16: I will make sure

    <h4>Chapter 16: I will make sure</h4>


    All the battles had gone as per Eren''s expectations, which made him lower his guard and rx.


    All the important characters had chosen the same opponents as in the novel. Unfortunately, there was one outlier.


    "I choose Elder Ren," Ye Liang stated, shocking Eren.


    Eren couldn''t understand how this was possible. He clearly remembered Ye Liang choosing Elder Li in the trial.


    Although Ye Liang was basically thrashed in the battle, but he had managed to impress Elder Li. It was also because of this battle that Elder Ren had thought about selecting this boy as a Disciple.


    Usually, Elder Ren didn''t want a disciple as he had a different mission. But since the Sect Master basically forced him to select one, he had decided on taking Ye Liang.


    Ye Liang had rejected the invitation and he selected Zhang Wei as his master. This was the beginning of the tense equation between Ye Liang and Elder Ren who had felt disrespected.


    Unlike Elder Ren from the story, Eren had no interest in selecting Ye Liang. If anything, he wanted to stay as far away from the main character as possible.


    He didn''t want to have anything to do with the main character, not even engaging with a conversation. But here he was... being selected to fight Ye Liang.


    The author had spent an entire chapter in the battle between Elder Li and Ye Liang. Ye Liang was the only participant who hadsted more than a minute in the battle before passing out.


    It was a given since Elder Li was terrifying when it came to strength. If he hadn''t gone easy, Ye Liang would have been turned into an ice sculpture within the first second itself.


    Instead, Elder Li had restricted his strength to the same level as Ye Liang. But even with restricted strength, he was more experienced and the oue was sealed.


    Unfortunately, this scene appeared to be changed. Elder Li wasn''t selected.


    Eren didn''t know how to react. Could he really fight this guy? It was one thing to be exposed for his weakness and another to be thrashed by a young boy who wasn''t even a Sect Disciple yet.


    He knew he had to avoid the battle at any cost, without appearing weak.


    He opened his lips, about to give an excuse when he suddenly halted. Four options appeared before him.


    Eren felt like pping his forehead. He just couldn''t have a chance to breathe!


    [Option One: A young man dared to challenge you. This is against the dignity of an Elder. Maintain the reputation of the Great Demon Sect. Go down and face the young man who dared to challenge you! Beat him until he''s begging for mercy!


    Reward: Sword of Azure Thunder (High Tier)]


    [Option Two: You are toozy to fight. Facing a young and inexperienced boy is beyond your dignity. Defeat him without fighting him yourself.


    Reward: Pendant of Protection (Rare Tier)]


    [Option Three: You see that the young boy had changed the story. Tell him to y his part and challenge Elder Li like a good boy.


    Reward: Love Potion (High Tier)]


    [Option Four: Tell him that he doesn''t need to fight. You already saw his skills in thest trial. He has proved his strength. Tell him that you grant him a victory and select him as your disciple.


    Reward: Luck +1]


    Eren looked at the four options, frowning.


    The first option was something he outright rejected. No way in hell was he going to go down to get thrashed by a young boy.


    Even though he wasn''t actually Elder Ren, he still had his dignity.


    "Beat him until he''s begging for mercy?" Eren muttered, looking at thest line of the first option.


    He rolled his eyes. "More like get beaten until I''m begging for mercy.


    He moved over to the second option.


    "Defeat him without fighting myself? Is it implying that I should assign a proxy? There are only two other Elders and none would ept to be a proxy. And even if they did, it would only make them suspicious."


    He moved into the third option. It was even more absurd than the second option.


    He moved over to the fourth option.


    "ept him as a Disciple? No way in hell. Wouldn''t that mean that he would be near me all the time? I want to stay as far away from the main character as possible, not bring him to my home!"


    "Moreover, even if I did that, it was no different than breaking the rules of the Demon Sect, which would mean meeting the Sect Master. It''s also risky."


    "As for the reward of luck? No thanks. I saw how effective your luck has been for me!"


    Eren looked at the four options, feeling a headache. Once again, he was stuck between the rock and a hard ce.


    No matter which option he chose, there were risks associated with them.


    "Elder Ren, please guide me." Meanwhile Ye Liang pulled out his heavy sword, challenging Elder Ren.


    Elder Li and Elder Zhang were also looking forward to this. They were also curious as to what kind of skill Elder Ren was going to use.


    Was he going to use a sword? Was he going to defeat this young boy instantly or go easy on him? The other Elders looked forward to it.


    The other youngsters were also excited. They had seen the remaining two elders in action. And now, they were going to see the third elder who had remainedrgely unknown.


    Eren felt like going down and pping the young boy who had changed the story and put his life in even more danger.


    "Wait a minute... Proxy!" Eren suddenly thought of something, his eyes lit up. A devilish grin spread across his face.


    "Since you''re so eager to challenge me, I''ll make sure you get what you deserve."


    Eren felt likeughing out loud as he came up with a n.


    Ye Liang didn''t know why, but he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He looked around, wondering what this strange feeling of danger was.

 Chapter 17: Why you should stick to the story

    <h4>Chapter 17: Why you should stick to the story</h4>


    "I have made my choice." Eren stated, making up his mind. "I will select the second option."


    As he finished making a selection, he looked at the young boy standing on the ground.


    His voice was cold and emotionless as he said, "It is good to be courageous, but you are too weak to face me. Even if I control my strength, you might die. Still, I will allow you an opportunity."


    "Instead of facing you myself, I will let my weak little pet face you," he said, as if he was doing a favor on Ye Liang. But deep inside, he was scoffing.


    ''You little brat, did you think I''ll allow you to put my life in danger for your showoff? Since you''re so eager to get beaten on your first day, I''ll grant you an opportunity while also appearing as if I''m merciful.''


    "Weak Little Pet?" The other youngsters smiled wryly in response.


    They could only see one pet here. And it was a freakin Phoenix! From which angle was it a weak little pet?!


    Although the other participants were shocked that a Phoenix would be facing a participant, but they were more shocked about Eren''s words.


    "If that phoenix is a weak little pet in his eyes, then how strong is he?!"


    "Even Elder Zhang and Elder Li didn''t kill anyone when they went easy. But Elder Ren says that people will die even if he went easy? Doesn''t that mean he''s stronger than the other Elders?!"


    "No wonder the Great Demon Sect is so strong."


    "The well known Elders are strong enough to destroy Kingdoms over slight displeasure. Meanwhile the unknown elders are even stronger? Just how strong is this sect in reality?"


    Eren didn''t realize but his reputation had increased amongst the new participants. Even the girl with Six Star Talent was looking at him with great interest now.


    Elder Zhang Wei and Elder Li were also surprised. Was this guy really this strong?


    While they were thinking about it, Erennded on the ground next to him, thanks to the help of the Phoenix.


    Since everyone has been distracted by his words, no one paid much attention to the fact that he didn''t jump down, instead used the winds of the Phoenix tond.


    "Is there something on my face?" Eren asked Zhang Wei, who was right next to him, looking at his face.


    "Nothing." Zhang Wei lowered her gaze.


    She had thought that Eren''s aura was stronger than her. But now that he was right next to her, she realized that she had underestimated him.


    His aura was stronger when he was away from them. But it became stronger when one came closer to him. And when she stood right next to him, she was certain that this aura was no weaker than their Sect Master''s aura!


    This made her believe his words even more. Elder Ren was strong! He was stronger than any other Elder! It made sense for him to call a mythical beast a weak little pet.


    "He is that strong?" Even Elder Li was stunned. He felt slightly suppressed as well.


    Elder Ren''s aura was destructive. It destroyed everything in its path, including any other aura.


    He started paying more attention to Elder Ren.


    ....


    Ye Liang looked at Eren, his face slightly pale.


    When this man stood on the ground, he made everyone feel suppressed.


    Just due to the proximity, Eren felt as if a heavy mountain was resting on his shoulders. He didn''t think that Eren was bluffing.


    If this guy had actually faced him, he couldn''t even get close to Eren, even if he was to crawl. The difference between their strengths was too much!


    Ye Liang didn''t realize that his assumption was correct, but not in the way he thought. The difference between them was toorge, but it was in his favor.


    He couldn''t help but think back to one of the Quests he had received, which involved killing Elder Ren.


    Now that he was here, he realized that it was going to be a really hard quest to fulfill in the short term.


    He had to finish other quests and get stronger with the help of the system, until he could achieve his goal.


    "No wonder this quest was a Legendary Grade...," he muttered.


    Even though he didn''t believe he could harm Eren because he was weak now, but he knew that he still had to enter this sect and wait for the right time.


    Passing the sect entrance exams and getting the top rank was another Quests he had received.


    Although the reward wasn''t as significant as the Main Scenario Quest, it wasn''t bad either.


    The Phoenix also came down,nding in the middle of the field. As it was a test, the Phoenix wasn''t going to fly, so the challenger could actually challenge it.


    The Phoenix had also lowered her strength as per Eren''s instructions, but once again it didn''t matter. At the end of the day, it was a Mythical Beast!


    Ye Liang raised his heavy sword and rushed towards the Phoenix, marking the beginning of the battle.


    ....


    Ten seconds. Merely ten seconds had passed and Ye Liang was lying on the ground, passed out. His face was swollen from the beating he had received.


    Although it was a short battle, Eren enjoyed it to the fullest. His expressions were stale, but he wasughing deep inside.


    ''This is what happens when you don''t stick to the story.''


    It was when the Sect Disciples stepped forward and gave him a healing pill that he finally recovered, regaining consciousness.


    The disciples helped him walk back to the group. Ye Liang couldn''t even raise his head in embarrassment.


    He had lost the battle in less than ten seconds, the first five seconds of which were spent in running towards the Phoenix. In essence, he had lost the battle in five seconds.


    Looking at his condition, many other participants wereughing, feeling grateful that they hadn''t challenged Elder Ren.


    At least they had lost to the other Elders. But this guy lost to a beast that the Elder called weak.

 Chapter 18: Snowball Effect

    <h4>Chapter 18: Snowball Effect</h4>


    [You havepleted the second option]


    [You have been awarded the Pendant of Protection]


    [Pendant of Protection can block any three life threatening attacks, regardless of their strength]


    Eren was enjoying the misery of the main character when he saw more notifications appear before him.


    A beautiful pendant appeared around his neck, unnoticed by anyone.


    He had received the reward for his choice, along with the description.


    Initially, he had thought that the reward was going to be just as useless as everything else. But he was quite surprised to hear the description of the reward.


    It was a life saving measure which could block three attacks from anyone?


    In other words, even if the Sect Master of Demon Sect was going to attack him with her strongest attack, he could still stay unharmed.


    Apanied by his bluff, it really had a lot of uses.


    For him, who was trying his hardest to survive in this world, this reward was exactly what he needed.


    However, he could also see the w in this pendant''s use. It could only be used three times.


    As he was weak, almost every attack could be considered life threatening to him. It didn''t have to be from the Sect Leader.


    So three uses appeared too little. He really didn''t want to waste the three uses of the pendant.


    ....


    The examination continued. And from that point on, no one challenged Eren.


    The remaining participants either chose Zhang Wei, or Elder Li for their test.


    It was only after a few more hours that the tests were finally over.


    All three Elders had scored the participants independently. And only after they were done, the three lists werebined to create theplete score of the participants.


    Eren didn''t remember the scores of the minor characters so he gave the scores based on his rough understanding.


    As for the important characters whose scores were mentioned in the novel, he stuck as close to the story as possible to make sure there were no variables like before.


    He didn''t want to have a snowball effect, just because he messed up the scoring.


    Once the three scores wereplete, a final tally was created.


    Elder Li sent the list of top five to all remaining elders who weren''t here, before announcing the scores.


    He began saying the names of the participants who had received less than ten percent of the score, which was almost eighty percent of the participants.


    All those who were named were escorted out of the Sect by an official disciple since they had failed the test.


    Only a hundred participants were left.


    Next, Elder Li announced the scores of those who had received more than ten percent scores.


    It was another major chunk of the remaining participants as it included more than seventy participants.


    "All those who have been named... congrattions," Elder Li dered.


    "From today on, you are outer Disciples of the Sect. Please follow your guide who will take you to your dwellings and tell you the rules and other important things."


    Another official disciple led the students to the Outer Sect.


    With that, only twenty five youngsters were left, which included the heirs of the major ns, the six star talent and the Ye Liang.


    It was elder Zhang Wei who announced the scores of the remaining twenty five people who had received scores of over thirty percent.


    She announced the names of everyone except the top five.


    The twenty, whose names were announced, were escorted to the Inner Sect in a simr manner.


    And thus, only five people were left. They were the toppers of this exam.


    Although none of them had crossed the forty percent threshold, they had still managed to impress Elders with their potential.


    "Now the top five," Elder Zhang stated as she received the responses from the remaining Elders. "The fifth ce is taken by Yu Lin."


    She looked at a young boy, who looked like he came from a wealthy family. He had the best treasures amongst all the participants as well.


    He was the heir of the Yu n, a major power in the Kingdom.


    "Of course he did," Eren mumbled under his breath, letting out a knowing smile.


    Zhang Wei didn''t know it, but the reason Yu Lin received a score like this was because of Elder Li, who was the uncle of Yu Lin.


    It was mentioned clearly in the story that Elder Li owed a favor to the Yu n Patriarch and he was repaying that favor now by increasing his score.


    Unfortunately, even with Elder Li''s score, Yu Lin could only take the fifth ce because the scores from the other two elders were lower.


    The only benefit was that he had managed to reach the top five thanks to this. Otherwise, he would have been out.


    "There are three Elders who want you as their Disciple. They are..."


    Zhang Wei gave a description of the Elders. And Yu Lin could only choose one of them.


    Elder Li wasn''t one of them since he had already repaid his favor. He didn''t select Yu Lin as a disciple.


    Amongst the three Elders, Yu Lin made his choice. He was taken by another Disciple to the residence of the Master he selected.


    The fourth and the third position also selected their masters. The only difference was that they had more choices since their performance was actually decent.


    There was no change in the story and Eren was slightly d. There were now two disciples.


    The Main Character Ye Liang, and the six star Talent Wang Qingyu, whose real identity was more special that even Zhang Wei and Elder Li didn''t know.


    It was kept a secret until theter part of the second volume even in the novel.


    "The Second Rank..." Zhang Wei went through the list with only two names remaining. "With a score of thirty six, Ye Liang."


    Zhang Wei made a deration. And in response, Ye Liang revealed shock. But more shocked than him was Eren!

 Chapter 19: Even life gives you lemons

    <h4>Chapter 19: Even life gives you lemons</h4>


    This wasn''t supposed to happen. The second ce was supposed to be Wang Qingyu, who had lost to Ye Liang by only one percent.


    In the end, she was selected by fifteen elders and she decided to select Elder Zhang Wei! So how did she be the first ranker?


    "Was it... because of me?" Eren smiled wryly, realizing that he might have caused a bigger snowball effect than he realized.


    His phoenix hadn''t even given Ye Liang a chance to show his skills, which caused his score to be lowered.


    Even though he had given the same score as Elder Ren did in the novel, the other two Elders clearly lowered the score. That was the only possibility.


    "Wait a minute, maybe it''s for the best?" Eren thought.


    "If he had taken the first rank, he would have the right to select anyone as his master. What if he had selected me as his master? Being stuck to the main character, no way."


    Eren didn''t have faith in the actions of the Main Character. He had already gone beyond the script by selecting him for trial challenge.


    Now that he was the second rank, he didn''t have the opportunity to make such changes. In the end, it was like the story was trying to get back on track.


    Ye Liang could only select an Elder amongst the ones who had selected him. And Eren wasn''t nning to select him.


    Amongst the ones who were going to select him, Elder Li was the best choice. So at the end of the day, Ye Liang had no choice but to select Elder Li, just like he did in the novel.


    As for Wang Qingyu, she was a fan of Zhang Wei. Even if she received the reward of a first ranker, she was going to select Zhang Wei. There was no variable.


    Realizing that it was for the best, Eren slightly calmed down.


    Although he had gone through thousands of emotions in thest few minutes, his outer expressions had remained still.


    There were a few more chances with Ye Liang. In the novel, almost every Elder wanted him. He was seen as a prodigy.


    But this time, only twenty or so Elders selected him. And amongst them, Elder Li was one.


    Just as Eren was hoping, Ye Liang selected Elder Li as his Master.


    Andstly, it was the turn of Wang Qingyu.


    "Since you are the top ranker, you can select any Elder. An Elder''s choice doesn''t matter. But still, just for reference, I''ll tell you about the other Elders."


    Ye Liang looked at Wang Qingyu with jealousy. This was supposed to be his position. He was supposed to take the first rank and receive a reward from the system.


    All his hopes fell apart, the moment he challenged Eren. He couldn''t help but re at Eren, thinking that this was all his fault.


    Zhang Wei exined about the Elders and what they specialized in. She also described their teaching methods and the number of disciples under each Elder.


    "Have you made up your mind?" Zhang Wei asked.


    "I have." Wang Qingyu nodded.


    "It''s a good quality to be decisive," Elder Li smiled. "So, who are you going to select? If I do say so, I think Elder Zhang will be perfect for you."


    Eren couldn''t help but nce at Elder Li with a smile.


    ''You think she doesn''t know? She had already made up his mind before she even came here. She''s her biggest fan after all. So you don''t have to convince her. Her choice is already made.''


    Eren kept his thoughts to himself. He was simply looking forward to returning to the mountain since the selection was almost over. He could finally rx.


    Unfortunately, his happiness didn''tst long as he heard Wang Qingyu''s response.


    "I want to select Elder Ren," Wang Qingyu, the only Six Star Talent this time, stated as she looked at Elder Ren.


    "Cough... Cough..." Eren burst into a fit of coughing, shocked beyond his expectations.


    "Were you two hit on your head on the way to the Sect? What is up with everyone selecting me today?! You think I don''t have enough troubles for myself?" Eren kept cursing inwardly.


    He couldn''t believe Wang Qingyu''s choice. But he quickly recovered and stered a supportive smile on his face.


    He wanted to convince her to change her choice and select Elder Zhang. But before he could even begin, Elder Zhang started speaking.


    "That''s an excellent choice. Although Elder Ren is new to our Sect, he is very strong as many have already seen today. And he''s also the only person who doesn''t have a disciple yet. So you will be his first disciple."


    Zhang Wei wasn''t upset that Wang Qingyu selected Elder Ren. Instead, she was supportive, believing it to be the right choice.


    "Congrattions, Elder Ren. You managed to take a six star talent as your disciple." Elder Li also congratted Eren.


    Eren wanted to say so many things, but he had long lost the opportunity. He didn''t even know how he was going to teach this girl.


    He was still thinking if he still had any way out of this situation


    [Option One: You have been selected by a Six Star Talent. However, her talent is very low as per your standards.


    Tell everyone that a six star Talent isn''t worth your attention and that you don''t want such trash as a disciple.


    Reward: Shadow Blossom Sword (High Tier)]


    [Option Two: When life gives you lemons, you make a lemonade. Since you already received a Disciple, ept her.


    Reward: An Unknown Egg (Rare Tier)]


    [Option Three: Convince Wang Qingyu to select any other Elder as her master, without hurting her feelings.


    Reward: Ice Lotus Flower (Rare Tier)]


    [Option Four: Tell everyone that you are a fake and that you don''t want to see a six star talent ruin her life by epting you as her master.


    Reward: A Dragon Scale (Unique Tier)]

 Chapter 20: A Beauty in Embrace; A resolve

    <h4>Chapter 20: A Beauty in Embrace; A resolve</h4>


    ''Fine, I will ept her.'' Eren let out a sigh, epting the second option.


    He had noticed another pattern in these options. The first option was often the most dangerous. Meanwhile, the other three options were often slightly kinder.


    Another thing that he realized was that he had only selected the second option so far. Almost every time, it was the second choice that made the most sense.


    He wasn''t sure if it was the system offering him guidance. But why was he being guided?


    If the system was created by the author who hated him, shouldn''t he have given him only dangerous options? Or rather, he could have given him just the options without any rewards.


    Even if there was no reward, he might have selected an option, just to avoid a penalty. So why was he being awarded?


    He didn''t know why, but he felt that something was really off with his initial assumption.


    [You have been rewarded with an Unknown Egg]


    [The Egg has been ced in your System Storage. Please take it out as soon as possible]


    "I don''t know if I should thank you or me you," Eren muttered, seeing the notification.


    He was slightly d that an egg just didn''t pop out of thin air, just like the pendant. It was like the System was being considerate.


    "Did you say anything?" Elder Li nced at Eren, feeling as if he heard something.


    "It''s nothing."


    Eren looked at the young girl, who looked like she had just turned eighteen years old. Even though she was so young, she was clearly very strong.


    In the novel, she studied under Zhang Wei. Her rise was also quite fast in the sect. Because of that, she attracted a lot of jealousy in the sect.


    Due to the jealousy, there were many attempts on her life. Most of those attempts had failed, but one time, she had almost died.


    It was the Main Character who saved her, which made her fall for him. She was one of the love interests for the Main Character in the novel.


    Eren looked at Wang Qingyu, who was waiting for his response. She had made her choice and no elder could refuse her. Still, she waited to get confirmation from Elder Ren.


    "May I ask why you chose me?" Eren asked the young girl.


    "Because I believe you are the strongest," the girl replied honestly.


    She had made up her mind to select Zhang Wei. But when she saw Eren''s dignified aura and his actions, she felt that he was stronger than Zhang Wei.


    She believed he could help her get stronger and achieve her goals.


    "You''re quite honest, aren''t you?" Eren stated. She didn''t even hesitate in calling him the strongest, despite the other two Elders being present here.


    "Alright. I will ept you as my first Disciple."


    Hearing the response, the girl immediately dropped on her knees and greeted him like a disciple would.


    "Disciple Qingyu greets Master."


    In just a single day, Eren was forced to make so many choices and each of his choices held great significance.


    He was really tired at this point. He just wanted to return. He didn''t want to trigger any other choice.


    If he didn''t select a disciple here, he didn''t know what kind of choices he was going to receive if he was called by the Sect Master who wanted him to ept a disciple.


    To remove any dangerous possibilities for the future, he decided to ept the Disciple. Although it changed the story, he didn''t care. His survival was going to change the story in any case.


    Since he had already changed the story, he decided to change things thoroughly. He was going to create this world ording to his own will.


    Not only was he going to survive, but he was also going to make it so that nothing could threaten him in this world.


    In this world, strength was everything. And these options and the rewards were his strength. His future knowledge was his strength! His Phoenix was his strength! And now, his disciples were going to be his strength.


    Even if he wasn''t the main character, he had made up his mind to surpass any main character ever. Even if he didn''t have the Plot Armor, he was willing to create an Armor stronger than the Plot Armor.


    He stepped forward, reaching out his hand towards Wang Qingyu.


    Wang Qingyu saw his hand extended towards her. She raised her head, noticing his face from even closer.


    She couldn''t help but be awestruck. He was really beautiful beyond description.


    She subconsciously reached out her hand, holding his hand.


    Warm winds surrounded the two of them, raising them in the air.


    The two of themnded on the Phoenix who spread her wings, soaring high in the sky.


    Wang Qingyu was scared as the Phoenix rose higher. It was her first time flying.


    Scared of falling to her death, she didn''t even think clearly as she hugged Eren tightly, sitting in his embrace.


    Her eyes remained closed and she didn''t dare to open them.


    Eren felt the girl''s sweet scent assault his senses. She was sitting on hisp, hugging him tightly, not realizing what a vulnerable position it was.


    In his main world, despite his academic achievements, Eren was only a young man who had never experienced romance.


    Even in this world, he was still so young. Although he was an Elder, he was only around three years older than the girl.


    Eren wanted to push the girl back and maintain his dignity, but his body refused to listen to him.


    It was wrong to say that Eren didn''t feel anything when Qingyu was in his arms. If anything, he also had his feelings stirred.


    The Phoenix soared high in the sky. Many people on the ground saw the Phoenix, realizing that it belonged to Elder Ren. But none knew that atop the Phoenix, a man and a woman were in each other''s embrace.


    After a long time, Wang Qingyu came to her senses. She realized that she was tightly hugging Elder Ren.


    Her face flushed crimson as she hastily moved away.


    However, in her haste, she lost her footing and teetered dangerously close to the edge of the Phoenix''s back.


    "Be careful!" Eren''s reflexes kicked in, and he swiftly grabbed her, preventing her from falling.


    Unfortunately, he had forgotten his own physical weakness.


    As he managed to pull her back, theirbined weight caused him to lose his bnce. They tumbled backward, with Erennding on his back and Qingyu falling atop him.

 Chapter 21: Eren’s Method

    <h4>Chapter 21: Eren''s Method</h4>


    Eren and Wang Qingyu found themselves in an unexpected andpromising position.


    Eren looked at Qingyu whose face flushed with embarrassment. It was only now that he realized his hand was already on her slim waist.


    Quickly regaining hisposure, he gently pushed Qingyu off him and stood up.


    "Are you alright?" he said, his voice calm andposed.


    Qingyu, still flustered, nodded and quickly got up as well. "I...I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to...fall on you like that."


    "It''s alright," Eren reassured her with a warm smile. "idents happen. Just be more cautious in the future."


    "Are you scared of heights?" he asked, changing the topic, noticing the atmosphere was a little awkward.


    The girl nodded lightly.


    "It''s good to be careful. But it''s not good to let your fear take over. Think of that as my first lesson," Eren stated as his inner teacher took over.


    He hadpletely forgotten how he was screaming when he had fallen off the cliffst time.


    The only reason he wasn''t scared of falling was because the Phoenix could protect him.


    There were thousands of ways for him to die in this world, but identally falling to his death wasn''t one of them.


    The Phoenix hade to a halt as it reached the Mountain where Eren''s house was established. Or rather, it was more appropriate to call it a single room.


    Eren looked before him, realizing a problem that he had forgotten about.


    He only had one room. While other Elders had established a proper ecosystem on their Mountains for teaching their disciples, Elder Ren hadn''t done anything.


    He didn''t even have a courtyard or an area on the mountain for his Disciples to stay.


    He nced back at the girl, wondering how he could correct this mistake without destroying all the false dignity he had created for himself.


    Quickly thinking of something, he stated, "It''s time for your second lesson."


    The girl listened carefully, wondering if Eren was going to teach her some dangerous skills. Or was he going to teach her a sword skill? She looked forward to it.


    "Self reliance," Eren stated. "A man... Cough, in your case, a woman must be self reliant. Hence, that will be your second lesson."


    He pointed at a vast mountain before him, that was filled with natural resources. Half the mountain was covered in forest, while the other half was covered in snow.


    "That mountain belongs to me. Since you''re my disciple, you''ll have to learn how to be self reliant. Only when you have a strong mental fortitude can you be able to move onto the third lesson."


    "You need to create your own dwelling," he stated. "And you need to do that before the sunrise tomorrow. And then, you need to show me your resolve. You need to return to the origin, live like a person who can only rely on herself!"


    "Once I believe that you are prepared..."


    He didn''t finish his sentence, but his implications were clear. He wasn''t like other Elders.


    He wasn''t going to give them a life of luxury, just because they were the disciple of an Elder. He wanted them to be mentally strong and self reliant.


    Or rather, that was what he wanted the others to believe. In reality, it was simply because he had prepared nothing in advance.


    The girl was literally stronger than him! Why would he work hard? He could turn that into a lesson and have her use her incredible strength while appearing mysterious, instead of a careless elder.


    "I will not disappoint you, Master." The girl nodded, without the slightest suspicions. Instead, his position had only elevated in her mind.


    She couldn''t help but wonder, what kind of life this Elder had, to understand such mysterious concepts of suffering.


    "I will make you acknowledge me!" She clenched her fist, filled with determination.


    "Good. I look forward to it." Eren ced his hand on the girl''s head, patting her like a little pet.


    Once he finished, he allowed the Phoenix to send the Girl to the back of the mountain, while his room was on the front, right on the edge of the cliff.


    The girlnded on the snowy fields, watching the beautiful phoenix flying away.


    [Congrattions. You have unlocked a hidden achievement]


    "Huh? So you can say more things than just the options?" Eren reacted surprised at the notification.


    He had thought his system was limited to the options and description of the rewards.


    [You have epted your first Disciple]


    [Please choose an Option for the future development]


    [Option One: You aren''t Elder Ren. You aren''t a native of this world and hence, you don''t know the knowledge of this World.


    You aren''t responsible for Elder Ren''s Disciple and you can''t teach her properly. Keep fooling the Disciple, without getting exposed.


    Reward: Cultivation Realm +10]


    [Option Two: Even though you aren''t a native of this world, you are first and foremost a teacher.


    You don''t want to fool a Disciple for eternity. You want her to be stronger. And for that, you are willing to be stronger as well.


    You have decided to take your fate in your own hands. You will walk the path of a Conqueror and conquer all the Knowledge of this world, so you could properly teach your disciple.


    Reward: Memory Fragment (Unknown Tier)]


    [Option Three: Escape from the Sect and abandon all the responsibility. Leave the Kingdom and find a safe ce, where you can spend the rest of your life like an ordinary person.


    Survive until your natural death, without getting discovered.


    Reward: Mask of Disguise (Unique Tier)]


    [Option Four: You know that escape is impossible. You will be caught if you try, but you can''t fool a disciple for an eternity either.


    You decide that you can only survive if you can find a bigger backing. You know there is only one person who is strong enough for that.


    Make the Sect Master of Great Demon Sect fall for you, to the point that she is willing to protect you, even after finding out your reality.


    Reward: Starfall City Entrance Key]

 Chapter 22: The Path of a...

    <h4>Chapter 22: The Path of a...</h4>


    Eren stared at the options as hended inside his house atop the cliff.


    This time, the options really confused him, making him wonder if he was wrong about the pattern.


    Usually, the first option was the most dangerous. But this time, it seemed slightly easier than the other options. Or was there some hidden danger in that which he didn''t know about yet?


    Lost in thought, he walked over to the bed. This time something was really suspicious about the options. The timer below the options was longer as well.


    He wasn''t given a few minutes of time like before. He was given an entire day to think about it, making it evident that these options held a lot more consequences than everything else previously.


    Was it because these items decided his future in a way that other options didn''t? These were setting up his future path that he wanted to take?


    In that case, the first path appeared like the Path of a Bluffmaster, where he had to survive while fooling others. It was the path which allowed him to use his brain for survival, instead of his physical skills.


    The Second Path was the path of a Conqueror. He wasn''t going to bluff his way to seed. Instead, he would have to take the risk himself.


    He had to be stronger, so he could be a better guide for his disciples.


    Strength didn''te without risks. So this option looked like the most dangerous currently. The second option was usually his safe choice, but this time, it was quite dangerous as well.


    If he had to rely on the others for the first path, then he could only rely on himself for the second path.


    There was also a third and the fourth path as per these options.


    The third path was the path of a coward. He had to run and abandon everything, including any hope of ever being able to find a way to return to his world or uncover the mystery of this secret.


    If he chose the third path, it was no different than abandoning himself and assimting in this world. He wasn''t sure if the System was also going to give up on him if he did the same.


    There was another problem with the third path. Even if he escaped, it didn''t mean he could survive.


    The Hero Academy in the South and the Great Demon Sect in the East were two of the greatest powers in the continent, aside from the Holy Church in the West and the Necromancer Tower in the North.


    He could escape into the territory of the Necromancer Tower or the Holy Church, but it didn''t mean he couldn''t be discovered and killed.


    As for the fourth path, it was the path of a Lover. Although it appeared to be the most lucrative, it was the most dangerous to his current self.


    The more time he spent trying to get close to her, the more he risked exposing his secret.


    As per the option, he needed to make her fall in love with him to the point she didn''t care about his past. That was easier said than done with his current weak self.


    To win over a woman, he needed strength along with charm.


    "The Path of a Bluffmaster, the Path of a Conqueror, the Path of a Coward had the Path of a Lover..."


    Eren lied on the bed, closing his eyes as he kept thinking about the options again and again. He didn''t even think about the rewards. Instead, he only thought about his future potential.


    Hepletely removed the third option from his consideration.


    He could not throw away everything, all for survival that wasn''t guaranteed in any case. Selecting that option was like cing his life on a bet.


    That left only three options.


    "The Bluffmaster, or the Conqueror... and the Lover."


    "The Bluffmaster seems somewhat normal. It seems the system will give me rewards that focus on bluffing and protection. If I could get more rewards like a pendant of protection, I could really be invincible."


    "But, I can''t help but have bad feelings about it since it''s the first option. The first options had always been the most risky. Although it doesn''t seem obvious, there must be something really wrong in it."


    After a lot of consideration, he decided to take a risk.


    "If two options are linked to the same path, can I select the two of them?" he asked.


    [If two options are Interlinked, you can select two options. However, you must select one primary option and one secondary option]


    [You will receive primary option reward immediately, and secondary option reward afterpleting both the options]


    [Reminder: It is a future path decision. If you select two, the penalty will be double on failure]


    "If I fail, the penalty will be doubled. But I''m not nning to fail," Erenmented.


    "Option two and four seem to be interlinked. And who says I can''t win over the Sect Master after selecting the second path? If anything, that seems to be safer. I''ll have strength, and I''ll get backing."


    "I''m taking the second option as my Primary Path and the fourth option as my Secondary Path."


    [You have selected the second and fourth option]


    [The future path is being adjusted]


    [...]


    [...]


    [Sess]


    [The future path has been adjusted ordingly]


    [You have been rewarded with a memory fragment]


    Following a few notifications, a small crystal fell on the bed before Eren.


    The Crystal looked strange as it was shining in seven color lights at once.


    Eren picked up the crystal with curiosity, feeling a sudden surge of warmth.


    Just as he was wondering what this crystal did, a description appeared before him.


    [Memory Crystal: A Crystal that allows you to glimpse into a small portion of the unknown past of Elder Ren]


    [Reminder: You are too weak to use it. Please strengthen your mental fortitude in the future before using it]


    "Glimpse into Ren''s past?"


    Eren looked at the crystal with great interest. He also realized that the wording in the description was quite peculiar. It said the unknown past.


    He had read about Ren in the Novel and he knew quite a few things. But even he didn''t know much about his past.


    Ren was clearly a poorly written character in the novel. That''s also why Eren was so frustrated with this novel. There were so many things about Ren that didn''t make sense.


    He was a spy of the Hero Academy, so how did he be an Elder at the Great Demon Academy.


    How was he selected by the Great Demon Sect Master? How did she not notice anything wrong with him?


    In the novel, he hadn''t noticed it. But when he took over this body, he realized that this guy was very weak as well. So how did someone so weak manage to tame a mythical beast?


    There were a lot of things about Elder Ren that didn''t make sense to him.

 Chapter 23: It’s him?

    <h4>Chapter 23: It''s him?</h4>


    There were a lot of questions in Eren''s mind. Just why was a weak man like Ren able to achieve such incredible feats?


    "You said I can''t use the Memory Fragment yet. What would happen if I tried?" he asked.


    He only received silence in response.


    He tried asking more questions, but he didn''t receive any answer. So far, he had only received his answer one time, and that was when he asked for rification about the options.


    "It looks like I can only ask questions rted to the options, and only basic ones at that."


    He didn''t know how strong he had to be before he could use the memory fragment. But if the reward itself came with a warning, it was clear that ignoring the warning could be a big mistake.


    He thought that there were two possibilities. One was that he might actually die if he tried that now. The second possibility was that he might lose himself to the memories of Elder Ren.


    "Looks like I need to find more about the Memory Fragments."


    He stood up and left the hall,nding atop the Phoenix.


    Although he wanted to rest as soon as possible, his mind couldn''t rest. He knew that he couldn''t sleep in a situation like that.


    He was certain that the system wasn''t creating rewards out of nowhere. These rewards were rted to this world.


    He also believed that although he hadn''t read about the Sword Emperor''s Aura in the story, there must be someone called the Sword Emperor in this world.


    He might be a legendary being from a forgotten era, or he could be alive. But it didn''t matter. What mattered were the implications.


    If rewards were real things, that meant there must be information about them. If there were something like memory fragments in this world, there must be information about them.


    There was only one ce where he could gather information. It was the Grand Library of the Sect.


    As a professor, he was quite aware of the benefits of knowledge in the world. And the ce that gathered the knowledge was the library.


    A beautiful phoenix soared above the Sect, creating a beautiful sight. Its majestic wings glimmered in the sunlight, casting a radiant glow over the surroundingndscape.


    Many people hadn''t seen Elder Ren yet. But everyone had heard about the Phoenix.


    There were only two Mythical Beasts in the sect after all. The first was the Celestial White Tiger that belonged to the Sect Master.


    As for the second, it was the Phoenix of Elder Ren.


    "That must be the library I''ve read so much about."


    Eren observed a magnificent structure in the distance. With its five floors, the building exuded grandeur.


    Intricate carvings adorned the exterior, showcasing the rich history and knowledge contained within its walls. The ancient architecture stood out, lending an air of mystery to the library.


    While the first floor weed everyone, ess to the upper floors was restricted.


    The second floor, for instance, was off-limits to the Outer Disciples.


    Simrly, the third floor was reserved for the Core Disciples of the Sect and the disciples of Elders, denying entry to the inner disciples.


    Only Elders could venture up to the fourth floor, while the fifth floor remained exclusive to the Sect Master and the Grand Elders of the Sect.


    The hierarchy was clear, and everyone understood the significance of each floor.


    As the Mythical Beast descended, the Sect Members hurriedly cleared the area, giving way to the Elder.


    None of them wished to obstruct the path of such a revered figure.


    Even though Elder Ren was new to his position, news of his strength, surpassing that of Elder Zhang, had already spread throughout the sect.


    Sect Disciples who were part of the Entrance Examination had already told the shocking sight they saw earlier in the day.


    At this moment, Eren''s reputation was like the rising sun. He was new, but he was mysterious and strong. And he only had one disciple, who was a six star talent.


    The majestic Phoenix gracefullynded at the entrance of the Grand Library, captivating everyone''s attention.


    Even the guards of the Library felt suppressed by Eren''s aura, almost feeling like they needed to get down to their knees.


    Standing before the library, Eren marveled at its grandeur. He had visited numerous libraries in his world, but nonepared to the splendor of the one before him.


    As the winds of the Phoenix enveloped him, Eren felt as if he were soaring through the air.


    Hended on the ground while the Phoenix over again soared in the sky and started circling the sky above the library in circles, waiting for his return.


    Eren couldn''t help but smile as he looked at the Phoenix above. "She is just like a child."


    Many girls were present in the hall. This was their first time seeing Eren. The moment they saw him, they were awestruck.


    They had only heard about him, but seeing him in person, they thought he looked even better.


    The moment he smiled, the girls felt as if their hearts were hit by a cupid''s arrows.


    They couldn''t help but wonder.


    "How could one be so handsome in this world?"


    Eren lowered his gaze. He hadn''t forgotten about his purpose ining here. He had to find answers.


    He stepped forward, but the moment he was about to step inside the Library, four options appeared before him, surprising him.


    There was a woman sitting on the fifth floor of the library, meditating.


    Feeling a powerful aura, she slowly opened her eyes that revealed some curiosity.


    "Who is it?" she asked, her voice neither loud nor soft.


    "It seems to be the young man called Ren that you hired, Sect Master," A voice came in response.


    Another woman was sitting on a nearby chair, reading a book. She appeared to be enjoying the book quite a lot.


    "It''s him?" The Sect Master of the Great Demon Sect revealed slight surprise.

 Chapter 24: The Seductress

    <h4>Chapter 24: The Seductress</h4>


    "I heard he made quite an entrance during the Sect Entrance Exams today," the woman sitting on the chair let out a chuckle. "He makes me want to meet him."


    "You''re not meeting him." The Sect Masterzily stated.


    "I know, I know." The woman smiled. Unfortunately, that smile was hidden behind a thin veil that covered half her face.


    Every movement from her appeared to be filled with seduction that could make any man go crazy.


    She was the Great Elder of the Sect. No one knew about her true strength because she never had to fight.


    Still, she was known to be a scary being who could make any man fall for her, no matter their strength.


    There was once a Teacher of the Hero Academy who was sent to kill her. But instead, he fell in love with her at first sight.


    In the end, all she did was give amand to the Hero Academy Teacher and he killed himself.


    Ever since then, it was strictly forbidden for any man toe near her. Even in the Great Demon Sect, no man was allowed to see her.


    "He seems to be decent though. His aura... It''s the first time I''ve seen something like that." The Great Elder stood up.


    "To think that there would be an aura that would even make me feel..." She didn''t finish her sentence. She simply nced at her hands that were trembling.


    ....


    [Option One: You are curious about something. A wise man always finds the answer to their questions.


    Enter the Library and find the answers you are looking for.


    Reward: Aura Controlling Method (High Tier)]


    [Option Two: You are tired and want to rest. Return and have a good sleep. You can always return to your library when you are well rested.


    Reward: Strength +1]


    [Option Three: You see that the youngsters are looking at him like their idols. Amongst them, you see many talented people.


    Offer them some guidance and then return.


    Reward: Thirty Six Stratagems (High Tier)]


    [Option Four: You decide to explore the nearby garden to clear your mind and seek inspiration. The blooming flowers and serene environment help rejuvenate your spirit.


    Reward: Luck +1]


    "Such weird options this time," Eren muttered after going through all the options. "Was I really wrong about the pattern? Or is the first option really the most dangerous?"


    He shook his head lightly.


    "That can''t be. It must be me, who thought I discovered a pattern when there wasn''t any."


    He hade here to this Library. Moreover, it wasn''t a battlefield or anything. What danger could be here?


    Even if he was to be cautious and take the second option just to be safe, he couldn''t do that since the reward of the first option was very lucrative.


    Ever since he received the Sword Emperor''s Aura, he had been too eye-catching. It was even worse since he couldn''t control this aura.


    It was a passive skill which was always active. He stood out the most because of it. While other Elders didn''t reveal their aura unless needed, he did so every second.


    He didn''t want to appear as if he was arrogant and wanted to show off. That was a shortcut of getting hated by everyone after all.


    Since it was the first day, problems weren''t big, but what about the future?


    He really needed a method which could allow him to turn this passive skill into an active skill that he could control.


    The first option''s reward was just that. It was like the system was telling him that he shouldn''t select this option, while also telling him that he should select this option.


    In the end, he decided to go with his heart and ept his greed.


    "I will select the first option."


    As soon as he finished making a choice, he received the reward. The information about the method to control his aura started flooding his mind.


    He felt as if this knowledge had always been a part of him. The method allowed him to control his aura to perfection.


    He could make it so that not a single person could feel his aura, even if they were right next to him. Or he could make it so that specific people around him could feel him.


    He could also lower the ranger of his aura or extend it. If he lowered the range, the aura became even stronger. But if he increased it, it became weaker.


    He tested it right away, retracting his aura before observing the reaction of others.


    Just as he expected, the method worked. He could see that the people who looked as if they were under heavy pressure, looked more natural.


    "Since I have taken the reward, there''s no going back."


    He stepped inside the Ancient Library of the Great Demon Sect.


    The interior of the library was just as magnificent as its exterior.


    The shelves were filled with countless ancient tomes, scrolls, and manuscripts.


    The Library looked smaller from outside, but on the inside, it was huge. It was as if the library contained a world within itself. The space also behaved differently here.


    He was just on the ground floor, but he should still see hundreds of thousands of shelves.


    Reading about this in a novel was much different than personally experiencing it. It was like a world of magic.


    This was just the ground floor, yet it contained a plethora of knowledge waiting to be discovered.


    The books, skills and manuals in this library had been gathered from all over the continent. Most belonged to other Sects that were destroyed by the Great Demon Sect.


    At least that was the case for the ground floor.


    From the second floor onwards, all the books were the ones that were created by the Great Demon Sect.


    The higher the floor, the more precious the book that could be found there.


    Eren looked at the fascinating sight as he made his way towards the stairs, going upstairs.

 Chapter 25: I fell for you

    <h4>Chapter 25: I fell for you</h4>


    "I really don''t understand why you selected him as an Elder."


    While Eren was climbing the stairs to read on the fourth floor, a conversation was taking ce on the fifth floor that was thought to be empty currently.


    The Sect Master looked back at the Grand Elder whose face was hidden behind a thin veil.


    "Do I need a reason for that?" she asked.


    The Great Elder revealed an amused smile. She looked at the woman sitting on the floor with great interest.


    "You certainly don''t need a reason for that. But I remember, you were never interested in these things. You always leave these boring things for us to handle."


    She further added, "How could I not be curious when he''s the first man you brought home?"


    As soon as the Great Elder finished speaking, she felt a bloodlust that was aimed at her.


    "Cough, I meant the first Elder you brought to the sect." The Great Elder rified.


    "You should be really careful with your words," the Sect Master reminded the Great Elder as she stood up. "I am done here."


    She walked past the Great Elder, halting for a brief moment.


    "Also, if you want to read these foolish books about romance stories, then you could have done that at your ce. You don''t need to read such things here."


    Her eyes only briefly nced at the book that the Great Elder was reading. Although the book was covered in an old cover, it was clearly a book that was recently written.


    "You don''t need to be so stern," the Great Elder replied, letting out a melodiousughter. "You have abandoned your emotions, but I can''t do the same. I can''t help it if I''m such a romantic."


    "If you want to read it, I can give this to you for a few days?" she suggested. But by the time she turned around, the Sect Master was already gone.


    "She is always so stubborn." The Great Elder was left alone on the fifth floor.


    "Still, to think that the person who abandoned all her emotions, brought a man to the sect. I wonder why she did that?"


    "That boy''s aura was strong indeed, but it wasn''t strong enough for her to pay attention. So why him?"


    She closed the book, getting really intrigued by Eren.


    There were many strong people, but the girl paid attention to none. However, for Eren, she directly made him an Elder without even consulting the Great Elders Council.


    This was the first time she had done something like that. Not just her, but many people were curious about Eren.


    Unfortunately, the Sect Master had warned everyone to not do anything against him.


    "Although I promised you that I won''t meet him, I can''t control my curiosity now." The Great Elder stood up, her movements apanied by a seductive charm.


    She removed the old cover from the book that she was reading, since reality was already exposed.


    As the fake cover was removed, the real title of the book became visible.


    "A Tale of Forbidden Love."


    This was the real title of the book. No one knew who wrote that book, but it has be really famous in the Sect.


    There were many rumors that the author of the book was a part of the Great Demon Sect, but no one believed the rumor.


    No one thought that someone in the Demon Sect could write a book like that. Still, the poprity of the book kept increasing.


    "I wonder what secrets you are hiding, to make the Sect Master pay attention to you. Is this really the beginning of a forbidden love?"


    The Great Elder looked at another woman who was standing silently in the distance.


    She was the Librarian of the Grand Library.


    "For the next few hours, I''m the Librarian." The Great Elder smiled at the Librarian, the meaning behind her words evident.


    The Librarian could never reject themands of the Great Elder, so she simply nodded.


    ....


    Eren reached the fourth floor entrance, which was being guarded by a powerful formation.


    Only a person with an Elder''s badge could pass through the barrier.


    Eren brought his badge, which started shining as soon as it came in contact with the barrier.


    He was easily able to pass through the barrier, that in other cases would have killed even someone much stronger than him.


    "I suppose it wasn''t an exaggeration that Elders don''te here."


    The entry floor waspletely empty. He appeared to be the only Elder here.


    "Or rather, they''ve been here for a long time, so they have probably gone through all these books."


    He entered the fourth floor library, which was so vast that he didn''t know where to start.


    "Is the Librarian here?" he asked around.


    On the first three floors, he hadn''t seen the Librarian at all.


    Usually, the Librarian was on the highest upied floor, which he believed to be the fourth floor.


    Just as he was about to call out for the Librarian, a sweet scent spread across the entire fourth floor.


    Eren felt his heartbeat getting faster, just with the scent alone. It was as if he never wanted to leave this ce.


    "Are you looking for me?" While Eren was feeling strange urges rising within him, he heard a beautiful yet seductive voiceing from behind him.


    The voice alone was the most beautiful voice he had ever heard. It was as if his heart was willing to fall for the woman, even though he hadn''t seen her.


    He had to use his entire willpower to resist this urge.


    "Are you looking for a fight?" Eren asked as he released the Sword Emperor''s Aura that covered the entire library.


    As soon as he used his aura, he was able to recover a little from that strange atmosphere.


    "Why would this poor girl look for a fight when she adores Young Master so much," the Seductive Voice came again as the scent once again assaulted him.


    A woman hugged him from behind, as if she wasn''t hurt by his aura at all.


    "This poor girl is just so happy to be meeting such a handsome man that made her fall in love at first sight."


    Her warm breath brushed against his neck as her hands moved around him, as if toying with him.

 Chapter 26: Against the Great Elder

    <h4>Chapter 26: Against the Great Elder</h4>


    Eren felt a relentless assault on his mind, as if a powerful force was attempting to break through his mental defenses.


    Reacting quickly, he pushed the woman away, creating distance between them.


    Despite the allure of her voice and scent, he knew he had to stay focused. It became evident to him that this ce was far more dangerous than he had initially anticipated.


    "I am here to look for something, not to entertain your advances," he firmly stated, his gaze fixed on the veiled woman in the distance.


    Even though her face was concealed, he could feel his heart race with each nce in her direction.


    Determined to resist this strange force, he averted his gaze, refusing to sumb to its influence.


    Undeterred by his rejection, the woman''s seductive smile grew wider as she took a step closer.


    "But I am the Librarian. I can help you find what you''re looking for," she purred, mischief gleaming in her eyes. "And you have piqued my curiosity. Why not be mine and indulge in pleasures beyond your imagination?"


    Confusion furrowed Eren''s eyebrows. How could the Librarian be so enchanting and audacious?


    He had read that she was a silent person who rarely engaged with others unless asked questions first. Her behavior this time seemedpletely out of character.


    While she had been described as beautiful, her behavior seemed excessive.


    "I apologize for any misunderstanding, but my purpose here is to seek knowledge, not romance," Eren replied, attempting to regain control of the situation.


    The Librarian chuckled softly, herughter resonating like a melodious echo through the library.


    "Knowledge and romance often intertwine, don''t they?" she mused, her eyes shimmering with mystery. "Perhaps I can assist you in finding what you seek."


    "No, thank you. I will return another time," Eren responded, sensing the danger lurking within this ce.


    As he pondered further, a nagging feeling grew, telling him that something was amiss. This woman couldn''t possibly be the Librarian. Her demeanor and mannerisms were entirely different.


    In fact, she resembled someone else he had read about, someone he never wished to encounter within the sect.


    Thoughts of Grand Elder Xiu Ying, a seductress capable of killing without lifting a finger, shed through his mind. He desperately hoped he was merely overthinking the situation.


    The Librarian''s smile widened, a mischievous glint dancing in her eyes.


    "How cruel of you. Do you find this poor girl repulsive?" she taunted.


    With a swift movement, she disappeared and reappeared at the entrance, blocking the only exit.


    "Is it because you believe this girl to be ugly?" she questioned. "If that''s the case..."


    Slowly, she lifted her veil, and despite Eren''s desire to look away, a mysterious force held his body in ce, preventing him from averting his gaze or even closing his eyes.


    As the veil lifted, Eren''s gaze fell upon the face of the woman before him, and his breath caught in his throat. It was as if thest defense in his mind broke.


    Time seemed to stand still as he beheld the ethereal beauty of Xiu Ying, the Grand Elder of the sect.


    Her features were delicate and wless, like a porcin doll brought to life.


    The moonlight cascaded upon her silky, ck hair, which flowed down in gentle waves, framing her face with a captivating allure.


    Her eyes, a mesmerizing shade of deep amethyst, held a maic intensity that seemed to prate Eren''s very soul.


    Her lips, adorned with a hint of a smile, were the epitome of temptation. They held a promise of secrets and pleasures yet to be discovered.


    Each curve and contour of her face seemed to have been sculpted by the gods themselves, radiating an otherworldly glow.


    Her porcin skin was smooth and unblemished, reminiscent of freshly fallen snow. It glowed with an inner luminosity, casting a soft radiance that seemed to envelop the entire room.


    Eren couldn''t help but be captivated by the graceful elegance that exuded from every pore of Xiu Ying''s being. It was as if he was hypnotized.


    Her slender figure was draped in a flowing, crimson silk robe that entuated her every movement.


    The fabric seemed to caress her body, emphasizing her graceful curves and entuating her innate allure.


    Eren felt himself drawn to her, a maism that he struggled to resist.


    As Xiu Ying moved closer, her presence filled the room, enveloping Eren in a seductive aura.


    The air grew heavy with anticipation, and the scent of blooming flowers mingled with an underlying hint of danger. It was a fragrance that intoxicated the senses, leaving Eren both spellbound.


    Eren''s eyes turnedpletely nk, as if he hadpletely fallen for her charm.


    It was a charm that even the strongest in the Hero Academy couldn''t resist, let alone a man from earth.


    With each step she took, a subtle grace and elegance danced in her movements, as if she were a celestial being walking among mortals.


    Her every gesture held an enchanting power,manding attention and stirring desires within those who dared to gaze upon her.


    "How disappointing. To think you couldn''t resist even a little. You are like the rest of them."


    The woman looked at Eren in disappointment. "A man as fickle as you, doesn''t deserve her. It''s better if you disappear..."


    She ced a small dagger in Eren''s hand. "Kill yourself."


    Eren had no resistance. He was under the effect of a skill. His hands moved on themselves, cing a dagger on his neck.


    The Great Elder watched Eren, who was about to die. She was thinking about the excuses she was going to give the Sect Master. She already considered him dead after all.


    However, just as she was convinced, the Pendant of Protection around Eren''s throat started shining.


    [A life threatening force had been detected. Pendant of Protection has been activated]


    A notification appeared before Eren as the pendant shone even brightly. The mysterious alluring force that had captured his mind was shattered, freeing Eren.


    That wasn''t enough though.


    The Pendant also retaliated at the person who had targeted him, deflecting the spell that had targeted Eren with double the strength.


    The charm spell that had targeted Eren was sent back to the Great Elder, who couldn''t resist the spell which had been strengthened by Eren''s Pendant.


    While Eren came out of control, holding a throbbing head, the Great Elder was much worse.


    Although her eyes didn''t go nk, a strange seed of love was nted in her heart for Eren.


    She had truly fallen for Eren, to the point she could kill herself on hismand!

 Chapter 27: A love without boundary

    <h4>Chapter 27: A love without boundary</h4>


    Two intertwined fates were sealed by the unexpected turn of events brought on by the powerful pendant.


    Eren''s head throbbed in pain, and he couldn''t remember what had just happened.


    It felt as if his body had been out of his control. However, he quickly regained his senses and distanced himself from the Great Elder, now certain of her identity.


    What puzzled him was how he had managed to escape her control. ording to the novel, once someone fell for her, they were unable to escape the curse of love.


    There had never been a case of someone breaking free. So how did he manage to do it?


    While he was lost in thought, Eren noticed a notification in front of him.


    It stated that the Pendant of Protection had two uses left, whereas it had originally started with three.


    He realized that it was the Pendant of Protection that had saved him from her control.


    He also remembered that the pendant was only supposed to activate when he was on the brink of death. The realization made him break into a cold sweat.


    Was he actually about to die? Merely by entering the library and encountering the Subus? It became clear that the first option he had chosen was the most dangerous one.


    The ignored pattern was now evident to Eren. If he had chosen the second option, he wouldn''t havee across the Subus, and he would have been safer.


    He was unsure of what to do now. Even though he had escaped her control, she still blocked his path.


    Furthermore, the Pendant of Protection could only be used two more times. If a battle ensued, Eren doubted he wouldst long enough to leave the ce.


    "Step out of my way if you don''t want to die!"


    Nevertheless, he decided to bluff andmanded the Subus to step out of his way if she didn''t want to die.


    As long as he could get out of this holding, he could leave safely. The Great Elder couldn''t harm him when he was out of the library and in public view.


    Moreover, even if she tried to harm him, he had a Phoenix to protect him, waiting outside.


    Although he bluffed, he knew that she wasn''t going to listen to him. His mind was thinking of multiple possibilities, trying to find what he could do next.


    Since the woman wasn''t the Librarian, it was clear that the Librarian was someone else. By now, it was evident that the Librarian would have noticed themotion.


    The Librarian couldn''t stop the Great Elder, but she could at least contact the Sect Master or other Great Elders, informing them.


    Even if he didn''t leave the ce, as long as he could survive or distract her while waiting for the higher ups to arrive, he might leave safely.


    That was the thought in Eren''s mind, but what actually happened was enough to shock him.


    "Huh?"


    To his surprise, Xiu Ying actually moved, as if obediently following his order like a child.


    Their unexpected reaction caught Eren off guard, and he watched in astonishment as Xiu Ying listened to his instructions.


    He also noticed another strange thing. When he looked at her, he didn''t feel that strange sensation. She still looked beautiful, but he was able to keep his emotions in control.


    "Does escaping her charm one time gives one immunity?" he muttered.


    Since no one had escaped her charm, there was no mention of such a benefit. But he was clear that something was different now.


    He noticed another strange thing. If previously, her eyes were filled with charm and fake emotions, then this time, her eyes looked to be filled with pure infatuation.


    "Just what did you do?" he wondered, looking at the pendant.


    [Congrattions on turning Great Elder Xiu Ying to your lover]


    [Path of Lover has progressed]


    "Turning her into my lover?" Looking at the notification, Eren let out a frown.


    How did she be his lover without him doing anything at all? Usually, it was only the men who fell for her. But this time, she fell for him?


    Just a few moments ago, she was about to kill him, and now she was his lover? This didn''t look natural.


    "Is it the bacsh of her spell breaking? She was affected by it instead?" he thought, not realizing that the Pendant was able to reflect life threatening attacks with more strength.


    This effect wasn''t mentioned in the description of the pendant after all.


    He looked at the Great Elder who had almost killed him. "I can only see for myself."


    "Do you love me?" he asked the Great Elder Xiu Ying.


    "More than my life." Xui Ying stated, her love for Eren reaching the level of madness. It was as if she had met her soulmate.


    "Alright then, kill yourself." He tossed the dagger back at Xui Ying,manding her.


    Xui Ying grabbed the dagger, and without a second of dy, thrust it at her throat.


    "Stop!" Eren called out when the dagger was merely a few inches away from her throat.


    "How peculiar..." Eren muttered, taking the dagger from her hand.


    When a man fell for her, they were willing to do anything shemanded. However, they looked no different than a puppet, which made it easy to recognise them.


    On the other hand, the Great Elder was also willing to do anything hemanded. But she didn''t look like a Puppet. If one was to ignore the infatuation in her eyes, she lookedpletely normal.


    She hadn''t turned into a puppet, but her love for him had reached a crazy height.


    "Bark," hemanded as he kept the dagger in his System Storage.


    "Woof."


    "Woof."


    If someone was here to see what the Great Elder was doing, they would have been shocked to see her shameless behavior. She was barking like an actual pet, without the slightest of embarrassment.


    "Get down on your knees and apologize to me," Erenmanded next.


    No matter whatmand he gave, the Great Elder fulfilled it.


    She immediately dropped on her knees, apologizing to him.


    While Eren was enjoying the sight, he felt a heavy aura descend behind him.


    "What is happening here," a woman''s voice resounded behind him, filled with heavy killing intent.


    The Sect Master had arrived.

 Chapter 28: An Absurd Choice

    <h4>Chapter 28: An Absurd Choice</h4>


    The Sect Master of the Great Demon Sect was one of the four Overlords of the Continent.


    She was rarely seen in the sect, but still she possessed absolute control over the sect. It was because everyone knew how strong she was.


    If there were Elders who could destroy cities in anger, then she was someone who was capable of destroying half the continent.


    That''s why the Four Overlords of the Continent were the Supreme Beings. They wereparable to gods in this world.


    There was no ranking amongst the four Overlords as they had never fought directly, and it was because of good reason.


    The continent couldn''t survive a battle between the Overlords. That''s why the four Overlords had established a rule.


    The continent was divided into four territories, each overseen by an Overlord.


    The Eastern Territory was under Feng Yu, the Sect Master of the Great Demon Sect.


    The Western Territory was under Evangeline, the Holy Priestess of the Church of Goddess Seraphina.


    The Southern Territory was under Mist, who was the Dean of Mythical Hero Academy.


    Andstly, the Northern Territory was under the Death Monarch, who was the Tower Master of the Necromancer Tower.


    None of the Four Overlords were allowed to leave their territory as per their established rule. Simrly, they couldn''t directly intervene in territories governed by other Overlords.


    Even then, there were many ways to mess with one other. Even though the Overlords couldn''t get involved, it didn''t mean that there weren''t conflicts.


    The Mythical Hero Academy of the South and the Great Demon Sect of the East was always in conflict. Both sides had killed people from the other side.


    At the same time, the Holy Church in the West was in conflict with the Necromancer Tower in the North.


    Fortunately, none of the conflicts had escted beyond the point of no return. The Overlords also kept their oaths and didn''t interfere.


    Standing in the library, Eren gulped down as he heard a cold voiceing from behind him.


    Although the person hadn''t revealed their aura, Eren felt as if he was shoved in the cold sea of hell. He felt as if an apex predator was standing behind him.


    There was only one person who could give him this feeling that even Zhang Wei or the Great Elder couldn''t.


    It was the Sect Master of the Great Demon Sect, one of the four Overlords.


    Eren didn''t know how to get out of this situation. In front of him, there was the Great Elder of the Sect who was on her knees.


    How could he exin this situation? He couldn''t tell her that the Great Elder was in his control. Let alone finishing the exnation, he might be killed before he could even start to exin.


    Could he say that the Great Elder was trying to kill him? If he did that, his abilities mighte into question.


    It would expose the Pendant of Protection and he might have to give it up. And if the Sect Master asked him to exin its origins, there was no way for him to do that.


    "I asked, what''s happening here?" The Sect Master asked again.


    As Eren was thinking of a way out of the situation, some options appeared before him. For the first time, he wasn''t cursing the options. Instead, he was d that he had some guidance.


    ''As long as I choose the second option, I will... Huh?''


    Just as he had gotten happy, he saw the options, his smile disappearing.


    ''You f*cker, how is that the safest option?!''


    [Option One: You are innocent. You are nothing but a victim. Tell the sect master how you were almost killed by the Great Elder of the Sect, and ask for justice.


    Reward: Pendant of Attack (Rare Tier)]


    [Option Two: A Conqueror never needs anyone''s help. You have already handled the matter. How can you let someone else interfere?


    Tell the Sect Master that it''s a matter between you and Xiu Ying and she should stay out of it.


    Reward: A meeting with ###### (Unknown)]


    [Option Three: You are walking the path of a Lover. How can you talk back to your future wife? But the Great Elder had also fallen for you. Shouldn''t a man take responsibility? You can''t abandon her either.


    Tell the Sect Master that the Great Elder was teaching you a skill since she appreciated your potential.


    Reward: Fire Dragon Robe (Rare)]


    [Option Four: Tell the Sect Master that there was only a minor misunderstanding between you and the Great Elder, which had been resolved. Leave after exining, without looking back.


    Reward: Great Sword Arkalian (Rare)]


    Eren looked at the options, nkly. Just as he had started trusting the pattern, he was granted another suspicious choice.


    From no angle did the second option look the safest. How could he talk back to the strongest person in the Eastern Region. Wasn''t that no different than courting death?


    As for the third option, the Sect Master would have to be an idiot to believe that the Great Elder was giving guidance.


    The Sect Master had known the Great Elder for the longest time. It was impossible for her to fall for such a ruse.


    For him, the fourth option looked safest. There was also the first option, which made slight sense. He wasn''t at fault after all. But still, he couldn''t select the first option.


    He had already been burnt by the first option once. He didn''t want to try again.


    ''Urgh, fine! I will trust the pattern onest time. But if I die, I will never forgive you, damn system!''


    Eren took a deep breath, as he made a choice.


    He didn''t know what the reward for the option was. All it said was that he was allowed a meeting. But the name of the person was blurry, making it impossible for him to read the next word.


    He didn''t know who he was going to meet. And the reward rank was also unknown. But for now, it didn''t matter.


    "It''s a matter between me and the Great Elder. And I have already resolved it. You don''t need to interfere," Eren spoke, his heart beating faster than usual.


    As he finished speaking, he started leaving the library, expecting his head to fly off at any moment.

 Chapter 29: His Origin...

    <h4>Chapter 29: His Origin...</h4>


    Eren had been presented with options many times. And during those times, he had seen a pattern emerge.


    ording to his observation, the option order wasn''t random. They had a noticeable pattern.


    The first option was always the most dangerous, no matter how simple it looked. And the second option was the safest option, no matter how dangerous it appeared.


    Previously, he had doubted this pattern and selected the first option, thinking he was overthinking about the pattern.


    With everything that transpired after that, he realized that the pattern was correct. By selecting the first option, he had literally walked over to death''s door.


    Even though he felt that the second option was dangerous, he decided to trust his heart about this pattern.


    Even though the second option looked the most dangerous, he decided to select it.


    His faith in his own observation was wavering. His back was covered in cold sweat as he told the Sect Master to mind her own business.


    While leaving, he expected his head to be flying at any moment. But to his surprise, he managed to leave the fourth floor alive.


    He wasn''t stopped as he left. He quickly rushed down the stairs, not wanting to be here in case the Sect Master changed her mind.


    As quickly as he entered the library, he emerged from it.


    The winds of the Phoenix surrounded him, making him fly high.


    Hended on the back of the Phoenix which soared high in the sky, leading him towards his mountain.


    It was only when he was with the Phoenix that he felt safer.


    Sitting in the Phoenix''s back, he patted his heart that was racing, making him feel like it was going to jump out of his chest.


    Eren kept looking back to make sure the Sect Master wasn''t following him. Fortunately, none appeared to be following him.


    ....


    Standing on the fourth floor, the Sect Master looked out the window, gazing at the Phoenix flying away.


    "He is still the same..."


    She turned towards the Great Elder, who didn''t have a veil on her face.


    "He saw her face, so why wasn''t he affected?" she wondered.


    "Is it because of his origin? After all, he is..." she didn''t finish her sentence. Only her eyes revealed a sense of understanding, as if she had a rough idea.


    She turned to the Great Elder, who had stood up.


    "I know what you''re about to say." The Great Elder covered her face with the veil again. "I know I was wrong. I shouldn''t have done this."


    She looked perfectly normal. There was no sign that she had been affected by the seed of love. Even the Sect Master couldn''t notice anything strange in her behavior.


    As soon as she finished speaking, she felt a cold hand grab her neck. Before she could even react, her back was smashed against the wall of the library.


    "I told you not to y with him," the Sect Master said coldly, her voiceced with anger. "Do you take my orders as a joke?!"


    "I-i don''t." The Great Elder struggled to breathe. Uttering even a single word was a great struggle for her.


    She knew that Feng Yu could actually kill her, even if they were friends. Feng Yu''s Cultivation had made her lose all her emotions. She could neither feel love, nor hate.


    She didn''t care if it was a friend. If hermands were overlooked, she was going to kill them!


    "Next time you ignore mymands, I''ll have your head hanging at the entrance of the sect."


    The Sect Master tossed the Great Elder aside like a doll.


    "I-i will remember." The Great Elder eximed, coughing heavily as she watched a portal open before Feng Yu.


    Feng Yu entered the portal, and left the library.


    ....


    [Congrattions onpleting the Second Option]


    [You have been rewarded with a meeting opportunity]


    [The Meeting will be after twenty four hours. Please prepare ordingly]


    "Prepare ordingly for what? Shouldn''t you at least tell me who I am meeting?" Eren asked, looking at the notification before him.


    He knew the reward was some kind of meeting. But the name of the person he was meeting had been hidden. The reward was also in an unknown tier.


    He didn''t know who he was meeting. Was he someone dangerous?


    Since this was a reward, he had a feeling that he wasn''t going to die because of this reward. But he was really curious about it. Just who was he going to meet?


    The system didn''t answer him. There was no response to him. The system only informed him when there were options or rewards. Everything else was a mystery for him.


    "Fine. Don''t answer. I''m just d that I managed to survive at least." Hey on the back of the Phoenix, letting the winds brush through his hair as they soared through the clouds.


    The majestic bird carried him effortlessly, and he couldn''t help but feel a sense of freedom and wonder at the world below.


    Although this world appeared like a dream, he knew that it was his reality. Still, even as he walked on a thin line between life and death, he couldn''t help but agree that this world was beautiful.


    This world wasn''t like earth. In this world, he could experience so many things that he couldn''t on earth. It was an experience of a lifetime.


    Still, he didn''t forget his goal. His main goal was to be stronger. His goal was to be a conqueror who could survive on his own.


    For that goal, he needed to use the memory fragment and see through the memories of Elder Ren. He had to find out more about Elder Ren, whose history was aplete mystery for him.


    Even in the novel, there was no history given for this guy. Eren had thought that it was because the author was careless. But as he lived in this world, he had a feeling that there was more to it.


    Something about Eren Ren wasn''t exined in the novel, which made his character appear out of ce.


    Was this plot hole intentionally left in the novel? Or rather, was this intentionally ignored in the story that was inspired from this world?

 Chapter 30: The one inside the egg

    <h4>Chapter 30: The one inside the egg</h4>


    Eren continued to ponder over the mysteries surrounding Elder Ren.


    As he flew on the back of the Phoenix, he couldn''t help but wonder why there was so little information about Elder Ren in the novel.


    It felt like a deliberate omission, as if there was something important hidden about this character.


    He knew that in order to uncover the truth, he needed to delve into the memory fragment he possessed.


    It held the key to unlocking Elder Ren''s past and understanding his true significance in this world.


    "What a pity that I wasn''t able to explore the library. But now I feel scared to go there."


    "Is there another way for me to find out about the Memory Fragment in this world?"


    The Phoenix soon reached the Mountain, assigned to Elder Ren, who was still talking to himself.


    Gentle winds wrapped around Eren, sending him back to the room.


    It was only when hended inside the room that Eren came to his senses.


    He looked back at the Phoenix outside.


    "Thanks, little one. Have a good rest for now."


    The phoenix screeched happily before flying high again, disappearing into the sky.


    "She''s truly like a child." Eren watched the Phoenix disappear for now.


    He closed the door of the shabby house that belonged to him. This time, he didn''t want to make the same mistake.


    Previously, he had thought that no one could enter his house as it was at such great heights. And then Zhang Wei had arrived.


    He made sure that he didn''t leave the door open. If the door was closed, they had to knock at least to show respect to him.


    After closing the door, he walked back to the bed.


    "I have so many questions, but it looks like I can''t rush things. I can only take things slowly, if I don''t want to make mistakes."


    He sat on the bed and opened the diary, in which he wrote everything that happened today.


    He kept the diary back in his System Space and brought out the ring from the Mythical Hero Academy.


    The ring was a way he could contact the Hero Academy. It was also something that the Hero Academy could use to contact him.


    "Should I try contacting them so they don''t think that something is wrong?" He thought out loud, looking at the ring.


    "Tsk, no need. I already have more than enough to worry about. I can''t handle more stress." He tossed the ring back in the System Space.


    "That is..."


    With the System Space open, his eyes noticed another item that was there. It was a small egg that he had mostly forgotten about.


    It was a reward for his choice. He was supposed to bring it out as soon as he was alone, but he hadn''t.


    He didn''t know what creature was inside the egg, but he didn''t have high expectations.


    "It''s not as if I''m going to get another Mythical Beast. But still, I might as well get this over with."


    He brought out the egg from System Space, cing it next to him.


    The egg was the size of a football. However, the most strange part was that there were various strange patterns on the shell of the egg.


    The patterns seemed to shimmer and change when he looked at them closely, as if they were alive. He hadn''t noticed this peculiarity when the egg was in System Space.


    Intrigued, he reached out his hand to touch the egg, feeling a faint warmth emanating from it.


    "Just what is inside you... Since you''re granted by the System, you shouldn''t be ordinary either."


    He could see that the egg wasn''t normal. But it didn''t match the description of a Mythical Beast Egg either.


    A Mythical Beast Egg was usually the size of a human. There were also no patterns on a mythical beast egg.


    "As long as you aren''t a prank by this system to screw me over, it should be fine."


    ....


    It was the beginning of a new day.


    Eren had observed the egg for a long time, but it didn''t hatch.


    It was only after staying up for the entire night that Eren fell asleep, exhausted.


    A cultivator in this world could stay awake for a few days with ease. But Eren''s body was weaker than even an ordinary human.


    It was surprising in itself that he had managed to stay awake until the morning, despite such a stressful day.


    Before sleeping, he told the Phoenix to guard the mountain and wake him up, in case someone approached him.


    Fortunately, there was no disturbance during his sleep. That was, until he felt someone pull his cheeks while he was in deep sleep.


    At first, Eren didn''t notice it. But with time, he sensed a sharp pain on his cheeks which woke him up.


    "Hmm?"


    He opened his eyes, rubbing his cheeks. The pain was too real for it to be a misconception.


    He abruptly sat up, wondering if someone had intruded his room. But why didn''t the Phoenix inform him in that case? He wondered.


    His eyes searched around the room for another person, but there was none. But instead, he saw something else.


    "You are..."


    Next to him, there was the empty shell of the egg, which was broken. But it wasn''t broken from the outside.


    Next to him, there was a small creature, which kept poking him.


    The creature looked at Eren with eyes filled with innocence.


    "What are you?" Eren looked at the strange creature before him.


    The novel had mentioned many beasts, but the creature before him was unlike any of them.


    It was like a miniature version of a girl, with angel-like wings on its back.


    If she was the size of a normal human and didn''t have wings, she would have looked no different than an ordinary teenager.


    She had long ck hair that came down to her waist. Her beautiful green eyes sparkled with curiosity.


    She was wearing a ck dress that looked just right for her small size. Her wings were stark white, shimmering in the dim light of the room.


    The girl was only as tall as his finger. She felt so weak that he could crush it with just his thumb.

 Chapter 31: Celeste

    <h4>Chapter 31: Celeste</h4>


    "Are you the reason my cheeks are hurting so much?" Eren asked, rubbing his cheeks that were still hurting.


    The girl nodded happily, as if expecting praise.


    "Are you an idiot?" Eren asked, frowning.


    The girl looked at him in confusion, as if asking if she did something wrong.


    Eren rubbed his forehead. "Did the system truly screw me over?"


    "You came out of that egg?" Eren asked the small girl while pointing towards the remnants of the egg.


    The girl nodded proudly.


    "There''s nothing to be proud in that." Eren rolled his eyes. "Anyway, since you look like a human, can you talk as well?"


    The girl shook her head.


    "Do you have any powerful attacks or defense skills?" Eren asked.


    The girl again shook her head.


    "Do you have any skills at all?" Eren asked, rubbing his temple.


    The winged girl once again.


    "So basically, you''re useless?" Eren asked, letting out a sigh.


    The girl proudly nodded.


    "Again, there''s nothing to be proud in that." Eren looked at the girl in disbelief.


    He didn''t know how to deal with this ''reward'', that looked more like a burden than anything.


    He couldn''t keep a living creature in the System Space. So he couldn''t hide her.


    The girl didn''t have a skill that could help her either. Moreover, she was something that hadn''t appeared in this world.


    If she was seen by anyone, it wasn''t clear what kind of reaction people were going to have.


    The only thing that was certain was that a lot of troubles were going to fall over his head if she was seen by anyone.


    The girl looked at Eren in confusion.


    He could kill her and bury her to avoid any future problems. But looking at her, he couldn''t get himself to do that.


    The girl was still a newborn. Even though she wasn''t human, but she didn''t deserve to die, just because he couldn''t get any benefits from her.


    It wasn''t her fault that she was sent to him. Instead, it was all the fault of the system.


    "Fine." Eren scratched the back of his head. "Since you belong to me, I''ll handle things as theye."


    "However, you aren''t allowed to show yourself before others. That''s a rule that you must always follow. Understood?" he asked.


    The girl happily nodded before she flew up,nding on Eren''s shoulder.


    She once again started poking his cheeks like a little child.


    "Another rule, you aren''t allowed to touch my cheeks." Eren red at the little girl.


    The girl lowered her head, as if she had been wronged.


    "Can you get off my shoulders now? I need to take a shower."


    Eren didn''t touch her, worried that he might identally crush her.


    The girl was so small and frail that he didn''t want to grab her. She was like a precious treasure that people could only look at but not touch.


    The girl nodded. She jumped off his shoulders,nding on the bed.


    Eren stood up, stretching his neck.


    It was already afternoon outside. He had slept the entire morning. He forgot to even go out and check up on his new disciple.


    Moreover, it wasn''t long before he was going to have that rewarded meeting with an unknown person.


    He had only a few hours left to prepare.


    He looked forward to the meeting the most. Although he didn''t know who he was meeting, but since it was a System Reward, he felt that he wasn''t going to die at least.


    Maybe, he could even find more answers about the Menor Fragments.


    He kept the egg shell in the System Storage, not leaving even the slightest trace of it behind. Only after taking care of his room, he prepared to go for a bath.


    "Stay inside the room and don''t move until I''m back," Eren reminded the little girl, before he turned around.


    Only after taking a few steps, he stopped. He turned around. "That''s right, I forgot it. Since you''re just born, you don''t have a name yet."


    "I''m not good at naming, so don''t me me if you don''t like this name."


    The girl looked at Eren innocently. Her eyes were filled with excitement, as if she was looking forward to it.


    ''"Since you remind me of Celestial Fairies, I will call you Celeste. Do you hate this name?" Eren asked.


    The girl shook her head repeatedly. Instead, she looked like she was very happy with the name.


    "I''m d." Eren turned around and left, not a beautiful smile was gracing his lips.


    Although he knew that the little girl wasn''t helpful for him, but looking at her happiness, he also felt happy.


    Especially since the little girl reminded him of his own little sister... Someone he had lost a long time ago.


    ....


    Eren came out of the bath, dressed in a new attire. His hair was still slightly wet, but he felt quite rxed after a good bath.


    He had intentionally worn a robe that had a pocket where Celeste could sit when he was outside.


    If he came across someone, she could also hide in his pocket. This way, she didn''t have to spend the rest of her life, sealed in a small room.


    "Come Celeste, we are going outside."


    Celeste excitedly flew toward Eren, like a little child who was going to be taken out to a candy shop.


    After receiving Eren''s instructions, she entered Eren''s pocket, only her head peeking out of the pocket, looking at the surroundings.


    She was like a little kangaroo baby, sitting in its mother''s pouch.


    "As it''s your first day, I will show you the beauty of this world."


    Eren pushed the door open, calling for the Phoenix, which soared down.


    Winds wrapped around Eren, helping him fly. He soonnded on the back of the Phoenix.


    The Phoenix took him to the ce where his disciples were staying.


    Along the way, Eren introduced Celeste to the Phoenix.


    Soon, he reached the destination. However, as he looked down, he couldn''t help but frown.


    "She..."

 Chapter 32: Promised Time

    <h4>Chapter 32: Promised Time</h4>


    "She..."


    Eren looked down in disbelief.


    "Was I sleeping for a month?" he asked incredulously. "How could she do all this in a single day?"


    He could see that his disciple Wang Qingyu had finished creating a residence for herself. And the house she created looked even more luxurious than his own.


    It was to the point that he felt slightly embarrassed when he thought about the ce where he lived.


    She had created a house from wood, but it was much bigger than he expected. Ten of his houses could fit inside her house.


    Helped by the winds of Phoenix, hended outside the house. That looked sturdy as well.


    She had also created a fence around the house, to keep any potential beasts outside.


    Eren looked at the wooden board on the fence, in which a message was written.


    "Unauthorized intruders will be killed without mercy."


    He couldn''t help but scratch the back of his head.


    "Is this girl the reincarnation of some civil engineer from earth or something?"


    Eren jumped over the fence,nding on the other side. He couldn''t see the girl anywhere on the mountain, which made him think that she was inside the house.


    "Qingyu?" he called out but there was no response.


    He pushed the door open, and entered the house.


    After entering the house, he was even more stunned. The house looked good from the outside. But it looked even better on the inside.


    There were multiple rooms, but the most shocking part was that all of them had furniture.


    It was furniture that couldn''t be gathered from the mountain.


    "Looks like she had brought some of these things in her storage ring."


    He walked inside the house, checking the rooms.


    There was a room that appeared to be filled with musical instruments. It was said that the girl loved music in her free time.


    There was also a room, in which she had gathered many fruits for future consumption. There was also a proper bathroom with a bathtub that was still half filled.


    There was some water on the floor, making it evident that she had finished showering not long ago. Wet clothes were lying on the corner of the bathroom.


    "She is quite talented."


    "I don''t remember reading about her being so skillful in these things. Is it because she didn''t need to do it when she was with Zhang Wei?"


    Eren soon reached the bedroom of the girl, where afortable bed was ced. On top, there was a silky mattress.


    The girl was sleeping peacefully as she had worked the entire night to create the house. She didn''t want to disappoint her master after all.


    The girl was in such deep sleep that she didn''t even realize there was someone else in the room.


    Eren looked at the girl, who wasn''t even dressed properly at the moment. She was so defenseless as she slept.


    Eren walked closer to the bed, gazing at the girl who had worked really hardst night.


    "All intruders will be killed? You''re lucky that I have a firm mind. If it was someone else..."


    Although the mountain was only half frozen and she was a Cultivator, he could still feel how cold this ce was.


    He made sure to cover her with a nket before turning around to leave.


    "You did great. I am quite proud of you," Eren said before he left.


    As soon as he stepped out of the room, Wang Qingyu opened her eyes slowly. There was a beautiful smile on her face as she embraced the nket.


    ....


    Eren stepped out of the house, wondering if he should have this disciple create his own house nearby.


    If possible, he didn''t want to live in the house at the edge of the cliff. He wasn''t even sure if the house was sturdy enough.


    A simple earthquake and the entire house could fall off the cliff. And if he was asleep when that happened, he didn''t even want to think what was going to happen.


    "Sigh, as a teacher, how can I be shameless enough to ask her to create a house for me. it would be too embarrassing."


    He quickly dropped the idea before gesturing for the Phoenix to bring him up.


    At first, he didn''t notice it. But with time, he realized that he could send messages to the Phoenix with just his mind, without needing words.


    Gentle winds wrapped around Eren, helping him rise in the air. There were still many hours left before his meeting with the unknown.


    He had thought that he was going to spend that time with Wang Qingyu. He had thought that she would still be chopping wood to create her house.


    Unfortunately, she had surpassed his expectations. And even worse was that she was sleeping.


    "Should I go to the library again? My luck can''t be so bad that I will find them there again, can it?"


    After thinking about it, he once again dropped the idea. He still hadn''t forgotten that dangerous feeling when the Sect Master was behind him.


    "There is no guarantee that the Library would have any information about that in any case. And if it''s a treasure of the other Overlords, they might even be suspicious about this question."


    In the end, he justified his decisions and dropped the idea of checking the library without gathering more information.


    He returned to his house and started waiting for the promised time of the meeting.


    As the time drew near, Eren started feeling somewhat nervous. He didn''t know who he was going to meet.


    There were only a few people who could enter his house that was at such a dangerous location. They were all Elders or stronger in the Sect.


    He really hoped it wasn''t the Sect Master.


    Soon, the time arrived. But no one entered through the gate. There was no presence outside.


    The Phoenix also didn''t sense anyone arriving towards his mountain.


    "Are they runningte?" Eren asked.


    As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a strange pain in his heart. His heartbeat became irregr. His connection with the Phoenix was suddenly cut.


    Not just the Phoenix, but he couldn''t even feel Celeste.


    He looked next to him. Celeste was still there, but she appeared to be frozen in time.

 Chapter 33: The Author?

    <h4>Chapter 33: The Author?</h4>


    Eren tried to understand what was happening.


    He reached out to touch Celeste, but his hand passed through her. He realized that something was very wrong.


    He looked around, searching for any signs of what could have caused this sudden disruption. But the surroundings remained eerily still and silent.


    The air felt heavy with an unknown presence, and a sense of foreboding washed over him.


    Eren''s mind raced as he tried toe up with a possible exnation. Was there someone or something manipting his reality? Questions swirled in his mind, but he had no answers.


    Someone, who could manipte reality to this extent? Just how strong was that person?


    "Wait, manipte reality..." Eren thought, his frown deepening. "The meeting... Are you finally here, Mr Author?"


    At first, he didn''t know who he was going to meet. But with the strange change in his surroundings, he was more than certain about the identity of the other side.


    The Sect Master should have noticed something this strange. But she didn''t arrive here. It meant she couldn''t sense it. Or rather, she was also frozen.


    The person he was meeting was someone who was even more powerful than the Four Overlords? There was only one person that came to his mind.


    It was the god-like being who brought him to this world. It was the one who granted him this optional system. It was the true owner of the system, and the writer of the novel.


    "You are quite fast," A voice came from behind Eren. "And before you attack me, let me remind you that-"


    The person was in the middle of his sentence before Eren turned around, punching him with all his might.


    This was the person who screwed his life over a single review. It was a being with godlike powers yet he couldn''t ept the slightest criticism.


    Unfortunately for Eren, his fist simply passed through the person and the couch on which he was sitting.


    Eren passed through, falling on the other side.


    "... that you won''t be able to touch me." The unknown being finished his sentence. "It seems, I waste. My apologies."


    Eren stood up, feeling frustrated. He had always thought about punching the smug face of the author. But now that he was here, he couldn''t even touch him.


    "Why can''t I touch you? Are you hiding from a mere mortal?"


    Eren asked as he walked back to his seat, facing the Author who was sitting on a ck couch that wasn''t here before.


    He couldn''t see the face of the person. It was as if the world itself was glitching to hide the face of that person.


    The only thing he could see was the physique of the person, which made him look like a man, dressed in a ck suit.


    "Although you guessed who I am, you''re wrong about one thing. I''m neither the Author, nor is this world a story."


    "I don''t care what you are, or what this world is. All I want to know is why I was brought here. Is it really because of your fragile ego?"


    The other person startedughing in response.


    "If only that was the case. Things would have been so much simpler. Unfortunately, that''s not it."


    "Then why me? What am I doing in this world? Why do I have to live in fear of being killed every day?!"


    "That question... I can''t answer. All I can tell you is that you aren''t the only person from earth who is brought here."


    "There are more? Did they also trash this novel in the review?"


    The other person burst intoughter again. "Is this what you earthlings calledy? Not bad."


    The godlike being waved his hand. Following his movements, four books materialized before Eren.


    All four books had a title written on the cover. Looking at the books, Eren grew even more confused.


    The first book was titled, "Demon Lord''s Ascent."


    It was the title of the novel that he had read. It was the same novel in which he had left that review. It was the novel that depicted this world.


    The second book was titled, "The Necromancer who returned from hell."


    The third book was titled, "Rebirth of the SSS Rank Hero."


    As for the fourth book, it was titled, "Revenge of the Fallen Priestess."


    "These are...?"


    Eren looked at the four books, frowning. He had only read one of the four titles, and that too, only a small part.


    The novel had five thousand chapters, but he had only read the first two hundred Chapters of it.


    He didn''t understand what was with the other three titles. Was that the title of other novels that he hadn''t read? But he was certain that the site only had one novel.


    Looking at the titles, he had a bad feeling about it. Because the four titles reminded him of the four Overlord Regions of this world.


    The first was the Region of Demon Sect, which was in the novel titled Demon Lord''s Ascent.


    The second was the Region of Necromancer Tower, which was in the book titled, "Necromancer who returned from Hell."


    The third was the region of the Mythical Hero Academy, which was in the title, "Return of the SSS Rank Hero."


    Andstly, it was the region of the Holy Church, which could be linked to the title, "Revenge of the Fallen Priestess."


    "What are these four books?" Eren asked the unknown being. Although he asked a question, he had a feeling that he already knew the answer in his heart.


    The man had said that he wasn''t the only person who came from earth. If he came to the world of the Demon Lord''s Ascent, then did it mean there were three more people from earth who came to three other regions of this world, in their own respective novels?


    Although there were four novels, they all talked about a different aspect of the same world? How was it possible?


    The possibility itself gave Eren a headache. Because if there were four novels, that meant there were four Main Characters as well?

 Chapter 34: The Answer you will regret

    Chapter 34: The Answer you will regret


    Eren looked at the four books ced before him.


    He had a lot of questions. If these four books represented this world, that meant there were four Main Characters in this world.


    There were four beings who were blessed by Heaven, destined to be the greatest in their Generation.


    That was the least of his problems though. The bigger problem was what his presence signified.


    If he had entered the world of one of these books, didn''t that mean there were people who entered the world of other books?


    "How many people from earth are here in total?" Eren asked the shadowy figure before him.


    "Who knows..."


    Eren couldn''t see the face of the person before him, but he felt that the person was smiling.


    "All I can say is that you are the only person from earth in the Eastern Continent."


    "I see..." Eren rubbed his chin, lost in thought. "You said before that there are more people from earth here. And you also confirmed that I''m the only person from earth in the Eastern Continent."


    "That somewhat confirms my assumption." He was certain of his theory.


    There was at least one person each from earth who had been transmigrated here.


    Why was he called here? What did he need to do to survive? These were all secondary questions. More than his curiosity, his survival was important.


    The only way for him to escape all this mess was by leaving the chessboardpletely. As long as he returned to earth, everything was going to be over.


    Hence, he asked the most important question in his eyes.


    "How can we go back to earth?" he further asked.


    The godlike being didn''t answer.


    "It seems like you don''t want to answer the question. But it doesn''t matter. I have ways to make you answer," Eren stated.


    "Oh?" the godlike being asked, slightly amused. "And how will you do that?"


    Eren opened the System Space and brought out an item from his storage.


    "With a neat reward." Eren revealed a talisman that he had received from the system as a Reward.


    "A Question Voucher?"


    Eren couldn''t see the face of the other person so he didn''t know what his thoughts were right now. But he felt that the man was surprised.


    "What makes you think that it will work on me?"


    "We won''t know until we try, will we?"


    "You... There are some answers that do you more damage than they do you well. Are you sure you want to use that? Be careful what you wish for."


    "It doesn''t matter. Since I can die at any moment, I would rather die trying, than to die without answers."


    Eren used the Question Voucher that could only be used once. It could only be used for one question.


    When he received this reward, he thought it was useless. Even if he asked someone a question using the voucher, the other person was going to remember what happened.


    That''s why he couldn''t use this reward on someone powerful within the sect, worried that he might expose himself.


    Fortunately, he didn''t have to worry about that with the person in front of him. That person already knew a lot about him.


    "I would seriously advise you to not do that. It''s all for your good," the person in front of Eren warned him. "You will regret the answer."


    "I''m willing to ept that regret then." Eren used the Question Voucher on the godlike being.


    From his reaction, he was certain that the rewards of the system even affected that person.


    It made him certain that the system wasn''t created by him. Eren had many questions that he wanted to ask.


    He wanted to ask who created this system? Or how he could go back? He also wanted to ask why people from earth were brought here? Why was this world depicted in a story on a random novel site on earth?


    There were so many mysteries that he wanted to uncover. Unfortunately, he could only ask one question. He couldn''t afford to waste any questions.


    As soon as the Question Voucher activated, the talisman simply disappeared into nothingness.


    Eren knew that the question he was about to ask was the most important. He couldn''t waste the question. And the answer that he wanted the most right now was simple.


    "How do I return to earth again?"


    "Since you want to know the answer, I shall tell you." The mysterious person didn''t resist this time.


    It was as if he was being forced by an unknown force in this world. Even if he didn''t want to say anything, he had no choice.


    "There are two ways for you to return," he added.


    "And they are?" Eren asked.


    "The first method is simple. You can kill all the main characters in this world, along with every person from earth who came here."


    Eren''s expressions turned dark as he heard the response.


    He didn''t care about the main characters of this world, but he also had to kill the people who had been forced like him toe to this world?


    "Since that''s the way to return, I assume it''s the same for them?" he asked after thinking for some time.


    "As I said, you''re quite clever. You are correct. If they want to return, they also have to kill the others from earth who came here, including you."


    His words made Eren realize that he was in a race against time with the others. With every passing second, the other people from earth could be getting stronger.


    And if they also found a way to get this answer, it was only a matter of time before they came for his life.


    Essentially, he wasn''t simply fighting against the Main Characters of the four continents, but he was also fighting against the people who had transmigrated here, just like him.


    It was a game of life and death.


    "You said there were two ways?" Eren asked. "What''s the other way to return?"


    Since his life was on the line, Eren knew he couldn''t waste his time in this world. If the second way was faster, then he had to return to earth before anyone came for his life.


    "The second way?" The mysterious being startedughing. "Unfortunately, that''s even harder toplete than the first method."


    "The second method for you to return to earth is simply to be a being so powerful that you can slice through space and open a passage back to earth," he added.


    "But if you were that strong, that would mean that not a single existence in this world would have been able to harm you, including other Transmigrators from earth."

 Chapter 35: Because you dont know...

    Chapter 35: Because you don''t know...


    "If you became that strong, you could do much more than just travel between two worlds. However, that day is still too far for you. It''s not even certain if you can survive to see that day."


    As the unknown being finished answering, the effect of the Question Voucher ended. He went silent, not speaking for quite some time.


    There was only silence in the room.


    Either kill all those who could threaten you, or be so strong that no one could threaten you. Those were the only two methods for Eren to return to his world.


    Unfortunately, he knew that both those methods were way out of his reach at the moment.


    He didn''t know who the other three people from earth transmigrated as. But he was certain they couldn''t be weaker than him.


    He was inside the body of a person who was even weaker than an ordinary person in this world. And he was stuck as a spy.


    There was no way the other three could have any luck worse than him when every decision of his was apanied by a possibility of death.


    Heck, he believed that he could die without them even having to raise a single finger. Every day, he was walking on a thin line between life and death.


    All he had at the moment was his Sword Emperor''s Aura, and the Pendant of Protection with two uses left.


    Both these things only allowed him to protect himself, but didn''t allow him to kill others.


    Let alone being able to kill them, he had a feeling that he was going to die right away if he came across them.


    It was even worse since he didn''t know much about the other three books and what those continents were like.


    He had only read the first two hundred chapters of Demon Lord''s Ascent. And in those chapters, the main character was still in the Eastern Continent.


    There was only a little information about the Hero Academy revealed, because of the spy incident. But the details about the Necromancer Tower and the Holy Empire were even much more scarce.


    He subconsciously reached out his hand towards the books. The novel content was right before his eyes.


    So what if he didn''t read that before? Now that he knew about the importance, he was willing to learn everything he could.


    As his fingers were about to touch the books, the books turned into specks of lights, disappearing into the world.


    All four books disappeared.


    Eren looked at the person before him. "Can''t you let me read them once?"


    "Those books arepletely empty now. Even if you wanted to read them, you can''t," the mysterious person answered.


    Eren sighed. He had thought that he might be able to cheat, but his attempt had failed.


    "Do the other people from earth also know the methods to return to earth? Since you were so hesitant to tell me, I assume they won''t know it?"


    "Who knows? You managed to find out. Maybe they might as well."


    The person didn''t answer clearly. His words were just as vague, but they were true.


    He had a system when he came to this world. The other three might have the same. Maybe they could also get a simr reward and think of the same method to get an answer?


    He had no way to confirm it, so he could only believe it to be true. It was better to believe a lie, than to reject a truth when his life was on the line.


    After thinking for some time, he prepared to ask a question.


    "Can I-"


    "Looks like my time is up."


    Before Eren could finish his Question, the mysterious person stood up. The surroundings started to glitch, as if the world itself was resisting his presence here.


    "I am not sure if we will ever meet again. I will only wish you the best of luck for the future."


    His figure slowly started disappearing. The world was returning to normal.


    "Onest thing before I leave... You might think that you are at a disadvantage. But that''s only because you don''t know..."


    "I don''t know what?" Eren asked.


    The mysterious person had already vanished, leaving behind a faint echo of his parting words.


    "...about yourself..."


    "About me?" Eren softly muttered, confused about his words. What did that person mean?


    Unfortunately, the person who could answer had already left. And it wasn''t clear if he was ever going to meet that person again.


    The worst part was that he still had so many questions. He had more questions now that he had before meeting that person.


    He still didn''t know the identity of that person, or why he was brought into this world. Why was this world depicted in a novel? Why was he able to find this book? Was it truly a coincidence?


    As he was lost in thoughts, trying to decipher hisst words, he felt a light weight on his shoulders.


    Celeste was sitting on his shoulders, looking at him innocently. She was able to move again.


    She didn''t know what had happened just now. While Eren had gone through an entire conversation with an unknown being, only a fraction of a second had passed for Celeste.


    Eren also felt his connection to the Phoenix return. The world had returned to normal.


    "I don''t know about myself? Did he mean I don''t know about Ren? Biggest advantage? What could he be talking about?"


    "Argh, I forgot to ask him about the Memory Fragment!" Eren suddenly eximed, remembering something important.


    He was informed that he needed to be stronger before he could use the Memory Fragment if he didn''t want to go crazy.


    Unfortunately, he didn''t know how strong he needed to be. All this time, he had been thinking about asking this question in the meeting.


    But when the meeting happened, he was so distracted by the information about the four books that he hadpletely forgotten the question that he wanted to ask initially.

 Chapter 36: Youre Welcome

    36 Chapter 36: You''re Wee


    Eren couldn''t believe that he had missed the opportunity to ask something so crucial.


    He had thought that he could ask the question about Memory Fragment without needing a Question Voucher as this was an ordinary question. All he wanted was to know the usage criteria of his reward.


    He didn''t know that the meeting was going to be cut so short. Was it because he used the Question Voucher? He wasn''t sure.


    "I wonder if I will ever get another such opportunity..." He thought to himself, sitting back on the bed, disappointed.


    He could only ask one question with the Question Voucher and he chose the question that he thought to be the most useful to him.


    It was the safest for him if he could just return to his world. Then, he didn''t have to worry about anything rted to this world.


    Unfortunately, the answer was more disappointing. He was basically told that returning was impossible for him. This was his new home.


    "Huh, this?"


    His gaze fell on a small envelope that was left on the ground where the unknown person was sitting recently.


    Stunned, he walked over and picked up the envelope.


    He opened the envelope, noticing a letter neatly kept inside.


    He pulled out the letter, wondering if the unknown person had identally dropped it.


    "There are no idents." The first line itself mentioned, as if the writer had already expected his question.


    "The time was cut short because I had divulged the information which I shouldn''t have. And yes, you are to be med for that."


    "There were so many things that I wanted to tell you, but I couldn''t. So I''m leaving this letter behind. Maybe you might find it useful."


    Eren kept reading the letter. The words confirmed that it was because he had forced that person to answer that the meeting was cut short.


    It also made it evident that the person wasn''t the creator of this world. Even he was tied by the rules of this world. He truly wasn''t the ''Author''.


    "Make sure to burn this letter after you finish reading it. I don''t want to get in trouble with ''them'' for helping you."


    Eren didn''t know who this person was talking about. Were there people that he was also scared of? Just what was his identity? What was happening in this world?


    "I''m certain that you have many questions. However, you must remember. There are some questions that you will have to find the answer for yourself."


    "If you force other people to answer them, it will only be an obstruction in your path."


    "If you think that you are living a dangerous life, then remember... This is just the beginning. The world is soon going to enter the era of Chaos."


    "How you navigate through that Chaos, it will depend entirely on you."


    Eren kept reading through the letter, feeling a headache.


    It had only been a few days since he arrived here, and he had almost died multiple times. And this person was saying that this was not even the beginning?


    "I believe you have already received a memory fragment. If that''s the case, then congrattions. You have received a reward that no other Earthlings have yet..."


    "To use that, you must strengthen your mentality. And the only way to do that..."


    There were a few nk lines after that point in the letter.


    "Seriously, are you trying to create unnecessary suspense?" Eren asked, rolling his eyes.


    "Hahaha, if you''ve read up to this point, I have a feeling that you''re quite frustrated?" The letter continued. "Fine. I will tell you."


    "The Memory Fragment is a treasure that is something that can kill you if you use it without precautions. It would be a pity if you died, wouldn''t it?"


    "To use the memory fragment, you need to create a Sea of Consciousness in your heart."


    "Most people need to spend decades to reach that point. But I doubt you have that much time. So I will tell you about a shortcut."


    "A shortcut? Why is he doing me such a favor?" Eren thought, doubting his intentions.


    "I''m sure you are wondering why I''m helping you?" The letter further read.


    "This f*cker! This isn''t a letter at all! He is actually conversing with me!" Eren eximed. How else was it possible that he knew exactly what he was going to ask, and at what point?


    "No, I can''t read your mind. But you''re quite obvious, so I''m somewhat predicting what you''ll be thinking. And if I''m right, then I do feel quite proud of myself."


    Although these were just words, Eren could see how smug this guy was feeling about himself.


    "He''s quite smug for someone who was forced out of a meeting by this world." Eren rolled his eyes as he continued reading.


    "To create a Sea of Consciousness, there is a shortcut. It''s something that only a few people know about. And to achieve that, you need to find the Heart of a Sea Dragon."


    "A Sea Dragon? Let alone the fact that I can''t defeat something like that, where can I ever find one? There was no mention of it until I stopped reading the novel."


    "Are you wondering where you can find one? The answer is in the name itself, idiot."


    "The heck, why are you cursing me now? I know I can find the Sea Dragon in the sea, but do you even realize how vast the sea is?! It''s bigger than the continent!" Eren fumed in return.


    "Since I have helped you so much, I''m sure you are thanking me profusely. You''re wee, young man. It''s not often you get to meet someone like me. So you''re quite lucky."


    "You f*cker, who is thanking you? Your help is no different than telling me that I can never use the Memory Fragment? Even if I search until the end of my lifespan, I can''t find the Sea Dragon!"


    "Since you''re thanking me so much, I will do you one more favor and give you a hint. Don''t rely on any patterns from now on. It won''t work... So be careful."


    "Andstly, the little fairy... She is more useful than you realize. Don''t let her die, and one day you will thank your stars. Honestly, I still can''t believe you were rewarded with her. What a lucky bastard!"

 Chapter 37: Breaking inside the Core Area

    37 Chapter 37: Breaking inside the Core Area


    After Eren finished reading the letter, he carefully ced it back inside the envelope.


    He then made his way towards the door and casually tossed the envelope outside.


    Simultaneously, he issued instructions to the Phoenix.


    mes cascaded down the cliff, engulfing the letter and reducing it to ashes. Not a single trace remained as the wind carried away the remnants.


    Eren stood there, observing as the ashes of the letter dissipated into the air.


    He quietly muttered, "Thank you for the information."


    Despite feeling a slight pang of frustration due to the information''sck of immediate usefulness, Eren still felt a sense of gratitude for being informed about it.


    "A Sea Dragon, huh. It looks like I would take quite some time before I can use the Memory Fragment. But first, I need to take care of the Main Character."


    "Now that I think about it, isn''t it almost the time when..."


    He remembered an important event taking ce a few days after the Main Character entered the Sect.


    It was an important event that almost killed the Main Character, while also giving him an opportunity of a lifetime.


    "It should be the time when he met that powerful woman on the mission and slept with her to heal her poison. What an absurd plot, but I can''t let things happen as they did in the story."


    "The stronger he bes, the more dangerous he will be for me. Hence, I will steal all his opportunities! I will get the strength that should have belonged to him."


    He was certain that the other Transmigrators from Earth were nning the same to be stronger. Their knowledge was their biggest strength.


    Since he only read a few hundred chapters, his knowledge was the mostcking. Hence, he could only use the Main Character as a treasure detector while making sure he stole all his opportunities.


    After preparing for a few days, Eren was ready to leave.


    He went down to the Mission Hall and gave an excuse to them that he was going out to find a herb for his disciple. He told them that it might take them a few days before he could return.


    While he was in the Mission Hall, he also heard a few Elders talk about the Great Elder who had been punished to face a wall for a month.


    "No wonder she didn''t trouble me, despite being affected by the seed. Although she has fallen for me, she still has sanity." Eren smiled, believing that it was a good thing.


    He turned around to leave. But on the way out, he noticed the Main Character who was picking up a training mission from the Mission Hall.


    Eren smiled as he walked away. Things were progressing just as he expected.


    "Why now?" Eren was about to step out of the Mission Hall when he stopped.


    The screen that had been dormant for thest few days appeared again.


    [Option One: You are an honest Elder of the Sect. You have more important responsibilities than going outside.


    Stay in the sect for the next few weeks and make yourself more well known in the Sect.


    Reward: The Robe of me King (High Tier)]


    [Option Two: You have made the Great Elder fall for you. As a man, you should take responsibility for your actions.


    Help her escape from house imprisonment and have her apany you outside.


    Reward: Map of the Seven Seas (Rare Tier)]


    [Option Three: You have a clear goal in your mind. It''s a goal that requires you to leave the sect.


    Leave the Sect right now, and make sure that you aren''t followed.


    Reward: Boots of Wind Blessing (Mid Tier)]


    [Option Four: You are a teacher. You know that your absence would make your disciple miss you. It will even affect her training.


    Take her with you so you can train her along the way.


    Reward: Gloves of Titan (Rare Tier)]


    "I''ll take option two!" Eren eximed right away without a second thought.


    He selected the most dangerous looking option, all because of the reward.


    What he wanted the most was to find the Sea Dragon. And the Map of the Sea could give him a clue about that


    It was a rare tier reward, which meant it wasn''t a normal map. Instead, it was a high tier treasure.


    It could give him a clear destination. Even though he wasn''t strong enough to defeat a Sea Dragon, the Great Elder was strong!


    With that second option, he could hit two targets with one arrow! He could get the map, and then he could have the Great Elder apany him to the Sea!


    [You have selected the second option]


    [Reward will be given onpletion]


    Eren selected the most difficult option, when the first option looked like the easiest.


    This time, he was certain that the pattern of the options was broken, just like the letter had stated.


    There was no way the first option was more dangerous than the second option.


    The second option literally meant death if he made a mistake. But for now, it didn''t matter.


    "If I want to recover the memories, this is a risk I have to take. I never know if this reward is ever going to appear again. If I miss it now, I might regret it forever!"


    He left the mission hall, making up his mind.


    He had to take the Great Elder with him. But it was easier said than done.


    The Great Elder was punished to be under house arrest by the Sect Leader. Taking her with him was directly viting the rules of the Sect Leader.


    He had to do that in a way that left him a path of survival.


    Eren climbed on the Phoenix, which soared into the sky, going straight towards the Great Elder''s residence.


    There was no way for him to enter the core area of the Sect without getting discovered. Only the Sect Master and the Great Elders were allowed to live in that area after all.


    As soon as he entered the Core Area, all the Guards were alerted instantly. Someone had broken inside the Core Area without Authorization.


    [The Path of Conqueror Progress: 1 Percent]

 Chapter 38: Planned Infiltration

    38 Chapter 38: nned Infiltration


    "I must be really crazy to select this method. But now that I have... I can only see it to the end."


    Eren entered the Core Region that he wasn''t allowed to enter. It was a ce where the strongest beings inside the Sect were residing.


    It was also the ce where the Main Pce of the Sect was situated. It was the ce where the Sect Master resided.


    As soon as he entered the region, all the Guards were alerted about someone unauthorized entering the ce.


    "If I survive, I will see you in the future." Eren patted the Phoenix lightly before jumping down from the great height.


    The majestic Phoenix let out a cry of farewell as Eren leaped into the Core Region.


    The wind rushed past him as he descended. With each passing second, the ground came closer.


    With the speed at which he fell, he was certain that he was going to die if he actually hit the ground.


    "Not yet..."


    "Not yet..."


    He kept muttering as he continued falling.


    It was only when there was only a few meters of distance between him and the floor, he called out, "Now!"


    Warm winds surrounded his body, lifting him gently upwards.


    Slowly and gracefully, Erennded on the floor.


    ....


    Many powerful Guards came out of the shadows, looking for the Intruder.


    The Leader of the Guards wasn''t an Elder, but he was stronger than an ordinary Elder.


    It was his sole responsibility to protect the core region and make sure to maintain the peace within so the Great Elders or the Sect Master wasn''t disturbed.


    They soon located the intruder.


    "Isn''t that the Phoenix of Elder Ren?" One of the Guards asked, noticing a majestic beast flying in the sky.


    "I don''t see the Elder on it. Could it be that the Phoenix identally entered this ce?" Another guard asked.


    Another guard slightly hesitated as he stated, "Should we... Kill it?"


    As per the rules, the intruders were to be killed if they couldn''t prove that they had a good enough reason to enter this ce.


    "Argh, but I heard that Elder Ren is stronger than demoness Zhang Wei. If we killed his beast just because it identally entered this ce... Would he let it go?"


    It would have been different if Elder Ren was with the Phoenix. But that wasn''t the case. It meant the Phoenix had identally entered this ce and wasn''t beingmanded.


    A Phoenix was a majestic beast of the sky. They had heard that the Phoenix could often be seen flying above the skies of the Sect when Elder Ren was sleeping or busy.


    They all thought that it was a time like that.


    The Leader of the Guards also felt a headacheing.


    "Since it''s an ident, we can''t kill it. Let''s think of it as doing Elder Ren a favor. We can just capture it and return it with a warning if it doesn''t stop."


    He was about tomand his men to capture the Phoenix which was going deeper into the Core Region.


    Fortunately, before he could givemand, the Phoenix turned around and started returning.


    "Hmm?" The Guards looked at each other''s faces as the Phoenix left the Core Region again.


    "Should we... Still capture it?" A Guard asked, looking at the leader.


    The Leader of the group let out a sigh. "Since it''s left, let it be. If there''s a next time, we will capture it."


    All the Guards dispersed, returning to shadows around the border of the Core Region.


    The core region had a barrier that informed them about intruders, but it had a w.


    It didn''t tell them the number of intruders if more than one entered from the same point at the same time.


    They thought that the Phoenix was the only one that had entered, not realizing that the real intruder was already inside the Core Region while they lowered their guard.


    While the guards dispersed, Eren was standing under a tree, looking at the sky.


    "Looks like the n worked for now."


    He waited for a few more minutes before making a move.


    Although he had entered the Core Region, there was still a problem left to solve.


    He had to find the ce where Great Elder Xiu Ying lived. In such a vast ce, it was easier said than done.


    There were many Great Elders in the sect. And simrly, all of them resided here. He couldn''t just enter someone''s house to check.


    It was fine if he entered Xiu Ying''s house since she wasn''t going to kill him because of the love seed in her heart. It wasn''t the same for the other Elders.


    For the rest of the day, Eren carefully moved through the area, looking for Xiu Ying''s Courtyard.


    The only thing he knew about it was that her residence was farthest from every other Great Elder''s residence.


    With this one clue, he looked for her courtyard. And after a long time, he finally felt like he found two matches.


    There were two courtyards that were far away from the rest. Both of them were on different sides of the Main Pce.


    They were ones that were near the center of the Core Region while also being slightly far away from the Main Pce.


    "Both of them could be a match. But isn''t it more like a gamble now? I have a fifty percent chance of sess, no matter which one I choose."


    Eren didn''t know which of the two belonged to Xiu Ying. All clues he had failed him when it came to these two courtyards.


    For quite some time, he waited as he couldn''te to a decision. But after a long time, he finally made a move.


    He understood that he couldn''t do anything by just stressing his head. Even if it was a gamble, it was better than nothing. He was running out of time after all.


    If he spent too much time here, the Main Character might get the opportunity that he wanted to steal.


    He had to reach the destination before the Main Character. For that, he couldn''t dy anymore.


    Eren selected the Courtyard on the left, hoping that his luck wasn''t going to fail him.


    He carefully entered the Courtyard which wasn''t guarded.

 Chapter 39: My Husband

    Chapter 39: My Husband


    The people who lived inside the Core Region were the strongest people within the sect.


    Even if all the Elders of the Sect were to join forces, they couldn''t defeat a single Great Elder.


    That''s why the Guards weren''t needed here.


    The guards only guarded the entrance of the core region as they didn''t think that someone was going to be foolish enough to enter the Courtyard of a Great Elder.


    Unfortunately for them, there was one person who broke all norms.


    Eren stood at the entrance of the Courtyard which he had selected.


    He tried to open the door but the gate didn''t even budge. It was locked from inside.


    He walked around the ce to look for a window, but there was none there. There was only a small opening which was probably to let fresh air flow inside.


    "Should I break the door? If it''s Xiu Ying, she won''t mind. But if it''s someone else..."


    He thought about breaking the door for a moment. But he quickly dropped the idea.


    "Celeste, I think it''s time for you to help me."


    He looked at Celeste who was resting in his pocket.


    Celeste raised her cute little head innocently, as if asking what she had to do.


    "Are you looking at the opening?" Eren pointed at the small opening for the air.


    It was too small for him. But when it came to Celeste, it was the perfect entrance.


    "I want you to enter from there and open the door from inside."


    Eren gave her some instructions while telling her to be extremely careful to not be seen by anyone.


    As long as Celestria wasn''t seen by anyone, no one could sense her presence. It was the same for him ever since he received Aura Control Method from the system as a reward.


    With it, he couldn''t just hide his aura but also erase his presence entirely. It was also one of the reasons why he was able to walk inside the Core Region without being detected.


    ording to his assumption, even the Sect Master couldn''t sense him as long as he didn''t make his presence known.


    Celeste came out of his pocket, flying towards the small opening above.


    She quickly entered through the opening.


    A few minutes passed before Eren heard some movements on the other side of the door. It was the sound of the lock being opened.


    "Looks like she seeded." He tried opening the door again and this time, he was able to open it.


    He opened the door cautiously, peeking inside to make sure the coast was clear before stepping into the hallway.


    "Good work, little one." He patted the head of Celeste who had been the most helpful.


    Celeste smiled innocently, being happy that she was able to help.


    She went back inside his pocket, peeking her head out.


    "Now, shall we find Xiu Ying?" Eren closed the door behind him and went down the hallway.


    He moved like a thief, trying to make as little noise as possible. He made no sound at all.


    After searching around the house, he heard the sound of water falling.


    ''Is she taking a shower?''


    He opened the door of thest room and entered inside, noticing a bed in the middle of the room.


    This was the bedroom of the owner. It was impably clean and tidy, with a faint scent of fresh flowers lingering in the air.


    On the left side of the room, there was the bathroom. The door of the bathroom was open and the sound of water falling wasing from inside.


    It was evident that someone was taking a shower inside.


    Believing it to be Great Elder Xiu Ying, Eren walked closer to the bathroom. Soon, he was only a few steps away from it.


    Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and looked inside.


    ''Huh?!''


    Eren''s face went pale and his jaw dropped as he looked at the person who was showering inside.


    Inside, there was a woman. She wasn''t wearing any clothes and her back was facing him.


    Drops of water glistened on her smooth skin, creating a mesmerizing sight. But Eren didn''t have the time to appreciate the sight before him. Because he was able to see the hair color of that woman.


    It wasn''t the hair color of Great Elder Xiu Ying. Instead, it was the hair color of the Sect Master!


    Eren''s heart stopped beating for a moment as soon as he came to the realization!


    He had selected the Courtyard! This one didn''t belong to Xiu Ying. It belonged to the Sect Master of the Great Demon Sect!


    It belonged to one of the four Overlords. And now he was looking at her bare body! If he was discovered, getting chopped into a thousand pieces could only be described as a merciful fate!


    ....


    At the same time, in the courtyard that Eren hadn''t selected, a woman was lying on the bed.


    Her entire room was covered in portraits of a man. She had drawn these portraits herself.


    If one was to see her bedroom, they would have thought that she was obsessed with the man.


    The man in those portraits was none other than Eren.


    There were hundreds of portraits, and presently, she was drawing one more portrait of the man she loved.


    She was someone who made others fall in love with her. But this time, she was in love with someone else.


    She wanted to go to that man right away! She wanted to make that man belong to only her!


    Unfortunately, she was punished by the Sect Master and wasn''t allowed to leave her house.


    She could easily leave as there was no seal ced on her, but she knew that there were consequences if she did that.


    She could only wait until her punishment was over, before going to find her lover.


    "Soon, your wife wille to you..." She said, gazing at the portrait that she was drawing. "My husband."

 Chapter 40: A woman who could

    Chapter 40: A woman who could


    The realization that he had trespassed into the private space of one of the four Overlords of the Great Demon Sect sent a chill down Eren''s spine.


    With a surge of adrenaline, Eren''s mind snapped back into focus. He needed to find a way out of this situation.


    If he was seen here, then he didn''t even want to imagine the oue.


    The Sect Master hadn''t noticed his presence until now, which was his biggest advantage.


    He slowly moved away, hiding himself behind a wall. At the same time, he tried to calm his heart as much as possible.


    After a few seconds, the Sect Master turned around. Fortunately, Eren was already hiding by now.


    As Eren heard the sound of the water stop, his heart almost jumped out of his chest. It meant the Sect Master was finished with the shower.


    It was only a matter of time before she stepped out of the bathroom.


    Eren knew he couldn''t waste a single second. He started moving towards the exit, trying to make no noise if possible.


    Meanwhile, the Sect Master picked up a nearby towel and started drying herself, unaware of Eren''s presence.


    In a haste, Eren''s foot identally knocked over a small vase.


    His face immediately went pale as he saw the vase falling. In fear, it was as if superhuman instincts took over his body as he leapt forward, catching the vase before it could hit the ground.


    The Sect Master stepped out of the bathroom.


    She walked towards her clothes that were ced on the bed, only to stop as her hands were about to touch her clothes.


    She turned around, looking in the distance. A frown appeared on her face as she noticed that a vase was missing from her room.


    ....


    Outside the courtyard, Eren ran as fast as he could with the vase still in his hand.


    He didn''t even have the time to put the vase back. The most important thing for now was to not be seen.


    He kept the ordinary looking vase in his System Space as he hid behind a tree to hide himself.


    For quite some time, he kept ncing at the Courtyard to see if the Sect Master wasing out.


    A few minutes had passed before the Sect Master actually came out. She was fully dressed now, but Eren still couldn''t before the scene he had seen before.


    The Sect Master released her Divine Consciousness, covering the entire Core Region as if she was looking for someone or something.


    Eren ran the Aura Control Method as best as he could, worried that with the slightest w, he could be detected.


    Fortunately, that didn''t happen. The Sect Master soon retracted her Divine Consciousness, seemingly confused.


    She couldn''t see anything out of ce in the sect. And more importantly, she couldn''t sense the vase.


    It was something that belonged to her. So even if it was taken out of the Sect, she would have been able to sense it. But this time, she couldn''t even feel it.


    It was as if the vase was kept in a ce where even her Divine Sense couldn''t find it.


    Eren remained hidden behind the tree not far from the Sect Master.


    After a few more minutes passed, the Sect Master gave up on the search. It was impossible to know what she was thinking as she flew up, going to the Main Pce.


    One when she disappeared from his view, Eren wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.


    He confirmed that no one was there before he made up his mind and went to the other courtyard.


    As he reached the other courtyard, he used the same method.


    Celeste opened the door from the inside and Eren entered the ce.


    "Please don''t be the wrong house this time," he mumbled as he searched for the owner of the house.


    Once again, he walked to the bedroom where the door was left open.


    He carefully opened the door and looked inside.


    He noticed Great Elder Xiu Ying lying on the bed, seemingly drawing something.


    Confirming that he was at the right ce, he let out a sigh and entered the room.


    "Great Elder, I''m here to-" he called out to make his presence known. But before he could finish his sentence, he stepped.


    He saw the portraits hanging on the wall, all depicting him. Some of these portraits had him without any clothes as well.


    While there were some in which the Great Elder was with him, sitting with a child.


    "This..." Eren didn''t know how to react. This level of obsession went beyond his expectations.


    Why did it appear less like she had fallen in love with him and more like she had be a stalker?


    The Great Elder was immersed in creating a new portrait of her so-called husband when she heard a man''s voice.


    Her heart stirred as the love seed within her reacted. She could never forget this voice. This was the voice of the man she loved.


    She was like a child as she sat up. Tears of joy welled up in her eyes as she turned around to see him standing there.


    She had never expected him toe to her, despite all the risks involved. Was this true love? She wondered.


    Before Eren could react, he felt a warm embrace as the Great Elder appeared before him, wrapping his arms around him.


    Eren didn''t know how to react. He knew that this was all because of the love seed. It wasn''t that she truly loved him. But still, he couldn''t deny that she was the prettiest woman he had seen.


    She was strong, but she looked weak, igniting the feeling in a man that made him want to protect her.


    Although it wasn''t to the point of making the man kill himself, but even without the charm, this was a woman who could make any man fall for her.


    A long time passed. The women remained in Eren''s embrace, not saying anything. It was as if the time hade to a halt.

 Chapter 41: Destined to be the greatest

    Chapter 41: Destined to be the greatest


    As Eren had managed to deflect Xiu Ying''s charmst time, he wasn''t affected by it anymore. But still, even without the charm, the woman was enough to make him feel certain emotions.


    "I came here to ask for your help," Eren said as he lightly tried to push the woman away as he didn''t want to lose himself at this ce.


    Unfortunately, he wasn''t strong enough to push her away. Although the woman looked weak and relied on charm, it didn''t mean that she was weak.


    Even without her uncontroble charm, she was still strong enough to create a path of blood in her wake.


    "Even if you want my life, I am willing," Xiu Ying said with a determined voice.


    "I don''t want your life. I just want you to apany me as I will be leaving the Sect for a few days."


    After unsessfully trying to create some distance, Eren finally gave up and let her stay in his embrace.


    Hearing his words, Xiu Ying''s eyes lit up. In her eyes, didn''t this mean he was asking her toe on a date with him?


    "Just the two of us?" she asked, trying hard to control her happiness.


    "There''s no one else I can ask," Eren replied. "It''s really important for me. And it can''t be no one else but you."


    Xiu Ying''s heart skipped a beat thanks to Eren''s words. The love in her heart red even more as she wondered if he was going to ask her to marry him on this trip.


    At this moment, she didn''t care if she was under house arrest. For her, apanying him was more important than anything else.


    "When are we leaving?" she asked.


    "If you will be kind enough to release me, then right now." Eren ced his hand on Xiu Ying''s shoulder, trying to push her away.


    This time, she didn''t offer any resistance and listened to him like a good girl.


    "I will start preparing right away!"


    ....


    Only ten minutes had passed before Xiu Ying returned. She had gathered everything in her storage ring that she believed they might need on a long trip.


    She also thought of a way to leave the Sect without getting detected.


    She also created a clone of her which was going to stay inside the room in the house arrest. It was to make sure that no one in the sect could know that she was missing.


    "This is?" Eren held a small blue crystal in his hand that Xiu Ying had given him, wondering what this was.


    "This is something that will take us out of the Sect, without getting detected." Xiu Ying smiled as she ced her hand in Eren''s hand.


    Eren was surprised at her words. He was wondering how he was going to leave the Core Region without getting detected, but it looked like there was no need for it.


    It made her feel slightly awkward. The option asked him to help her escape. But wasn''t it more like her helping him escape?


    In the first ce, did she even need help? She could have left anytime she wanted. The only reason she stayed behind was because she wanted to.


    It was clear that Xiu Ying was more capable than he thought. If it was her, Eren was certain that they could kill the dragon. With her help, he could actually use the Memory Fragment.


    She activated the crystal.


    Both of them found themselves enveloped in a veil of undetectable spatial energy within the confines of the courtyard.


    Eren sensed an abrupt shift in their surroundings, as the familiar sights and sounds of the Sect gradually faded away, reced by an entirely different scenery.


    Although they were no longer within the sect, they had not ventured too far from its vicinity.


    In the distance, atop a mountain that appeared nearly insurmountable to an ordinary person, the Sect still remained visible.


    It was said that this mountain range was the tallest in the entire world.


    The ease with which they had departed from the Sect left Eren feeling somewhat surreal. However, he could still sense the presence of the Phoenix, albeit in the far distance.


    With amand, he beckoned the Phoenix to leave the sect and join him.


    Meanwhile, within the Mountain Range of the sect, the Phoenix took to the sky, soaring gracefully amongst the clouds.


    It flew at a speed that even Eren had not previously experienced.


    Typically, the Phoenix would regte her speed while carrying Eren, ensuring his safety above all else. However, when it came to reuniting with her master, she unleashed her full speed without reservation.


    In no time, the Phoenix arrived at the remote location where Eren eagerly awaited her.


    Extending his hand towards the Great Elder, Eren invited her to join him.


    With a beautiful smile adorning her face, the Great Elder epted his gesture, and both of themnded on the Phoenix''s back, marking themencement of their extraordinary journey together.


    ....


    "Junior Brother, this is a dangerous mission. Are you sure you want to take it? Even many seniors haven''t managed toplete this mission!"


    Back in the sect, the Main Character Ye Liang had finished taking the mission.


    The moment the fellow Disciples under his master came to know of the mission he selected, they grew slightly worried.


    As they had the same master, they were like brothers. They didn''t want to lose the youngest and be aughingstock in the sect.


    "I believe I canplete it." Ye Liang smiled innocently.


    Contrary to his outward smile, deep inside his heart, he was quite serious.


    ''With the help of my System, I''m destined to be the greatest in this world. How can youpare me with the standards of others?''


    ''So what if they failed? I will seed! And I will get the reward from the system! No one can stand in my path!''


    ''I will be stronger bypleting the normal missions. And when I''m strong enough, I''ll finish the Main Scenario and kill Elder Ren!''


    He folded the mission paper and kept it in his pocket and he departed as well.

 Chapter 42: The Whereabouts of Sea Dragon

    Chapter 42: The Whereabouts of Sea Dragon


    ....


    Eren sat atop the Phoenix which was gliding gracefully through the cloudless sky.


    The wind tugged at his hair as he gazed down at the map in his hands.


    This map was the reward he had received for selecting the option that asked him to free Xiu Ying, even though she didn''t need to be freed.


    "This is troublesome."


    After briefly observing the map, Eren let out a sigh.


    In this map, he was able to see the location of the Sea Dragon. The location was the most problematic part of it.


    He hadn''t thought that it was going to be easy, but the location made things even moreplicated for him.


    The entire continent was so huge, that it could be called a world of its own.


    There were four regions in this continent, each having an overlord each. And each of these regions were connected to the ocean through their outer regions.


    It would have been fine if the Sea Dragon was in the Eastern Ocean. He could have easily gone there as this entire region was under the control of the Great Demon Sect.


    He could even have a lot of privilege with his identity as the Sect Elder who was apanied by the Great Elder.


    Unfortunately, the map created apletely different picture.


    The Sea Dragon''s habitat was in the Southern Ocean! It was the ocean connected to thend ruled by the Mythical Heroes Academy.


    It was ruled by the people who had sent him as a spy to the Great Demon Sect.


    It was also thend of the people that hated the people of the Eastern Continent the most. The Mythical Hero Academy had a hostile rtionship with the Great Demon Sect as well.


    Although people between the two connected continents could enter each other''snds, but most of the people avoided that because of clear reasons.


    They could enter the other continent, but could they return alive? That was a big question.


    It was even moreplicated if the person entering the Southern Continent was the Great Elder of the Great Demon Sect who had previously killed a Professor of the Mythical Hero Academy!


    He couldn''t have selected a worse partner for his trip, considering the destination.


    The Eastern Continent and the Southern Continent were connected to each other, only divided by a river.


    But the divide between the two continents was more than just their location. Instead, the two continents were like two different words each.


    In the Eastern Continent, people were cultivators. They became stronger by understanding the concepts of the world around them, andprehending their skills to a greater extent.


    Only the cultivators in the Eastern Continent could be stronger. And anyone could cultivate, as long as they had spiritual roots within their body.


    The Southern Continent was different in that regard. They didn''t have cultivators. Not everyone had the opportunity to be stronger.


    Instead, the people of the Southern Continent paid more attention to Bloodline.


    There were people who awakened special abilities, most of the time rted to their Bloodlines.


    Those people were called the Heroes. And to manage them, the Mythical Hero Academy was established by the greatest Heroes of the Southern Continent.


    While the Eastern Continent was ruled by the Great Demon Sect, the Southern Continent was ruled by the Mythical Hero Academy.


    If one was to exclude the Great Demon Sect, there were many powerful Cultivator ns in the Eastern Continent. They were the major regional powers.


    Most of the Elders in the Great Demon Sects were from these ns and had great support behind them.


    At the same time, if one was to exclude the Mythical Hero Academy, there were many Great Families in the Southern Continent that held most of the influence.


    Most of the professors of the Mythical Hero Academy were from these families.


    While the Great Demon Sect taught everyone various martial skills that allowed them to get stronger, the Mythical Hero Academy taught students how to control their bloodline powers better.


    It was certainly easier for a Hero to be stronger as all they had to do was to control the inheritance they received through their Bloodlines.


    Meanwhile, it was harder for the Cultivators as they had to start from the bottom. They had to learn and create their own path.


    Both the continents had different belief systems. One believed that talent was more important and Bloodline was Secondary.


    The other believed that Bloodline was more important and talent was secondary.


    Throughout the years, the conflict between the two continents had kept growing.


    Eren knew some of this information thanks to what he read, but he didn''t know more than that.


    The Main Character had never actually entered the Southern Continent in the first two hundred chapters after all.


    Eren kept the map back and thought about his future actions. He couldn''t abandon his n now.


    Even though it was dangerous to infiltrate the Southern Continent, it was important to catch the Sea Dragon. Only then could he use the Memory Fragment.


    While Eren was lost in thoughts, he noticed a sweet scent wafting through the air.


    He felt slight weight on hisp as arms wrapped around him, a head resting on his chest.


    He gazed at the woman who was hugging him like a woman deep in love.


    She had been looking at him for a long time, thinking that he was going to pay attention to her. But when he didn''t do that she couldn''t control herself and took the lead.


    "Is something troubling you?" she asked softly.


    Eren also wrapped his hand around her as he answered, "I suppose you can say that."


    It was toote to leave her. And if he kept pushing her away, he didn''t know what she might do.


    It was an obsession that could harm them both in the end. So he could only ept her. It was also partially his fault for rejecting the options and entering the library after all.

 Chapter 43: Did I do well?

    43 Chapter 43: Did I do well?


    "Is it a person?" Xiu Ying asked, raising her head. "Tell me and I will kill him!"


    Eren could feel that she was very serious. He was certain that even if he told her the name of a Great Elder of their sect, she was still going to find a way to kill him.


    "This isn''t a problem that can be solved by killing a few people," Eren told her, patting her head.


    "If it''s more than a few people, I will kill them all," Xiu Ying said firmly, her eyes zing with determination. "As long as it helps you..."


    Eren didn''t know how to respond to her.


    After a long time, he said, "You don''t need to do anything. It''s just a small thing. I''ll handle it on my own."


    [The Path of Lover progress: 0.01 Percent]


    ....


    ~Three dayster~


    Ye Liangnded in front of a forest.


    "Young Friend, be careful. This forest is known to be the graveyard of cultivators."


    Next to Ye Liang, there stood a middle aged man.


    The man was provided by the Sect to bring him to the mission destination.


    Usually, a disciple didn''t have this privilege. But when one became a core disciple or an Elder''s disciple, they were allowed some aid during their travels if it was for a sect mission.


    "If I wasn''t confident, I wouldn''t have selected this mission," Ye Liang answered confidently.


    He didn''t know why these people kept looking down on him. Was it simply because he looked young?


    He looked forward to the time when he was going to be the strongest person in this world with the aid of his system. He wanted to see the face of this man then.


    "Alright. If you''re confident, then I''ll trust you. But in any case, you are only allowed toplete your mission of gathering herbs in the outer region of the Forest of Death."


    The middle aged man reminded Ye Liang.


    "Even if you are confident, you are still only a Body Refining Cultivator who hasn''t crossed the threshold of Spirit Refining Realm."


    "So you must not go beyond the outer region! Even Spirit Refining Cultivators would die inside!"


    He bid the middle aged man farewell and entered the Forest of Death.


    "I have seen many Disciples die just because they were overconfident and ventured where they shouldn''t. I hope you aren''t one of them."


    The middle aged man sighed as he turned to leave.


    He had brought the disciple to the forest. He finished his task. As for how long Ye Liang was going to stay inside the forest, or how he was going to return, it wasn''t their responsibility.


    The only reason he gave suggestions was because he didn''t want the young man to die.


    "That idiot thought I was a child. Did he really think I just selected this mission because I wanted to gather herbs in the outer region?"


    Walking inside the forest, Ye Liang smiled to himself.


    "Sect Mission is just an excuse. The only reason I selected it is because I needed a lift. My main mission is in the depths of the Forest of Death. I came here to finish the quest given by my system."


    Along the way, he came across many herbs that he was supposed to gather for the Sect mission, even as he didn''t bother looking for them.


    Since the herbs appeared before him, he plucked them and kept them in his system inventory, feeling lucky.


    Soon, he walked to the end of the outer region of the forest of death.


    This was the threshold he wasn''t told to pass.


    Beyond this threshold, no Cultivator beneath the Spirit Refining Realm could survive after all.


    The Outer Region of the Forest of Death only had weak monsters.


    Although they were hard to kill by ordinary Body Refining Realm cultivators, it wasn''t enough to scare people.


    The Inner Region was different. There were more powerful and violent monsters the deeper one went inside this first.


    The Inner Region had another difference. It was that the air in the inner region was different.


    If one breathed the air in, they could go crazy and lose their sanity. Only Spirit Refining Realm Cultivators and above could resist that effect.


    That''s why it was forbidden for Body Refining Realm cultivators to go beyond the Outer Region of the Forest of Death.


    "Does this forest think it can stop me with just that?"


    He brought a small pill out of his system inventory.


    [Pill of Spirituality]


    [Description: Temporarily increases one''s Cultivation to Spirit Refining Realm for one week]


    [Obtaining Method: Daily Task Reward]


    Ye Liang ced the pill in his mouth, feeling his mind being fortified and his spirituality increase.


    His Cultivation temporarily increased, allowing him to easily navigate through the Forest of Death without losing his mind.


    It didn''t just allow him to remain unaffected by the air in the Forest of Death, but it also increased his strength to some extent.


    He didn''t stop there and brought a ring from his inventory.


    [Ring of Presence Suppression]


    [Description: A one time use item that allows the user to hide his presence.]


    [Maximum Effect Duration: One Week]


    [Obtaining Method: Quest Reward]


    "Since it''s just a one time use item, it will be destroyed the moment I stop using it. And at most, it can onlyst one week now that I''ve worn it."


    "Seems like a waste of such a useful item, but the reward this time should make it worthwhile."


    With all the preparationplete, Ye Liang stepped inside the Inner Region of the forest.


    With the pill effect, he was unaffected by the air. And with the pill, he remained undetected by the beasts as long as he didn''t walk right in front of them.


    ....


    At the same time, in the core region of the Forest of Death, a young man was sitting calmly.


    There were corpses of the strongest beasts in the forest all around him.


    The young man scratched the back of his head. "She is stronger than I thought."


    Not far from him, there was Xiu Ying who crushed the throat of a powerful monster, tossing his lifeless corpse away.


    After killing every monster in the core region, she turned around and smiled, "Did I do well?"


    Eren walked over to the woman whose face was covered in blood of the monsters.


    Bringing out his handkerchief, he wiped the blood on her beautiful face. "You did great."


    [Path of Lover Progress: 0.03 Percent]

 Chapter 44: If I could

    44 Chapter 44: If I could


    As Ye Liang ventured deeper into the Inner Region of the Forest of Death, the atmosphere grew more ominous. The forest became denser.


    There was fog everywhere which reduced his vision.


    The trees seemed to loom over him with a sinister presence, and the sounds of rustling leaves made him look around.


    "Why is there fog everywhere? This wasn''t what I heard about this ce?"


    With his presence suppressed, all he had to do was hunt one specific beast in the depths of the Forest to finish his system quest.


    He wanted to use a surprise attack to take out the beast without putting much effort. But until that point, he wanted to reserve his strength.


    He hadn''t expected the forest to be this strange. It was beyond what he had heard.


    He didn''t even know if he could reserve his strength at this point.


    He wanted to walk past all the unnecessary beasts with the Ring of Presence Suppression. But thanks to the fog, he couldn''t even see his surroundings clearly.


    His vision was limited to only a few meters.


    He wasn''t even sure when he was going toe across a beast, let alone knowing if he could defeat the one he came across.


    The fog affected him but he wasn''t certain if it affected the beasts as well. If he stepped right in front of a beast and they saw him, the ring was no different than useless for him.


    "Isn''t there an item that allows me to see through this fog?"


    He opened the System Store to check if there was anything that could help him.


    "There it is."


    After scrolling through the list, he noticed something that could strengthen his vision.


    It was a herb that allowed him to see through the fog.


    The excitement of finding what he needed was evident on his face. But the smile soon disappeared the moment he checked the cost of the herb.


    "Ten thousand points? Why don''t you just rob me directly? Even a High Tier Weapon is cheaper than that!"


    The cost of one herb was more than all the points he had gathered after finishing multiple quests.


    In total, he only had a hundred purchase points left. Let alone buying something worth a thousand points, he couldn''t even afford to look at it.


    "This quest isn''t worth it if I have to spend so much. But after epting it, if I were to quit, the punishment..."


    In the end, he closed the Shop. Even without the visibility skill, he was still trying to finish the quest.


    Using his heightened senses and the Ring of Presence Suppression, Ye Liang moved with stealth and agility, avoiding direct encounters with the powerful monsters lurking within the forest.


    He couldn''t rely on his vision, so he relied on his hearing skills. He also moved more carefully knowing that a single misstep could cost him his life.


    As he delved deeper, he came across strange markings etched on the trees. They seemed ancient and filled with a mysterious energy.


    Ye Liang examined them closely, his fingers tracing the intricate patterns.


    Suddenly, a surge of energy coursed through his body, causing him to stumble back in surprise.


    The markings on the trees had activated a hidden barrier, revealing a concealed path leading further into the heart of the Forest of Death.


    "As expected of the Main Character. Even after knowing about it, I couldn''t find that mark. But even without vision, that brat found it."


    Sitting atop one of the trees, Eren observed Ye Liang on the ground.


    Unlike Ye Liang, he was able to see through the fog, mainly because the fog wasn''t natural.


    This fog was created by Xiu Ying on his instructions. It had covered the entire forest.


    Except Eren and Xiu Ying, no one else could see in this fog beyond a few meters. Not even the beasts were capable of that.


    "If he keeps progressing like that, won''t he end up in the same ce as the novel mentioned?" Eren pondered.


    "Xiu Ying, I believe it''s time for that." He told the youngdy who was sitting next to him, her head resting on his shoulders.


    "Why go through such trouble for him? If you don''t like him, I can kill him right now," Xiu Ying sweetly whispered in his ears.


    "Now isn''t the time for him to die. Just like now, there are a few things in which I would need his help in the future. How can I kill my treasure hunting rat now?"


    Xiu Ying didn''t understand what Eren was talking about but it didn''t matter to her either.


    She simply nodded and disappeared.


    Ye Liang followed the path created by the ancient marking. His heart was racing with anticipation.


    He came here toplete a system quest, but he hadn''t expected toe across something like this.


    It was clearly a sign created by a powerful ancient expert. It might even be an inheritance that could change people''s fate.


    As for finishing the Quest, he could always kill the target beast after receiving the inheritance.


    With greed and excitement, he licked his lips.


    The air grew denser as he pressed forward when suddenly the sounds of growls and roars echoed in the distance.


    "Huh?"


    He couldn''t see beyond a meter, but he heard the roars clearly.


    The roars sent a chill down his spine. These were the roars of powerful beasts.


    Just feeling their aura, he could feel that he wasn''t strong enough to face them.


    The roars were also directed in his direction. It was clear the Beasts could see him. And the worst part was that they were standing in his path.


    Their growls intensified as the beasts moved closer to Ye Liang, akin to predators chasing after their prey.


    If it was one beast, he might be able to face them. But what about more than one? It was impossible for his current self.


    "Urgh, why did it have to be now?! If I had taken the inheritance, I would have easily-"

 Chapter 45: The other side of the door

    Chapter 45: The other side of the door


    He couldn''t even finish cursing his luck when his heightened senses picked up the sound of the beasts running after him.


    "Argh, fine!"


    He picked up the talisman of wind, activating it.


    [Talisman of Wind]


    [Description: A one time use item that increases the user''s speed by five hundred percent]


    [Obtaining Method: Special Quest Reward]


    As soon as the talisman activated, Ye Liang felt the power of the talisman filling his body.


    He didn''t waste a single second as he turned around and started running away from the wild beasts of the Forest of Death.


    If his vision was good, he could have used this talisman to fight the beasts. But thanks to the fog, he didn''t have confidence in that as well.


    He could only run away from the beasts that started chasing after him as well.


    "Run, my dear treasure chest. And thanks for guiding me."


    Eren carefully climbed down the tree like a mortal, not worrying about being seen.


    Hended on the Golden Path that was left abandoned by the Main Character when he ran away from the Beasts.


    "Keep an eye on that brat. Don''t make your presence known, but also don''t let him die. And in any case, don''t let hime here again."


    "I will make sure."


    Xiu Ying nodded as she went after Ye Liang.


    She didn''t know what was the rtion between Ye Liang and Elder Ren, but it wasn''t time for her to think about it.


    She just wanted to make sure that she didn''t disappoint her husband who was certainly going to take the inheritance.


    She didn''t care about the inheritance as she was already strong enough.


    Even if she had gotten it, she would have been willing to hand it over to him so she didn''t feel jealous.


    "Now then, shall we begin..."


    Eren walked the golden path that was left vacant.


    The path led him to an insignificant part of the Forest that was between the Inner and Outer Region boundary of the forest.


    "So this is where it was."


    Eren found himself standing before a golden door that had appeared seemingly out of nowhere.


    As he reached out to touch the door, a warm energy pulsed through his fingertips, inviting him to step inside.


    For most people, this was an opportunity of a lifetime. It was a journey into the unknown.


    Everyone would have been hungry for the inheritance that was inside. But only Eren knew that it wasn''t the case.


    "It was only then, Ye Liang found out that the inheritance that he was after had already been taken by her, before he even stepped through that door."


    Eren still remembered that part of the novel. He realized that the Inheritance was already gone by the time Ye Liang activated this path.


    So on the other side, there was nothing to be taken. Or so everyone would have thought.


    Finally, he reached a surreal ce bathed in an eerie glow. There, standing before him, was a colossal beast.


    Ye Liang didn''t get the inheritance on the other side of the door but he did get something more important.


    "Ye Liang did survive what happened inside, but can I? With my luck, it might not be a certain future. But still, I can''t waste this opportunity."


    He ced his faith on the Ne of Protection that still had two uses left.


    He pushed the door open and stepped inside.


    Finally, he reached a surreal ce bathed in an eerie glow. There, standing before him, was a colossal beast.


    It was a monstrous creature with scales as ck as night and eyes that burned with an otherworldly fire.


    Just a single nce at the beast and Eren could see how dangerous he was. He was as strong as Xiu Ying, if not stronger.


    The novel described this beast as one of the most dangerous beasts in the Forest of Death. It was said that no one who ever saw this beast ever managed to return alive.


    It wasn''t dangerous because of its strength alone. Instead, its main strength was its poison.


    The beast had a name. It was called the King of the Forest of Death. But it also had another name. It was the Poison Dragon.


    There were even legends that a fully grown Poison Dragon''s venom could kill a divine being within minutes.


    The Poison Dragon was a fierce beast, but it didn''t pay any attention to Eren.


    Its body was already covered in multiple wounds. Its ck scales were tainted with his blood.


    The Poison Dragon appeared to be barely alive at this moment.


    Not far from the Poison Dragon, there stood a woman.


    She had long, flowing hair as white as snow. She wore a flowing silver robe that seemed to blend with the ethereal moonlit surroundings.


    She had no weapons in her hands. All she had were her bleeding fists with which she attacked the Poison Dragon.


    It was possibly the worst matchup. It was a battle against a Dragon whose scales were covered with Blood and a woman who could only deal damage with her fists.


    Despite that, the woman appeared to be in a winning position.


    Only Eren knew that it wasn''t the case. The woman didn''t appear to be poisoned, but that was only because she was resisting it with everything she had.


    Most of the poison, she was able to remove from her body with her natural skills. But there was one person that her body wasn''t able to remove because it wasn''t detected as poison.


    That poison had a name amongst humans as well. It was called an aphrodisiac. But the Poison Dragon''s poison was much stronger.


    Even with her poison resistance skill that removed all other poison of the Dragon from her body, she wasn''t able to remove it.


    It was this woman. She was the one who killed the Poison Dragon in the novel, and also the one who had received the Ancient Inheritance.


    The Inheritance was also the reason she was able to fight the Poison Dragon without dying instantly.


    Eren knew he didn''t have to intervene now. At least not unless the Poison Dragon was dead. He didn''t want to be inflicted by the poison as well.


    He simply observed the battle between two powerful beings that was drawing closer to an end.


    [Option One...]


    "Huh? Now?"


    A screen opened before Eren, attracting his attention. Multiple options floated before him.

 Chapter 46: The First Kill

    Chapter 46: The First Kill


    Eren observed the ongoing battle, eagerly waiting for it to conclude so that he could proceed.


    However, his momentary calm was interrupted by a screen that materialized before him.


    Four distinct options appeared, each presenting a different course of action:


    [Option One: Kill the Poison Dragon.


    Reward: Pendant of Strength (Rare Tier)]


    [Option Two: Kill the woman.


    Reward: Escape Talisman (Rare Tier)]


    [Option Three: Leave without interference.


    Reward: Luck +1]


    [Option Four: Find a way to mediate between the two, ensuring the survival of both the Dragon and the Woman.


    Reward: Dragon''s Fang (Rare Tier)]


    "Meditating between the two is out of the question. I would inevitably face hostility from both sides," Eren contemted aloud.


    "Leaving is likewise not viable. Not only is the reward unappealing, but it''s also impractical. They have both detected my presence, and they won''t let me leave," he continued, his thoughts racing.


    This time, the four options presented Eren with distinct paths. However, none seemed suitable for his circumstances.


    He found himself in a predicament where he couldn''t leave, mediate, kill the Dragon, or kill the woman.


    The woman possessed formidable strength, making it impossible for Eren to defeat her. Even if he somehow seeded, it was unlikely that the Dragon would express gratitude and allow him to leave unscathed.


    On the other hand, attempting to y the Dragon would expose him to its poison. This could potentially activate the Pendant of Protection, resulting in the loss of one precious use.


    Additionally, the woman might misconstrue his intentions as an attempt to steal the Dragon Kill from her.


    "Should I..." Eren trailed off, inhaling deeply as he carefully assessed the situation.


    He understood the gravity of making a rash decision, as it could have dire consequences.


    Regrettably, time was not on Eren''s side. He had little time remaining to reach a resolution. Ultimately, he chose to select the option with the most enticing reward.


    "I hope the Pendant of Strength is worth the risk!" Eren eximed, his voice tinged with uncertainty.


    Only once before had he received a pendant as a reward. It was the Pendant of Protection, which granted him invulnerability against three life-threatening attacks.


    While he was unsure if the Pendant of Strength offered simr overpowered benefits, he couldn''t afford to dismiss its potential value.


    For a weak person like him, strength was what he needed the most.


    "The woman is afflicted by poison, and the Dragon is nearing its death. If I can eliminate the Dragon and the Pendant of Strength surpass my expectations, I might be able to alter the course of events," he reasoned.


    "I will choose the first option," Eren dered resolutely. "I will y the Dragon before she does!"


    With a mere second remaining on the timer, the screen promptly transformed.


    [You have selected the first option]


    [The reward will be granted uponpletion]


    With each passing second, the Poison Dragon was getting closer to death, thanks to the woman''s attacks.


    She was able to match the Dragon in raw strength. Not just a match, she was able to surpass his strength as her attacks pushed the Poison Dragon back.


    "You vile human, even if I die, I won''t let you live!" The Dragon''s roar filled the surroundings.


    Eren pulled out a talisman from his pocket. Unlike the talismans that Ye Liang had, his didn''te from the system.


    It was something that Xiu Ying gave him for his protection. But she had never expected what he was going to use it for.


    Eren also pulled out his sword which he was barely able to raise, thanks to its weight.


    The Dragon''s battle had reached the climax. Eren knew what he was going to do. This was something clearly mentioned in the chapter.


    The Poison Dragon burned its life force. In a single breath, it shot out all its poison, intending to destroy the entire ce.


    In the novel, it was also the scene where the woman had taken the most damage.


    Eren moved behind a rock, expecting what was toe.


    He drank a poison antidote that he prepared in advance beforeing here and waited.


    Just as he expected, a ck cloud of poison spread everywhere, a sound of explosion echoed through the air.


    The poison dissipated, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Closed his mouth with his hand. Even with the antidote, he tried to stop himself from inhaling any.


    After a few seconds, he emerged from behind the rock, unscathed by the deadly fumes.


    The woman wasn''t so lucky though. Even as she hid behind a shield, she was affected by the poison.


    Blood trickled down her lips, her skin turning darker with poison.


    Despite all that, she was still standing. In the novel, this was a part where Ye Liang was the most shocked by her resolve.


    This was the point where the woman dealt the final blow to the Dragon who had burned his life force and couldn''t even move.


    "This is where you die!" The woman dered as she clenched her fists, putting everything she had in her next attack.


    "Now!" Eren activated the Talisman which increased his speed, momentarily granting him the blessing of the wind.


    His speed increased by twice and he was able to use the wind as he rushed forward.


    Eren''s swift movement caught the woman off guard as he closed the distance between them in an instant.


    With his enhanced speed, he deftly maneuvered around her, weaving through the air like a gust of wind.


    As Eren reached the Dragon, he swung his sword with all his might, aiming for a decisive strike. The force behind his blow, amplified by the blessing of wind, was enough to shatter the half dead dragon''s defense.


    His sword passed through the Dragon''s skill, who couldn''t believe even until hisst breath.


    He had thought that the Woman was going to kill him, but in the end, it was this man who came out of nowhere?


    The battle had reached its climax, and Eren stood victorious.

 Chapter 47: Might is Right

    Chapter 47: Might is Right


    The Poison Dragon fell on the ground, lying motionless nearby.


    Eren''s heart raced with adrenaline as he realized the magnitude of his triumph. He had just managed to kill a Dragon!


    Although it was just the weakest species of the Dragons, he had still achieved the impossible before the effects of Talisman ran out.


    Just a single attack had exhausted him to the point that he couldn''t even pull out the sword from the Dragon.


    Although it was shameless to steal someone else''s kill, it didn''t matter for now.


    "You!"


    The Woman had already gathered all her strength. But before she was about to attack, someone else came and took the kill?


    What was worse was that she didn''t know how strong this person was. Was he going to kill her next?


    She couldn''t confirm. She knew that if she stopped her attack now, she couldn''t gather her strength again. She was going to be overwhelmed by the poison.


    The man could do anything to her. This was thest attack she could conjure. Stopping it in the middle was more harmful to her.


    Worried about the man''s intention, she didn''t stop the attack. Her figure rushed forward as she punched with all her might, her fist aiming at Eren.


    It was a fist that had shattered the Poison Dragon''s scales. Eren, as a reader, knew a lot about the strength of this fist.


    But still, seeing her fisting towards him, he only had a smile on his face.


    That was because of the screen that appeared before him.


    A second pendant appeared around his neck.


    [You have received the Pendant of Strength]


    [Pendant of Strength]


    [Tier: Rare]


    [Description: Once used, can temporarily increase your strength for five minutes]


    [Uses Left: Three]


    "I will kill you!" The Woman''s attack reached Eren.


    Eren knew that if he survived this attack, the woman couldn''t do anything to him. This was herst attack.


    He could leave it to the Pendant of Protection, but instead of wasting a use of protection, he thought about testing the use of strength.


    Protection was more useful for him as it was like having extra life.


    The Pendant of Strength started shining, activated on Eren''s will.


    In that moment, Eren''s strength multiplied, and his muscles bulged with newfound power.


    He met the Woman''s attack head-on, their fists colliding with a thunderous impact.


    The force of the collision sent shockwaves rippling through the air, causing the ground beneath them to crack and splinter.


    Eren stood firm, his smile widening as he realized the incredible strength the pendant bestowed upon him. With this strength, he felt like he was invincible in this moment. It was a feeling like never before.


    The Woman, on the other hand, was taken aback by the unexpected resistance she encountered.


    Her attack, which had shattered the Poison Dragon''s scales with ease, seemed to have little effect on Eren.


    Instead, she was the one who was sent flying as the bones in her right arm cracked by the impact.


    She coughed the poisonous blood, crashing against a distant tree. She was badly hurt.


    Not only did she fail to defeat the enemy, but she was injured instead. She couldn''t resist the poison which spread in her body even faster.


    With each passing second, Eren''s strength continued to grow, fueled by the pendant''s power.


    With this kind of strength, Eren felt like he might even be able to defeat the Great Elder if he was to fight.


    He easily pulled out his sword from the Poison Dragon''s corpse before walking over to the woman.


    Eren could see that the woman was having a hard time. Her face flushed red as the poison spread in her body.


    She hated this feeling, but she couldn''t do anything. It was the most bizarre poison that strengthened these strange urges.


    Instead of letting her fall to these urges, she preferred to kill herself. She picked up a sharp spike nearby.


    Eren grabbed the spike, taking it off her hand.


    As the woman felt his hands touch her hands, she felt a current course through the body. The poison was making her go crazy.


    Eren didn''t remember her trying to kill herself in the novel. Then again, Ye Liang hadn''t killed a Poison Dragon and appeared as a threat to her.


    Instead, the boy simply remained hidden until the end of the battle.


    In the eyes of the woman, he was just a boy who had identally entered this ce. So instead of dying, she decided to live, even if it meant letting the Poison control her.


    This time, it was different. She hated the man who was dangerous. She didn''t know what the man''s intentions were.


    In the novel, she didn''t feel threatened because Ye Liang was weak. She had thought that she would kill him after she got rid of the poison to bury her shameful past with Ye Liang. Hence, she did it with him.


    It was only in the morning that she decided to let him live, granting mercy on him.


    Eren was different in her eyes. He was stronger than her. She couldn''t kill him. She couldn''t control him. Hence, she preferred to die.


    "Are you really that desperate to die?"


    Eren asked the girl while opening his inventory. He didn''t know why, but he felt slightly frustrated at her reaction.


    He didn''t n to sleep with her in the first ce. He had Celeste in his pocket and it wasn''t a scene he wanted to show her.


    Hence, he had prepared some specific antidotes for the Aphrodisiac. He wanted to help her and gain her favor.


    That''s why he came here. But the options made the situation develop in a strange direction.


    Even in this situation, he wanted to help her get rid of the poison with the antidote, but her reaction was frustrating.


    She was willing to do it with Ye Liang, but she preferred to die than to think about sleeping with him? It felt slightly insulting.


    ''Whatever, I can still help her and change her perception. I believe I can remove the misunderstanding.''


    Eren opened the system inventory where he kept the Aphrodisiac Antidote that he bought in the Sect.


    He was about to bring out the antidote to give the Woman when the screen suddenly changed.


    The System Inventory disappeared and four options appeared before him.

 Chapter 48: The Poisonous Woman

    Chapter 48: The Poisonous Woman


    "What is happening with me? Is my luck really so bad today?!"


    Ye Liang didn''t understand what was happening with him.


    Whenever he tried to get back on the Path that led to the inheritance, he came across beasts that started chasing after him.


    He would lose the beasts and try to go back, but every time he woulde across more beasts. The fog made things even worse for him.


    No matter which route he took, he found beasts waiting for him.


    Even if he climbed on the trees and traveled through the branches, he found more beasts lurking, ready to pounce on him.


    He felt as if there was a mysterious force trying to stop him, no matter what.


    Still, he didn''t want to give up on the ancient inheritance. It wasn''t often that one came across them.


    .....


    [Option One: Show your mercy to the person who is in need of Urgent Help. Give her the Antidote and heal her.


    Reward: Thread of Wedding (Unique Tier)]


    [Option Two: The woman attacked you first. A Conqueror must never let his enemies go. Kill her.


    Reward: Robe of Daoist (High Tier)]


    [Option Three: The woman is affected by a strange Poison. But she also attacked you, hence you don''t want to heal her.


    Make a trade with her. Give her the Antidote in exchange for her Inheritance.


    Reward: Bloodline of an unknown Hero (Unknown)]


    [Option Four: You find the woman beautiful and you don''t want to heal her poison. Let the poison spread until she can''t control herself. Heal her with your body.


    Reward: Cultivation Realm +1]


    The woman was resisting her urges, even as her face turned red.


    This strange and ufortable feeling spread throughout her entire body, making her feel a strange sensation between her legs.


    She tried to fight against the inexplicable desires welling up inside her, but the powerful longing was overwhelming.


    She started losing her mind. There was no right or wrong in her mind. There was no good or evil in this moment. All she wanted was to fulfill her desires that she had never felt before.


    Through the haze of pleasure and confusion, a sense of profound connection to the man before her.


    She clenched her teeth, but there was no resistance. Her hands reached out on their own, grabbing Eren''s waist.


    Eren was still lost in thoughts as he looked at the four options.


    The first option was what he had nned to do at the start. But the other options were so lucrative that he was sure anymore.


    He didn''t even know what the first option''s reward, Thread of Wedding, did. But if it was a unique tier reward, it couldn''t be insignificant.


    Still, his mind was more attracted towards the third option. The reward was a Bloodline of an Unknown Hero.


    He didn''t know which hero was selected, but the reward was an unknown tier.


    Thest time he had an unknown tier reward, it was powerful enough to grant him a meeting with an unknown being.


    In this world, there were four realms. And people of each realm had their own characteristics. A person could only have one of the four characteristics.


    A person could have the Spiritual Seed in their soul which allowed them to be a Cultivator in the Eastern Realm.


    They could have the Bloodline of a Hero which allowed them to awaken the powers of a Hero. It was what people of the Southern Realm had.


    They could have affinity with the dead, which was what people in the Northern Realm had.


    Or, they could have a mind filled with faith towards the goddess which was what Western realm had.


    One was born with these things and they couldn''t be gainedter. It was the fate of a person.


    Since he was able to use the Sword Emperor''s Aura, Eren was certain he had a Spiritual Seed. Otherwise, he couldn''t be brought inside the Sect.


    That means even if he was a spy of the Mythical Hero Academy, he had no bloodline.


    The system he had was different. If it was a system''s Reward, he could actually gain more than two characteristics.


    With that, he could protect himself better. He could pass off as a Hero when in the Southern Continent and pass off as a cultivator when in the Eastern.


    Even if the unknown Bloodline was the weakest and most insignificant, it was still very useful for him to keep his identity hidden in the trip that was toe.


    His eyes were focused on the third option, all because of the reward. He didn''t think about anything else.


    What was the point of sleeping with the woman here when Celeste was here? What was the point of killing the woman? What was the point of giving her the Antidote for free?


    Just for his reward, he started justifying his decision.


    He told the system that he was going to select the third option.


    [You have selected the third option]


    [Pleaseplete the form to receive the reward]


    As soon as Eren finished selecting the option, he felt hands around his wrist.


    Something grabbed the corner of his pants, trying to pull them down.


    "What the..." Eren looked down, noticing the woman''s face who was on her knees, too close to him.


    He ced his hand on the woman''s shoulder to push her back.


    [Five Minutes are over]


    [The Pendant of Strength have stopped working]


    [Uses Left: Two]


    "Now?!" Eren looked at the notification.


    Before he could even react, he was pushed down by the woman who came closer to him, nting her lips on his lips.


    "Mmmm-" Eren tried to push the woman back, but without the pendant, his strength was insignificantpared to the woman who started biting on his lips like crazy.


    ''This Psychopath! Get off me!''


    Eren wanted to say a lot of things, but his mouth was kept closed by the woman. Her lips sucked on his lips greedily as if she hadpletely lost her thought processes.

 Chapter 49: The Fifth Overlord

    49 Chapter 49: The Fifth Overlord


    He reached out his hand, trying to grab anything he could.


    His hands soon sped around a rock. With all his might, he swung the rock, hitting the woman''s head with it.


    With her physical strength, he knew that it wasn''t enough to harm her. But it was certainly enough to momentarily bring her back to her senses.


    The pain brought the woman to her senses. She saw herself lying atop the man, biting his lips.


    Flustered and embarrassed, she quickly got off him.


    "If you want to heal yourself, I can help you. But if you try to touch me one more time, I will kill you."


    Eren patted his clothes as he stood up, his lips were still bleeding from the woman''s bites.


    "Help me... Please!" the woman said, her eyes almost pleading.


    She didn''t want to do it. But she knew that she couldn''t maintain her sanity for longer. If anything, it was much better to die than to lose her senses.


    She bit her own lips to use pain to maintain her sanity for longer, but the strange feeling in her heart only became stronger.


    "You tried to kill me. And now you are asking for my help?" Eren asked. "Even if I helped you, it won''te for free."


    "Give me the Inheritance you received, and I will grant you an antidote."


    "You..."


    The woman looked at Eren, not knowing how to react. He even knew that she had received the inheritance?


    She wanted to protect that inheritance. That''s what she risked so much for. That was the reason she had to fight the Poison Dragon and now the man wanted that?


    "The choice is yours. Will you die at my hands after losing your mind, or will you give me something worth my time?"


    Eren didn''t appear in any hurry, but in reality, he was most concerned about time.


    He tightly held onto the stone in his hand, ready to attack her again in case she lost her mind. He didn''t know if that could stop her again, but in any case, he wanted to avoid using the Pendant.


    Seconds felt like eternity when something so important was at stake. But thankfully, the woman didn''t take long to decide.


    It was better to die than to give in to her beastly urges. Simrly, it was better to give up the inheritance than to die.


    The choice was clear for her.


    She took off the ring from her finger, tossing it towards Eren.


    Eren already knew what kind of inheritance it was. He grabbed the ring and ced it on his finger.


    It was an inheritance that couldn''t be stolen once it had selected a master.


    Even if he was to kill her, he couldn''t take it. But it was a different matter when the owner herself gave up on the inheritance.


    Eren brought out the antidote from his inventory and tossed it towards the woman.


    The woman caught the vial of antidote. She quickly opened it and gulped it down.


    [You havepleted the selected option]


    [You have received an Unknown Bloodline]


    [Bloodline selected: The Devourer]


    [Bloodline Effects: Can steal others'' bloodlines when certain conditions are met]


    ''The Devourer?''


    Once the Bloodline was received, more information became avable to him. He was finally able to see whose Bloodline he had received.


    As he saw the information, his face lit up with excitement.


    The Devourer was briefly mentioned in the novel that he had read. When talking about the Four Monarchs of this Continent, there was one name that was often forgotten.


    There were four Overlords in each of the four continents. But long ago, there was said to be one more person who wasparable to the Four Overlords.


    And that fifth person was none other than a Hero named Devourer.


    More than a Hero, he was known as the Viin because of his powers. With time, his strength kept increasing until he became a threat to this world instead.


    After that, all Four Overlords came together. That was the only time when the Four Overlords from each continent worked together.


    They killed the Devourer and finished his Bloodline. Even the descendants of the Devourer were killed to make sure that no one could awaken the cursed ability of this Bloodline.


    It was a Bloodline that had threatened the Four Monarchs. So it wasn''t wrong to call it an Overlord Rank Bloodline.


    Eren was happy that he had received such a powerful Bloodline, but at the same time, he knew that he couldn''t let anyone know about this.


    The Bloodline was strong, but it was also hated. If someone found out about his Bloodline, he was going to be the second person to be chased by all four Overlords who were much stronger now than when they killed the Devourer.


    There was also not much information about this Bloodline other than the fact that it could steal other bloodlines.


    The description also mentioned that he could only steal them when certain conditions were met. But what conditions were they? He didn''t know.


    ''It seems like I need to find more about the Devourer''


    He stopped thinking about this Bloodline and turned to see how the woman was doing.


    Her eyes were closed and her face was still flushed, but her breathing was getting better. The antidote was slowly working.


    He sighed in relief. As long as she wasn''t going to pounce on him, he could save a use of the Pendants.


    He looked down in his pocket where Celeste was sitting, looking at him innocently.


    "Kids shouldn''t see such things. Forget what you saw, alright?"


    He patted the head of Celeste, who smiled when her head was patted.


    Three hours passed and the woman finally opened her eyes.


    Her face had returned to normal, but she still looked embarrassed, remembering everything had done.


    If Eren wasn''t stronger than her, she would have killed him to keep this a secret.


    She didn''t know that the strength she had seen previously was only temporary.


    "Feeling better?"


    She saw Eren in the distance, sitting next to a fire.


    "Are you cooking the Poison Dragon?" she asked.

 Chapter 50: A womans scent

    50 Chapter 50: A woman''s scent


    "Are you cooking the Poison Dragon?"


    "Do I look like a crazy person to you? Why would I want to eat the Poison Dragon?"


    Eren pointed towards the Poison Dragon''s corpse in the distance which was still perfectly intact.


    "I''m roasting what I brought with me."


    The Woman looked at Eren suspiciously. He had received everything that he wanted, so why was he still here? Was he nning to do something?


    "If I wanted to kill you, do you think you would have been alive until now?"


    "You...!!!"


    "Don''t get flustered. I''m just here because I thought it would be bad to leave you here alone."


    "What do you mean?"


    She didn''t understand why Eren was saying that. The Poison Dragon was dead. So who could be more dangerous than him?


    Instead, she would have felt much safer if he wasn''t gere.


    "If I was able to find my way here, others might as well. And they might not be as good as me."


    "So you were guarding me?"


    The woman didn''t believe his words. But at the same time, this was the one thing that made sense. Why else would he stay behind?


    Although she was thinking of him as a bad guy, she knew that he hadn''t actually done anything to her.


    He had just killed the Poison Dragon which didn''t mean he was an enemy. It was her who attacked him, and even then, he didn''t kill her.


    He could have killed her multiple times, but he didn''t. Even when she lost her mind, he could have toyed with her body all he wanted, but he was a gentleman until the end.


    Instead of using her, he helped her. The only thing he took from her was the Inheritance, which was also in the form of a trade.


    Once the trade waspleted and he owned the ring, he could have killed her without losing the Inheritance. Still, he didn''t do that.


    The more she thought about it, the more genuine this person seemed.


    "You were affected by the poison. Even though you have healed, you are still weak. I''ve left enough food for you. Have it and then leave when you''re done."


    Eren stood up, leaving an entire feast next to the mes that were prepared for the woman.


    The woman looked at the delicious food, almost drooling.


    "Are you leaving?" she asked Eren, watching him leave.


    "Do you want me to babysit you?" Eren waved his hand, and started leaving.


    He was leaving, but he intentionally walked slower, waiting for something.


    "Wait..."


    The woman finally stood up. Even as she was weak, she walked over to Eren.


    She bowed to him.


    "Thank you for helping me. If you ever need my help, I will certainly repay this favor."


    She gave him a warm smile and a heartfelt thank you. She really felt regretful over her misunderstanding.


    The man helped her and he even cooked for her. And after all that, he was leaving without asking for anything? This man didn''t have any ulterior motives in her eyes.


    He was genuinely a good person. Moreover, he was also stronger than her which made her feel slightly attracted to him.


    When it came to his looks, it was even better. He was more handsome than anyone she had ever seen.


    "We will see."


    Eren didn''t react much. He just took the crystal that she gave him. It was used to contact her but it could only be used once.


    Eren walked past the door, leaving this special region.


    He appeared back in the forest, having a grin on his lips.


    He had taken the woman who was going to be one of the biggest supporters of Ye Liang by interfering in their meeting.


    He had also gained an inheritance that even Ye Liang didn''t receive in the novel. Andstly, that woman owed him a favor now.


    With that woman''s true identity, only he knew the value of this favor. That woman wasn''t that special, but what was special was her family.


    She kept her identity hidden when she came to the Eastern Continent, but Eren was someone who had read the novel.


    He knew her identity more than she thought.


    This super strength was something that came from her father''s Bloodline. But the truly special thing was her mother''s Bloodline that was still waiting to bloom inside her.


    16:58


    That woman was no ordinary person. She was from the Southern Continent. That''s why she was so strong and this was when she hadn''t even awakened the Bloodline from her mother''s side yet.


    This super strength was something that came from her father''s Bloodline. But the truly special thing was her mother''s Bloodline that was still waiting to bloom inside her.


    The woman wasn''t Eren''s target. His main Target was her mother. Her mother was the Dean of the Mythical Hero Academy and one of the Four Overlords.


    "This has been a fruitful trip."


    Eren left the ce, giving a signal to the ming Phoenix.


    The Phoenix screeched high in the sky,ing down like a fallinget.


    Her warm winds surrounded Eren, making him fly higher. Hended on the back of the Phoenix.


    In another part of the forest, Xui Ying had been toying with Ye Liang who was on the verge of crying.


    She heard the screeching of the Phoenix, realizing that Eren was done.


    She flew high,nding on the back of the Phoenix.


    "Your lips... Why are they bleeding?" Xui Ying saw Eren, instantly getting shocked. "And this... Is this a woman''s scent?"


    ....


    Back in the special realm, the young woman was lost in thoughts.


    Everything that happened recently felt like a dream, but the corpse of the Poison Dragon made it clear that this wasn''t a dream.


    "Wait, I forgot to ask his name!"


    She soon came to her senses. She rushed out of the Portal, trying to find Eren.


    At the same time, Ye Liang finally reached the entrance of the portal.


    With Xui Ying leaving, he was finally able to reach this ce.


    Looking at the door before him, he felt like crying in happiness.


    "It took a long, but I''m finally here."


    He stepped forward but before he could enter, another figure rushed out from the other side, sending him flying and coughing blood.

 Chapter 51: A womans intuition

    51 Chapter 51: A woman''s intuition


    Ye Liang waspletely exhausted when he reached the door at the end of the path.


    On the other side, he expected to find the inheritance. But before he could enter, someone else rushed out.


    Their shoulders shed, but with Ye Liang''s strength, he was simply sent flying.


    He crashed against a tree in the back, feeling a few bones break.


    The woman looked at Ye Liang who was groaning in pain. She hadn''t expected to hit anyone on her way out.


    "Are you alright?" she asked, even as she kept looking around for signs of Eren.


    Ye Liang couldn''t even stand up, his entire body being in a mess. He could see that the person before him was much stronger.


    He wanted to ask if he looked fine sarcastically, but he didn''t do that.


    "I am fine." Instead, he tried to show his miserable state as he tried to stand up.


    He wanted to let the woman realize herself and then try to help him. It would be fine if she could heal him.


    "I see. That''s good."


    The woman simply nodded. Her mind waspletely distracted by Eren and didn''t pay attention to Ye Liang.


    She quickly left to look for Eren. She wanted to ask him about his name so she could thank him in the future.


    "Huh... Haaa?"


    Ye Liang watched the woman disappear, almost coughing blood in disbelief.


    Instead of helping him, the woman just left like it was nothing? Could she be any more shameless?


    He could only rely on himself, not realizing that his fate had changed drastically.


    If someone hadn''t respected, he was going to establish proper contact with the woman. And with time, they were going to fall in love.


    Instead, they had walked past each other like strangers now.


    "Strong people in this world are really weird. If I was strong, I would have taught that woman a lesson!"


    He ate a healing pill as he sat down.


    The woman hade out from the other side. It was already clear that the inheritance was gone. There was no point in checking the other side.


    Just as he expected, the door soon closed and disappeared forever. The inheritance was gone.


    After healing, he gave up on the thought of inheritance.


    "So what if I don''t have the inheritance. I have the system. And with it, I will definitely reach heights that no one else can!"


    He went to finish the System Mission.


    The Great Elder had left with Eren, so the artificial fog had also disappeared, making it easier for him to finish the quest.


    He still had some use left to his Presence Suppression.


    Not wasting any time, he rushed towards the depths of the Forest of Death.


    This time, no beast came to obstruct him. He felt his luck had really improved for some reason.


    ....


    "Why do you have a woman''s scent?"


    Eren looked at Xiu Ying who had just asked him a question. He couldn''t understand why women had such sharp intuition.


    How could she even sense such a thing even when he had tried his hardest to wash away any scent.


    "I met a woman when I was getting the inheritance. And we had to fight. Since she was a closebat fighter, it makes sense that I have her scent."


    Eren didn''t tell her the entire truth. He did talk about a fight, but not the true reason he had her scent.


    Even he didn''t know why he was lying. Even if he told her the truth, he wasn''t to be med. He was helpless after all.


    Then again, he was careful. He didn''t want to exin to this woman why he was pushed down by another woman.


    In the eyes of the Sect, he was a powerful elder after all. Who could push him down and kiss him without his permission?


    At the same time, he didn''t want the woman to feel jealous. Even though she was under the effect of the seed of love, he dide to like herpany.


    "She harmed you? I will kill her! I will kill her in the most painful way!"


    Xiu Ying turned around, as if she was nning to go back to the Forest.


    Eren grabbed her hand, stopping her. He was certain that if Xiu Ying went there, she was actually going to kill her.


    The woman wasn''tpletely healed yet. So she couldn''t stand against Xiu Ying. If she died, it was going to be a great loss for his future ns.


    And even if she won and Xiu Ying was hurt, it was also a great loss for him.


    He was clear that he had to keep those two women away from each other.


    Xiu Ying was momentarily surprised when her hand was grabbed by Eren.


    "You don''t have to bother. I already killed her. And as far as her scent is concerned, I have a solution for that."


    "What solution?"


    "I will just let your scent erase every other scent."


    Her surprise turned into a shock as she was pulled by him in his embrace.


    Xiu Ying''s face turned red but she didn''t resist. She felt great warmth in her heart as she was in his embrace.


    "I would love that." Xiu Ying beautifully smiled, cing her hand over his hand.


    The two of them remained in each other''s embrace for a long time as gentle winds made their hair sway softly.


    The Phoenix was flying much slower, as if not wanting to disturb this moment.


    ....


    The Phoenix had been flying for three days, yet they hadn''t reached the border between the Eastern Continent and the Southern Continent.


    Just the size of the Eastern Continent was sorge.


    In the map, it looked so much smaller, but only when Eren traveled ording to the map, he realized how vast this world actually was.


    Just the size of the Eastern Continent alone wasrger than all the continents on earthbined.


    It was impossible to reach their destination without resting. Even if the Phoenix was a Mythical Beast, she needed a rest.


    After careful consideration, Eren decided to enter the next city for rest. The city was one of the most prominent cities in the Eastern Continent.

 Chapter 52: The Celebration

    52 Chapter 52: The Celebration


    "I think we should rest in the next city."


    Xiu Ying peeked at Eren''s map. Although she knew all the maps of this continent, this map looked more borate.


    It didn''t just contain the map of the Eastern Continent, but it showed all four continents, including the Sea around them.


    She didn''t know where one could find such an borate map. But she didn''t ask.


    "I was thinking the same thing."


    Eren agreed with Xiu Ying. For thest three days, they had been flying without a break. They had been sleeping on the back of the Phoenix.


    Xiu Ying was strong, so she didn''t feel anything about it. But Eren could feel his back hurting.


    He wanted to sleep on a proper bed.


    He had never thought he was going to miss the small house at the edge of the cliff in the sect, but even that appeared heavenly to him now.


    "Let me see, the next city..."


    "It should be Qiling."


    Hearing the name, Eren was slightly surprised. Even he had heard the name of the city.


    It was the capital of one of the many kingdoms in the Eastern Continent. But that wasn''t why it was famous.


    Instead, it was famous because of Elder Zhang Wei from the Great Demon Sect.


    It was one of the cities that had offended Zhang Wei. And in return, she had killed every living being in this city, including all the Nobles of the Kingdom.


    Even the Crown Prince of the Kingdom was killed in that incident.


    Even after all that, the Kingdom didn''t retaliate. Or rather, they couldn''t retaliate unless they wanted to be wiped outpletely by Zhang Wei.


    That was an incident which was mentioned in the novel when talking about Zhang Wei.


    There was also another small thing mentioned along with the incident. It was that this was all the scheme of the Second Prince.


    The Second Prince wanted the Crown Prince out of his way, hence he sent his people to offend Zhang Wei when she was in the city.


    At that time, the Crown Prince was also in the city.


    When Zhang Wei destroyed the entire city in anger, the Crown Prince also died. After that, the Second Prince became the crown prince, achieving his goals.


    Even now, Zhang Wei didn''t know that she was used as a pawn by the Second Prince.


    Eren could only imagine what she was going to do when she found out about it. One thing was certain. The day she found out, this Kingdom was going to stop existing.


    ''Looks like they rebuilt the city, but it wasn''t mentioned in the novel.''


    Eren closed the map, making up his mind about resting the night in the city.


    "You should wear this mask if we''re going to stay in the city."


    Eren gave a full face mask to Xiu Ying,


    "I can use the veil." Xiu Ying took the mask, but she didn''t understand why she had to wear the mask.


    With the veil alone, she could control her charm from affecting other people''s minds.


    "With the veil, you can prevent your charm spell. But even with that, you look so beautiful, how can one not fall for you?"


    "You..."


    Xiu Ying lowered her head, not knowing how to respond. She felt extremely happy when Erenplimented her.


    Eren didn''t tell her that he had another reason. They had run away secretly. He couldn''t let anyone recognise them.


    Even with the Veil, the Great Elder was easy to recognise due to her identity. And even if she wasn''t recognised, if someone offended her, things could get troublesome.


    It was better to keep her identity hidden than to unt it and attract trouble.


    Unlike the Great Elder, Eren wasn''t famous outside the sect. Not many people had seen what he looked like.


    Even if they recognised him, so what? He had officially left the sect to gather some ingredients. He didn''t run away.


    ....


    "Make sure there are no problems! The Crown Prince will being here today!"


    "I will kill you myself if there are any problems!"


    All the guards in the city of Qiling were extra vignt. Even the City Lord was extra strict, not wanting anything to go wrong.


    The Crown Prince wasing to the city of Qilin. Thest time a crown prince came, the entire city was destroyed because someone offended people they shouldn''t.


    This time, the City Lord didn''t want anything to go wrong. The security around the city was strengthened.


    Every new person entering the city was checked thoroughly and most of them were sent back, not allowed entry.


    The sales of alcohol were also banned for the next two days.


    The City Lord even ordered a city-wide clean-up to ensure everything was in pristine condition for the Crown Prince''s visit.


    "Your Highness, may I ask why we are going to the city of Qiling just to celebrate your birthday? There are so many better cities in the Kingdom."


    "Haha, that ce is important to me. That''s the ce which allowed me to be the crown prince."


    "What better ce than Qiling where my dear brother died, to celebrate my birthday."


    The Crown Prince was in a good mood as he looked at the scenery outside, taking a sip from the ss of wine.


    "Did you receive the response to the invitations we have sent?"


    "Who would dare deny an invitation from the Crown Prince who is a Personal Disciple of the Asura Sect Master."


    "Amongst all the sects under the Great Demon Sect, the Asura Sect is the strongest. So most of the people epted the invitation right away."


    "The Head Disciples from all ten sects will be here."


    "Anyone from the Great Demon Sect?"


    "This... I''m afraid those people are too arrogant. Even for the Personal Disciple of Asura Sect Master, they didn''t ept the invitation."


    "I suppose that''s to be expected. Even an Inner Disciple of the Great Demon Sect holds more importance than the Head Disciples of the ten major sects under the Great Demon Sect."


    The Crown Prince didn''t show it, but he felt quite frustrated that he was looked down on.

 Chapter 53: If they want

    53 Chapter 53: If they want


    "So this is the city of Qiling?"


    Eren stood at the end of the long line of people that were waiting to enter the city.


    Xiu Ying stood next to him, wearing a mask to hide her charming face.


    "At this rate, how long is this line going to take?"


    Eren scratched the back of his head. There were around a hundred people in the line before him. And the line was moving extremely slowly.


    "Should I kill them all?"


    As soon as he heard Xiu Ying''s response, he turned around.


    "Why do your thoughts revolve around killing?"


    "They are obstructing your path! Your time is more important than their lives."


    "You and your methods... Remember, you aren''t allowed to kill anyone. If things escte, we might have to expose our identities, and only troubles will follow us then."


    "But-"


    "No buts. I have plenty of time, so even if it''s slow, it''s better than killing anyone."


    Eren didn''t understand why this woman changed so much. Was it all because of his love?


    In the novel, she was rarely mentioned. She never left the sect. Although she killed many people, they were all those who annoyed her.


    For some reason, she reminded him of the yandere characters in some of the stories he read. And in the novel, she wasn''t supposed to be like that.


    Even when the Main Character tried to win over her, he had failed.


    Everyone entering the city was thoroughly getting checked. The line kept moving, extremely slowly.


    "Why is it taking so long today?"


    Standing in the line were many merchants. They were regr in the city, but even they hadn''t seen a dy like this.


    "The security is so strict today. It looks like someone really important ising today."


    "That would exin it. No wonder it''s taking so long."


    Eren stood in the line, eavesdropping on the conversations of people in front of him.


    Hearing this, Eren wondered if it was the right choice to choose this city to rest.


    He had even sent his Pheonix away to rest the night, so as to not attract too much attention when entering the city.


    Fortunately, even though it was taking a long time, his number finally came.


    As he approached the security checkpoint, Eren noticed the increased level of scrutiny and thoroughness in the process.


    There were many questions being asked from him, regarding his identity and his purpose.


    He lied through most of the questions. He made up a story about being a wandering cultivator who was here to rest on the way to his destination.


    "Is that woman with you?"


    "That''s correct. She is my wife."


    Xiu Ying''s face went red in happiness as well as embarrassment. Fortunately, no one could see her face thanks to the mask.


    "And why is she hiding her face?"


    "That is a long story. There was an ident and her face was burned. Ever since then, she hides her face before others."


    "Oh?" The guard looked at Xiu Ying from top to bottom.


    Even as she was wearing a mask, he could still feel that her body was oozing charm. Just her curves alone were enough to make his heart skip a beat.


    He smiled, thinking of something.


    "She is wearing a mask. It makes me suspicious. I will have to check her thoroughly."


    Eren stepped before Xiu Ying, frowning. "I am afraid I can''t let you do that."


    "You two! You are definitely hiding something! Why else would you be scared of getting checked!"


    The Guard''s smile widened. Eren could already see the greedy look on his face.


    "As I said, she is my wife. And we aren''t here to create any trouble. But if you don''t want to allow us an entry, we will leave."


    Even now, Eren tried to calmly avoid creating a mess.


    By stopping the guard, he wasn''t just protecting Xiu Ying. He would have to be a fool to think that she needed his protection.


    Instead, he was protecting this city.


    Only he knew how dangerous Xiu Ying was. She only allowed him to touch her.


    If the Guard was to try, then before his fingers could even touch her, his head was going to fly in the air.


    He held Xiu Ying''s hand, and turned to leave.


    They didn''t need to rest in the city if it was going to be this troublesome.


    The Guard blocked Eren''s path.


    Even more guards stepped forward, aiming their spears at him.


    "Now that you have been caught, you think you can leave? We need to find out your true purpose!"


    "Were you nning to kill the Prince? What are you two hiding? Why did you get so flustered when you were caught!"


    The Guard made up reasons to catch the couple. All he had to do was capture them. It didn''t matter if they were innocent.


    He could just make them disappear after he had his fun.


    Eren scratched the back of his head, letting out a sigh.


    "I want to leave peacefully. Are you all sure that you want to escte things? It hasn''t been long since the city was repaired after all."


    "Even now, you are talking so big? You definitely have a suspicious identity! You areing with us!"


    The guard nced at Xiu Ying, licking his lips. "And so is that woman. I''m sure she has many secrets. I will interrogate her myself."


    "Can I kill them now?" Xiu Ying asked Eren again.


    She was trying really hard to control her anger. These people dared to point their weapons at Eren?


    The moment they raised their weapons at him, she wanted to kill them all. It was only because she promised him that she wouldn''t kill anyone without his permission and that was why she was still controlling this anger.


    With things reaching this point, Eren finally agreed with her. In this world, weakness was a sin.


    "If they want death, then so be it. But make sure that no one is left alive to reveal what happened here."

 Chapter 54: Not for the weak

    54 Chapter 54: Not for the weak


    "I have truly been enlightened. To think that there are still people like you in this world."


    Xiu Ying was about to take action when a woman''s voice came from a distance.


    Eren turned around and saw a young woman standing back in the line.


    The woman didn''t have much presence previously, as if she was a ghost.


    "Isn''t that..." Eren couldn''t help but smile.


    The woman was quite beautiful. She was in her mid twenties but what attracted his attention were her clothes.


    The woman was wearing a ck cloak, but the cloak had a very specific marking that almost everyone in this continent could recognise.


    It was said that one could offend the King, but not people who wore clothes with these markings.


    These markings were something that only the people from the Great Demon Sect were allowed to use.


    And the robe that the woman was wearing was given by the Sect to its Inner Disciples.


    Eren also had a robe granted by the sect, but the one belonging to him was more luxurious and eye-catching.


    His robe was made from golden cicada threads and was enough to prove his identity as the Elder of Great Demon Sect.


    Since he was moving secretly, he didn''t wear any clothes that could help people identify him.


    ''Those clothes..."


    Eren didn''t remember seeing the young woman in the sect. But if she was so far from the Sect, it made sense.


    Only a few people had seen his face, and simrly, he had only seen the faces of a few people of the sect.


    ''To think that an Inner Disciple of the sect would be here. But I don''t think she recognises me yet. That''s for the best.''


    Eren moved closer and whispered something in Xiu Ying''s ears.


    Xiu Ying nodded despite appearing somewhat unwilling. She was told that the n was changed. She wasn''t allowed to kill anyone.


    There was another person here to attract the attention of the Guards now. They didn''t need to trouble themselves.


    "Is that?" The Guard looked at the young woman''s robe, his face growing pale.


    Not just him, but all the other guards were also scared.


    It had been a long time since they saw a Disciple from the Great Demon Sect. But they had heard a lot about these people.


    It was said that the Great Demon Sect was a ce where only crazy people could get selected.


    The Sect was the overlord of the Eastern Continent, but it wasn''t simply because of the strength of the Sect Master or Elders.


    The Disciples of the Sect were just as crazy.


    The Disciples of the Great Demon Sect didn''t take part in any contests outside the sect. That''s why, not many people knew how they fought.


    It was said that the reason they didn''t take part in thepetitions of the other sects was because the sects were just too weak for them.


    "I was toozy to intervene, but you people have really started getting on my nerves. Was the lesson taught by Elder Zhangst time not enough for you?"


    The dark robed woman spoke as she moved. Her movements looked extremely slow, but at the same time, they were too fast.


    She was standing at the end of the line, but in the blink of an eye, she was at the entrance of the city.


    Her aura was overwhelming, causing everyone around to feel a sense of unease. Despite his powerful presence, there was a certain air of calmness surrounding her.


    The Guards looked at each other''s faces. It was true that they had be greedy, but they never expected someone so extraordinary to be standing in the line like that.


    "And you... You can''t even protect your woman. It seems you only have some looks, but no courage. You are truly pathetic."


    The woman didn''t just scare the Guards, but she also turned to Eren. She hated weakness, and in her eyes, Eren was the definition of weakness.


    The Guards were trying to harass her woman and he couldn''t even fight back. He was trying to leave?


    She couldn''t feel any strengthing from him either. She could only imagine what would have happened if she hadn''t intervened.


    "If you''re so weak, you should stay at home. This World isn''t a ce for people like you!"


    She turned around and entered the city after warning Eren. But even as she entered the city, a painful groan was heard.


    The guard who had ordered for these people to be detained fell on the ground, his chest bleeding.


    No one saw the attack or when he was even hit. But they all knew who did it.


    They watched the woman''s back who disappeared inside the city.


    "This world truly isn''t for the weak. But isn''t that girl getting too arrogant?"


    Eren mumbled while holding Xiu Ying''s hand tightly to stop her from sending the woman flying with a p.


    Although the woman had a sharp tongue, she had indeed helped them by taking the attention of them.


    The remaining guards didn''t try to do anything. They returned to their duties and allowed Eren and Xiu Ying to enter the city.


    Another guard rushed to the City Lord''s Pce to inform him about the arrival of such an important guest.


    Eren hadn''t taken the woman''s words to heart. He was only here to rest. But the moment he entered the city, four options appeared before him.


    [Option One: A Disciple from the Sect insulted you. As the Elder, it is your duty to teach her a lesson.


    Tell her your true identity and punish her.


    Reward: Sword of Punishment (Low Tier)]


    [Option Two: You have been impressed by the talent of the woman. Despite being a part of the Great Demon Sect, she was kind enough to help strangers.


    Make her your disciple without exposing your real identity.


    Reward: Grade Three Alchemy Master Knowledge]


    [Option Three: As the Elder, it is important to approach this situation with wisdom andpassion. You don''t want to punish those who didn''t know any better. Ignore the woman''s actions.


    Reward: Spirit Healing Herb]


    [Option Four: You don''t want to get your hands dirty, but you agree that this world doesn''t belong to the weak.


    Have Xiu Ying kill that disrespectful girl.


    Reward: Murderous Aura (High Grade)]


    ****************


    ****************


    Author Note: I have started another book, titled "Leveling with the Regressor in Apocalypse."


    You can find it through searching the title or in my profile.


    The book is unrted to this book or world, but it''s an interesting world on its own, set in year 2375.


    For those who are interested, the book is a Streamer Leveling Novel with gods as subscribers and so much more, set in future.


    Please give it a try if possible and add to your collections as the book will be participating in NovelFire monthlypetition. Your collections or help would be a huge help. Thank you.


    ****************


    ****************

 Chapter 55: My Beautiful Disciple, Im really not the Main Character!

    55 Chapter 55: My Beautiful Disciple, I''m really not the Main Character!


    "You all!"


    The City Lord of Qiling grabbed his head, almost pulling his hair off.


    He picked up whatever he could find near him and tossed it at the guard who came to inform him.


    The guard couldn''t avoid the bottle that came flying at him. The ss bottle smashed on his head before shattering.


    Some of the ss pieces even stabbed his face, causing blood to trickle down his face.


    The Guard didn''t react. He didn''t wipe the blood either. He could only wait for the City Lord to calm down.


    He knew that in anger, the City Lord could even kill him.


    "I told you to be careful and not create any trouble, and even then...!"


    "It''s good that she killed that bastard! If not, I would have killed him myself!"


    He stood up and wore a robe over his shoulders.


    "Did you find out where she is staying?"


    "I did. She is staying in a nearby hotel. I believe she will be leaving in the morning."


    "Good. In that case, we still have time to apologize. And if we can get her to attend the Birthday Celebration of the Prince, it would be even better!"


    He was scared of the woman and the consequences that came with her appearance, but it was also a great opportunity to impress the Prince.


    If he could prove hispetence by bringing such a powerful guest, then he could rise to an even higher level.


    "Grade Three Alchemy Knowledge. What a reward. I definitely can''t miss it."


    Eren walked inside the city, still looking forward to the new reward.


    In this world, an Alchemist was a profession that could be seen in all four continents.


    Only after training for decades, could someone be a Grade Three Alchemist. And from that point on, it was even harder.


    The Alchemists weren''t strong like the four Overlords. But they had a lot of influence in this world.


    Only a few organizations had independence and were allowed to operate in all four continents. The Alchemist Association was one of them.


    It had branches in every Kingdom, in every Continent. They remained neutral in the conflict of the four continents, but that was only on the outside.


    Eren knew that it was a secret that was still unknown in this world. It was only explored inter parts of the novel when the Main Character joined the Alchemist Association.


    ''If I be an official Alchemist, it could truly help me hide my identity when I travel. But I need to ept a second disciple for that.''


    ''She might be willing if I expose my identity, but I need to do that without exposing my identity. That makes thingsplicated.''


    Eren was lost in thoughts, not paying attention to his surroundings.


    Along the way, he almost bumped into the people around him. If it wasn''t for Xiu Ying, he might have hit someone.


    After thinking for a long time, he thought of something. He couldn''t achieve it with just himself, but he wasn''t alone here.


    "Ying, I want to ept a second disciple."


    "Is there someone in your mind?"


    "Yeah. The girl who interfered before. She is a part of the Great Demon Sect as well. She also appears to have good values, which is rare nowadays."


    "That arrogant girl? If you need talented people, I can have the Sect arrange for the Core Disciples. But that girl... She disrespected you. epting her now would be awarding her."


    "I understand what you''re saying, but I have made up my mind."


    Xiu Ying looked at Eren. He was insisting on it and she couldn''t say no to him.


    "If it makes you happy, then so be it. I will drag her to you."


    "It won''t be helpful if you do that. I don''t want to ept her as an Elder of the Sect. I don''t want to tell her my identity when I ept her."


    ....


    "Without exposing your identity? Isn''t that much harder?"


    "It should be harder, but I thought of a n. And in that ce, I would need your help."


    Xiu Ying looked at him suspiciously.


    "What n?"


    "Have you heard of the Hero saving the beauty? Now what if the Hero was a powerful expert who was looking for a disciple?"


    Eren told her the n. And the most important part of the n was Xiu Ying. Or rather, it was her charm.


    "If we go with the n, not just this city, but the entire Kingdom..."


    "That''s correct. I would sacrifice this city to ept a disciple. But I don''t see anything wrong in it."


    Eren knew the true history of this Kingdom and how the Second Prince tricked Elder Zhang to kill the Crown Prince.


    At first, he wasn''t nning to bother about such things and be on his way after resting. But the guards of this city tried to do things that they shouldn''t.


    Even at a time like this, the guards were still behaving like this. It was clear that things in this city hadn''t changed.


    Even then, he thought about the greater good and wanted to avoid attracting too much attention. But with the option he selected, he had no choice.


    He had to ept a disciple. He had to be an Alchemist.


    The young woman looked down on weak people. To have her look up to him, he had to show her a glimpse of strength that she never saw.


    But if he just did that out of nowhere, he mighte across as a Viin. Hence, he wanted to create Viins for his story.


    Only by creating Viins could he be the Hero of this story. And what better opportunity than this.


    ''My beautiful disciple, I''m really not the Main Character. So I can only use such tricks. I hope you won''t mind...''


    ....


    One after another, Carriages started arriving in the city.


    The young representatives of various Sects had started arriving in the City of Qiling to attend the Birthday Celebration of the Crown Prince and the Personal Disciple of Asura Sect Master.


    Special gates were opened for the carriages so they didn''t have to wait in lines.


    Before evening, most of the guests had arrived. Andstly, one more carriage arrived, belonging to the Crown Prince.

 Chapter 56: Asuras past

    Chapter 56: Asura''s past


    It was a star studded evening in Qiling City.


    The City Lord''s Mansion had be the gathering ce of most prominent youngsters in the continent.


    The Head Disciples of a lot of sects, that were on good terms with the Asura Sect, were present in the Mansion.


    All of them had arrived to make their presence known. Some even brought their Juniors with them to show them around the world.


    "Do you know the new City Lord''s Mansion was created in the same ce where the old City Lord''s Mansion stood in the past."


    The Crown Prince sat in his room, next to another young man whose identity was unknown.


    Most of the guests were still downstairs, but for some reason, this young man was allowed to meet the Prince in advance.


    "This is the same ce where my dear brother was killed."


    The unknown man took a sip of the while, hearing the Crown Prince speak.


    "I heard about it. It was the work of Zhang Wei."


    "That is right. She killed my innocent brother. I still can''t believe that he is gone."


    The Crown Prince revealed some sadness.


    His personal servant stood behind him, slightly amused at the Crown Prince''s acting. He was sad? He couldn''t be any happier about it.


    "The Great Demon Sect is just like that. They are too arrogant. It''s only a matter of time before they have their downfall."


    That is correct." The Crown Prince nodded. "You are the son of my master. So of course you know about these things. The Asura Sect had been gathering strength for a long time."


    "We have allied with many other sects. And now all we need is an opportunity to strike, and drag those arrogant people down from their throne."


    The young man didn''t react. He did know about such things.


    Although the Crown Prince was a disciple of the Asura Sect Master, he was the son. So he knew much more than the Crown Prince.


    He knew how much his father hated the Great Demon Sect, and especially the Sect Master.


    His father had never forgotten about theirst meeting. At that time, he wasn''t the Sect Master of Asura Sect.


    Feng Yu was also very young and had just be the Sect Master of the Great Demon Sect.


    Fang Yu was just a young girl at that time. Meanwhile his grandfather was much older. At that time, there was no concept of the Four Overlords either.


    Both the Asura Sect and the Great Demon Sect had simr strength.


    His Grandfather was the Sect Master of Asura Sect at that time. He had invited Fang Yu to discuss an alliance.


    Fang Yupletely ignored the invitation. Even after that, his Grandfather didn''t give up.


    Despite having much more seniority, his Grandfather still put his ego aside and went to the Great Demon Sect.


    There, he met Feng Yu. But that girl didn''t even pay any attention to him.


    His father had apanied his grandfather, thanks to which he knew such things.


    His grandfather told this story to him many times, making sure that this insult was never forgotten.


    There were only two words that his father used to describe Feng Yu at that time. "Emotionless Doll."


    His Grandfather told her about the benefits of alliance, and tried to convince her. But she didn''t agree.


    She told them to return, as if they were beggars.


    "You are too arrogant, little girl. Do you really think that you are invincible? If you don''t ept an alliance with us, can you bear the consequences if our sects ever be enemies?"


    That was the only thing his grandfather said at the time of leaving. That''s where it should have ended. But that wasn''t the case.


    Feng Yu, who hadn''t reacted for a long time, finally moved.


    He didn''t have any weapons in her hand. She simply moved her finger, and an invisible force appeared all around her, suppressing everyone in this room.


    His grandfather, and his father, both were forced on their knees, unable to resist that strange suppression.


    Until now, his father believed that it was because the Great Demon Sect had some great formation in the meeting hall that was activated against them.


    The emotionless Doll moved. She appeared right before his grandfather, grabbing his hair.


    "Since you mentioned it, let me see what will happen if your sect wants to be an enemy!"


    As she finished speaking, she ripped his grandfather''s head off.


    Blood sshed on his father''s face, who still couldn''t believe it.


    All he saw was the back of that emotionless woman who walked away, her hand stained in blood as she tossed the head away.


    "You are free to wage a war on the Great Demon Sect."


    Those were thest words his father heard from her.


    His father returned from the Great Demon Sect, but for some reason, he was too scared to wage a war.


    He felt like if he did that, his entire sect was going to be wiped out. But he couldn''t forget this incident.


    Even as his father became the new Sect Leader of Asura Sect, he had never forgotten this hate.


    For the next few years, he thought about forming alliances with other Sects to surround the Great Demon Sect and destroy them.


    Unfortunately, he wasn''t given this opportunity.


    This was the time the Great Demon Sect started eradicating all the nearby Sects.


    Amongst the Great Sects of that time, only a few were left.


    One of them was Asura Sect. They were too far from the Great Demon Sect, but the Asura Sect Master didn''t know if that was the real reason.


    It was also around the same time that the four continents were getting their powers consolidated.


    In the Northern Sect, the Necromancer Tower rose to power by suppressing all other Magic Towers.


    In the West, the Holy Empire rose to power, supported by the Holy Church.


    In the South, the Hero Academy was established by the strongest Hero of the Southern Continent which became the power centre.

 Chapter 57: Even your father will...

    Chapter 57: Even your father will...


    With power centers emerging in the Four Continents, four Overlords were crowned.


    There was no official ranking of the four Overlords. In each continent, their Overlord was known as the strongest.


    In the Eastern Continent, the ranking was also based on slight bias.


    The First Overlord was Feng Yu, the Sect Master of the Eastern Sect. She was also called the Emotionless Overlord.


    The Second Overlord was the Tower Master of Necromancer Tower. His real name wasn''t known by anyone, but he was called the Undead Overlord.


    The Third Overlord was the Holy Priestess of the Holy Empire. Her name was Evangeline. Many even said that she was the reincarnation of a goddess.


    She was called the Reincarnation Overlord.


    The Eastern Continent hated the Southern Continent, so their Overlord was also ranked thest.


    The Fourth Overlord was Mist, the Dean of Mythical Hero Academy and the only SSS Rank Hero in the Southern Continent.


    People in the Eastern Continent called her Waste Overlord.


    ....


    Feng Yu, who was once on an equal footing with the Asura Sect became one of the Overlords.


    Even after killing the Asura Sect Master, she didn''t face any consequences.


    On the other hand, the Asura Sect became weaker. It was still the strongest sect in the Eastern Continent if one was to forget the Great Demon Sect.


    There was never a single day where the current Asura Sect Master didn''t regret his decision.


    He always thought that he should have attacked the Great Demon Sect while he had the opportunity.


    He was too cautious which allowed the Great Demon Sect an opportunity to be stronger.


    He still didn''t give up. Feng Yu had be the obsession in his heart. He wanted to break that Emotionless Doll. He wanted to trample on the Great Demon Sect.


    That''s why he had been gathering more allies. He had been gathering treasures and preparing for the right time to take everything back from the Great Demon Sect.


    Until everything was ready, he was holding back. Most people thought that it was because he was scared, but only his son knew that it was because this wasn''t the right time.


    "I can''t wait for the moment that Master destroys the Great Demon Sect and Asura Sect bes the strongest."


    "That time will definitelye. It''s only a matter of time before Father bes the next overlord. But until then, you can''t leak this."


    "I would never."


    "I know you won''t be so foolish. Because if my father bes an Overlord, your position will also rise."


    The young man smiled. He ced the empty ss back and stood up.


    "Shall we go attend your birthday celebration then?"


    "Since Junior Brother is ready, then certainly."


    The Crown Prince finally left the room with the Sect Master''s son.


    They walked down the stairs, reaching the hall where people were having a conversation amongst them while waiting for the host.


    In the center of the hall, a birthday cake was ced on a wooden table.


    The Crown Prince was the host of this party, even if all the preparations were made by the City Lord.


    He stood in the center of the hall and gave a small speech, thanking all the guests for attending his birthday celebration.


    In the hall, there were many prominent youngsters. All of them had the potential to be the future of the next generation.


    In the Crown Prince''s eyes, they were all his future subordinates.


    After Asura Sect became the Overlord Sect, not just these youngsters but even their Sect Masters were going to be his subordinates.


    Currently, even an Inner Disciple of the Great Demon Sect had more importance than a Sect Master of smaller sects.


    And he was going to be the Head Disciple of an Overlord Sect. He couldn''t wait for that time. But until then, he couldn''t reveal anything.


    "Where is Gan Yang?"


    In the hall, there were many people. But it was only now that the Crown Prince noticed that one person was missing.


    The City Lord wasn''t here.


    "Lord Gan has gone to bring another guest."


    "Another guest? Who is that arrogant guest that even the City Lord has to go get him? Did that guest not know it''s my birthday? They should havee right away!"


    The Crown Prince didn''t know who this arrogant person was. They were showing such arrogance?


    "Urgh, the identity of that person-"


    The Servant tried to exin but before he could finish, the door opened and the City Lord entered with a wide grin on his face.


    "Your Highness, I have brought a special guest to attend your birthday celebration."


    He was looking forward to the Crown Prince thanking him for bringing a guest like that. But instead, he was only greeted with a frown.


    "Hmph, let me see which Young Master or Mistress it was, that thought I needed to wait for them."


    The City Lord''s face turned pale as he heard the Crown Prince''s words. He wanted to warn the Prince since the identity of the other person wasn''t simple.


    He wanted to surprise the Crown Prince, but didn''t think that he was going to say words like that before he could even exin the identity of that person.


    "Let alone you, even your father would have to wait for me if I wanted to attend."


    A melodious voice came from the entrance. The arrogance in that voice was evident, which shocked many people.


    There was still someone who talked to the Personal Disciple of Asura Sect Master like that? Just who did this woman think she was?


    It was only when they saw the person entering the hall, they abruptly shut their mouth, swallowing the words that had fortunately not been spoken yet.


    Even the Crown Prince was shocked. The person wasn''t dressed in any luxurious attire like the other guests. But what they wore was enough to shock everyone.


    It was the robe of the Great Demon Sect. And it wasn''t an outer disciple but an Inner Disciple of that dangerous sect!


    The Asura Sect Master''s son frowned, his expressions darkening at the sight of this woman.

 Chapter 58: I couldnt let it go

    Chapter 58: I couldn''t let it go


    "Where did she go?"


    Eren was waiting for Xiu Ying in the hotel room. He didn''t know where she was gone. She had just disappeared when he was getting a room.


    He didn''t think she was going to leave just like that. Did she go to prepare for their n? But even if that was the case, she should have returned by now.


    Another hour passed before Xiu Ying finally returned. She had been assigned a different room, but she still returned only to Eren''s room.


    "You''re back. Where were you?"


    "I was just taking care of some things."


    "Don''t tell me those things involved killing someone?"


    Eren could see that she had washed her hand. Even then, the scent of blood couldn''t be washedpletely.


    "Who did you kill?"


    He didn''t ask her if she killed anyone. He directly asked who she killed and if it was someone important.


    "I tried... I tried to listen to you and not kill anyone. But I couldn''t let it go. They had raised their weapons at you. They deserved to die!"


    "Raised their weapons?" Eren felt like crying. This was exactly what he was worried about.


    She was too in love with him. She had let the guards go before as she didn''t want to create trouble for him. They were in the public eye at that time.


    Still, she didn''t forget their actions.


    "I made sure that no one saw me," she stated, as if looking for praise like a little kitten.


    Eren scratched the back of his head, not knowing how to respond.


    After all this, she was still looking to be praised because she wasn''t seen? Sometimes, he forgot how dangerous this woman actually was.


    He still couldn''t get himself to scold her.


    "Did you take care of the bodies?"


    Xiu Ying nodded. "They will never be found again."


    "Good girl."


    Eren patted her head. Although he didn''t want to praise her actions, he didn''t want to make her sad either.


    The woman smiled beautifully, lowering her head like a child.


    Seeing her like that, Eren truly couldn''t take his eyes off her. He wasn''t affected by the charm spell, but she was truly very cute when she was like this.


    "I got two rooms. You can take this one. I will sleep in the other room. Tomorrow, we have a lot of work to do."


    He quickly took his eyes off and started leaving, not knowing what might happen if he stayed here for longer.


    Xiu Ying grabbed his hand, without raising her head.


    With a low voice, she said, "Please stay."


    Eren almost had his heart skip a beat as he heard her seductive voice. He didn''t know what might happen if he was to give in.


    He thought about Celeste who was in his pocket. She was like a child and he didn''t want her mind to be corrupted by such things.


    Celeste was like his secret weapon. Whenever he felt that his willpower was getting weak and he wanted to give in, he thought about her and resisted with all his might.


    "I am getting sleepy. It''s better for me to leave."


    He freed his hand and quickly left the room.


    He stood in the hallway, patting his beating heart.


    "She is truly a seductress..."


    Only he knew how hard it was to resist that woman''s charm. He didn''t even know he had a willpower this strong.


    "How long can I resist her advances like that?"


    He entered his room, slightly worried about his future.


    ....


    It was in the middle of the night when Eren went to sleep. The long journey had truly exhausted him.


    After a long time, he had afortable bed to sleep in. As soon as he fell on the cozy bed, he just wanted to sleep.


    Celeste was still awake. She just remained in silence, looking at the sleeping face of Eren.


    She wanted to poke his cheeks again, but she remembered being scoldedst time she did that.


    She didn''t do anything. Instead, she flew toward the window and looked at the beautiful night sky outside.


    She had travelled in Eren''s pocket all this time. She had seen a lot of the wonders of this world, yet she wanted to see more.


    She opened the window a little, and flew out. As she wasn''t nning to sleep, she wanted to fly around the city and do some exploration before returning in the morning.


    ....


    Another hour passed. Celeste had left Eren''s room, leaving him alone.


    The doorknob of the room slowly twisted before the door was unlocked.


    A person stepped inside his room, being none other than Xiu Ying.


    She looked at Eren who was sleeping peacefully.


    She closed the door behind her and climbed on his bed, lying next to him.


    She didn''t do anything. She just remained like that, looking at his lovable face until she fell asleep.


    ....


    "I didn''t know that such an important guest was about to attend this celebration."


    The Crown Prince was shocked at the arrival of an Inner Disciple from the Great Demon Sect, especially since he was just discussing the destruction of this sect.


    He didn''t let his real thoughts show. He hadn''t forgotten that it wasn''t the time yet.


    For now, the Great Demon Sect was too strong. They had to show some respect, even if it was just an Inner Disciple.


    "I feel blessed."


    He smiled as he approached the woman, greeting her personally.


    Along the way, he kept looking at the expressions of his Junior Brother who was the son of Asura Sect Master.


    If anyone hated the Great Demon Sect the most here, it was him.


    Fortunately, he didn''t show anything out of the ordinary either. He just clicked his tongue at the sight of the woman.


    "You should thank the City Lord. He pleaded so much that I couldn''t say no."


    The woman walked past the Crown Prince, not sparing a second nce.


    She didn''t even greet him back or wish him for his birthday. It was like she was doing him a favour by being here.


    The Crown Prince''s lips twitched, but he quickly controlled his expressions.

 Chapter 59: Little Thief Celeste

    Chapter 59: Little Thief Celeste


    The Crown Prince had heard about the arrogance of the Disciples from the Great Demon Sect.


    Now, he was seeing it with his own eyes. He could see that there was no exaggeration. These people really didn''t respect anyone.


    If it wasn''t for her identity, he would have even thought about killing that woman for such a behaviour.


    He could only Direct his anger towards the City Lord.


    It was one thing to invite someone from the Great Demon Sect. He had also sent a few invitations. But to plead with them to attend?


    This City Lord hadpletely embarrassed him.


    ''I will teach him a lesson when it''s all over. As for this woman, if she doesn''t go too far, I won''t do anything to her. But if she crosses the limit, I might just make her disappear!''


    The Great Demon Sect was dangerous and no one tried to harm their disciple. But what if they didn''t find out?


    He had thousands of ways to make that Woman disappear, without getting the me.


    He was someone who used the Elder of the Great Demon Sect to kill his brother and still survived. He knew how to take care of things while staying in the shadows.


    If possible, he didn''t want to go that far.


    He straightened his back and the fake smile returned to his face.


    "Thank you for bringing such a guest here."


    He thanked the City Lord. Only he knew how much anger he was hiding inside his heart.


    The City Lord actually thought that he was thanking him. His face lit up.


    He had received the favour of the Crown Prince. His future was bright. He was going to be awarded heavily in the future. At least that''s what his imagination led him to believe.


    The Crown Prince turned around and marked the beginning of the celebration with the cutting of cake.


    The youngsters approached him, wishing him for his birthday while also doing some small talk.


    Most of their attention still remained on the woman from the Great Demon Sect who was busy drinking the wine from a ss in a corner.


    Following the cake cutting ceremony, another event was held for all the youngsters.


    It was said to be for entertainment, but in reality, it was an event for all the youngsters to show off.


    Everyone was allowed to challenge one person for battle and show their skills.


    None of the youngsters wanted to appear like cowards. They also wanted to test their strength against the best of other sects. Hence, many of them came forward to challenge others.


    "You kids have fun. I will be taking my leave."


    The woman from the Great Demon Sect didn''t stay behind for this event.


    In her eyes, they were all kids. She wasn''t even interested in seeing their skills.


    "Are you leaving so early? And here I thought, I would get to face someone from the Great Demon Sect."


    The son of Asura Sect Master stood up as he watched her leave.


    Even though he had tried to control himself, he couldn''t let her go like that.


    He wanted to bring the woman down from her high throne. He didn''t know if he could defeat the Head Disciple of the Great Demon Sect, but the woman was just an Inner Disciple.


    If he could defeat her, he could break the myth about the Great Demon Sect being invincible.


    It was an opportunity like never before. The Head Disciples of many other Sects were here.


    Their sects were spread throughout the continent. Although not as great as the Asura Sect, their sects had great influence.


    It was only a matter of time before this news was going to spread.


    "I don''t have time to y around."


    The woman waved her head, not paying any attention.


    "It makes sense for you to be scared. I shouldn''t force you."


    The young man sat down. Although he made it appear like he was being kind and backing off, his words were filled with taunts.


    The woman, almost out of the hall, stopped.


    ....


    Everyone''s attention was on the woman who had stopped. Someone had actually challenged her, and it was none other than the son of Asura Sect Master.


    All of them knew that they were in for a great show toe. But none noticed that there was another small guest in the hall.


    No one noticed that a small guest entered. The cake in the back kept disappearing, little by little.


    Celeste sat next to the cake, which was taller than her.


    Like a little child addicted to sweets, she kept eating the cake with her small mouth. She neither knew why the atmosphere in his hall was so tense, nor cared.


    The cake was just too tasty for her to pay attention to anything else. Celeste had be a cake thief.


    ....


    "If you want to be beaten, you should have said it from the beginning. I''m feeling merciful, so I will grant your wishes."


    The young woman from the Great Demon Sect turned around.


    She didn''t want to waste her time, but it looked like some people had forgotten why the Great Demon Sect was such a towering existence in the Eastern Continent.


    Since they wanted to challenge her, he was willing to let them see the consequences of going against someone from the Great Demon Sect.


    "Junior Brother Yang, are you sure about it?"


    The Crown Prince felt a little hesitant. He had brought the son of his master with him. And even he didn''t expect something like this to happen.


    It was fine if his Junior Brother won, but what if he lost? Things could getplicated if the son of Asura Sect Master couldn''t even defeat an ordinary Inner Disciple from the Great Demon Sect.


    These kinds of rumours were going to spread just as fast. And he could only imagine the expressions of his master.


    It was still fine if he lost. But what if he died? The consequences were far too worse for his imagination.

 Chapter 60: Your body is more honest than your mouth

    Chapter 60: Your body is more honest than your mouth


    It was early morning. Eren was still in bed, not having any idea about the person who was sleeping next to him. He didn''t even know that his hand was wrapped around Xiu Ying''s waist. There was barely any distance between the two of them as he was basically cuddling with her, without realising. "Hmmm, the bed feels so good."


    He softly nuzzled his face against Xiu Ying''s neck, feeling the warmth radiating from her body. His hand moved up, feeling something soft in his grasp. "Hmm? Something doesn''t feel right?"


    He squeezed his hand a little, having a bad feeling about this. This scent... It didn''t belong to the bed. He didn''t know if he was still half asleep and imagining things. Ungh~


    A soft moan resounded as soon as he squeezed lightly. His back was covered in a cold sweat as he thought of something. This moan sounded too real to be a dream. And his hand... It was definitely not on a pillow. He slowly opened his eyes. The scent appeared even more prominent as he saw who it belonged to. He wasn''t alone on the bed. Instead he was with a woman. And he didn''t need to guess who this woman was. He wanted to take his hand off her, but Xiu Ying ced her hand over his hand, not letting him take it off. "You are awake?"


    "I have been awake since before you started ying." Xiu Ying''s beautiful voice came in response. "Cough, I wasn''t nning. I was in sleep."


    "Then stay in sleep." Xiu Ying smiled, pressing on his hand which was resting on her breasts. Eren wanted to take his hand off, but it was held in ce by Xiu Ying''s hand. He didn''t try to pull his hand as he didn''t want to reveal how weak he was. Instead of trying to take off his hand and failing, thereby exposing his weakness, he preferred to not even try. "That''s not a ce I should be touching." "Where else do you want to touch then?"


    "Cough, we have more important things to do. Don''t forget."


    "There is plenty of time until that. That girl still hasn''t left the city."


    "You... How did you even enter my room? I''m sure I locked it."


    "I asked for a spare key from the manager."


    "And he gave it to you?"


    "Did he have another choice?"


    "I keep forgetting who you actually are. We really should get ready. Even if she didn''t leave the city, there are a lot of preparations to be done. I must have her as my disciple."


    "Your body is more honest than your mouth." Xiu Ying teasingly said. "That''s just a natural reaction."


    ....


    In the City Lord''s Mansion~


    A young man opened his eyes, feeling slight pain in his left cheek. His chest heaved with each breath, and a wave of pain washed over him, causing him to instinctively clutch his chest. His body felt heavy and sore. Confusion clouded his mind as he struggled to recall the events that led him to this moment. Gradually, his surroundings started toe into focus. The room was dimly lit, but he could still make out a person''s figure. The person next to him was none other than the Crown Prince. "How did I get here? What happened to the battle?"


    "Junior Brother Yang, the battle..."


    "Why are you hesitating? My memories are a little hazy. What happened there?"


    The Crown Prince took a deep breath, before exining, "The battlested for only ten seconds. And you were beaten ck and blue. She hit you very hard, so it makes sense you are having trouble recalling things."


    "Nonsense! How could I lose so fast? And that too, against a mere inner disciple?"


    "I wish it was a lie. But everyone present there saw it." The Crown Prince sighed. "Though I did tell everyone to never mention the results of any of the battles here outside."


    "How could it happen?" The young man clutched his head. "Father would kill me if he finds out that I was beaten by a mere inner disciple!"


    "How would he find out?" The Crown Prince interjected.


    "The people who saw it, would never dare spread something like that. It would be no different than offending the Asura Sect! So Junior Brother Yang can rx."


    "I can''t rx!"


    Yang Kuan still couldn''t believe it. He had thought that he was going to beat that girl and make his father proud. But instead, he lost. And he did that in front of everyone in such a pitiful manner!


    "Even if the others won''t spread it, that doesn''t mean that girl can''t!"


    "Junior Brother Yang, I doubt she would do it. She is someone from the Great Demon Sect. You know how arrogant those people are. That would never talk about their victories."


    "Even if that''s the case, I can''t leave it be! I can''t trust those people. This news will definitely spread!"


    "My father will kill me if he finds out what happened here!"


    Yang Kuan raised his head, his expressions turning dark. "Where is she now?"


    "Junior Brother Yang, you can''t be thinking about killing her, right?"


    "So what if I am? Only her head will make my father happy now! This is the consequence of offending me, Yang Kuan!"


    The Crown Prince didn''t know how to react. He truly could have the girl killed without raising suspicions, but that was beforest night. Spon, everyone was going to know that she had a conflict with Yang Kuan. The Asura Sect was certainly going to be dragged down to hell if that girl died or went missing!


    "Junior Brother, I don''t think that''s the right choice. The Asura Sect isn''t ready yet."


    "Are you with me or not?"


    "I am with you, but-"


    "I won''t listen to any excuses. I can''t face my father like this. If you don''t


    help me, I will kill myself. And Father would me you for not protecting me. And you know what will happen after that!"


    The Crown Prince felt like he was in a deep mess. If he didn''t help Yang Kuan, he could kill himself. And the me woulde on him. If that happened, he couldn''t even imagine his fate. "Fine. I will help you. I will gather some men."


    In the end, he simply gave up.

 Chapter 61: The Thief is caught

    Chapter 61: The Thief is caught


    "That is enough teasing me. Get up now," Eren sternly stated. If he failed the Option he had selected, he didn''t know the consequences.


    Even if the girl hadn''t left the city, they would have had to prepare a lot. He didn''t have time to give in to such desires.


    Xiu Ying looked slightly down, but she listened to him. ording to the n, she did have to get to work.


    She had to charm some powerful people in the city so they could do the needful. For a hero, there needed to be Viins as well after all.


    She released Eren''s hand.


    "After we seed, will I get rewarded?"


    She didn''t understand why Eren was going so far for a disciple. Did he like Roleying? She didn''t know, but she was willing to help him.


    She didn''t expect any reward, but she still asked, hoping for one.


    "If we seed, I will certainly reward you."


    Eren took off his hands off her body and stood up.


    He could still feel that feeling in his hand and the scent lingering around his clothes.


    "What will the reward be?"


    "You will find out when the timees. But for now, we can''t dy things."


    Eren adjusted his clothes, only to stop midway as he thought about something.


    ''If Xiu Ying was here, then where is Celeste?''


    He frantically looked around the room, even checking his pockets but she was nowhere to be found.


    It was only when he looked at the window, she noticed a fairy-like creature flying out the window, trying to open it.


    Her lips still had some traces of cake that she had finished eatingst night.


    He also noticed Xiu Ying looking towards the window.


    Eren had hidden Celeste for so long, yet it all came crashing down now. Celeste was discovered.


    Xiu Ying opened the window.


    "I will go and charm them to follow the n."


    She jumped out the window and flew towards the City Lord''s Pce. She didn''t even react to the presence of Celeste.


    "Could it be... Celeste can only be seen by me?"


    Eren scratched the back of his head in confusion.


    If Xiu Ying could see her, it was impossible for her to not react to a creature like that. That only meant she couldn''t see.


    He had been trying to hide Celeste in his pocket all your time. But if she truly couldn''t be seen by anyone else, she felt foolish to be worrying so much.


    "Even the Great Elder can''t see you. Just what are you...?"


    Celeste flew inside, lowering her head as if she was sorry. She had thought that she would return before Eren could find out. But she was caught.


    "Why are you looking so down? Is it because you are caught?"


    Celeste nodded her head and looked at him with eyes filled with innocence.


    "That look won''t work on me, little girl. You left without asking me? Didn''t I make a rule that you weren''t allowed to do that?"


    Celeste almost started crying. This was the first time she was scolded. Her eyes started getting wet as shended on the bed.


    "It''s good that you can''t be seen by anyone, but that doesn''t mean you can''t be at risk. This is the first time so I will forgive you. But there should be no next time."


    Eren didn''t want to scold Celeste, but he also didn''t want her to be hurt. With him around, she could be protected. But he didn''t know what might happen if he wasn''t with her.


    Celeste, like a child, kept her head down.


    Eren stepped closer to Eren, looking at the little fairy who had started crying.


    He picked a handkerchief that was no different than a nket for someone the size of Celeste.


    "I was harsh, but it is for your own safety."


    He used the handkerchief to wipe the tears off Celeste''s face, being extremely careful to not hurt her eyes.


    "How was the cake thought?"


    Celeste raised her head, extremely shocked as if she was wondering how Eren found out that she ate a cake.


    "What are you that shocked about?" Eren burst intoughter at Celeste''s reaction. She was truly like a child.


    "The next time you steal something, at least make sure there is no evidence left."


    He wiped the cake traces off Celeste''s lips with his fingers, cing it in his mouth to have a taste of this cake she had.


    He wanted to see which cake could even make a celestial fairy unable to control herself.


    "Mmmm, this is quite good. No wonder you stole it. I might have done the same."


    The cake was simr to the cakes on earth, but it felt much better. It wasn''t too sweet. It was just a perfect blend of sweetness.


    "As I said, I will forgive you this time. So stop pouting and get ready to leave."


    Celeste smiled happily, flying straight into Eren''s pocket, telling him that she didn''t need to be ready.


    "Oh, and one more thing. From now on, you don''t have to hide in my pocket. Since others can''t see you, there is no need for you to live trapped in my pocket."


    Eren brought Celeste out of his pocket, cing her on his shoulder as he left the hotel room.


    .....


    The Crown Prince just agreed to go along with the Crown Prince''s n.


    He didn''t notice that a woman was standing on the roof of the mansion.


    Even the Guards of the Pce couldn''t sense her.


    "They are already going to attack her? Do I even need to do anything anymore?"


    The n was for her to use her charm to make these people attack the girl so Eren could save her, appearing like a Mysterious Expert.


    If they were going to do that on their own, there was no need for her to step in.


    She turned around and left, not using her charm.


    She didn''t realise that charm was the most important part of Eren''s n.


    Eren was weak, hence he wanted to use the Charn to create a fake show to be a saviour. But without a charm, things became much moreplicated for him.

 Chapter 62: Not even a handyman

    Chapter 62: Not even a handyman


    Eren was waiting outside the hotel room for Xiu Ying. Celeste was sitting on his shoulder, looking much happier.


    She wasn''t hiding anymore. She could also see things more clearly. It was like she was looking at the world from a different perspective. She was much more free.


    She was so happy that she nted a kiss on Eren''s cheeks.


    "You''re this happy from such a small change? You''re such a child, but it''s thanks to you that I also have someone I can talk to about things I can''t tell others."


    He patted Celeste lightly with his finger.


    "Have you already gone crazy? You are talking to yourself now?"


    Eren was talking to Celeste when he heard a woman''s voice.


    From the same hotel, a girl stepped out. She was the same person that he wanted as his second disciple.


    "Do you have a problem with me?" asked Eren.


    "Not you. I just have a problem with weak people who can''t even protect their women."


    "And you think you are strong? Haven''t you heard the saying? There''s a mountain beyond a mountain. What would you do if you came across a mountain like that?"


    "Hmph, the only mountains above me are my seniors at the sect. And people like you can''t evenpare to them."


    "Oh? What if I was also a disciple at the Great Demon Sect?"


    The stern looking woman finally burst intoughter, unable to control it.


    "A disciple at the Great Demon Sect? You would be lucky if you''re selected even as a handyman to serve outer disciples!"


    The woman keptughing as she walked away from Eren, as if she had heard the funniest joke of her life.


    ''I''m not even worthy to be a handyman, huh. Since you are so proud, I have thought of a job for you after I ept you as a disciple.''


    Eren watched the woman leave the city. He was already feeling quite frustrated because he was being looked down on.


    Even if he wasn''t strong, it shouldn''t matter. He hadn''t done anything wrong to that girl, yet she had always mocked him and looked down on him.


    "As your master, I would definitely give you some good lessons that you will remember for your lifetime, my dear disciple."


    "Are you done?" he suddenly asked, feeling a presence behind him.


    "They will attack her as you wanted."


    "That''s good. In that case, it''s time for the Mysterious Expert to get ready as well."


    .....


    The City Lord was chained in the prison on the lowest floor of his own mansion.


    He had thought that the Crown Prince was happy with him because he brought such a special guest. But it was only after all the guests left that the Crown Prince told the guards to capture him.


    Ever since then, he had been wondering what he did wrong. He even thought that he might never see the light of day. He might even be killed.


    In an attempt to please the Crown Prince, he had made him angry.


    As he was lost in thoughts, he heard the sound of the prison door opening.


    A person entered the cell.


    The City Lord raised his head.


    "Your Highness?"


    "I-I made a mistake! Please forgive me! I will never make another mistake!"


    "It''s because of you that my Junior Brother was beaten. If you hadn''t brought that girl here, nothing would have happened. Do you think it''s a mistake that could be forgiven?"


    The City Lord wanted to ask how this was his fault. If that young man hadn''t challenged that girl for a fight, would he be beaten like a dog? If anything, it was that man''s fault for not knowing his ce!


    Despite having so many thoughts, he didn''t express them out loud.


    "I agree. I was foolish, but if you give me another opportunity, I will-"


    "Given."


    "Huh?"


    "You asked for another opportunity? I will give you one! Take your men, find and kill that girl! If you seed, not only will I forgive you but I will also reward you!"


    "Kill her? But she is from the Great Demon Sect! If I killed her..."


    No matter how strong the girl was, she was still young. She could fight across the realm, but the City Lord and his Guards were much older.


    The gap in strength was too much for the girl to resist. So he didn''t believe that he couldn''t kill her. But what he worried about were the consequences!


    "The Great Demon Sect can''t do anything! Many people saw her leave the city safely. If she was ro disappear on the way, it has nothing to do with us."


    The Crown Prince knew that he was exaggerating it.


    Even if there was no proof to link them with this, but if the Great Demon Sect decided to investigate it, it could get much moreplicated.


    However, he also believed that the Sect wasn''t going to investigate. It was just an Inner Disciple. There were thousands of inner disciples in the Great Demon Sect.


    If it was a Core Disciple or an Elder''s Disciple, the sect would have investigated this. But for an ordinary disciple, it was rare.


    Even if they investigated, it could only be said that the City Lord was angry that the guest he invited made such a mess in the celebration, so he took action on his own without informing the Crown Prince or others.


    They were giving the knife and responsibility to the City Lord. Whatever happened from this point was on him.


    "You have a family as well, right? My people have taken your family to the Royal City as guests. I''m sure you know what that means, right?"


    The Crown Prince left the cell, but his meaning was clear.


    After a few minutes, more guards entered the cell and opened the shackles of the City Lord on the Prince''smand.


    ....


    The Inner Disciple of the Great Demon Sect had borrowed a horse from the City of Qiling.


    She was moving towards the next City, not realizing that high in the sky, there was a Phoenix following her above the clouds.

 Chapter 63: Stronger Villain

    Chapter 63: Stronger Viin


    "It''s been so long. At this rate, she will soon reach the next City. Are theying or not?"


    Eren had been following his potential disciple for a long time, waiting for her to be attacked so he could be her knight in shining Armor.


    "They areing."


    Xiu Ying suddenly stated, sending multiple cultivators flying towards their direction.


    Eren was about to curse the Crown Prince for not taking it seriously, but when he heard Xiu Ying, he almost bit his tongue.


    A powerful cultivator could sense peopleing from faraway. He was justining about them while Xiu Ying had already noticed them.


    He sneakily looked at Xiu Ying, wondering if she was suspicious about her true strength. He had basically given her a hint that he wasn''t actually as strong as an Elder was supposed to be.


    Fortunately, she didn''t seem to notice.


    ....


    "There she is!"


    The City Lord was flying, followed by the Guards from the city.


    Every Guard he brought with him was his personal guard, but only a few people knew that they actually worked for the Crown Prince.


    No matter how fast a horse was, it couldn''t move faster than a powerful cultivator.


    Before long, the City Lord reached the girl, who was slightly surprised to find him there.


    "What are you doing here?"


    She stopped the horse, seeing the City Lord block her path. She could notice that she was slowly being surrounded by the Guards that came with him.


    There were six realms of cultivation in the Eastern Continent that people knew about. The weakest was the Body Refining Realm. Then came the Spirit Refining Realm, Soul Refining Realm, Core Refining Realm, Earth Refining Realm andstly the Heaven Refining Realm.


    There were only four people that had reached the Heaven Refining Realm. They were the four overlords.


    She was still only in the Spirit Refining Realm, but the Guards that came with the City Lord were all in the Soul Refining Realm. Meanwhile, the City Lord was already touching the threshold of the Core Refining Realm.


    Only people in the Soul Refining Realm could fly. She still hadn''t reached that realm.


    She could fight people who were stronger than her. But there were just too many people and they were all strong.


    "I assume you are here to target me? Have you thought of the consequences?"


    She got down from the horse, talking directly to the City Lord.


    "You attacked someone who you shouldn''t have," the City Lord sternly stated. "I brought you as a guest, but you did something like that. You can only me yourself for acting too arrogant!"


    ....


    "Are you going to help her now?"


    High in the sky, Xiu Ying and Eren were looking at the scene taking ce on the ground.


    Xiu Ying was wondering when Eren was going down to help her.


    "If I go now, it won''t be that effective. Moreover, I also want her to know that being weak doesn''t mean one should be insulted. Because for someone, she would also be weak."


    "I will think of this as a lesson for her. A Master won''t interfere when a disciple is trying to learn a lesson."


    Eren sat patiently, looking forward to the battle. He also wanted to see just how strong this disciple of his actually was.


    She was faced with people much stronger than her. He was curious to see if she could actually take some of them down.


    The City Lordmanded his guards to take down the woman. He personally didn''t want to join the battle if he didn''t need to as he still yed cautiously.


    Over twenty guards, all having a higher cultivation than the woman attacked her together, not giving her any chance.


    The girl drew her sword, fighting back.


    "Urgh, are all the Inner Disciples in the Sect this strong?"


    High in the sky, Eren frowned.


    Not only was the girl not being pushed back, but she was also able to take down the guards one after another.


    It didn''t look like she was fighting people stronger than her. Instead, it was as if she was fighting on a level ying field.


    Even when facing so many guards, she was still holding her ground.


    Eren watched the skills being used by the woman that he had only read about in books.


    This was the first time he had seen someone use battle skills like this. Even in the selection trials, people had used some skills but they were the most basic ones.


    The woman used proper sword skills, each sword leaving a deep mark on her surroundings.


    "Won''t she just win at this rate?"


    Eren looked at Xiu Ying.


    He had made such preparation to teach that girl a lesson and make her worship him as her master. But he was starting to worry if the girl even needed him in the first ce.


    She was much stronger than the participants in the sect selection trials. Although she still couldn''t defeat his Phoenix, he wasn''t certain if even he could defeat her.


    He didn''t have any pendant for speed. All he had was defense and strength. Strength could block a fist, but it couldn''t block a sword. And his shield also had limited use.


    As per skills, she was definitely talented enough. She deserved that arrogance.


    "If she is so talented, why isn''t she an Elder''s Disciple?"


    "She seems very average. I expected more from her."


    "That''s average?"


    Eren looked surprised by the words she used. If this girl was considered average amongst the Sect Disciples, then how strong were the other Inner Disciples?


    How strong were the Core Disciples? He thought Elders were strong enough to walk this continent freely, but he believed he had underestimated the Sect.


    Not just the Elders, more even a Core Disciple was enough to bring a Kingdom to ruins.


    "I can''t wait any longer. If she wins, I won''t have anything to do. I need a stronger viin."


    He gave another mask to Xiu Ying.


    "You will be the Viin. You need to put up a y with me."

 Chapter 64: A Saviour

    Chapter 64: A Saviour


    The City Lord stood frozen in shock, unable toprehend the young girl''s strength as she fought and killed his guards.


    The vast disparity between their realms should have made such a feat impossible.


    "Is everyone in the Great Demon Sect this powerful?" he wondered, echoing the same question that had crossed Eren''s mind.


    Realizing that she would continue to eliminate his guards if left unchecked, the City Lord made his mind to intervene.


    Even if the young girl possessed the ability to exceed her realm inbat, he didn''t believe that she could cover the gap of two realms.


    Determined to protect his guards from certain death, the City Lord made a decision. It was more advantageous to enter the battle while his guards still served as distractions.


    Retrieving a sword from his storage ring, he leaped into the fray.


    "I''ve been waiting for you to join," the woman said, defying the City Lord''s expectations by disying neither shock nor concern.


    "I can only use this once, but if it allows me to eliminate someone like you, it will be a worthwhile sacrifice!" she dered as she brought out a Talisman.


    "Isn''t that..."


    High in the sky, Eren frowned. He recognised that talisman. It was something that he also borrowed from Xiu Ying.


    "That man is definitely dead. But how did she get something like that?"


    He remembered that it was a talisman that was sold in the Sect, but it was impossible for an ordinary person to buy. It was the most expensive talisman. It was only sold to the Core Disciples.


    Other than the core Disciples, only youngsters who took an Elder as their Masters were able to get one of these talismans for free.


    "Just what is her identity? Don''t tell me she already has a master? Did I get scammed with this quest?"


    It was one thing to ept a disciple. And it waspletely different to poach one.


    He had already epted this option. If he didn''tplete it, he couldn''t get any other options for the rest of his life.


    "Even if I have to steal her from another Elder, I must do it."


    .....


    The girl ced the talisman on her sword.


    The Talisman momentarily turned her sword into a treasured weapon into a treasured sword.


    The talisman provided essence to the sword, which relieved the burden on her body. Thanks to the talisman, she was able to use strength beyond her realm.


    The City Lord could already feel that he was in danger. He knew that she was a disciple of the Great Demon Sect.


    He was so distracted by her strength that he hadpletely forgotten that the Sect could also have many unique treasures.


    The Great Demon Sect Disciples rarely used such things as they didn''t believe in borrowing external strength. But that didn''t mean that they couldn''t.


    "Attack her together!" Hemanded his guards to create a distraction while he ran away.


    Her attack was faster than his speed though. A blinding arc of energy shot towards him.


    The City Lord watched the arc of energy fly past him. He didn''t even feel it, but when he looked down, he noticed that the bottom half of his body was missing. It had already fallen far behind.


    His body was sliced in two. And the top half of his body followed suit and fell on the ground. By the time he felt the pain, it was already toote.


    Not just him, but all his Guards were also dead.


    "Demon..." he could only mutter one word as a puddle of blood formed around him. He only saw her silhouette before his eyes closed.


    The girl kept her sword back and sighed. In the battle, her horse had died. She had no ride anymore, which was the most of her concern.


    She didn''t care that someone tried to kill him. She didn''t feel proud that she killed people stronger than her. She didn''t feel regret over wasting that talisman.


    She only cared about the fact that she had to walk to the next City now.


    "These pathetic people. Because of them, I have to walk to the next City. Weaklings."


    "You won''t have to walk. Because you are not going anywhere."


    The girl suddenly heard a voice right next to her. She hadn''t even felt anyone''s presence there.


    Shocked, she ran forward, creating some distance.


    "Who are you?!"


    Behind him, she saw a woman that had covered her face with a mask. She couldn''t even see the strength of that woman, but she felt danger.


    She didn''t even know if she could have defeated this woman even if she had another talisman.


    "I''m the person who will take your life."


    "The City Lord of a small city can''t hire someone like you. Did the heir of Asura Sect send you?"


    "You can ask these questions to the lord of hell."


    Xiu Ying was the ultimate viin that Eren had created.


    She had changed her hair and even her height with a skill, making sure she wasn''t recognised.


    "A Senior like you is taking part in children''s fights? Don''t you feel ashamed?"


    "I am just crushing an ant. There is nothing to feel ashamed of for crushing a weakling."


    The young disciple had her lips twitch in frustration. She was the one who had been calling others weakling until now. Now she was on the receiving end of these words.


    Atop the phoenix, Erenughed.


    "I told that little girl. There are mountains beyond mountains. Though honestly, Xiu Ying makes for a better viin than I expected."


    "No matter how strong you are, can you bear the consequences of harming a disciple of the Great Demon Sect? Did you forget who our Sect Master is."


    "The Eastern Overlord. I have heard about her. But so what? Can she save you today?"


    "Your seven generations would be destroyed if she found out!"


    "Who will tell her? Your ghost?"


    The young girl stepped back slowly, trying to think of ways to escape. But there was none.


    She was all alone here. And it was unrealistic to expect a savior toe.


    "What is this? A Senior is bullying a Junior?"


    The young girl felt the world close around her as there was no escape from death this time. But right then, another voice came.


    A figure came from the sky,nding right before her. All she saw was the back of that person, who was facing that dangerous woman.

 Chapter 65: She is my daughter! What else?

    Chapter 65: She is my daughter! What else?


    The young girl looked at Eren''s back and frowned.


    She felt like she found that person a bit familiar. This back... It was simr to one she saw when she was leaving the hotel.


    ''It can''t be. That man was too weak. It''s impossible for him to fly and get here so fast.''


    She didn''t want to believe that the person in front of her was the same person that she had looked down on.


    Fortunately, his hair color was different, which further convinced her that he wasn''t the same person.


    "I don''t know who you are, but since you like to interfere in other people''s matters, how about you stay here forever?"


    Xiu Ying yed her role well. Or rather, she yed her role to perfection... A bit too much.


    Before Eren could react, he saw Xiu Ying wave her hand lightly. It was only a weak attack for Xiu Ying. But for Eren, it was something that could kill him.


    ''Did she get too much in her character? She''s actually attacking?!''


    Eren''s back was covered in cold sweat. Fortunately, her attack missed him by a hair''s breadth.


    ''This woman... She is definitely putting up an act. But a little mistake, and my Bracelet of Protection would have activated! It would have been such a waste!''


    Even the girl behind Eren was shocked. The attack looked effortless, but it was so destructive that a ten feet deep ravine was created in the ground that stretched for over a mile.


    This mysterious woman possessed powers that were beyondprehension.


    That single attack of hers was strong enough to destroy a city. But she doesn''t understand. How could someone as strong as her miss? Something didn''t seem right.


    "H-how did you change the trajectory of my attack?" Xiu Ying eximed in shock. "It should be impossible!"


    Eren''s expressions were worth seeing as he looked at Xiu Ying put up an act to make him look strong. Fortunately, the girl behind him couldn''t see his face.


    The young girl had her face lit up, as if she had a revtion.


    ''So he''s the reason she missed? To think that he was able to deflect such a powerful attack? Just how strong is he?''


    She didn''t know how she came across such strong people. Just that woman alone was too strong for her, but this man was even more iprehensible.


    Was it her luck that the man just happened to be here to save her? She had the worst luck all her life, but this time she felt that her luck was too good. She might actually survive.


    Cough~


    "You are too weak." Eren folded his arms around his chest, a small smirk ying on his lips. "But don''t worry, with a little training, you can be stronger too."


    "You can kill me, but you can''t embarrass me!" Xiu Ying raged as her figure disappeared.


    The young girl couldn''t even see her figure. But by the time Xiu Ying came into her view, it was toote.


    She saw Xiu Ying appear right behind Eren. She attacked Eren, as if wanting to rip a hole in his back to w his heart out.


    Eren was too slow. He was still confused. Where did Xiu Ying disappear to?


    "Argh!"


    It was only when he heard a pained groan behind him that he turned around, nothing Xiu Ying flying back, coughing blood.


    Eren''s lips twitched, but he tried his hardest to control his reaction. It had truly turned into a one woman show.


    He knew that hadn''t actually attacked him. If she did, his Pendant of Protection would have activated. So this was all an act.


    He knew the truth, but the young girl had been fooled.


    She saw Xiu Ying attack the mysterious man, but before she could touch him, she was sent flying.


    She didn''t know if even an Elder in her sect could survive such a fast attack. But this mysterious man hurt her without even moving? Did that mean he was stronger than an Elder in her sect?


    Was this the true peak of strength that she had been craving for? What was strength? Was it the ability to beat others up? No. It was when you were so strong that every enemy appeared like an ant before you.


    This was exactly what she saw. She didn''t even see what skill he used. It looked like he didn''t do anything at all, but that was what was truly extraordinary about him.


    She wanted to learn. She wanted to be as strong as this man.


    She couldn''t see that man''s face, but she could see his deep eyes behind that mask, which were still truly calm.


    Xiu Ying stood up, wiping the blood off her lips.


    "How are you so strong? Even a Great Elder of the Great Demon Sect shouldn''t be this strong! Only the Sect Master of that Sect should be this strong! What is your identity?"


    In the girl''s eyes, Eren was still perfectly calm. But only he knew how hard it was for him to keep his expressions under control as he heard Xiu Ying utter such nonsense.


    Even he was feeling slightly embarrassed at this point, but he couldn''t give up now.


    He could only sell all his shame in the ck market to not break character.


    "Sect Master of Great Demon Sect? Are you talking about that little brat Feng Yu?"


    He could only imagine how the Sect Master was going to react if she ever heard his words. But who was going to tell her? In her absence, he could use her name any way he wanted!


    "Little brat? What is your rtionship with her?!" Xiu Ying yed along.


    "She is my daughter. What else? Who do you think taught her everything she knows?"


    He kept talking nonsense and created a backstory for the mysterious expert that he was ying.


    "Don''t tell me you really thought that she is the strongest in the Eastern Continent just because you kids love these titles and us old people don''t show up.

 Chapter 66: My Master is...

    Chapter 66: My Master is...


    "..."


    Even Xiu Ying, who was putting on an act was shocked at Eren''s words.


    More than her, the young girl was shocked. The man before her was the father of the Great Demon Sect''s Master


    She had never heard anything about the Sect Master''s family. Most people simply thought that it was because her parents were long dead. But they were alive and even stronger than her?


    The gaze with which she looked at Eren changed instantly. Previously, she was her savior who appeared strong. But now, he was someone who was even stronger than the four Overlords.


    He was basically the real master of the Great Demon Sect. And as just an Inner Disciple, she had actuallye across such a powerful being.


    "Y-you are him?! You are the one who trained her and made her reach the realm she did?"


    Even though absurd, Xiu Ying yed along.


    "Although she is not talented, but she is still my daughter. So I taught her a few things."


    ''The Sect Master is said to be the most talented person in the Eastern Continent, but in his eyes, she isn''t even worth mentioning? Just how high are his standards?''


    The young girl found herself in a daze. Everything felt like a dream.


    "It''s impossible! You can''t be him!"


    Xiu Ying''s face was hidden behind a mask, but her voice was trembling which revealed her fear. It was as if she had lost her will to fight. She slowly stepped back.


    "Where are you going?"


    Eren raised his right hand while secretly winking at Xiu Ying.


    Xiu Ying froze in ce, her face growing pale. He flew forward, appearing right before Eren who grabbed her by the neck.


    "As a Senior, don''t you think it is bad to attack younglings?"


    "I-I was wrong! I will never do it again! Please let me leave!"


    "It has been a long time since I killed someone. And seeing how it is your first mistake that I''ve seen, I will let you go. But if there is a next time..."


    Eren tossed Xiu Ying aside like a weak doll, staying in character.


    Xiu Ying stood up weakly. She looked at Eren onest time before flying away in fear. She soon disappeared from the ce.


    "So many centuries have passed, yet the world still hasn''t changed."


    Eren looked at the sky, raising his head slightly to appear more surreal.


    He turned to the young girl. "What is your name?"


    "Z-Zhou Yanmei."


    The young girl respectfully lowered her head. The person in front of her was so strong that she didn''t want to be even slightly disrespectful.


    "You aren''t hurt, are you?"


    "I am fine, thanks to Grandmaster."


    "Hmm? Why are you calling me Grandmaster?"


    "Grandmaster might not know it, but I''m a disciple of the Great Demon Sect Master. She is my master and you are her father. Hence, you are my Grandmaster."


    "I see." Eren nodded, but the moment his mind processed all this information, he froze in ce.


    ''What the...'' He controlled himself, trying not to curse out loud.


    He had thought that the girl might have a master the moment she revealed that Talisman. But she never expected that master to be the person he least expected!


    He had just pretended to be the father of Feng Yu, and she was his disciple?


    ''She will kill me! She would definitely kill me if she heard that I called myself her father!''


    "Grandmaster, are you alright?"


    Zhou Yanmei didn''t know why Eren went silent. Fortunately, thanks to his mask, she couldn''t see his hair expressions.


    "It''s nothing. I was just thinking about something."


    Eren felt like he was stuck between a rock and a hard ce. He couldn''t receive any other options until he finished the choice he had made.


    But poaching a disciple from Feng Yu... Just what kind of absurd difficulty was this?


    He hade too far to give up. Even if he gave up now, what he did today was going toe to light sooner orter. He could only double down now to protect himself.


    "So you are the daughter of that little brat. No wonder you are so weak despite your talent. My little girl was never talented when it came to teaching others. What a waste..."


    ''Weak?''


    Zhao Yanmei didn''t know how to take it. She was very strong when it came to her age.


    She wasn''t as strong as the Core Disciples of the Sect, but that was also because she hadn''t been training since childhood like them.


    She had only started her cultivation journey a few months ago when the Sect Master saved her and epted her as a disciple.


    In just these few months, she had gone from having no cultivation to bing one of the strongest Inner Disciples.


    "I honestly thought that the little girl would never ept a disciple. So how did you be her disciple?"


    He wanted to ask her why she was still an Inner Disciple when her master was Sect Master Feng Yu.


    Irrespective of her strength, just based on her master''s identity, she would have be a Core Disciple easily. So why was she so unknown that even Xiu Ying didn''t know her.


    He also didn''t remember reading about a disciple of the Sect Master. There was not even a single mention of this in the novel that he read.


    ....


    ''I see. That emotionless doll epted a disciple to repay a favor, but that was the extent of it.


    ''She didn''t really care about her disciple. She left her to fend for herself in the sect. Even then, this girl is so grateful for her and doesn''t even realize it.''


    Eren heard her story where the girl told him how she ended up bing the Sect Master''s Disciple.


    After hearing it, he was slightly relieved to know that the two weren''t very close.


    Every once in a while, Feng Yu came to meet her and check her progress, but she didn''t really teach her anything personally.


    "What a waste. If you were trained properly, you could have grown so much more. That little brat truly doesn''t know how to appreciate a previous jade."


    "A precious jade? Me?"


    Zhao Yanmei looked surprised to hear someone this strongpliment her like that. Was she really so talented?


    This was the man who even called the Sect Master untalented, but he wasplimenting her?


    "You have a perfect bone structure and fate lines to be a powerful cultivator."


    Eren started making up things, trying to scam the young girl.


    Even he found it slightly embarrassing, feeling like he was a scammer who was selling old martial arts books to children by lying to them that they were destined to be great.

 Chapter 67: Rejection

    Chapter 67: Rejection


    Zhou Yanmei had never received such apliment.


    She knew that she was talented as her growth was fast, but this was the first time she heard that she was more talented than her master.


    If it was someone else saying it, she would have found it absurd.


    "Since you are my daughter''s disciple, I don''t want your talent to be wasted. So how about it? Will you be my Disciple?"


    Eren reached out his hand.


    All she needed to do was take his hand and ept him as his master. After that, he could finish this option.


    As for training her, he didn''t know how he could do that. But after epting her, he wasn''t nning to abandon her either.


    He had Xiu Ying to help him when it came to training and resources. He didn''t believe he was going to do a worse job than Feng Yu at being a teacher.


    The only problem for him was that he couldn''t afford to be exposed. But currently, he did not have time to think about it.


    Zhou Yanmei looked at Eren''s hand, feeling conflicted. She knew that she could reach even greater heights if she had this man as her master.


    Her current master left her to rely on herself. But with this man, she could truly blossom into a powerful cultivator.


    He was someone that had trained the Eastern Overlord. Her Master could achieve such great heights despite not being talented in his eyes. So what greater heights could she reach.


    "I have made up my mind."


    "A good deci-"


    Eren nodded, but before he couldplete his sentence, he heard the next sentence of Zhou Yanmei.


    "I can''t ept it. Even if I can reach greater heights with your help, I already have a master. I cannot betray my master."


    She lowered her head in apology. Even if she had rejected his suggestion, she didn''t want to be disrespectful.


    Eren didn''t know what to do. He was actually rejected and was in an awkward situation.


    He could not force this girl. But he also could not leave her.


    He retracted his hand, not knowing what to do.


    He felt impressed by the firm will of the girl and her loyalty to her master. But that same loyalty became an obstruction for him.


    "Cough, I think you are misunderstanding this old man."


    He quickly thought of another method, not sure if this was going to work.


    "I never said that you have to abandon my daughter to take me as your master."


    "I don''t?"


    Zhou Yanmei raised her head, surprised.


    "That''s right. How can I take the only disciple that my dear daughter epted? You don''t have to stop being her disciple. But who said you can''t have a second master?"


    "There are many people in this world who have more than one master. You can be one of them. And as far as hurting my daughter''s feelings are concerned, isn''t the solution simple?"


    "You just don''t have to tell her about me at all. I won''t tell her anything either. She won''t like the fact that I am teaching you as she can get verypetitive. She might even get angry if she finds out."


    "But as long as we keep it a secret, who is to know?"


    Eren didn''t want to lose his System forever. He had toplete this option at any cost.


    Fortunately, the option didn''t mention anything about her abandoning her previous master. It didn''t say that he had to be her only master.


    She could have the best of both worlds. And he could also avoid most of the risks of being exposed.


    "Is that really possible?"


    "Are you doubting this old man''s words? Even my daughter never doubted me!"


    "I-i am not doubting you!"


    "Then what are you waiting for? Is it that you really dislike the idea of taking this old man as your master?"


    Eren sighed as he turned around, appearing disappointed.


    "In that case, forget I said anything. I will leave. You can return. And next time, be safe."


    He started walking away.


    Usually, a Cultivator would have flown away. But he wanted to make it appear more dramatic and give her more time to stop him.


    Even as he walked away, he kept repeating in his mind.


    ''Please stop me. Or it would be too embarrassing when I will have to try and convince you again!''


    He walked away, his shoulders dropping slightly.


    Zhou Yanmei watched him leave. From his bodynguage, he didn''t appear angry. He looked sad instead.


    She couldn''t help but feel bad for him. After all, he was just trying to help her.


    epting him as her second master was more helpful for her. What benefit could that man even have when he already had such strength.


    If he wanted, he could ept even the Core Disciples from the Great Demon Sect.


    Still, he gave this opportunity to her, simply because she was a disciple of his daughter and he didn''t want her disciple to be a waste.


    "Wait!"


    Zhou Yanmei called out.


    Eren sighed in relief, slowly turning around. She had actually stopped him. Now all that was left was for her to ept him.


    "Yanmei greets you, Master."


    As soon as he turned around, he saw Zhou Yanmei on her knees,pleting a disciple''s rituals.


    "Good disciple."


    His voice remained calm without any change, as if it didn''t really matter to him. But deep down, he was very excited.


    He had almost lost his System because he epted an option that was a double edged sword.


    [You havepleted the Selected Option]


    [Congrattions on epting your second Disciple]


    [Total Disciples: 2]


    [You have been rewarded with Grade Three Alchemist Knowledge]


    The reward came as soon as hepleted the option.


    Knowledge and memories rted to Alchemy started entering his mind. It wasn''t just the knowledge, but he even felt as if he was absorbing their experience.


    This was truly a reward that would have made people all across the world jealous of him.


    However, before he could truly relish the feeling, a familiar sound echoed in his mind.


    [Ding]


    [You have received new options]

 Chapter 68: Masters Gift

    Chapter 68: Master''s Gift


    [Ding]


    [You have received new options]


    [Option One: You have epted your Second Disciple who looks up to you. As a kind hearted master, give her Celeste.


    Reward: System Upgrade A]


    [Option Two: You have epted your Second Disciple who looks up to you. As a kind hearted master, give her the Pendant of Protection that can protect her.


    Reward: System Upgrade B]


    [Option Three: You have epted your Second Disciple who looks up to you. As a kind hearted master, give her the Pendant of Strength that can help her.


    Reward: System Upgrade C]


    [Option Four: You have epted your Second Disciple who looks up to you. As a kind hearted master, give her the Inheritance that you have taken from the Forest of Death.


    Reward: System Upgrade D]


    ''There is no question about it. I won''t give her Celeste, or the Pendants. I''m taking thest option.''


    Eren did not know what the System Upgrade meant. All the options had the system upgrade rewards, but with a different character at the end.


    Since he could not see what they were, he could only gamble on it.


    "As this old man has epted you as a disciple, I shall grant you a small gift."


    Eren took out the ring that he took from the Forest of Death. It was the ring of inheritance that he exchanged an antidote for.


    He hadn''t lost anything in this exchange, basically taking it for free.


    It was a ring that contained many techniques from a powerful expert. It was something that had made the original owner very powerful.


    Unfortunately, even if he tried, he wasn''t able to learn those techniques.


    He believed it was because he didn''t have the basic knowledge about cultivation. He only knew what he had read in the novel.


    He was thinking about trying it again after recovering some of the memories of Elder Ren.


    ''No point in regretting this. It would have been a bigger regret if I lost the Pendant, or even Celeste.''


    The Pendants were his life saving treasure in this world. Having them was like having a second life.


    As for Celeste, she was very close to him. And even the person who he confused with the Author told him that Celeste was very special.


    He didn''t know why he said such a thing, but he didn''t underestimate his words.


    The only thing that he could give was the inheritance inside the ring, which was useless to him for the time.


    "This..."


    Zhou Yanmei looked at the ring which looked really old. But she could feel that it wasn''t ordinary. It was a very special ring, which was a treasure.


    It was also given by the Sect Master''s father. She couldn''t look down on it.


    She respectfully took the ring and wore it on her finger with great care. Just as she did, a warm glow emanated from the ring, enveloping her in aforting light.


    She was able to see inside the ring, and there, she saw many incredible Martial Skills. They were extraordinary, maybe even more special than the Sect''s most precious skills.


    "This... Did you write them, Master?!" she asked, shocked.


    These were the skills that Eren created? He hadn''t told her where he got it from, so she thought it was his.


    Eren, after momentarily being surprised, quickly gathered his thoughts.


    "Cough, That''s right. I wrote them when I was younger. They are very crude, but you are just starting. They should be good enough as a base. When you get stronger, I will make more powerful skills for you."


    "I love it so much!" The girl cheerfully pped her hands in excitement, feeling grateful.


    She already believed that she had made the best choice in her life by epting a new master.


    "Remember one thing though. You must never let my daughter know about me. Hide that ring from her if you ever meet, or she might suspect you."


    "I will keep it in mind. I will never let her know about you." Zhou Yanmei earnestly nodded in full seriousness.


    She understood why her second master was worried about her first master. It was simply because he did not want to hurt the feelings of his daughter.


    "Good girl," Eren gently patted Zhou Yanmei''s head, his voice filled with both affection and authority.


    "It is time for you to return to the sect now. Instead of wandering outside, dedicate yourself to diligent practice. When we meet next time, I will check your progress," he reminded her, telling her not to waste time outside.


    Havingpleted the quest and rewarding his Second Disciple, Eren was cautious not to risk triggering any additional options that might divert him from his goals.


    As the warm winds wrapped around him, he began to ascend into the air. He turned to Zhou Yanmei once more, his eyes filled with serious intent.


    "Remember everything I have taught you. Should you dare to break even a single rule of mine..." Eren''s sentence trailed off, leaving the consequence unspoken.


    And with that, he vanished into the clouds, leaving Zhou Yanmei with a sense of both anticipation for the next time they were going to meet.


    Above the clouds, Eren was greeted by the awaiting Phoenix. Weary from everything, hended on the majestic creature, releasing a tired sigh.


    Finally, after a long journey, all the options had been aplished. Eren''s exhaustion was evident on his face.


    "Did I perform well?" Xiu Ying asked. She had been patiently waiting for him, her posture humble and respectful.


    "You surpassed all expectations. I never knew you possessed such exceptional skills as a Viin. You have the potential to be a true professional in this field," Eren praised with a lightughter.


    Lying on the back of the Phoenix, Eren rested his head upon Xiu Ying''sp, findingfort in her embrace.


    "Who would have thought that acting could be such a demanding job," he mused, looking back at all the lies he had to tell.


    ...


    "Are we heading to the Southern Continent now?"


    "That was the n, but there is one more ce we need to stop at before that," replied Eren.

 Chapter 69: Even if you were

    Chapter 69: Even if you were


    "Are we heading to the Southern Continent now?"


    "That was the n, but there is one more ce we need to stop at before that," replied Eren.


    Curiosity piqued, Xiu Ying asked, "And where would that be?"


    Eren''s expression turned serious as he revealed, "Someone attempted to harm my dear disciple. As a Master, I cannot let them go."


    Xiu Ying nodded in understanding, no further questions needed. The implication behind Eren''s words was crystal clear to her.


    They were going back to the City they came from. To have a small meeting with the Prince of this Kingdom.


    It would have been different if the Prince was under their control when he tried to kill her. It would be clear that he did not want to do that.


    But the Prince did this on his own, without Xiu Ying''s maniption.


    As this thought had already appeared in his head, Eren wanted to make it so that this could never be a threat to his Disciple.


    The Phoenix turned in the sky, taking the opposite direction from Zhao Yanmei.


    Only after getting far from sight, the Phoenix came under the clouds.


    "I did not want to make my presence known, but I''ll let it be. I want them to know what happens when one touches a disciple of my sect!"


    The citizens of the city watched the surroundings turn brighter and warmer.


    They looked around in confusion. Why did it suddenly be so hot?


    It was only when they heard a powerful screech from the sky, they looked above and saw a burning creature flying towards them.


    The creature had mes around its wings and looked frightening and beautiful at the same time.


    The citizens of the city watched in awe and fear as the fiery creature descended from the sky.


    The intense heat emanating from its wings caused the air around them to shimmer.


    Eren and Xiu Ying stood on the back of the Phoenix, their eyes fixed on the city below.


    Eren''s voice echoed with authority as he addressed the startled crowd.


    "I am the Elder Ren from the Great Demon Sect. Someone here tried to kill a disciple of the Sect! I havee to eradicate the person responsible as well as the City!"


    "Those who have nothing to do with it, leave right now! This will be thest mercy I show!"


    "An Elder from the Great Demon Sect?!"


    The citizens of the city still remembered the stories they had heard.


    Thest time someone offended the Great Demon Sect, this city was destroyed. Was the newly created city going to be destroyed as well?


    None of them wanted to stay here if that was the case.


    Instead of ming Eren, they med the person who was responsible for it! If anything, they felt like Eren was too kind.


    Thest time an Elder was offended here, she did not just kill the culprit but everyone else as well. So many innocents had died that day.


    Compared to that, Eren was a saint.


    "Are youing out or should Ie in myself?"


    Erennded in front of the City Lord''s Mansion, helped by the Phoenix mes.


    Inside the mansion, the Crown Prince was shivering.


    He had heard the deration of Eren. He was nning to escape after hiding himself amongst the servants. But before he could do that, the person was already outside the Mansion?


    He did not expect an Elder of the Great Demon Sect to be here.


    The Crown Prince was scared. He felt like heart was going to jump out of his chest.


    ''Just why did I have to listen to the foolish son of my Master!''


    He red at his Junior Brother but he couldn''t do anything now. None of them expected an Elder to be here.


    "Go talk to him. I will try to contact my father. He wille here to save me! Just keep him busy!"


    "If Masteres, we might survive." The Crown Prince nodded.


    The Sect Master of the Asura Sect was strong. Even if he wasn''t as strong as the Great Demon Sect Master or the Great Elders, but he could definitely put up a fight against an ordinary Elder.


    As long as his master was here, he was certain that they were going to be fine.


    "I hope he is willing to listen."


    The Crown Prince was filled with fear, but he still put on a false facade as he stepped out of the room.


    He quickly left the mansion, finding Eren standing there.


    He could not see Eren''s face behind his mask, but he could see the Phoenix in the sky.


    Only a powerful person could have a beast like that in their control.


    "Elder Ren, I heard your deration. Could there be a misunderstanding? Only a fool would dare attack a disciple of your sect."


    "I agree with that." Eren nodded. "The one who tried was definitely a fool. And that fool needs to pay with his life."


    He stepped towards the Crown Prince.


    The Crown Prince stepped back subconsciously. "I-i will definitely help you investigate this matter. The Kingdom is with you."


    "As the Crown Prince, it is my promise to you that we will find the culprit!"


    "Oh, don''t worry. I already found that person."


    "E-Elder Ren, why do I feel like you are talking about me? I would never do something like that! I''m a disciple of the Asura Sect Master. I would never do something so low."


    He tried to im his innocence while also reminding Eren about his identity.


    He was not like his foolish brother. He wasn''t just the Crown Prince. He was also a Personal Disciple of the Asura Sect Master.


    Targeting him was no different than targeting the Sect Master of Asura Sect.


    "Even if you were a disciple of the Lord of Heaven, you would still die today for attempting to kill my disciple!"


    Eren reached out his hand, the Phoenix mes wrapping around his arm.


    Death momentarily shed before the Crown Prince''s eyes. He was standing in the same ce as his brother did when he died due to schemes.


    It was as if karma was striking him back. He closed his eyes, scared for his life.


    "How dare you try to touch my disciple?!"


    As Eren was about to touch the Crown Prince, the void split open in the sky.

 Chapter 70: Your Third Mistake

    Chapter 70: Your Third Mistake


    A figure d in ck robes emerged from the void, his presence exuding an aura of darkness and bloodlust.


    It was none other than the Sect Master of the Asura Sect, the father of the Crown Prince.


    "Stop!" hemanded, his voice echoing with rage. "Release my disciple immediately!"


    Eren paused, his hand still outstretched towards the trembling Crown Prince. He turned his gaze towards the Sect Master in the sky.


    If it was in the past, he really would have been scared at this long. But currently, he was in no mood to give way.


    "Do you know what he did?"


    The Sect Master''s eyes narrowed, his voiceced with a hint of anger. "I will deal with this matter within my sect. It is not for you to touch my Disciple."


    Eren was already frustrated that he had been shoved into this crazy world. And now this man was using such shameless lines on him? Even if he had to offend this man, he didn''t care.


    "I would love to see how you will stop me." Eren reached out his hand, cing it over the Crown Prince''s head.


    The Phoenix mes instantly spread out. In the blink of an eye, his mes covered the entire body of the Crown Prince whose painful cries echoed in the surrounding.


    The cries of the Crown Prince only stopped when his body was turned to ashes.


    "You!" The Asura Sect Master could not believe it.


    It was the same in the past. It was just like how Feng Yu had killed his father right before his eyes. And he wasn''t able to do anything.


    Ever since then, he had been waiting for revenge. But again, the same situation was happening? And this time, it was a mere elder who was doing it?!


    "You are courting death!"


    The Asura Sect Master was filled with anger like never before.


    It wasn''t just the anger of losing his disciple but also the anger of losing his father that he had bottled deep within him for a long time.


    Now, one person had be the target of that anger. And it was Eren!


    The Asura Sect Master''s anger was not something that anyone could take. The sky also changed color, turning into a shade of red.


    A giant palm materialized in the sky, as if it was falling straight from heaven. It came for Eren, trying to kill him.


    The Phoenix screeched with majesty, her wings lighting up in even fiercer mes as she shot out a gust of mes.


    The mes of the Phoenix devoured the giant palm, surprising the Asura Sect Master.


    "So this little bird is what gives you the courage to fight me?! Fine! I will kill it first!"


    The Asura Sect Master shifted his attention to the Phoenix.


    He had been wondering why this man was so courageous before him. But now he understood it was because he was supported by a Mythical Beast.


    The Asura Sect Master flew towards the Phoenix, at a speed that was hard to catch.


    Phoenix again used her mes, but this time, the Asura Sect Master had directly taken action.


    With a wave of his hand, he dispersed the mes that came for him.


    "It would have been different if it was a fully grown up Mythical Beast. But it is just a child. Did you really think it could stop me twice?!"


    The Asura Sect Master reached the Phoenix, who was still on thend for some reason. It hadn''t taken flight.


    "You can only me that foolish master of yours for your death!" he eximed as he appeared right before the phoenix, closing her mouth with both his hands that had bulked up with raw strength.


    As the Asura Sect Master was about to crush the Phoenix''s skull, a voice came from behind him.


    "If she can''t stop you, what about her master?"


    Before he could react, someone grabbed him by the neck.


    The Sect Master was stunned. The strength behind that grip was beyond his understanding.


    He was a Physical Cultivator. Even the sharpest sword could not break his defenses. Even if he was tossed in a volcano, he could stille out safely.


    Even if a mountain was tossed over his body, he could still survive without any damage to his body. But this time, he felt pain.


    He was shocked by the pain that he had not felt since he mastered his invincible Asura Physique.


    In his shock, his grip around the Phoenix weakened. At that exact moment, he was pulled back.


    Before he could react, his face was smashed on the floor with strength that made the entire city tremble.


    "Since I only have five minutes, I will make sure to enjoy it to the fullest!"


    In the corner of his vision, a notification was present.


    [Pendant of Strength]


    [Uses Left: 1]


    "I did not expect the Sect Master of Asura Sect to personallye, at least not this fast. But you made three mistakes..."


    "Your first mistake," Eren raised the Asura Sect Master before smashing his skull on the floor.


    Boom~


    "It wasing here!"


    "Your second mistake..."


    Boom~


    "It was trying to harm my cute little bird."


    Boom~


    "And your third mistake."


    "Using the cliche lines that make me cringe! I mean, who even uses words like Courting Death? Are you in some eastern fantasy web novel or something?"


    Boom ~


    Eren smashed his skull again. Even with the invincible body, the Asura Sect Master had started bleeding profusely.


    "Wait, you are in an eastern fantasy novel. Cough, forget thatst line. Your third mistake can be threatening me or something."


    "What matters is that it''s enough of a crime for you to interfere in the heroic moment of a master trying to take revenge for his disciple."


    The Asura Sect Master could not believe it. He was the Sect Master of Asura Sect and he was being treated like a toy?


    "Argh! You can kill a Warrior but you can''t insult one!"


    The Asura Sect Master used all his strength to push his body up.


    p~


    As he was about to stand up, a pnded on the back of his hand, which sent him down again.

 Chapter 71: So what?

    Chapter 71: So what?


    "Your disciple tried to kill mine."


    Smash~


    "The same was the case for your son. I was going to leave after teaching them a lesson. If you hadn''t arrived, I would already be on my way."


    Smash~


    "I''mte because of you. You know how expensive my time is?"


    Smash~


    "On top of that, you tried to kill my cute pet?"


    Smash~


    "You know how hard it was to put an act before my disciple?"


    Smash~


    "Can you understand my pain for having to fulfill those options?"


    Smash~


    "So what if I called a trash book trash? Did they have to get so offended that they dragged me here?"


    Smash~


    "I was also due for a promotion when I was brought here! I am on unpaid leave now! Do you know how much loss I am suffering?"


    Smash~


    "Do you know how my perfect attendance is suffering?"


    Smash~


    "Three years ago..."


    Eren kept smashing the head of Asura Sect Master while letting out all the frustration from his heart.


    It started from things that were rted to this world and soon reached the point where he was talking about thingspletely unrted.


    The Sect Master did not understand half the things that Eren was saying.


    If he could understand, he would have coughed another mouthful of blood.


    He might have asked, "If three years ago you dropped your phone and had to spend a fortune to get the back ss reced, what do I have to do with that?! Why are you breaking me for that?"


    He was smashed so bad that even with his immortal physique, it was too much pain. He could not take out anymore and passed out, his face beyond recognition.


    Eren stood there, bewildered at the sight of Master''s unconscious state.


    "You passed out simply from hearing my pain! Imagine my situation!"


    Smash~


    "F-father...?"


    A young man stood near the windows, horrified after seeing the scene outside.


    He had seen the Crown Prince die. Even he didn''t expect an Elder from Demon Sect to be so crazy.


    When his father arrived, he thought that everything was going to be over. But his father was also getting beaten right before his eyes? It was impossible.


    "Husband is really incredible, isn''t he?"


    He was frozen in ce, horrified. But soon he heard a beautiful voice that made him subconsciously turn around.


    The moment he looked back, he saw a beautiful woman standing there.


    She had no veil covering her face. It was impossible to hide her charm. Just from a single nce, the young man felt like he forgot about the entire world.


    His father was getting beaten? So what? Someone had died? So what? All that mattered was the woman before him.


    He was in love. It wasn''t ordinary love either. He waspletely crazy for her, willing to do anything she asked.


    "I love you. I can do anything for you! Please be mine!"


    "Do you really love me?"


    "More than my life!"


    "Will you do what I ask then?"


    The man nkly nodded. He was not in his sane mind. He couldn''t even think clearly.


    "Then kill yourself..."


    Xiu Ying handed a dagger to the young man. Without the slightest hesitation, the young man stabbed himself.


    He did not register pain. Even as his chest bled, he only had a smile on his face. Her mind was only filled with one thing. It was filled with love for the woman before him.


    With blood loss, his vision became weaker until he wasn''t even able to remain standing. He dropped to his knees. Even while dying, he was only thinking about stealing more nces at this fairy-like creature.


    ....


    "And then she said that she lost my cat! Can you believe that witch?!"


    Smash~


    The City again trembled as Eren smashed the Sect Master''s skull.


    His strength had gone beyond the threshold, all thanks to the mysterious Pendant of Strength.


    Xiu Ying appeared behind Eren. She could see that the man was already dead. She wasn''t sure if he died from shock, blood loss or from embarrassment?


    "He seems to be dead already."


    "I know."


    Smash~


    Eren smashed the man''s skull again. Although he still could not believe that he had actually killed the Asura Sect Master.


    The Pendant of Strength was truly beyond his wildestprehension. It was a treasure that shouldn''t have existed in this world.


    He wasn''t sure if he could defeat an Overlord with this Pendant. In strength, he was beyond an Overlord when he used the pendant.


    Unfortunately, an Overlord was someone who had a lot of ways to kill him. Without the Pendant of Protection, even if he had raw strength, he could not do much.


    The Overlords weren''t physical fighters like the Asura Sect Master.


    ''I also know that he is dead. He died only after a minute. But he made me use the Pendant of Strength. What was I to do for the next four minutes?''


    He did not tell Xiu Ying that he only did it because he was bored and did not want to waste even a second of this pendant''s use.


    Once the second use was activated, he had five minutes. He could not save this time for the future. Hence, he could only do something like this to pass some time.


    At the same time, he also wanted to see how long it took to break this man''s skull.


    However, to his surprise, this man''s skull was still intact even after all that.


    He was dead, but his physique was truly out of this world.


    "I wonder what kind of skill he mastered. It would be good to have something like that."


    Finally, five minutes were over. The strength left Eren''s body and he sat down, tired and exhausted.


    He took the ring from Asura Sect Master. Even if he could not find any skill for the future, he still believed this man was going to have a lot of wealth.


    A poor Elder like him definitely needed some wealth for this long journey.


    After taking the ring, Eren prepared to leave .


    "I think after today, your reputation will be no less than Zhang Wei. No, it will be even more. You killed the Asura Sect Master. Your name will soon spread across the entire continent."

 Chapter 72: Ren Necroline

    Chapter 72: Ren Necroline


    ....


    "Do you think I went overboard?"


    Eren asked Xiu Ying as the Phoenix traveled over the horizon, leaving behind mountains.


    "You don''t look like you regret it. You have been smiling for quite some time."


    Xiu Ying smiled as she cast a nce at Eren.


    She could see that Eren had been looking really happy ever since he killed the Sect Master of Asura Sect.


    It wasn''t the happiness of someone who thought they went overboard.


    "Did I make it that obvious?" Eren scratched the back of his head, slightly embarrassed.


    It was true that he had been happy. It was good to vent out some frustration. But more than that, the reason behind his happiness was something else.


    It was the screen that was visible before him.


    [Congrattions onpleting the third option]


    Xiu Ying thought that he simply killed the man because he was frustrated. That was partially the reason, but the main reason was this.


    As soon as the Asura Sect Master came there, four options appeared before him.


    Even without these options, he would have loved to teach that man a lesson. But these options made the deal a whole lot sweeter.


    He certainly chose the option to kill the Asura Sect Master. Not only was it the option with the best reward, but it was also something he wanted to do.


    The other options were too embarrassing after all. All other worlds were rted to apologizing, begging for forgiveness or giving up a treasure in exchange for forgiveness.


    None of those options made sense to him. He was a man. Xiu Ying was watching him. How could he lower his head?


    Above all else, he was now the Master of Zhao Yanmei. It was his duty to see it to the end.


    [You have been rewarded with innate skill ''Identification'']


    [Identification allows you to check the Status Screen of every person or item]


    The description of the reward was simple, but it was something that made Eren the most exciting.


    He had a system, but the most his system could do was give him options. He did not have any other abilities. He could not even check his own stats.


    With this Identification skill, a lot of his problems were solved.


    Previously, he could only rely on his knowledge from the book and instincts to know who he could never offend. But there were a lot of dangers in this world that he did not know about.


    There were many experts that kept themselves hidden. But with this new skill, he could check their stats and avoid any danger.


    Even if he couldn''t avoid them, he could at least prepare ordingly.


    He gazed at his hand and activated the skill on himself.


    "Identification."


    As soon as he used the Skill, a screen appeared before him, showing him a lot of information.


    ****


    [Name: Eren (Ren Necroline)]


    [Level: 1]


    [Identity: Elder at the Great Demon Sect, Spy of Mythical Hero Academy, Owner of Devourer Bloodline, Heir of the Necromancer Tower]


    [Bloodline: Devourer, Unknown]


    [Age: 21]


    [Traits: Calm]


    [Stats]


    [Strength: 2]


    [Agility: 3]


    [Stamina: 5]


    [Intelligence :25]


    [Mana: 50]


    [Cultivation: Unknown (Sealed)]


    [Hero Grade: Unranked]


    [Goddess Protection: None]


    [Unique items in possession: Pendant of Protection, Pendant of Strength]


    [Skills: Sword Emperor''s Aura, Aura Control Method, Identification, Devouring(Partially Sealed),


    *****


    From the first line, to thest, Eren was in for a shock.


    He knew that the man he possessed was named Ren. But even he did not know this man''splete name.


    The book always mentioned him as Elder Ren, never going in detail about hisst name. But with the Identification Skill, he was able to see thest name.


    The man was named Ren Necroline.


    More shocking than that was the identity section. He knew that he was the Elder of the Demon Sect, as well as a Spy of Hero Academy.


    He also knew that he was the owner of Devourer Bloodline, thanks to his system. But what was the fourth point?


    He rubbed his eyes to make sure that he was not seeing anything wrong. However, this was actually being shown on the screen.


    ''Heir of Necromancer Tower?''


    What was the Necromancer Tower? It was one of the Overlords! It was the Overlord of the Northern Continent, just like the Great Demon Sect was the Overlord of the Eastern Continent.


    The Tower Master of the Necromancer Tower, no matter which ranking, was always ranked near the top in the Overlord Rankings.


    Just his strength alone was enough to bring true chaos to all thend. And he was the Heir of that Necromancer Tower? How was that even possible?


    How could Ren have an identity so special and still end up with the Mythical Hero Academy? How could a character like that be so pathetically weak and insignificant in the story that he read?


    The next line also surprised him just as much. He had the Bloodline of Devourer, but it showed that he had another Bloodline that was unknown.


    Was it a Bloodline rted to the Necromancer Tower? He was not certain.


    If the first few lines shocked him, then the next few lines made him underwhelmed as well.


    His strength, agility and all the other stats were so mediocre that it would have beenughable.


    Even an ordinary man in this world had the strength of three points. Meanwhile, his strength was only two points?


    He remembered the book mentioned something about it. When the main character had first opened his Status Screen, he was an ordinary person without any cultivation.


    Still, he had the strength of ten points. And here he was, with only two points.


    He had thought that something was the problem with him. He thought it was because of his memories that he was not able to use the true strength of Elder Ren.


    However, was this his reality? Elder Ren truly was this weak at core? Or was there another reason for this?


    Even if the Cultivation was sealed, how could his stats be so bad?


    With increased Cultivation, the person''s body was constantly nourished by the Celestial Energy. That not only affected the bones and muscles but also the core strength.


    If the Cultivation was sealed, it could stop the use of Martial Arts, but how could the basic stats get so bad?


    There were a lot of things that did not make sense to him, especially when it came to this character.


    Revonne

 Chapter 73: Day Of Love

    Chapter 73: Day Of Love


    "Ying-er, how much do you know about the Necromancer Tower and its leader?"


    Eren was really curious about the identity of the body he had possessed.


    It was at times like these, that he regretted not reading the novel to the end. His knowledge about the other Continents was very limited.


    The Necromancer Tower was mentioned many times in the novel he read, but never in great detail.


    The only thing he knew about the Necromancer Tower was the title of its master and the fact that they used Death Magic. They ruled over the Northern Continent which was also called the Continent of Magic.


    "Are you interested in those Mages?"


    "It''s always best to know your enemies." Eren agreed with Xiu Ying''s question.


    At the same time, he also used his Identification Skill to learn more about Xiu Ying.


    "The Necromancer Tower is filled with crazy people," Xiu Ying told Eren.


    "Crazy because they deal with death magic?" Eren asked while looking at the Status Screen of Xiu Ying.


    ....


    [Name: Xiu Ying]


    [Level: 50]


    [Identity: Great Elder at the Demon Sect]


    [Bloodline: None]


    [Age: 33]


    [Traits: Crazily in love with Elder Ren]


    [Stats]


    [Strength: 652]


    [Agility: 933]


    [Stamina: 995]


    [Intelligence :13]


    [Mana: 0]


    [Cultivation: Peak of Earth Refining Realm]


    [Hero Grade: None]


    [Goddess Protection: None]


    [Unique items in possession: Veil of Fairy Mountain]


    [Strongest Skills: Enchanting de, Sword of Seduction, Charm]


    ....


    Looking at her stats, he could see how pathetic his stats actually were.


    If her stats were so high, he could only imagine how high the stats of Asura Sect Master were. And what about Feng Yu, one of the four Overlords?


    Meanwhile his stats didn''t even cross ten points on average. The only thing he did notck was the intelligence stat.


    ''I really need to recover the memories to understand why Ren had such bad stats.''


    "They are not crazy because they deal with death. But they are crazy because they are crazy. You need to meet one of them to understand what I mean."


    Even she could not describe the people of Necromancer Tower. She only had one word for them... Crazy.


    "It looks like you don''t have a good impression of the Necromancer Tower."


    "If possible, I would rather meet the Hero Academy idiots than someone from the Necromancer Tower."


    Hearing her response, Eren was very surprised. Everyone in the Eastern Continent hated the Hero Academy.


    If she was willing to meet them rather than the Necromancer Tower Mages, it was saying something.


    As she talked about them, it did not look like she hated them. Instead, it was more like she just did not want to deal with them.


    "What do you know about their Tower Master then?" Eren asked, changing the topic. "Did you hear about his Heir?"


    "The Tower Master of Necromancer Tower? I don''t think he has any heir. I''ve never heard about him being married either."


    "I see."


    Eren did not ask any more questions. At this point, it was clear to him that Xiu Ying did not have the answer that he needed. Most of these answers were probably hidden in Ren''s memories.


    ''I guess I will find out soon enough about the history of this Ren Necroline... The Character that looked so insignificant at first, yet the more I explore him, the more depth he appears to have.''


    "You have worked hard recently. You should rest. Soon, we would reach the Southern Continent."


    Erenfortablyid back on the back of the Phoenix. However, just as he was about to close his eyes, Xiu Ying''s scent came closer.


    He saw her face being right above his face.


    "Aren''t you forgetting something?" she asked with a slight blush on her face.


    "What?" Eren did not know what she was talking about. But he was starting to have a bad feeling about this.


    Xiu Ying came closer to him, her lips right next to his ear.


    She gently whispered. "You promised me a nice reward if I helped you get your second disciple."


    The soft whisper next to his ears sent a strange sensation down Eren''s body.


    "Isn''t it about time for you to give me my reward?" She brought her lips even closer and gently bit Eren''s ear.


    Eren reached out his hand, grabbing her waist as he drew her into his embrace.


    "And what reward do you need?"


    He had been trying to resist her charm and advances. But he knew there was no point in that.


    He signaled to Celeste, making her turn around and look elsewhere. It was something he had taught her much earlier because he knew that a day like this was only a matter of time.


    He knew that Xiu Ying was crazy in love with him. If he kept breaking her heart, then this love could create a lot of problems for him.


    The more someone loved a person, the more they could hate them when the time came. He did not want to face that reality, especially with a girl like her.


    Moreover, he did not hate her either. Although they had been together on a short journey, but he felt that she truly wasn''t a bad person.


    She was beautiful, and she was good to him. She was like a beautiful dream. The more he tried to resist this dream, the more he wanted to embrace this beautiful dream.


    It was wrong to say that he hadn''t started to fall for her. Who couldn''t fall for a girl like this? She was strong, she was beautiful and she was considerate.


    "The reward I want is right before my eyes." Xiu Ying stated as her misty eyes looked deep in Eren''s eyes.


    "You have quite a big appetite, Miss." Eren ced his hand on her back.


    "When my husband is so amazing, why shouldn''t I have a big appetite?"


    "Are yo-"


    Eren tried to speak but Xiu Ying moved forward and ced her lips on his lips, closing his mouth.


    Unlike previous times, Eren did not push her back either. Instead, he also gave in.


    [The Path of Lover progress: 1.2]

 Chapter 74: Northern Continent

    Chapter 74: Northern Continent


    ....


    The sun shone brightly in the clear blue sky, casting a warm andforting glow over the horizon below.


    A Mythical Beast flew through the sky, its vibrant wings shimmering in the sunlight as it danced gracefully among the fluffy white clouds.


    The sight was mesmerizing, and asionally a few people in the group noticed the ming beast in the sky. However, none of them knew what was happening on the back of the Phoenix.


    It waste in the afternoon when Eren opened his eyes, finding Xiu Ying still in his arms.


    The woman often woke up earlier than him, despite sleepingter. But this time, she was still peacefully sleeping.


    "How long are you going to act like you are sleeping?" Eren asked as his finger gently brushed against her skin, tucking her hair behind her ear.


    "How did you find out?" Xiu Ying opened her eyes, looking even more mesmerizing. She had a beautiful smile on her face, every time he looked back tost night.


    She had woken up a long time ago, but she did not want to leave Eren''s embrace.


    "I did not know. I just tossed that question just to be sure." Eren burst intoughter. He really did not expect her to actually be pretending.


    Xiu Ying pouted. "So you fooled me."


    "How can I fool my beautifuldy?" Eren shrugged. "Anyway, are you hungry?"


    Eren wanted to sit up and have something to eat. However, Xiu Ying was still resting her head on his arm. He did not want to push her away.


    Xiu Ying understood what Eren was implying. He just did not want to be rude.


    She sat up, freeing his arm.


    For quite some time, Eren did not even feel his arm. Fortunately, the feeling returned after some time.


    He also sat up and brought some delicacies out of his inventory.


    He also brought a small cake that he had taken from the previous city and ced it on the side for Celeste.


    Celeste jumped into the cake like it was a swimming pool, all excited. This was Eren''s form of apology for making Celeste look into the empty distant horizon while hearing strange noises.


    Eren and Xiu Ying started eating. He could see her asionally stealing nces at him.


    He also could not take his eyes off her at times. He still could not believe that such a beautiful woman belonged to him now.


    Back on earth, he was very popr because he was intelligent. But he had never been in a rtionship.


    Even if he wanted, he was certain that it would have been impossible to find a woman like Xiu Ying back on earth. She was truly in a league of her own.


    "Is something on my face?" Xiu Ying asked, noticing Eren''s gaze.


    "You are so beautiful."


    Xiu Ying lowered her head, embarrassed at thepliment.


    She had heard thispliment many times, but it was always from people that did not even see the real her. And everyone who saw the real her was mesmerized and charmed, so theirpliments did not matter to her.


    Eren was the first person who had seen the real her and stayed unaffected. This was why hispliment mattered the most to her.


    He thought that she was in love with him because the charm had backfired on her. But only she knew that it was only partially true.


    She had truly felt something for him when he resisted her charm and walked away. Moreover, instead of trying to have revenge on her for her attempt to kill him, he was still so nice to her.


    The effect of the charm backfiring would have been over in a few days. But the reason she was still in love with him was mainly because she did not hate this feeling.


    If anything, she loved this feeling. She loved the fact that there was a man who knew the real her.


    His gaze did not disgust her. No, if anything, it made her feel better. She felt appreciated.


    She loved his gaze. She loved his touch. She loved his embrace. She even loved the moments where he was shy because of her advances. All these things kept making her fall for him again and again.


    For her, this was the only person that was made for her in this world.


    "Thank you," she muttered under her breath.


    "Did you say something?" Eren asked, not hearing her barely audible words.


    "Nothing. I just said that we will soon be entering the Southern Continent."


    "That is true. It would be hard to travel through the Southern Continent on a Phoenix."


    In the Eastern Continent, it did not matter even if he traveled on a Mythical Beast. At most, it could give away his identity when someone saw it.


    It was different in the Southern Continent.


    In that continent, there were many Heroes who had an ability to fly. There were also a lot of Heroes with other abilities that could catch him.


    Flying on the Phoenix was like flying with a big banner above his head that said he was from the Eastern Continent.


    It was fine if other people did not care about it, but he knew it wasn''t the case for the Southern Continent. It was the enemy of the Eastern Continent.


    "You might have to leave the Phoenix behind," Xiu Ying reminded him.


    Eren nodded. He already knew that he could not take the Phoenix with him. That''s why he brought Xiu Ying together for his safety.


    .....


    After a few days, the Phoenix finally reached the threshold of the Northern Continent.


    It flew above the great river that separated the two continents beforending on the Northern Continent.


    From here on, it was a journey that Eren had to take alone.


    "I will see youter, little one." Eren kept the Phoenix in his inventory.


    At first, he did not even know that he could keep his Pheonix there. However, when testing, he came to realize that he could keep beasts there. He just couldn''t keep humans there.


    "Shall we get going?" Eren asked Xiu Ying, looking at the new horizon before him.

 Chapter 75: Coastal City

    Chapter 75: Coastal City


    ....


    The bright moon was casting a reflection over the Ocean that could be seen from the Coastal City of the Southern Continent.


    Under the moonlit sky, a young man had entered the Coastal City, apanied by a veiled woman.


    Eren was immersed in the map, not paying attention to his surroundings. Fortunately, the city streets were almost empty at this time.


    "We are finally here."


    It took him a few weeks, but he finally managed to reach the Coastal City which was his destination. The journey had been more troublesome than he initially expected.


    Along the way, he had been careful to avoid catching any attention.


    He did not want to make his presence known, at least not until he managed to kill the Sea Dragon and recover some of his memories.


    This was the Hero''s Continent, which was under the control of the Mythical Hero Academy. He did not want to attract their attention.


    All he knew was that he was a spy from the Hero Academy. He did not know how many people knew about his identity as a Spy.


    He did not know how he was going to exin to Xiu Ying if he came across a person like that, and the secret was exposed. Hence, he avoided the more popr routes.


    He avoided the most popr cities even if that meant he had to take a longer route. Unfortunately, the continent was too vast. Without the Phoenix, Eren soon realized how hard it was to reach the ocean side of this continent.


    He had given up on the idea of not using the Phoenix only a few days after entering this continent. Xiu Ying had a powerful divine sense. With that, he was able to use the Phoenix asionally.


    Whenever he was not near the cities he used the Phoenix to travel. Most of the time, Xiu Ying was able to warn him long before they came across anyone.


    Hence, the journey became much smoother. And after three weeks, he was finally in the Coastal City.


    "ording to the map, it''s not long before we reach the habitat of the Sea Dragon," Erenmented and folded the Map. "We will rest in the city for a night."


    "I will check if there are any hotels nearby that have rooms." Xiu Ying went to look for hotels that had rooms avable.


    "That girl is a little too considerate," Eren watched Xiu Ying disappear. He could already see her intentions.


    She did not want him to go from ce to ce, looking for rooms. She wanted him to have the best experience possible, even though this was also her first time here.


    "Isn''t that right, Celeste?" He patted the tiny head of the fairy on his shoulder. "Shall we go look for some cake for you?"


    He had not forgotten the promise to Celeste that he was going to get her something delicious to eat.


    Even though it was the middle of the night, he was sure that some stores should be open in amercial city like this.


    He soon found a store that appeared to be open. He approached the store with Celeste.


    He bought a cake inside the store and came out to find a secluded ce for Celeste to eat.


    Celeste was already looking at the Cake with greedy eyes, eager to eat. She appeared impatient.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t steal it from you."


    m~


    Eren was walking on the street to look for the best ce to eat. Just as he found a ce, he heard the sound of rushed footstepsing from behind him.


    "Hmm?"


    He slowed down, but before he could turn, he felt push on his shoulder. Someone shed with his shoulder, sending his cake flying.


    Eren also lost his bnce, almost falling.


    He tried to catch the cake, but he could not reach it in time. Right before his eyes, the cake fell t on the street.


    "You!" He turned around, furious.


    As he looked back, he noticed that there was no one next to him. The person who hit him wasn''t waiting for him to apologize. Instead, the person was still running away.


    From the person''s physique and clothes, he could see that it was a woman. She was running, but caring about anything else.


    If he wasn''t certain that there was no one behind him, he might have thought that she was being chased by someone. But to him, she looked more like a reckless person only.


    "Idiot, watch where you are going!" Eren called out.


    As he finished scolding the girl, he noticed Celeste who was sitting next to the ruined cake.


    Her eyes had already started getting wet, as if she was about to cry.


    "Don''t worry. I will get you another one. I should have enough money."


    Eren picked up Celeste and turned back to the shop.


    When he came here, he did not have the currency of this world. But along the way, he had managed to gather some.


    "Instead of one, I will get you two. Happy?" he ced Celeste on his shoulder. But as he was about to walk back, he saw a system screen appear before him.


    "I was wondering why this thing hadn''t appeared for so long."


    Eren looked at the familiar screen that had four options present.


    ......


    Option One: Go after the woman.


    Reward: Cultivation +1


    Option Two: Go to the Shop.


    Reward: Escape Talisman


    Option Three: Wait here for Xiu Ying.


    Rewards: Question Voucher


    Option Four: Leave the City.


    Reward: Luck +1


    ......


    "This time, it is too vague for some reason. Go after that woman? Is it asking me to have revenge for the cake? That seems too excessive."


    He quickly rejected the first option.


    He wanted toplete the second option as he had promised Celeste, but he was almost drooling at the reward for the third option.


    A Question Voucher was the most useful reward he ever had. With this, he was able to meet the person who was the Writer ording to him.


    He wasn''t sure if he could talk to him again, but he knew the value of the Question Voucher in this world.

 Chapter 76: Surprise Gift

    Chapter 76: Surprise Gift


    Although Eren had to break his promise with Celeste, he could not help it.


    "Shall we go buy more cake?" he asked Celeste.


    Celeste repeatedly nodded.


    Looking at her childlike appearance, Eren couldn''t help but wonder how she got so addicted to cakes.


    "But if we buy more right now, someone mighte to steal them."


    Celeste grew concerned after hearing Eren''s words. Someone was going to steal her cake?


    She grabbed his cor, trying to pull him back. She did not want to give her cake to the thief!


    As Eren felt bad for breaking the promise. But it was only temporary. He was going to get her lots of cakester.


    "Are you saying that we should wait until Xiu Ying returns?" he asked.


    Celeste nodded again. She knew that Xiu Ying was strong. If she was here, no thief was going to take her cake.


    "That is true. If we get a room, you can eat cake without any worries. My Celeste is so smart."


    Eren patted the head on the little girl, making her feel like the leader.


    Celeste proudly smiled,pletely forgetting that she was almost on the verge of crying when her cake dropped.


    Eren ced his hand in his pocket and started waiting for Xiu Ying.


    "Hmm?"


    The moment he entered his hand in his pocket, he noticed something. There was something else in his pocket other than the coins of this continent.


    "What is this thing?" He brought the sharp thing out of his pocket, finding it to be a crystal knife.


    "And where did youe from?" he thought out loud.


    He did not know if it came from the system. There wasn''t supposed to be any reward like this, unless the System was giving bonus rewards.


    While observing the knife, he checked his Inventory. The Question Voucher was already ced in his inventory as a reward.


    .....


    The woman who had just collided with Eren was still running, asionally looking back.


    Her face was filled with horror, but she did not call out for help. She did not approach any nearby houses either.


    "Did you run enough?"


    The woman came to a sudden stop when she heard a voiceing from before her.


    She saw the shadow of the tree move. The shadow came out of the ground and took the shape of a man.


    "Return the thing you stole while I''m still being merciful," the manmanded the woman and reached out his hand.


    "I can''t tell if you are naive, or an idiot. But do you really expect me to return that thing?"


    "If you want to survive, you should."


    "And what if I don''t?"


    "Then I would have to kill you, and take that from your corpse!"


    "You think you alone can kill me?"


    The woman showed a middle finger to the man.


    "You are acting very bravely for someone who was running like a coward until a few seconds ago."


    "I ran because I thought ''he'' was with you. But to think that you came alone. The Hero Academy must have a lot of faith in you. To think they only sent a S Rank Hero after me. They must be looking down on me."


    "To send you to the afterlife, I alone am enough."


    ....


    Xiu Ying returned to Eren after finding a good hotel that had rooms avable.


    On the way to the hotel, Eren brought a few cakes for Celeste. But he did not let her eat it until they returned to their room


    Only after he entered the room, he ced a cake on the table and allowed Celeste to have the entire cake.


    The remaining cakes were kept in the inventory for the future. It was to make up for lying to this little girl.


    "She loves cake so much." Xiu Ying sat next to Eren, watching the cake slowly disappear.


    Eren ced his hand around Xiu Ying''s waist. He helped her up and made her sit on hisp, as he wrapped his armspletely around her.


    He rested his chin on her shoulder and looked at Celeste.


    "She loves the cake as much as I love you."


    Xiu Ying still could not see Celeste, but Eren had already informed her about her existence. In this long journey, it was impossible to hide Celeste''s existence.


    "I wish I could see her. But I am sure the child must be really cute." Xiu Ying smiled beautifully.


    Even though she hadn''t seen Celeste, she was already starting to treat her as her child.


    "If I knew how to create portraits, I would have shown you. But I think it is hard to describe her in words."


    He was telling the truth. Celeste was a fairy. If he wanted to describe her, there were not enough words. Celeste had a charm that was different from Xiu Ying.


    While Xiu Ying had a seductive charm, Celeste had one that brought out protective feelings from people.


    Describing her was like trying to describe an angel. It was an existence that one could only experience, but not describe.


    "Oh? Now you are making me feel jealous." Xiu Ying pouted cutely.


    "What are you going to do about it then?" Eren whispered in her ears, lightly biting them.


    He had not forgotten how this girl used to tease him. It was his turn now.


    "I am going to do what Celeste is doing." Xiu Ying looked into Eren''s eyes with her misty eyes.


    "And that would be?" Eren asked, his gaze asionally lowering to her lips.


    "I am going to enjoy this delicacy." She pushed Eren back, making him fall on the bed.


    ....


    It was early in the morning when Eren woke up, still feeling tired. He looked around, but did not find Xiu Ying here.


    "Did she go out?"


    He got off the bed and got dressed, before walking over to the window.


    "Why is there so muchmotion?"


    He could see many people on the street. Amongst them, there were many who had badges of the Hero Academy.


    "Did they find out about me?" He wondered.


    "A woman was found dead in the city." Xiu Ying appeared behind Eren and answered his question. "She must be very special, to draw out people from the Hero Academy."

 Chapter 77: Chapter 77: Astral

    "Did you know how she died?"


    Eren found it hard to believe that someone rted to the Hero Academy could die so easily.


    Everyone who was recruited by the Hero Academy was the best amongst the best. How was it possible for them to die in such a manner?


    If they were fighting someone for their life, themotion should have been enough to alert the entire city.


    "There were no signs of battle. So she might have been assassinated by someone of her kind."


    "So a power user killed her. This would make things a little problematic. Is the city already sealed?"


    Eren did not have to think too much to guess the actions of these people. Someone important to them had died. The first thing they were going to do was seal the entire city and search everyone.


    He did not want to be investigated, especially since his identity was a little sensitive.


    "A power user has sealed the City," Xiu Ying nodded.


    "Can you charm him to open the seal for us?" Eren thought of a possibility.


    Even if there was a seal, they could still find a way to leave this ce. They had to enter the Ocean to search for the Sea Dragon after all.


    "It would have been possible, if I was able to find him. But I don''t know where that person is. Even if I can find him, he would be under high security. It should be much easier to just break the barrier with brute force.


    Eren scratched the back of his head. She was right. It couldn''t be easy to find the Hero who created this barrier. The Hero Academy would have to be a fool to keep such an important person without security


    They could indeed break the barrier with force, but that was no different than alerting everyone in the city. All the Heroes present in the city were going toe after them.


    It was fine if these were only the Heroes he had seen, but if the Dean of the Hero Academy came herself, then it could only be described as a disaster.


    Eren looked out the window, his mind racing to find a solution. The hotel was the first ce that was going to be searched. He could already see the Heroes gathering outside, looking in this direction.


    "Hmm?"


    He noticed another group of Heroes. The ones were different from the ones he saw before.


    These Heroes had a gray cloak with the Hero Academy Insignia. Their identity was not weak either. From their attire, it was evident that they were all S Rank Heroes.


    "To think that this small incident was able to draw them out. Just what was the identity of that woman?"


    The S Rank Heroes stopped in front of Eren''s hotel. Out of all the ces, they stopped right here.


    Eren had a bad feeling about this. Was it just a coincidence that they stopped here?


    One of the Heroes waved his hand, opening a Spatial Portal.


    "A person with Spatial Ability?"


    The moment Eren saw that ability, his expressions darkened.


    He did not know much about the Mythical Hero Academy.


    They weren''t mentioned enough, upto the point he read the novel. But there were a few people from the Hero Academy that were mentioned when talking about the history of this world.


    One of them was said to be a Hero who was the Vice Principal of the Mythical Hero Academy. He was said to be a user of spatial abilities.


    He could not only bend space ording to his will, but also create portals from one ce to another.


    The Hero with the Devouring ability was killed by the four Overlords. But the person responsible for finding him and bringing the Overlords to him was the Vice Principal of the Mythical Hero Academy.


    "Please tell me he isn''t Astral?"


    He really hoped that his assumptions were wrong. Astral was not only the Vice Principal of the Mythical Hero Academy, but he was also the second strongest person in this continent!


    Even if his personal strength was to be ignored, his abilities to create portals was dangerous enough.


    If he connected to the Hero Academy and brought the Dean of Academy, Mist, then it was all but game over.


    "What is he doing here?" Even Xiu Ying appeared surprised to find him here. Thest time she went out to check, he wasn''t here.


    "Don''t tell me the person who died was Mist?" Eren asked Xiu Ying.


    To bring such firepower here, who else but the Dean of the Academy was supposed to be dead? It did not make sense for anyone else.


    "It was not Mist. I saw her before. The one who died was different."


    Even Xiu Ying did not find Astral''s presence here normal. Usually, only when it was the matter of life and death of the Continent, people like Astral or Mist made a move.


    Astral opened a portal. A woman''s body was flown out of the portal, and ced on the ground.


    "She is the one who died yesterday." Xiu Ying recognised the body.


    "That woman..."


    Eren grew silent at the sight of the woman. She hadn''t seen her facest night, but looking at her clothes, it was clear that she was the person who collided with himst night.


    Another Hero stepped forward. He ced his hand on the woman''s forehead, activating his abilities.


    A thin and illusory golden thread appeared. One end of the thread connected to the woman, and the other end flew straight towards the hotel ahead.


    The other end of the thread came straight for Eren. Eren tried to avoid it, but the thread passed through the closed window and attached to his wrist.


    "I was right. The person whost came in contact with her should be right there." The hooded figure stood up.


    "I see. If she did not have that thing, she must have given it to someone else. That person should be thest person who came in contact with her."


    Astral gazed at the second floor window of the hotel. On the other side of the window, Eren was looking back.

 Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Authors Return

    "I have a feeling that we might be in trouble."


    The illusory thread was connected between him and the woman. It made him feel like he was being made a suspect.


    He could try to exin his innocence, but it was useless. Once his identity was exposed, no matter what he said, it was going to be useless.


    For them, he was someone from the Eastern Continent who had killed a Hero Academy member. It did not help that Xiu Ying was with him who had already killed a Hero Academy professor in the past.


    "Can you use a charm on him?" he asked Xiu Ying.


    The silence that came in response was enough of an answer for him. Even the Charm Skill had its limitations. It could not work on someone like Mist or Astral, who had a strong mentality.


    Even if that wasn''t the case, the Higher Ups of Hero Academy would havee up with a counter to the Charm when one of their Elders died. So it was unlikely that their higher ups could fall so easily.


    With Astral present here, all the ns were useless. This was the man who had trailed Devourer to the depths of this world.


    He was the one who led Devourer to death, by leading the Overlords to him. And now this same person was in front of his eyes.


    Eren was really cursing his luck. Justst night, he was given two choices.


    If he had selected the first choice and went after that woman, he might have been able to save her. Then, he would not be in this mess.


    If he had selected the reward of Escape Talisman, he might have been able to escape with Xiu Ying. He had not expected a situation like this either. That''s why he went with the Question Voucher.


    Eren thought about his next step. Could he try talking to them? Or was fighting the only option? He still had one use of the Strengthening Pendant left.


    Unfortunately, strength was more or less useless against someone who could control space. The only thing he could rely on was the Protection Pendant


    Outside, Astral rose in the air. He appeared right before the window, his sharp gazending on Eren. It was as if a predator was looking at his prey.


    He also noticed Xiu Ying next to Eren. It was only then, his face revealed a little surprise, but his expressions soon returned to normal.


    He waved his hand and the window that was separating them disappeared, swallowed by space.


    ''I guess fighting is the only option left.''


    Eren clenched his fist and prepared to take drastic steps. He was not sure if he could survive this situation.


    Just as he made up his mind, he felt a strange pain in his heart. His heartbeat became irregr. He felt as if his connection with the world was suddenly cut.


    His face revealed shock as he recognised this feeling. Just to be sure, he looked around.


    He looked next to him. Celeste was still there, but she appeared to be frozen in time. It was the same for Xiu Ying.


    Even someone like Astral who controlled space was not moving. Time hade to a halt.


    He reached out to touch Celeste, but his hand passed through her. It was the second time this had happened.


    The air felt heavy with an unknown presence, and a sense of foreboding washed over him.


    "Author, are you going to show yourself or not?" Eren asked out loud.


    [A meeting has been arranged. Please use your Question Voucher wisely. The Question Voucher will expire, if not used in this meeting]


    In the corner of his view, Eren saw the notification. It was just as he expected.


    A Question Voucher was like a pass that allowed him to meet the Author who refused to ept that he was the Author.


    It allowed him to ask any one question, and the Author could not refuse to answer. Even thest time, the meeting was arranged soon after.


    "I don''t know if I should call you lucky or unlucky," A voice came from behind Eren.


    "To think that you managed to get another Question Voucher, while the other transmigrators did not even receive one yet."


    Eren turned around, finding a person sitting on the sofa, as if it was his own house.


    He still could not see the face of the person. It was as if the world itself was glitching to hide the face of that person.


    The only thing he could see was the physique of the person, which made him look like a man, dressed in a ck suit.


    "Look behind me. Do I look like I am lucky?" Eren sarcastically asked, pointing back at Astral.


    "That is also true. Your luck is just as bad. I didn''t think you woulde across the second transmigrator so early. What bad luck."


    "As if my luck was ever good, wait a minute, What did you say?!" Eren''s jaws almost dropped as heprehended the man''s words.


    "Please tell me you''re not talking about Astral!"


    "Who else would I be talking about?" The Author innocently asked in return.


    Eren''s expressions were like a person who has suddenly the spiciest chili in the world.


    Thest time he talked to the Author, he came to find out that there were at least four people who came from earth.


    He was the only earthling who transmigrated in the Eastern Continent, while the other earthlings were spread out in the other Continents.


    "Please tell me you are joking..." Eren''s lips twitched in frustration.


    He was here, struggling to grow stronger step by step. And then there was Astral! How could the bnce of this world be so broken?


    If this was a game, he would already beining to the game creators about the hell level difficulty.


    He was staring from scratch. And then there was the person who possessed Astral! He was able to use the powers of Astral, and also possessed the highest authority in the Continent, other than the Dean.


    "Don''t worry. He might look intimidating, but he is very weak."


    "You... Does this look weak to you?" Eren was almost on the verge of blowing up in anger.

 Chapter 79: Chapter 79: Lucky or Unlucky?

    The Author looked at Astral. In his eyes, only pity could be seen.


    "If only you know..."


    He shook his head lightly, not sparing him a second nce. "You might call yourself unlikely, but from where I am standing, that child is much more unlucky than you."


    Eren did not understand the meaning behind the man''s words. Why did he think that Astral was more unlucky? He had it all.


    He was the second strongest person in the Hero Continent, and he had an ability that could make anyone jealous. With his Spatial Ability, he was like an insect that could not be killed.


    Who could be luckier than Astral? Astral did not have to walk around pretending to be strong like him. He did not have to worry about being killed every day.


    As Mist did not show herself, Astral was basically the true ruler of this Continent. And he was called unlucky? If that was bad luck, then what was his luck?


    "If you want to know, you can use the Question Voucher on this. Or you can ask any other question that has been troubling you. Think carefully. This might be thest time you get to talk to me."


    The Author did not exin further. He simply waited for Eren''s decision.


    ''A question...''


    Eren went silent. There were a lot of questions in his mind, and he could only ask one. It was a situation where most people might have their brains overwhelmed.


    He tried to keep himself calm and think about the important questions. He wanted to know why Astral was called unlucky. But he also wanted to know about his own life.


    He wanted to know about the small crystal knife that appeared in his pocket as well. Even his identifying skill was not able to give him an answer.


    At first, he had thought that this was a gift from the System. But as time passed, he was having second thoughts.


    The crystal knife appeared in his pocket when the woman hit him. And that same night, the woman was dead.


    Even if the woman was important, she was not Mist. So it did not make sense for such high profile people from the Hero Academy toe here for this case.


    The woman, this knife, and the appearance of the Hero Academy higher ups... He had a feeling that it all had a link.


    ''But what if I am wrong? If I am overthinking, it might waste the Question Voucher.''


    Before asking the Author, he had to ask these questions to himself. He was like a Child who was left in a toy store and he was told that he could only buy one thing.


    "That might be a good question." He suddenly thought of something else. But he looked hesitant as he was not sure if the man was going to answer.


    "If you have decided on a question, then ask away." The Author smiled, patiently waiting.


    "Alright. My question is simple. What are the identities of the Main Characters and Transmigrators in this world? I am talking about their identities in this world, not their identities from earth."


    As soon as he asked a question, he rified his question to leave no room for a mistake.


    "A Question Voucher can''t be used to find the identity of the other earthlings. Each earthlings has their own fate, so one Question Voucher will not be able to cover them all."


    The otherworldly man rified.


    "But if you still want to use it, I can tell you about the identity of one random person amongst them."


    "No need."


    Eren did not continue with the question. If he could only get one person''s name, it felt like a waste.


    At this point, he moved on to another question. He went with his gut feeling, and decided to believe in his theory that the crystal knife was rted to everything that was happening here.


    Even his system could not recognise it. It wasn''t an item that he could let go, without knowing what it was.


    "I want you to tell me about this knife."


    He brought the crystal knife out of his inventory, and revealed it to the man.


    The man went silent in response. After a long time, he sighed.


    "It is as I said before. I don''t know if I should call you lucky, or unlucky. But you do always find these troublesome questions for me."


    "I will ask again. Are you sure that you want to use the Question Voucher on this?" he asked. "You can still change your question. How about you ask me for a method to leave this ce without dying?"


    "I hope you haven''t forgotten the situation you are in."


    He pointed behind Eren, where Astral was still standing frozen.


    "After I leave, time will start moving in the normal flow. Even I don''t know what they would do to you."


    "I know that you are a person who cherishes life. Do you want to choose a question that saves your life, or a question that ends your curiosity?"


    Eren knew that the man was telling the truth. With his answer, he might be able to find a way to leave this ce safely. But he also couldn''t help but notice how hard this person was trying to make him change his question.


    The first time he met the author and asked about ways to return, the person was hesitant but he still answered. But now, he was even suggesting questions from his own end to sway him.


    The more this person hesitated, the more Eren felt that he was on the right track. He knew the risks.


    His life was hanging by a thread here, and if his hunch was wrong, he might regret it forever. But for people like him, it was impossible to grow without taking risks.


    He was not Astral who was given everything, without asking. He had to work for everything. He had to start from scratch. The safe route was not a route for him, especially since he chose the path of a Conqueror.


    "I will stay with my question. Tell me everything you know about this thing."

 Chapter 80: Chapter 80: The Overlord Killer

    The Author sighed again, his gaze fixated on the crystal knife in Eren''s hand.


    "The knife in your hand... It is a weapon."


    Eren looked at the man weirdly. Was that even an answer? Of course a knife was a weapon. Was that even needed to be mentioned?


    "Why do I feel like you are cursing me in your head?" The man asked with a grin.


    "You are wrong. I already filled my quota of cursing you the first time we met," Eren shrugged. "Now, can you be serious and tell me what this thing is?"


    "Fine. Let me rify. When I said that it is a weapon, I did not mean an ordinary weapon. There is a reason the Hero Academy is after that weapon. Can you guess why?"


    "Because it is a weapon of mass destruction?" Eren took a random guess. He could not feel anything special from this knife, but it did not look like a weapon of mass destruction.


    "You are wrong. That weapon can only kill one person and it can only be used once. Now take a guess again? Why is the Hero Academy so serious about that weapon?"


    "This..."


    Eren went silent in response. He thought of a possibility. It was the only possibility that made sense to him.


    "Is it a weapon that can kill an Overlord?" he asked, still in disbelief.


    If this weapon could only kill one person, then there was only one such person that the Hero Academy wanted to protect at any cost. It was Mist, the Overlord of the Southern Continent.


    The man revealed his surprise at Eren''s guess. "I really thought you were going to take a long time to reach that conclusion. Not bad."


    "You are correct. That weapon is something that can kill any of the four Overlords, including Mist. It can even kill Feng Yu, if you are interested in that."


    A smirk spread across his lips as he gauged Eren''s reaction.


    "So how about it? Why don''t you use it to kill Feng Yu and take over the Overlord Position of the Eastern Continent?"


    His words were like devil''s whispers, trying to sway Eren.


    "Can it also help me steal their abilities when I kill them?" Eren asked, feeling that something was wrong with the man''s words.


    He only said that the weapon could kill someone. Even if he killed Feng Yu for some reason, wasn''t he going to paint a big target on his back?


    Without strength to protect himself, it was the worst choice. Moreover, if Feng Yu was to die, the entire Eastern Continent was going to be in danger.


    If the other Overlords attacked the Eastern Continent, it was only a matter of time before the Devil Sect was going to fall.


    Killing Feng Yu was no different than making things hard for himself.


    "Tsk." The man clicked his tongue in response. "You are too cautious. Can''t you be more ambitious?''


    "Ambitions without strength will lead me to my death. I have no interest in dying, just to entertain you. Tell me, can it steal powers?"


    "If it could steal powers, do you think it wouldn''t have been used already?" The man rified.


    "Anyway, I was just messing with you. Even if you wanted to kill Feng Yu with this, you wouldn''t be able to. That knife is iplete. So it can''t be used yet."


    "You..." Eren was at a loss of words. This man was truly messing with me.


    "In that case, isn''t this just a useless knife with potential?"


    "Until youplete it, that is correct." The man nodded.


    "How can Iplete it then?" Eren asked.


    The knife looked like it wasplete. At least its physical form wasplete. But something was stillcking.


    He did not know who made a knife like this. A treasure that could kill the Overlords?


    If one could create a knife like this, they could have created another one as well. So why was it that no Overlords had died in the past? Did even the creator not know how toplete it?


    "That isn''t a question I can casually answer. If you have another Question Voucher, why not use it?" The Author asked, even though he already knew the answer.


    "Do you think Question Vouchers fall from trees?" Eren said with irritation. He had only one question voucher and it was already used.


    "The Hero Academy did not create this knife, did they?" He changed his question. Even if thepletion method was unknown for now, he still wanted to know as many things as possible.


    He did not believe that the knife belonged to the Hero Academy. If they created it, they should have known that it was iplete. In that case, why were they so worried?


    It only pointed towards one conclusion. The knife was not created by them. So the person who died... Was she running from them instead?


    Things had be a lot moreplicated in an instant. With the knife, he was standing at the opposite end of the Hero Academy.


    He could try to return the knife, acting innocent. But he knew that it was foolish. The Hero Academy and the Demon Sect were enemies.


    If the Hero Academy received the knife and found a way toplete it, who were they going to use it on? The answer was clear.


    He could not let the Hero Academy get his hands on the Knife at any cost.


    "It was created by the Divine Church. You can guess their reasons, I''m sure."


    The man did not reject this question and answered without hesitation. It was only the really significant questions that he refused to answer without being forced.


    "The Divine Church, huh. It seems they were nning to kill the Necromancer Tower Master. Interesting."


    The Divine Church was the organization that ruled over the continent of West. If the Southern Continent was called the Continent of Heroes, then the Western Continent was called the Continent of Gods.


    ording to his limited knowledge, Holy Priestess Evangeline was the strongest existence of the Western Continent. She was said to be blessed by the gods and could even talk to them.

 Chapter 81: Chapter 81: Not Tied by morality

    Amongst the Four Overlords, Evangeline''s existence was very significant and unique. But even after that, she wasn''t able to kill the Necromancer Tower Master, who was blessed by death.


    "No wonder she tried to make a weapon that could help them."


    This one answer made him understand a lot of things. A weapon created in the Eastern Continent ended up in the Southern Continent. It meant only one thing.


    Someone had managed to steal the weapon from the Divine Church. An existence that could achieve it... Eren was certain that the Hero Academy had a hand in it.


    "The weapon isn''tplete, probably because it was stolen before the Divine Church couldplete it?" Eren asked the man.


    "You are correct again. If you want toplete it, you would have to go to the Western Continent yourself. But I would really advise against it, because your identity is veryplicated."


    "Because I am rted to the Necromancer Tower?" Eren asked, already guessing the answer.


    The Divine Church hated the Necromancer Tower. And he was the Heir of the Necromancer Tower. He did not have to guess the oue if his identity was discovered there.


    There were four continents in this world. And in three of these continents, he was in danger.


    If his identity as a Spy was exposed, he was going to be killed in the Eastern Continent.


    As a cultivator from the Eastern Continent, the Southern Continent was already his enemy. And now, even the Western Continent was his enemy.


    "This guy really had a knack in creating enemies. Imagine having enemies in the continents I never visited."


    Eren could only scratch the back of his head in frustration.


    "With the luck I''m having, I guess even the Northern Continent is my enemy?" He asked sarcastically.


    The Author went silent in response.


    Seeing his reaction, Eren had a bad feeling in his heart.


    "Please tell me that''s not the case?" he asked.


    "Cough, why think about unnecessary things." The man tried to change the topic.


    Eren already had his answer by now. He rubbed his forehead, feeling even more annoyed.


    He had no other choice but to get stronger if he wanted to protect himself. Only by bing the strongest, could he protect himself.


    Only by bing an existence above the Overlords could he create a world that he wanted to live in.


    "You... You really couldn''t find me any other identity to possess, could you?"


    "I told you, I am not the Author. I had no hand in selection." The man rified again, but Eren refused to believe it. He had a feeling that the man wasn''t telling theplete truth.


    "I-" he tried to speak further, but stopped instantly. He raised his head, looking towards the roof.


    "It seems that the time is up. I will be taking my leave. Though I have onest piece of advice. Instead of thinking about the future, you should start thinking about the present."


    He pointed at Astral.


    Eren understood his meaning. He still had a big problem to solve. He understood what the Hero Academy was doing here.


    They were not here to investigate a murder. If anything, they were the ones who killed that woman to take the knife. It was only when they failed to find the knife on her, they sealed the entire area.


    He did not know if they could detect the knife, or they were just guessing because he was thest person toe in contact with her.


    The former possibility appeared even more unlikely. It was a weapon that was capable of killing even the Overlords oncepleted. It should have been impossible to locate it with such ease.


    If they could locate it, they should have realized that the woman did not have it in the first ce. They had no reason to kill her.


    He was certain that this was more of a guess from them. But even with a guess, things were a mess because of their identities.


    "Best of luck, child. I hope you can..." He did not finish his sentence as his figure started disappearing. He turned into specks of light and disappeared entirely.


    Eren quickly kept the knife in his inventory before the flow of time could recover.


    He also took out things from his storage rings that he did not want others to see, and kept them in his inventory.


    There was one other thing that he brought out from his inventory and kept in his pocket, thinking of a n in advance.


    Although it was a n that could create a bigger mess, but for now, that was the only solution he could think of.


    He did not want Xiu Ying to fight the man and get hurt.


    Just as his preparations wereplete, he returned to his original position. The flow of time recovered, and the world was free from these mysterious restrictions.


    Even though everyone was frozen, no one knew what happened. For them, this never happened.


    ....


    Astral came to his senses.


    He did not understand why, but he felt that something was wrong with the space around him. Even though everything appeared to be normal, something felt out of ce.


    He wasn''t certain if he was overthinking, but it felt like a lot of time had passed in an instant. However, he could not confirm it. It was just an innate feeling.


    He gazed at Eren, who was staring back.


    "Can I help you?" Eren was the first to ask.


    "Hand over that thing," Astral said as he reached out his hand. "I would consider letting you live."


    Eren wasn''t a fool to believe this man''s words. There was no way they were going to let people go, who might know about the existence of this weapon.


    If this was revealed to the Western Continent, a continental war could start between the two continents. If he agreed that he had the knife, it was no different than signing a death warrant.


    Even if Astral was a human before he transmigrated here, he was someone who had recovered the memories of the real Astral.


    It wasn''t hard to think that he could easily kill people. He was not tied by morality.

 Chapter 82: Chapter 82: She must be killed

    Eren knew how dangerous this situation was, but he had alreadye up with a n to protect himself. He still had a hidden card that he hadn''t used yet.


    He was worried about the consequences of revealing that card, but now was not the time to think about it.


    ''Right on time.''


    As a screen appeared before Eren, his gaze shifted. Just as he expected, at important crossroads, options appeared before him.


    This just confirmed his assumption. If he did not y his cards right, he might die here. But the rewards were also lucrative this time.


    [Option One: The person in front of you is looking down on you. As a Conqueror, you can''t let anyone look down on you. Uphold your dignity and kill the man.


    Reward: A Mystery Box]


    [Option Two: You know that you are in a dangerous situation. But you still haven''t forgotten your responsibility as a man. Surrender the knife and your life, in exchange for Xiu Ying''s safety.


    Reward: Mask of Disguise]


    [Option Three: A wise man is someone who knows how to handle aplicated situation without suffering any losses.


    Find a way to avoid the battle with Astral while making sure that the Knife stays with you.


    Reward: Cultivation Unseal Voucher x2  (Temporary)]


    [Option Four: Your life is most important for you. Have Xiu Ying fight the man while you run away!


    Reward: Thousand Mile Escape Talisman]


    Eren went through the options and soon found one that matched with his n. If it worked, he could receive a very special reward, without having to do anything extra.


    The first option was truly foolish in his eyes. He could not kill Astral who used space. He was truly like an impossible to kill insect.


    Even if he somehow achieved that goal, the other Heroes were going to attack them.


    If the reward of the first option was an escape Talisman, he might have considered it.


    Unfortunately, the reward of Escape Talisman came in the fourth option. For that, he had to leave Xiu Ying to die. He could not let her die for this, especially when he had another method.


    Simrly, the second choice was also foolish. If he gave the knife away, there was no way they were going to be left alive.


    He could not ept that he had the knife. What was he going to do with a mask of disguise if he was dead?


    For him, there was only one option that made sense for him, under his current situation. It was what he was already nning.


    ''I will take the third option.'' He selected an option.


    [Pleaseplete the option to be rewarded]


    The screen changed before itpletely disappeared.


    The reward for the third option was confusing. He had a rough idea about what that reward did, but he was not sure.


    He still had not forgotten the time when he checked his stats. It showed his Cultivation as sealed. There was a lot of mystery surrounding it.


    He did not even know why it was sealed. Was it because the soul in the body had changed? Or was it sealed before he even came here?


    He did not know the right answer, but he had a feeling that these talismans could help him understand Ren more.


    In any case, it was a temporary reward.


    Even if everything worked as he wanted, and he was able to remove the seal on his Cultivation, he did not know how strong it was in the first ce.


    If his sealed Cultivation was weak in the first ce, it was a useless reward. And if it was strong, then the reward became a lot better.


    Still, even then, a talisman could only remove the seal temporarily from what he understood.


    "What thing? Are you referring to money? Are you robbers?" Eren innocently questioned Astral, though his tone did not reflect fear of robbers.


    Instead, his eyes remained calm andposed as he locked gazes with Astral.


    Astral was taken aback by Eren''s response. Typically, people would be intimidated by him solely based on his identity.


    It seemed impossible for these people to be unaware of his identity, especially since they were from the Demon Sect.


    In the Hero Academy, there were portraits of all Powerhouses of the Eastern Continent, so that the Heroes could recognise them if they ever came across them.


    Even as Xiu Ying''s face was hidden by a veil, he recognised her as the Great Elder of the Demon Sect. Since the man was apanying her, his identity was not simple either.


    It was impossible for them to not recognise him from his clothes alone. So why was Eren so unfazed?


    Surprised, Astral nced down at his attire, confirming that he was indeed dressed as the vice principal of Hero Academy.


    "I have already spent all my money on cakes," Eren gestured towards the empty cake boxes. "If you''re looking to rob someone, why not try the room next door? I bet the baldy staying there is quite wealthy."


    "Enough of this nonsense!" Astral eximed, taking a step forward with an authoritative air. "Hand over what the girl gave you!"


    "I have no idea what girl you are talking about. But if you still don''t believe me, why don''t you check my storage ring?"


    Eren brought a ring out of his pocket, that he had cleverly prepared in advance. He tossed the ring to Astral.


    Astral caught the ring, thinking it was just an ordinary storage ring. But the moment he looked at the ring, his face was filled with surprise.


    "This... How do you have it?"


    It was not an ordinary storage ring. Almost everyone in the Hero Academy knew about these rings, as they were handed over by the Dean herself.


    Astral was taken aback. Eren stepped forward and whispered in his ears. "I am undercover for the Academy. I''m sure the ring is enough to prove my identity."


    "I don''t know what you are looking for, but I can guarantee that I don''t have it. If I had something that could help the Academy, it would have been my honor to hand it over."


    "As for the dead girl, I did see her runningst night. I shed with her, but that was all the contact I had with her."


    Eren took the ring back from him and kept it back in his pocket, trying his best to make sure that no one else saw the ring from close.


    Astral went silent. The ring was definitely enough to prove his identity. It also did not make sense for someone to betray Mist. That person would have to be a fool to even think about betraying that monster.


    ''Was it truly a coincidence that the thread led to him? Dammit, then where is the knife?!''


    "Fine. You can leave." After a long pause, Astral stated.


    As soon as Astral finished, a notification appeared before him.


    [You havepleted the Option]


    [You have been rewarded with two Cultivation Unseal Talismans]


    Eren sighed in relief, but his expressions soon turned dark.


    "And where do you think you are going?"


    He extended his arm, firmly cing his hand on Astral''s chest, preventing him from taking another step forward.


    "I told you that you are free to go. You are a valuable asset to the Academy. However, that woman cannot be allowed to leave. She must be eliminated, or that guy will never stop yelling in my head."

 Chapter 83: Chapter 83: Is everyone in your world this lazy?

    [Thirty minutes ago]


    Astral stood before a lifeless body. Next to him, there was a man from Mythical Hero Academy, who was giving him a brief.


    After hearing the brief, Astral silently walked away, lost in thoughts. He looked a little tired, as if he just wanted to return and sleep instead.


    He stopped under a tree, far away from others. Leaning against the tree trunk, he closed his eyes, almost dozing off.


    "Are you seriously sleeping now?" As soon as his eyes closed, a sharp voice appeared in his head.


    "Do I really have to be here for this? Can''t they handle it?" Astralzily asked.


    "Is everyone in your world thiszy?" The voice appeared again. "Don''t forget why we came here! We must find that knife!"


    "If we fail and it is used on Mist, you would lose a lot. If something happens to her, the next target would be you."


    The voice appeared in Astral''s head again.


    Astral looked to his left. For many, there was no one standing next to him. But for him, there was one person that only he could see and hear.


    If others were able to see that person, they would have been shocked. The person looked no different than Astral.


    "You are the spirit of real Astral. Can''t you find her soul and ask her where she hid the knife?"


    "That''s not how things work, you fool!"  The Spirit snapped in response.


    He could not believe that he was stuck with such azy and carefree person.


    It had been a few weeks since he died suddenly. Even he did not know why he died. The only thing he knew was that he became a spirit after his death and discovered that another soul was possessing his body.


    No matter how much he tried, he wasn''t able to recover the body. The body that previously belonged to him, was now rejecting him.


    That person was also the only one in this world who could see and hear him.


    At first, he had thought that the soul who possessed his body was the reason for it. But that person looked just as confused, talking about some novel.


    Not only was he confused, but he was also scared the moment he saw a spirit next to him. Only the real Astral knew how he calmed this guy at that time.


    Astral was convinced that it was impossible for him to return to his body. But still, his loyalty towards the Hero Academy did not allow him to give up.


    Even if he wasn''t inside this body, he knew that the Academy needed an Astral. Hence, he started training the person on how to use his abilities.


    "What is the point of struggling so hard when I am just going to die?" The fake Astral replied.


    In the corner of his vision, he could see a timer. And that timer was showing only one thing.


    [Time until death: 11 Months 2 Days 16 Hours]


    "Did you never learn the basic principle of life? One should never give up, no matter what the circumstances," the spirit proudly stated.


    "Easy for a dead person to say. But whatever, I''ll help you again. Anything is better than your constant nagging. So tell me, what should I do to find the knife?"


    "That''s easy. There is a Hero who can help you find thest person she came in contact with. If we follow the lead, we should find the knife."


    ....


    [Present time]


    ''I know! I heard you! Stop yelling in my head!''


    He appeared a little angry, but his anger was not entirely directed towards Eren.


    The Mythical Hero Academy, and the Great Demon Sect had been enemies for a long time. Even though there were norge scale wars, that enmity hadn''t weakened.


    It was rare for one of them to step in the domain of the other. The higher their strength and ranking, the harder it was for them to step on another continent.


    Xiu Ying might not be the strongest of the Great Elders, but she was one of the most dangerous.


    She had killed countless people from the Southern Continent, including a Professor at the Academy, who was also a S-Rank Hero.


    It wasn''t wrong to say that she was a wanted person in the Heroes'' Continent. Now that she was here, she could not be allowed to leave.


    "It is only a matter of time before there is a war between two continents. If she is allowed to return, she would definitely be a big threat in arge-scale war. Kill her while you still have the opportunity!"


    The person who possessed his body did not care about the enmity. But Astral''s Spirit had not forgotten.


    His loyalty towards the academy was unbreakable, and his hatred towards the Eastern Continent was even stronger.


    After Astral confirmed that the ring was real, the transmigrator allowed Eren to leave. But with Astral''s constant bickering, he had already made up his mind that he needed to kill Xiu Ying.


    "Where do you think you are going?" Eren stopped Astral when he started stepping towards Xiu Ying.


    "I told you that you are free to go. You are a valuable asset to the Academy. However, that woman cannot be allowed to leave. She must be eliminated, or that guy would never stop yelling in my head."


    "Please don''t even try this. I can''t let you hurt her."


    Eren really hoped that things would note to this point. If he stepped back, he could leave safely. However, he did not want to leave Xiu Ying to die. Even if it meant taking drastic steps.


    "Don''t you think you are crossing the boundary? You know that she is our enemy. But you still want to protect her? Should I take it as your betrayal?"


    Astral''s sharp gazended on Eren. He grabbed Eren''s wrist. "I am tired, so I will give you onest opportunity. Step back, and let me deal with her."

 Chapter 84: Chapter 84: If not now, then never

    Astral tightly grasped Eren''s wrist, exerting immense pressure that nearly crushed it. Despite Eren''s attempts to free himself, Astral stubbornly held on, seemingly intent on delivering more punishment.


    Xiu Ying had been standing quietly, following Eren''s instructions to let him handle the situation. However, when she saw the pain etched on Eren''s face, she couldn''t restrain herself any longer.


    "Release him!" she eximed, rushing forward.


    Astral sneered, acknowledging her presence. A thin, protective spatial barrier materialized before his eyes, shielding him from Xiu Ying''s alluring charm, which posed the greatest threat.


    The barrier not only provided protection but also heightened his vision.


    With this skill, Astral could utilize space to enhance his sight. Time seemed to slow down as he observed every minute detail unfolding before him.


    It was one of the invaluable abilities that the real Astral had taught him, enabling him to survive countless brutal battles in the past.


    Astral finally released his grip on Eren''s wrist, clenching his fist tightly. He meticulously studied every movement Xiu Ying made, as if time hade to a crawl for him.


    While most people would have been caught off guard by Xiu Ying''s attack, Astral proved to be different. He gracefully evaded her strikes, leaving no room for even the slightest of her movements to escape his watchful gaze.


    "It would have been more difficult if you hadunched a long-range attack, given your abilities," Astral stated, appearing behind Xiu Ying.


    "But it seems you didn''t want to harm him. Nheless, it was a foolish decision to get close to me!"


    Drawing upon his abilities, Astral manipted space to his advantage. Anotheryer of spatial energy enveloped his fist, transforming it into an unstoppable force akin to a mountain.


    With a powerful strike, Astral''s fist collided with Xiu Ying''s back, sealing her fate.


    The impact of Astral''s strike was felt through Xiu Ying''s body.


    Her body crashed against the window, shattering it into a million shards. She was sent flying out the window, coughing blood.


    "Well, that woke me up."


    Astral stood tall, a twisted smile ying on his lips.The spatial energy surrounding his fist dissipated, leaving behind a lingering aura of dominance.


    For quite some time, Eren was in a daze as he saw Xiu Ying attacked. He rushed towards the window to check on her, only to be grabbed by his neck by Astral.


    "I did not expect that someone would be courageous enough to betray Mist. But what shocked me more was that he made that subus care about him?" Astral''s Spirit said, only to be heard by the fake Astral.


    "Should we test how far she can go to protect him then?" The fake Astral asked.


    He was already informed that Xiu Ying was dangerous. If possible, he did not want to take any excess risk. If using Eren helped him kill Xiu Ying faster, it only meant he could return faster and take a nap.


    ....


    "This is..." The Heroes from the Academy were waiting outside when they saw a woman fall out from the room Astral had entered.


    The moment they saw the woman, all of them were shocked. They recognised this woman. They even looked scared of her.


    "Stop looking around. Close your eyes and don''t open it until you wear the contacts. Those who don''t have contacts, keep your eyes closed. Because I will kill you without hesitation if you fall for her charm!"


    Astral jumped outside. Hended right in front of Xiu Ying, who wiped the blood from the corner of her lips.


    ''Why?! Why is this happening?!''


    Eren could not believe his eyes. How did he end up in this situation? Was this his fault that he came across that womanst night? Because of him, Xiu Ying was in danger?


    "Don''t worry about me! Kill him!" He yelled at Xiu Ying.


    He understood that it was because of concern for him, she wasn''t attacking Astral with a strong attack. She was worried that a stronger attack could kill him as well.


    Eren did not care about being attacked. As long as they could hurt Astral, or even kill him, they had a chance to leave this ce.


    As for him, he still had two uses of the Pendant of Protection left! He could survive two life threatening attacks! She didn''t have to worry about him.


    "Do it!" Eren roared. "I promise you!" I will be fine!"


    "Oh, are you so keen to die?" Astral tightened his grip around Eren''s neck, hurting him.


    He did not apply enough force to kill him, which also stopped the Pendant of Protection from activating.


    "As for you..." Astral looked back at Xiu Ying, who was standing in silence, a trail of blood still visible around her lips.


    "I don''t understand why you care for him. But I am curious to see. Will you sacrifice your life to save him? Or will you risk his life to survive?"


    He had a feeling that Xiu Ying was going to choose herself. There was no way she was going to give her life for another man.


    Xiu Ying looked at Eren, and only smiled. Her voice appeared in Eren''s head.


    "This vacation was the best time of my life, as I got to spend it with you. But it seems this is as far as my happinesssts."


    Eren could only hear her mental transmission, but he could not use cultivation. He could not return a message that only she could hear.


    "Stop this nonsense! Just trust me on this! I will be fine!" Eren was growing impatient, worried about Xiu Ying''s safety.


    Xiu Ying did not believe Eren on this. She thought he was just saying that to make her attack, because he wanted her to survive, even at the cost of his own life.


    "Hmm? What am I seeing? The man wants to die for the woman, and the woman for the man? Is this what they call love?" Astral couldn''t help butugh, although beneath hisughter, there was anger.


    He had experienced firsthand the futility of love when he was betrayed by the person he loved the most.


    "You will soon realize how useless love is," he told Eren, already anticipating Xiu Ying''s response.


    He believed she would attack them after putting on a facade. Before ending her life, he wanted Eren to witness this scene, to understand what he had gone through.


    Astral even wondered if he could manipte Eren into killing her instead.


    "I am your enemy. I killed your people. Let him go. He has nothing to do with this," Xiu Ying pleaded, falling to her knees, shocking Astral yet again.


    Frustration tugged at Astral''s lips. Was she still pretending? Did she truly believe he wouldn''t kill her?


    Eren, too, was taken aback. He had hoped she would retaliate, but instead, she was willing to sacrifice herself for his safety. He knew he couldn''t let that happen. If things continued like this, she would die.


    He had one chance to save her, one use of the Pendant of Strength remaining. And now, with Astral right beside him, it was the perfect opportunity.


    He activated the Pendant of Strength!

 Chapter 85: Chapter 85: Unseal...

    Eren did not tell anyone about the Pendant of Strength and Pendant of Protection. Even Xiu Ying wasn''t told about this.


    These two things were his life saving treasures. Knowing about them was no different than making them useless.


    If someone knew that he could only use the Pendant of Protection twice, they could simply attack him three times with enough strength to kill him and there was no escape for him.


    That''s why he kept that secret to himself. But he did not expect to end up in a situation where he needed someone to attack him.


    He thought that Xiu Ying was going to attack. His Pendant of Protection was going to protect him from that attack while Astral might be hurt.


    If luck was on his side, he could attack weakened Astral with the Pendant of Strength. But Xiu Ying was more worried about him than about her own life.


    Deep down, he was a little touched by her devotion. She would rather die than identally hurt him. But now it wasn''t the time to think about it.


    Astral was right next to him, and he was distracted by Xiu Ying. He used this opportunity, and used thest Pendant of Strength which only had one use left.


    As Eren activated the Pendant of Strength, a surge of power coursed through his body.


    A five minute timer appeared in the corner of his vision which started counting down.


    The pendant''s power surged through him, amplifying his strength to unimaginable levels. Without a second thought, he attacked Astral who was grabbing him by his neck.


    His fist, bustling with strength, shot towards Astral. At this proximity, a punch from him felt like it could kill even the Overlords.


    Just from his fist''s movement, a low pressure wave formed and radiated outwards. In that moment, he felt invincible, fueled by the pendant''s extraordinary power.


    It was impossible for anyone to survive this attack, if hit by it, unless they were truly invincible.


    "I just say, that came stronger than I expected."


    Astral zilymented, gazing back at Eren who looked shocked.


    "It seems you are a strength type. But do you know what''s the worst match for a strength type? A person like me, who can manipte space itself. Can you defeat, what you can''t even touch?"


    Eren''s pupils trembled. His fist hadn''t even touched Astral. Instead, it had simply passed through his body, making it appeared like he was in a different dimension entirely.


    His fist hadn''t even left a mark on Astral as it did not connect. But the pressure from his punch was still so powerful that the building in the distance was torn to shreds, just from the pressure alone.


    "That was a strong attack. Don''t look down on him. If it had connected, you would have been torn to shreds instead," Astral''s Spirit stated, still looking at the ruined building in shock.


    It was an attack that had surpassed his expectations. Even the S Rank Hero in the Academy known for his strength could not attack with such strength.


    "He might even be more dangerous than the woman, especially since he betrayed the Academy. Kill him first!"


    "I will handle things my way," the fake Astral retorted. "Don''t start eating my head now. I want to see the end of this drama."


    He shifted his attention back to Eren.


    "In a battle between strength and space, the winner is always space. You should regret the day you came across me."


    He used his ability, and cast a barrier of space around Eren''s feet. But this wasn''t a spatial maniption to strengthen him. Instead, it was a seal.


    The space around Eren''s feet was sealed. Even with strength, one could not break free of this restriction.


    Unfortunately, Astral was only able to cast something like this around the feet, and not the entire body of the person. He still hadn''t mastered this skillpletely, despite the teaching of the Spirit.


    "Don''t worry. You will thank me soon, when I free you from the illusion of love."


    Astral started walking away from Eren, not holding him back. The seal was enough for that.


    Even with the Pendant of Strength, Eren could not move his feet. It wasn''t a seal that was around his feet. Instead, all the nerves inside his legs, and even the blood flow was sealed in space.


    No amount of strength could help with this. He could not even feel his legs anymore.


    Meanwhile, Astral walked towards Xiu Ying.


    "I will give you two choices. Kill him, and I will let you go. Or die in my hands, and I will let him go. Isn''t it time to end this act now?"


    Astral''s words were like a devil''s whispers in Xiu Ying''s ears. She could safely return, if she just killed Eren. Or she could die. Any sane person would have known the choice to make.


    Even though he offered a choice, he already knew her answer. There was no way someone was going to choose someone else''s life instead of theirs.


    He had promised to let her leave if she killed him, but he didn''t intend to keep the promise. He had already cast a protectiveyer around Eren to protect him from her attack.


    It was all in an attempt to make Eren realize that in reality, a lover could backstab him any time. He wanted to see how Eren was going to react to the revtion.


    Was he going to cry? Was he going to ask her why? Was he going to ask for him to be allowed to kill her instead? Astral looked forward to it.


    As for the moral implications, he did not care. He only had one year of lifespan remaining. He wanted to live thest year of his life the way he wanted.


    "Keep your promise. I will pay with my life."


    There was no fear in Xiu Ying''s voice. She was not afraid of death.


    She had lived for many years. Although she did not make it evident in the past, but her life had been very deste. She kept all her feelings hidden in her heart, only revealing a happy smile in front of others.


    She had long since buried her true emotions in the depth of her heart. But these emotions were ignited by someone. All her emotions came rushing like a tsunami, even some that she didn''t know she had.


    She truly believed that thest few weeks with Eren had been like a dream for her. And if the dream ended with her death, she had no regrets. As long as she could save that one person, it was worth it.


    ''Move! Move, dammit!''


    Eren watched Xiu Ying close her eyes. His heart sank at that moment. He struggled as hard as he could, but he could not do anything. It was like he was a tied up prisoner, who could do nothing but watch a massacre of his loved ones.


    Just strength alone wasn''t enough! He could not stop that person with his strength if he could not even move!


    If he had Cultivation, he might have tried to use his aura. But even his Cultivation was sealed!


    The moment his thoughts reached this point, he remembered something. There was another reward he received just recently!


    He did not know what Cultivation Ren had before it was sealed! But even if it was the weakest, it was fine as long as he could stop this!


    "I don''t know if it''s still an act. I am quite curious to see if you would really die like this."


    Astral reached out his hand, asking for a sword. One of his men handed him a sharp sword.


    "There is still a chance. Do you want to change your decision?" he asked, but Xiu Ying did not answer.


    "So be it..."


    Eren summoned the Unseal Talisman and initiated its activation. Instantly, an overwhelming sensation of agony surged from the depths of his heart.


    "Aaarrgh!"


    The excruciating painpelled him to release a primal roar, akin to that of a savage beast.


    His roar even attracted Astral''s attention, who looked back. "What happened to him?"


    Next to him, the Spirit had grown pale. He only said a single word. "Run!"


    ....


    Back in the Eastern Continent, Feng Yu sensed something. She looked out the window.


    In the Southern Continent, Mist also looked out the window.


    In the Western Continent, the Holy Priestess was sitting before the statue of a goddess, offering prayers. She also stopped her prayers abruptly, raising her head.


    In the Northern Continent, a man stood atop a dark tower that was surrounded by the aura of death.

 Chapter 86: Chapter 86: Out of all the people...

    Spread throughout the four continents, all Overlords felt something. It was as if a heavy suppressive aura had descended from the sky.


    The aura could not hurt them, and it was something that only they could feel. But even they could not locate the source of this.


    The source appeared to be everywhere, and nowhere at the same time. Even the four Overlords could not find the source.


    "Has it been peaceful for too long?" Feng Yu mumbled under her breath, looking at the sky above.


    Standing atop the Necromancer Tower, the Overlord of Death startedughing. The reason behind hisughter remained unknown, yet beneath thatughter lurked something ominous.


    The Holy Priestess looked at the statue of the Goddess. She closed her eyes and returned to her prayer in silence.


    In the Heroes'' Continent, Mist also closed her eyes. Her thoughts were impossible to fathom.


    ....


    "I truly don''t understand if he is lucky, or unlucky."


    In an unknown ce, a man sat in darkness. In this ce, there was no concept of space and time. Everything was surrounded by nothing but darkness.


    He closed his eyes and let himself be enveloped by the calming darkness.


    "Out of all the people, he had to end up in Ren Necroline''s body... He had to end up as the person who should have died as soon as possible..."


    He slowly closed his eyes. In the darkness, only his blood red eyes were visible, appearing to epass the entire universe within.


    "I thought he would die. He managed to surpass my expectations again and again. But more than that, aren''t you being too favorable to him?"


    He asked a question. It was impossible to know who the question was directed towards. In this ce, there was no one else.


    "Two question vouchers, and now the temporary Unseal...? I hope you understand the consequences..."


    No response came in the darkness. In the end, the man closed his eyes again. The ce returned to the eerie silence.


    ....


    "What happened to him? Did he lose his mind?"


    Astral did not understand why Eren was suddenly behaving like this. Why was he roaring like a wild beast? Even his face had gonepletely pale, as if his body had not a single drop of blood.


    Eren found himself in the grips of an unexpected and excruciating agony. It felt as though an unseen force was relentlessly attacking him, causing his bones to audibly crack.


    The intensity of the pain seemed to multiply, amplifying his suffering to an unbearable degree.


    His heart raced at an rming pace, too rapid to even attempt to count its beats. His throat grew dry, reaching a level of dryness where a single drop of water would have provided immense relief, akin to a divine elixir.


    As the torment persisted, Eren''s vision began to distort, taking on a menacing shade of red. A foreboding aura emanated from within him, adding to the terror of the situation.


    [Temporary Unseal Voucher has been used]


    [The effects willst for two minutes]


    In the midst of his pain, a series of notifications shed before Eren, but he was unable to see them clearly or understand their contents.


    Every ounce of his being was consumed by the agony, leaving no room for any other thoughts or considerations.


    Why was unsealing his cultivation so painful?! Was something wrong with the voucher? There were many questions in his mind, but all these questions were buried deep within his painful roars.


    The pain was too much for his fragile mind to handle. He felt like he was going to go crazy just from the pain alone.


    He did not want to lose consciousness. He could only temporarily Unseal his cultivation. If he wasted this time and passed out, what was going to happen to Xiu Ying?


    With his strong will, he tried to resist the pain. He clenched his teeth, almost biting his lips.


    A trail of blood trickled down his chin as he fought against the excruciating agony. Unfortunately, the pain was too much for him.


    Even with a firm willpower, he could not resist the pain. His mind was almost on the verge of shattering when he lost consciousness.


    Unfortunately, that was only the beginning. Even as he passed out, his body remained standing. His pupils became even more focused.


    The painful roars stopped as another trail of blood trickled out of his nose. At that moment, it appeared as if everything was over.


    "I told you, run!" Astral''s Spirit yelled. If he could, he would have dragged earth''s Astral by grabbing his cor.


    "Run? Why should I run? He can''t even move. What''s the worst he can do?!" Astralzily replied. He did not take Eren seriously.


    He already knew the people in this world who could threaten him. In front of his spatial abilities, only the four Overlords were strong enough to be a threat to him.


    Did he really need to be scared of a man who was crying like an animal and bleeding without even being hurt? He even wondered if Astral''s Spirit was messing with him.


    Unfortunately, his thoughts soon changed. A sense of crisis rose within his heart suddenly. He felt as if he was going to die if he did not move!


    Right before his eyes, Eren stepped forward. Even the seal of space around his legs wasn''t able to stop him. His legs were bleeding, but Eren did not seem to care.


    Before he could even blink his eyes, Eren appeared right before him.


    Shocked, he quickly used blink and teleported hundred meters away, not letting Eren''s hands touch him.


    "H-how?"


    He groaned in pain, even as he teleported away from Eren.


    "He was not able to touch me! I am sure! So how?!"


    He looked down, feeling pain rising from his chest. There was a bloody scar left on his chest.


    "Something is really wrong with that bastard! I am leaving!"


    A teleportation portal appeared behind Astral. He wanted to go as far away from Eren as possible.


    He stepped back, but before he could even enter the portal, he felt a cold hand appear before his eyes.


    The hand grabbed his face. In the next moment, a loud bang echoed through the air as Astral was smashed on the hard floor.


    [Time Remaining: 01:36]

 Chapter 87: Chapter 87: What is that thing?

    Astral''s skull felt as though it was on the verge of cracking open when he was forcefully mmed onto the ground.


    In a desperate attempt to escape, he swiftly activated his Blink, instantly teleporting a considerable distance away from Eren''s grip.


    His heart raced with a mix of fear and shock, as waves of pain surged through his body. Instinctively, he reached for the back of his head, his handsing away stained with his own blood.


    He was shocked by what was happening. Just as shocked were other Heroes in the ce. They hadn''t evene out of their daze.


    Xiu Ying was the same. She knew Eren was strong, but was he really this strong? She found it hard to believe. She could feel that something was wrong with him. It was as if he was not himself.


    Celeste had also flown far away, hiding behind a tree branch, appearing scared of the unknown.


    The Heroes came out of their daze. Although it was shocking to see Astral get beaten, it was all the more reason for them to act! Eren was too dangerous.


    "Just what is that thing?!" Astral asked the Spirit, surprised.


    Eren was able to touch him in the astral form, when he was in a different space. It should have been impossible. There should have been no one other than the Overlords who could do this.


    "I-i don''t know what he is. Even as a spirit, I feel scared when looking at that thing. I don''t think you can win! Escape when he is distracted by others!"


    The Spirit had only one piece of advice for Astral. It was to run away.


    "Do you think it is possible to run now?" Astral looked around him, feeling a strange disturbance. He noticed that he was not able to create a portal.


    "I have lost too much blood. Why are your abilities so hard to use?!"


    There was one thing that people did not know about Astral. Everyone thought that he was a true master of space, but only Mist knew that his strength was limited.


    Just like other heroes, he also had a weakness. His weakness was different from others. His weakness was blood. The more blood he lost, the harder it became for him to use an ability.


    A Portal was the strongest ability of Astral which he had barely managed to master. If it was real Astral, he might have created a portal.


    Unfortunately, the fake Astral could not do it.


    "Heal me," he called out, his voice desperate and filled with pain, as hemanded a healer from their group toe to his aid.


    Meanwhile, he ordered the other Heroes to engage and eliminate Eren, uncertain if they could actually aplish what he had failed to do.


    However, they had an advantage, which was their sheer numbers. Sometimes, strength was in numbers.


    Even if their objective of killing Eren seemed impossible, their efforts could at least keep him upied until he had a chance to heal.


    Winning the battle was not his immediate goal; his priority was to heal himself so he could make his escape. If escape proved impossible, he could at least create a portal leading to Mist''s room.


    He was certain that if he could bring Mist here, the battle was as good as over. Even if Eren was strong, he was nothing before the Overlord of the Southern Continent.


    However, his n started to crumble before his very eyes. Instead of being distracted by the other Heroes, Eren charged straight at him like a predator targeting its prey.


    Astral attempted to alter the fabric of space with a wave of his hand, hoping to stop Eren''s advance. Unfortunately, his efforts proved useless; nothing could stop Eren''s relentless onught.


    In a desperate attempt to shield himself, Astral grabbed the healer who hade to aid him and hurled him towards Eren.


    Tragically, before the healer could even reach his intended target, he was torn apart by an unknown force.


    Realizing that his spatial maniption was ineffective against Eren, Astral resorted to wielding a weapon. He knew he could not rely solely on his spatial element to halt Eren''s advance; instead, he had to take the fight directly to him.


    With a swift motion, a spatialyer enveloped both of Astral''s arms, augmenting his physical strength. He also infused his sword with a simr enhancement, granting it the power to slice through even the toughest of materials with ease.


    His vision became sharper and time started flowing slower for him. Every second was akin to a hundred seconds for him. At this speed, he had even managed to beat Xiu Ying. He was confident in this skill.


    "Huh? What?"


    Astral was shocked. The moment time slowed down for him, he wasn''t able to see anything. Instead of appearing clearly, Eren had turned into a shadow.


    He attacked Eren, only to have his Sword passed through. His sword hit the after image of Eren.


    If time had slowed down for him, then Eren had surpassed the limit of this skill.


    [Time Remaining: 01:09]


    Astral had lost the sight of Eren. Before his eyes could catch up to Eren''s movement, his hand did. Or rather, Eren found his hand.


    Eren grabbed his wrists. A kick connected with his stomach before Astral could react.


    Astral was sent flying. For a moment, he was thinking about methods to defeat this man. But soon, pain caught up to him. He noticed that both his arms were missing.


    He saw those same arms were in Eren''s hands just as he crashed in the distant house.


    Eren appeared before Astral again. In the back, the other Heroes kept attacking him with their various skills.


    Their attacks kept disappearing just as mysteriously before they could reach Eren, making it appear as if there was arge invisible barrier around him.


    "Let me go..." Astral sat amidst the rubble that was covered in his blood.


    He could not even move anymore. With so much blood loss, he could not even use the weakest ability anymore. He was like amb, waiting for ughter.


    "If I die, Mist-"


    m~


    Before Astral could finish his sentence, a foot came crashing down. Blood sshed everywhere, creating a gruesome scene.


    The other Heroes had been constantly attacking Eren. But the moment they saw how useless their attacks were, they had almost given up. Things became even worse when they saw Astral die.


    They lost their courage in an instant..Instead of fighting a losing battle, all of them preferred to run away.


    Eren raised his hand. He clenched his fist, and in that moment, multiple lightning bolts fell from the sky, like heaven''s punishment.


    Every single light bolt hit the target that was running away. In a single second, all the Heroes that had apanied Astral died.


    The Hero that was called impossible to kill also died in this ce. If the news were to spread, it would have been impossible to believe for the citizens of this continent.


    Xiu Ying stood up and watched the carnage around her. The entire ce was turned upside down.


    She did not care about this ce. Even if everyone in this continent was to die, she wouldn''t have cared. She only cared about Eren.


    She walked over to Eren, who looked like he was still in some pain.


    She reached out her hand. Even though she was scared, she wanted to do everything in her power to help Eren.


    The moment her hands touched Eren''s shoulder, he turned around and grabbed her by the throat.


    Xiu Ying struggled to breathe. She could attack Eren to free herself, but she could not get herself to attack him.


    She felt suffocated as she was raised in the air, every second Eren''s grip getting tighter. He was like aplete stranger in this moment.

 Chapter 88: Chapter 88: What was this person?

    ....


    ....


    ....


    "Urgh..."


    Eren felt a terrifying headache. It was even worse than the time he woke up in this world for the first time. Even the worst hangover was notparable.


    He could feel that he was lying on something soft. The sweet scent of flowers was all around him.


    Slowly opening his eyes, he realized he was lying on a bed of soft grass.


    "Ying!" The moment he came to his senses, his eyes snapped open. He sat straight and looked around him, having a bad feeling.


    "Are you up?"


    A melodious voice came in response, which made Eren somewhat calmer.


    He looked towards the source of the voice and saw Xiu Ying, who was taking a bath in the pond.


    "Are you alright?" Eren stood up, only to fall the moment he tried taking a step forward. His body felt even weaker.


    Xiu Ying came out of a pond, covering herself with clothes as she rushed over to Eren.


    "Shouldn''t I be asking you that question?" Xiu Ying helped him sit straight. "You slept for so long."


    "I had a terrible nightmare." Eren rubbed his forehead, still feeling as if the nightmare had been too real. "I saw that we entered the Coastal City, and then the Heroes came, and so many things happened."


    "In that nightmare, I think I even hurt-"


    Eren tried telling Xiu Ying everything he saw in that strange nightmare. However, his words came to a sudden stop when he saw a mark around Xiu Ying''s throat.


    Xiu Ying was very strong. If someone was able to leave such marks, it only went on to show how dangerous that situation was.


    "That was not a nightmare, was it?" he asked directly, his voice turning serious.


    This ce was simr to where they spent therest night before they entered Coastal City. When he woke up here, he thought he had always been here, and everything else was nothing more than a nightmare.


    Unfortunately, the signs were all present for him to see.


    In that state of mind, he was not able to control himself. Everything felt too hazy, as if it was truly a dream where he was just a spectator and nothing more.


    In that dream, he saw killing every hero. He almost killed Xiu Ying as well. He did not know what happened after that, but he could make a guess.


    When he killed the other heroes, the time of Unseal was already close to reaching zero. The effect of the Unseal Talisman probably ran out, which made him pass out.


    "I am sorry."


    That was the one thing he could tell Xiu Ying while caressing her cheeks. He had almost killed her, but she did not hold any grudge. She did not try to attack him, even when he almost killed her.


    Xiu Ying ced her hand over Eren''s hand, revealing a beautiful smile without any grief. Instead, she looked relieved that he was awake.


    "I don''t know what happened to you there, but I am d that you are back."


    Eren could say nothing in response. He even felt that this girl in front of him was too good for him. She hade on such a long journey, without hesitation, all to help him. She even ended up almost dying.


    Even then, she was still so innocent. He could thank her, but he did not want to do that. They weren''t strangers to thank each other now. If anything, she was his family.


    "I will make it up to you." He only said a single sentence in response.


    "You already made it up to me," Xiu Ying replied.


    "I did? How?" Eren asked, appearing confused.


    "By saving my life," Xiu Ying stated. "I don''t know what you did, but I know it hurt you a lot."


    She could still hear his painful cries, as if they belonged to someone begging for help. She did not know what Eren did, but she thought it was some forbidden skill.


    To save her life, he did not hesitate in hurting himself. In the first ce, he could have left safely if he had allowed her to die.


    Astral had already told him that he could leave. But he was caught in this mess because he tried to save her. It was all because of her, but he still did everything he could to save her.


    How could she not love a person like that? How could she not cherish him? In her eyes, he was even more special.


    He put his life at risk to save her. So was it really a favor if she did the same? No. Did he need to repay her? No. She did not believe he needed to do anything.


    He had already done enough.


    Eren lowered his head. For quite some time, there was only silence between the two. But this silence also held a meaning inside.


    "Why do you still care about me? Did you not hear him call me a pawn?" After a long time, Eren asked.


    Even if he did not want to believe it, he knew that she had realized his identity. There was only one reason someone like Astral would call him a pawn of the Academy. It was because he was a spy.


    "I won''t ask anything about that. Because I don''t believe you mean any harm to the sect." Xiu Ying did not deny his question, but she did not ask anything about it either.


    "That is true. I mean no harm to the Sect." Eren nodded, but even he did not know how to exin it.


    "Unfortunately, even I can''t tell you everything yet. So I can only ask you to believe in me."


    He did not know why Ren became a spy for the Academy. He didn''t even know how he managed to be an Elder in the sect, without being exposed.


    There were a lot of questions in his mind about Ren, and those questions only increased in number with the recent fiasco.


    He had only removed the seal for two minutes, and his entire world had fallen apart. He had always thought that Ren used to be very weak, but he was proved wrong.


    He could not understand just what this person was?

 Chapter 89 : The Entire City

    Eren did not understand why Elder Ren was so strong. Even Astral did notst in front of him. The Hero who was impossible to kill, had died like an insect.


    If Elder Ren was that strong, how was his Cultivation sealed? No, how did he even have such a strong Cultivation in the first ce?


    Elder Ren was the heir of the Necromancer Tower. If his links were traced, then it was next linked to the Hero Academy. It was only recently that Eren was said to arrive in the Eastern Continent. So how was this possible?


    He could feel that something was going on, but he wasn''t able to understand.


    ''It seems only with the Memory Fragment, I can get an answer.''


    At the end of the day, no matter how much he thought about it, everything was only his assumption.


    He wasn''t even certain if this was actually his Cultivation that he used, or if it was some hidden effect from the Unseal Talisman. That thing did note with any description either.


    He had long guessed its effects with the name, but he knew he could just as easily have underestimated this thing.


    The only thing he knew with certainty was that the Memory Fragment held the answers. Only after looking through Elder Ren''s memories, he could turn his assumption into confirmation.


    "Are the heroes really dead?" he asked Xiu Ying. "Mist would really raise hell... How far are we from that city? How much time has passed?"


    They needed the Sea Dragon. And to reach their habitat, they needed to reach the Ocean. Unfortunately, things had be moreplicated.


    He really hoped that Mist was not going to take action. If Mist came, then all hell was going to break loose. Even with the Unseal Talisman, he did not believe that she could be defeated.


    In the Novel, the four Overlords were never shown to fight. But there was one word that was often used to describe them. And that word was Invincible.


    He knew authors had a tendency to exaggerate the strengths of characters, but he really did not want to verify it if possible.


    "Mist will not know anything. We should have a few more days before she finds out."


    "And why do you think that?"


    Eren did not understand what gave Xiu Ying such confidence. They had killed Heroes in the city. It was only a matter of time before this news was going to spread. It wasn''t as if they had silenced every citizen of the city.


    "Wait..." When Eren thought about this possibility, he looked at Xiu Ying in disbelief. "Did you kill everyone in the city?"


    Xiu Ying shook her head.


    "That''s right. Even you won''t go that far." Eren could onlyugh at himself for thinking something so absurd.


    "I did not kill everyone. I left twenty people alive."


    "Cough!"


    Eren had just finished his sentence when he heard her words, which made him cough. The City was home to millions of people. If only twenty were left alive, how was it different from killing everyone?


    "If everyone in the city disappears, it still won''t keep the news covered up for long. The Southern Continent is different. They had a lot of technology. All their cities are interconnected with awork."


    "If this city suddenly stops all activities, it would be more eye-catching. We really should get going."


    Eren did not know how long this could hide their actions. But even if it was only a short time, he wanted to use that time to escape this continent and find the Sea Dragon.


    "The twenty people I left alive have all been charmed by me. They will falsify the activities, and keep the news hidden. For a few days, that city will be a ghost City. So you can still rest until you are feeling better."


    Xiu Ying knew that Eren was weak currently. She did not want him to put more burden on his body. Just to erase some of his troubles, she went as far as destroying the entire city.


    Eren could only scratch the back of his head.


    "Are you angry?" Xiu Ying lowered her head, wondering if she made him unhappy. "I know I promised to not kill without your permission, but..."


    "I''m not angry at you." Eren patted Xiu Ying''s head. "You bought some time for us, so don''t feel down."


    Even though Eren was taken aback by this news, he understood that it was all for his safety. If she hadn''t done that, then the news would have already reached the Academy.


    When he woke up, he would be seeing Mist''s face instead of Xiu Ying''s face. He knew well enough which face he preferred.


    "It is fine. I had enough rest. We should still be on our way. The faster we finish, the faster we can return home."


    Eren brought the Phoenix out of the Inventory. The Phoenix appeared in the sky, spreading her beautiful wings wide.


    Xiu Ying helped him up. The winds of phoenix gently surrounded Eren''s body, helping him fly above.


    "Hmm, where is Celeste by the way?" Eren asked the moment hended on the Phoenix.


    In his conversation, he hadpletely forgotten about the little girl.


    He looked in his pocket, and nothing that she was right there. Celeste was peacefully sleeping in the small space, like a little child.


    Eren felt a little relief to see that she was safe. He also felt a little bad that Celeste l had to see him like that. If possible, he did not want her to see him like that.


    "I will give you lots of cakes when you wake up," he gently said, making a promise.


    As soon as he finished, Celeste opened her bright eyes like a child that had heard her favorite word.


    "You..."


    Eren startedughing at her response. But he kept his promise, even if it felt like he was bribing a child.


    He brought a cake that he had stored in his inventory, and sat down.


    Celeste happily jumped in the cake, while the Phoenix flew towards the ocean.

 Chapter 90: Chapter 90: Upgrade

    As the sun started setting on the horizon, a magnificent phoenix was flying through the clouded sky.


    Its vibrant feathers, aze with shades of crimson, gold, and sapphire, caught thest rays of light, creating a mesmerizing spectacle.


    With graceful wings outstretched, the phoenix soared effortlessly, gliding through the clouds as if they were its yground. Every beat of its wings is apanied by a gentle breeze that carries with it a sense of wonder.


    The phoenix''s majestic presence illuminated the darkened sky, leaving a trail of ethereal brilliance in its wake. As it dances amidst the clouds, its entire body was surrounded with terrifying mes that could scare anyone.


    Despite the mes, two people were sitting atop the Phoenix. One was the true master of the phoenix, who could never be hurt by the mes.


    As for the other person, it was a woman much stronger than the man. As she was allowed permission to be there, the phoenix mes did not harm her either.


    Eren was soon able to see the Coastal City where he had decided to restst time. In the dark night, the entire city was illuminated with bright lights.


    Looking at these lights, no one would have believed that the entire city was no different than a ghost town. Beneath all this glitter, it was only gruesome scenery.


    He did feel a little regret over what happened. If he hadn''t thought about resting in this city before going to the Ocean, he might have avoided a lot of this. This city would not have suffered in such a way.


    Unfortunately, he could not travel back in time to change things. He could only look towards the future, and not the past.


    The Phoenix soon crossed the airspace of the city, confirming that the other Heroes had not arrived to check things yet. The twenty people left alive by Xiu Ying were doing their job properly.


    He sat alone in the embrace of the moonlight, while Xiu Ying was lying, her head resting on hisp. Her eyes were closed as she slept like a peaceful baby.


    He could only imagine how exhausting it was for her, that she had fallen asleep right after confirming that he was fine.


    On Xiu Ying''s belly, Celeste was also sleeping. On the corner of her lips, some traces of cake were still present, that she hadn''t noticed.


    "This truly feels like I have a family of my own."


    Eren thought to himself, feeling a warmth in his heart as he looked at Xiu Ying and Celeste peacefully asleep next to him.


    It was in these quiet moments that he found sce and a sense of belonging that he had been longing for.


    At first, he wanted to escape this world as soon as possible. He wanted to return to earth and save his life. But in moments like these, he realized that this ce wasn''t too bad.


    Even if he was the enemy of many powerful people, because of hisplicated identity, it was still a decent ce.


    This world was filled with wonders that he could never find in this world. It was truly an adventure that he had only read about in the novels.


    Moreover, even though this ce was dangerous, he could still navigate the chaotic waters.


    Feng Yu did not know he was a spy. And because all the witnesses were killed, Mist also could not know that he was the one who killed Astral.


    The Heroes did not have anyone who could see the past. If they did, they would have used that person to look at the past of the woman that put the knife in his pocket.


    If they really had someone like that, they would have known that he had the knife, and not believed when he said otherwise.


    Because of that, Astral believed that he had brought him some more time at least. As long as he could return to the Eastern Continent with Sea Dragon''s blood, he could pretend that he was never here.


    The gentle breeze brushed against his face, carrying with it a sense of tranquility that he hoped wouldst forever.


    [System upgrade Complete]


    "Hmm?" The silence was broken by a notification that appeared in front of him, surprising him.


    "What upgrade? Ah, right! I forgot that one..."


    When he epted his second disciple, he had received four options. Each of the four options had the system upgrade options with a different letter at the end.


    After hepleted the choice, he had never heard anything about that again. With the passage of time, he hadpletely forgotten about that.


    If he hadn''t forgotten, he might have cursed the system for scamming him out of a reward.


    "So the reason I did not hear anything for so long was because the upgrade was ongoing in the background?"


    Eren was curious what this upgrade was about. Even though he had four optional upgrades avable to him, he was not able to see the details of those options.


    He did not understand what each of those options brought for him.


    "Please be something good... Please be something good..." He repeated as he reached out his hand, simultaneously praying for it to be a useful upgrade.


    At this point in his life, he needed every help he could get, especially since his enemies were getting more dangerous with each passing second.


    He had juste across one Transmigrator from earth, and he had almost died. There were supposed to be at least two more of them, whose identity was unknown.


    He did not even know how strong they were going to be. Were they as strong as Astral? Or were they even stronger? In any case, he could not leave it to luck.


    When it came to luck, there were also four Main Characters in this world, all born with a Plot Armor. To survive, he needed to be strong... So strong that even the Overlords would have to pay respects to him.


    "Huh? This upgrade..."


    The corner of Eren''s lips crept up as he read the information of the upgrade.

 Chapter 91: Chapter 91: Arsenal

    Eren tapped the screen, which informed him about thepletion of the upgrade. As soon as his finger touched the screen, the screen disappeared.


    A new screen appeared in its ce, which was muchrger and had more details.


    Looking at the information, the corner of Eren''s lips crept up. For the first time, he did not want toin about his luck.


    [System Upgrade ispleted]


    [Level Up feature is avable now]


    [Description: You will receive a certain amount of experience for every person you kill, depending on their strength and the method used to kill them.


    Once a certain experience threshold is reached, you will be able to level up, and receive additional stats and skills.]


    The biggest problem for Eren was his body''s strength. He was physically weak. No, weak would be an understatement. His physical traits were even weaker than an average adult man in this world.


    With the level up system, he believed he could solve this problem. With each level up, he could increase his stats and improve his body''s condition. He could also review additional skills.


    Since he still did not know how the Devouring Bloodline was used, this was the only other method for him to receive skills while his Cultivation was sealed.


    ''If I had this system when I killed the City Lord, or Astral and the other heroes, I wonder how much I could have leveled.''


    ''But what does it mean when it says that experience depends on their strength and the method used to kill them?''


    ''Is it saying that if I use things like poison, I would get less experience? It could also be talking about taking help from others.''


    He looked at Xiu Ying''s peaceful face. It was true that if he could take her help, the difficulty would go down by a lot. If she used her Charming Skills on them, people would just stay still as he killed them.


    "It seems I have a lot of testing to do. However, with my luck, I have a feeling that it''s only a matter of time before a testing opportunity appears."


    He closed the screen, feeling a lot better. Now he had another weapon in his arsenal.


    On one hand, he could find ways to Unseal his Cultivation. On the other side, he could keep leveling up and use a different type of power system.


    These two were good enough, but he hadn''t forgotten the third power system. Although he did not know how to use the Devourer''s Bloodline, he knew that it was strong.


    Devourer was someone that had almost reached the threshold of an Overlord. If he could properly use this bloodline, then he could reach great heights with it.


    Unfortunately, there was a big problem with this. Only the people who were born with the Bloodlines knew the correct method to use them at the time of their awakening.


    That''s why Devourer was able to use it. That''s also why other Heroes know what their powers are and roughly know how they work. The Academy only helps them fine-tune these uses.


    He was not born with this Bloodline. He received this Bloodline as a gift from the options. That''s why, he did not know what was the working principle of this ability.


    It wasn''t killing the other Bloodline Owner. If it was that, he would have the ability of Astral already.


    No one knew much about Devourer, let alone knowing the method to use his abilities.


    ''Don''t tell me it''s like a Vampire and I need to drink their blood or something? I wonder if Feng Yu knows it. She did kill him after all.''


    ''But if she finds out about my Bloodline, won''t she think I''m Devourer''s descendant? If I''m a descendant of the person she killed, would she try to kill me as well?''


    ''I guess I can only rely on myself and test things slowly.''


    He realized that he had a lot of things to test in the future. There were so many things in his arsenal that were useful but iplete.


    He couldn''t forget about the Overlord Killing weapon either. Only the Holy Empire knew the method toplete it. But he wanted to stay away from them as long as possible.


    "For now, let''s focus on one thing at a time. Memories are the priority. Only when I know myself, can I understand..." he softly muttered, gently brushing his fingers against Xiu Ying''s cute cheeks.


    .....


    The Phoenix flew throughout the entire night. Instead of looking tired, the mythical beast only looked excited as she flew over the Ocean.


    Eren stayed up most of the night, looking at the water below. However, he was not able to see the water clearly.


    He could only see a rough reflection of the moon on the water, but he could feel that something was wrong. The water looked different.


    It was only when the sun started rising in the distant horizon that Eren realized what was wrong. The water in this ocean was not the beautiful shade of blue seen on earth. Instead, the entire ocean was covered in red.


    It was as if the ocean was not filled with water, but instead filled with blood.


    The main character in the novel hadn''t reached this ce, so there was no description about this ce. This was his first time seeing something like this.


    He could asionally catch sight of a colossal serpent leaping out from the crimson depths, only to gracefully dive back in, creating a ssh as it disappeared.


    The creature should have looked smaller from the height, but even then, he looked huge. Eren could only imagine how huge that thing was from close.


    It was something that could engulf an entire ship with ease.


    "Urgh, can that thing even be defeated?"


    Usually, the creatures near the shore were said to be weakest. And to reach the Sea Dragon, he had to go much farther.


    If the Sea Serpent was this strong, then how strong was the Sea Dragon? Could that thing even be defeated? He wondered.

 Chapter 92: Chapter 92: Legendary Celestial Dragon

    "What are you looking at?"


    Eren remained captivated by the awe-inspiring presence of the colossal sea creature, until a melodious voice gently reached his ears.


    He shifted his gaze downward and was greeted by the sight of Xiu Ying, her head resting peacefully in hisp. As she lifted her gaze towards him, he couldn''t help but be enthralled by her beauty.


    "With you by my side, what need do I have to divert my attention elsewhere?" Eren replied, his wordsced with flirtation.


    Xiu Ying yfully whispered, her voice filled with allure, "You''re quite the charmer, aren''t you?"


    Swiftly changing the subject, she inquired, "Did you manage to get any sleep at all?"


    With that, she sat upright, her curiosity evident in her expression.


    "I slept enough. I woke up just half an hour before you," Eren lied, not bothering to tell her that he was awake all night.


    He knew that she was only going to me herself for being inconsiderate if he told her.


    Noticing Xiu Ying''s suspicious re, he turned back to the ocean.


    "Anyway, this is the first time I''ve been to the sea. It''s truly a fascinating sight," he swiftly changed the topic. "It truly looks like the Ocean of blood."


    "It probably is an ocean of blood. You know, there are a lot of stories about this ocean."


    "Oh? What kind of stories?"


    Eren''s ears perked up as he leaned in closer, intrigued by the tales Xiu Ying was about to share. He did not underestimate stories anymore.


    Until a short time ago, this entire world was a story for him. And now, this was his reality. He believed that every story had a chance of being true, no matter how absurd.


    "There was a story that once upon a time, this ocean also used to be blue like the other oceans. It was a safe ce where humans could safely travel in ships, without having to worry about being killed by creatures of this ocean."


    "What changed then?" Eren asked. How did a normal ocean be the ocean of blood that was filled with such fierce beasts?


    "ording to the legends, there was once a Celestial Dragon who lived in the Ocean. The Dragon was the ruler of this ocean."


    "A Celestial Dragon?"


    Eren had heard about this for the first time. He knew that there were mythical beasts in this world like the Phoenix that he was riding. There were also dragons in this world, like the Poison Dragon that he killed, or the Sea Dragon that was his goal.


    "A Celestial Dragon... I guess you can understand it as a dragon that wasparable to a true god," Xiu Ying exined. "Even the strongest dragons in this era would not beparable to a Celestial Dragon."


    "Are you saying that a Celestial Dragon is the reason for the Ocean turning blood red?" Eren asked.


    "At least that''s what the legend says. ording to the stories, a long time ago, the Celestial Dragon lived in the Ocean in the Dragon Pce."


    "Under the Dragon''s control, the Ocean was very peaceful. The Dragons under the Celestial Dragon not only did not harm the humans, but they even helped the humans at times."


    "Even I don''t know if there is even a shred of truth in this story. How could such powerful beings care about humans? It was like humans caring about insects?"


    Xiu Ying did not believe the story in the least. This world had nopassion for the weak. It was especially true for the dragons that considered themselves the most noble beings.


    "It''s fine. Even if it is not true, I still want to hear it. What happened next?" asked Eren.


    "Next, someone came and killed the Celestial Dragon. No one knows who that person was, or why he killed the Celestial Dragon. When the Celestial Dragon''s blood fell in the Ocean, the ocean started changing."


    "Most of the creatures in the ocean mutated and became stronger, thanks to the Celestial Dragon''s Blood. The Dragon Pce was also destroyed that day."


    "So the blood red ocean you see today... It''s red because of the Celestial Dragon''s Blood. At least that''s the case ording to the legends."


    "The legends go even further and say that the person who killed the Celestial Dragon was a human, and not even a god."


    "It is said that because of this, the entire human species was cursed. Humans were forbidden from entering the Ocean, and whenever a human ship tried to sail through this bloody ocean, it was destroyed."


    "No one who set sail in the ocean ever returned alive. However, I believe that''s only true for the weak. It''s not a curse. Even if a weak person enters the forbidden forest of death, they would die. So the logic of it being a curse is absurd."


    "Even more absurd is the story that a human killed the Celestial Dragon. Either the Celestial Dragon was notparable to a true god, or the one who killed it was not a human."


    "Both can''t be true. Hence, it''s clear that the story is mostly false, created to scare people."


    Xiu Ying did not believe the story. Still, even if the legend was absurd, she hadn''t forgotten it. It was something that wasn''t just heard in the Southern Continent, but even in faraway continents.


    "It could be true though," Eren chimed in. "Isn''t Feng Yu also human? Mist is also human. Both of them are too strong. So it''s possible that there was someone stronger in that era as well."


    "In any case, I suppose we would never know the truth."


    Eren knew that there were many beings in this world that were too strong. The Author was one such existence.


    He could even stop time and space. If it was an existence like him, it could exin the death of the Celestial Dragon.


    Unfortunately, at the end of the day, it was all his assumption. He did not think too much about his theory. The past did not change the present.

 Chapter 93: Chapter 93: Hunter of Night

    Eren pondered over the existence of the legendary Celestial Dragon. Uncertain of its actual existence, he couldn''t help but imagine the immense power it would possess.


    The question that intrigued him even more was the strength of the person who could kill such a formidable creature, especially in the Dragon''s Domain.


    "If only I possessed that level of strength," Eren mused, "I wouldn''t have to worry about taking down a mere Sea Dragon."


    Reflecting on his past aplishments, Eren remembered his encounter with a Poison Dragon. However, he understood that the circumstances were quite different.


    The Poison Dragon was already weakened when he faced it, giving him an advantage. Furthermore, the nature of a Poison Dragon was distinct from that of a Sea Dragon, particrly one that resided in the vastness of the sea.


    While a Poison Dragon relied solely on its physical strength and poisonous abilities, a Sea Dragon had the advantage of utilizing the power of the ocean itself.


    Unlike the lonely nature of the Poison Dragon, the Sea Dragon could easily gather in groups, which made them a more formidable force.


    The map Eren had ess to only revealed the locations of the Sea Dragons'' habitats, with no indication of their actual numbers.


    A Sea Dragon was dangerous in itself, but if they were in groups, it could only be described as tragic.


    "I don''t think facing a Sea Dragon in a proper battle would be a wise decision."


    He had exhausted the Pendant of Strength. Other than Xiu Ying, the only thing that could help him was the Phoenix and thest remaining Unseal Talisman.


    Thest time he used it, he had almost died from pain. There were too many ws in this talisman. Under the effects, he could not differentiate between enemies or friends either.


    If the time had not run out, he might have killed Xiu Ying, only to regret it forever. Another problem was that he only had two minutes.


    Fortunately, he had managed to eliminate all the heroes within the given two minutes. But if he failed to defeat the Sea Dragons within the time limit, it would be akin to serving himself on a tter.


    He had not forgotten the effects of his previous experience with the talisman. If possible, he wished to avoid using it until he fully recovered Ren''s memories and understood the underlying conditions.


    "Perhaps a bit of practice is in order," he pondered aloud.


    Before engaging in battle with the boss, he wanted to gauge the strength of the minions to gain a rough estimate. After all, theycked experience fighting in the Ocean.


    With his Level Up system, he believed this to be a wise decision. It could also provide an opportunity for him to further enhance his abilities.


    ''If I can strengthen my body, perhaps the pain caused by the Unseal Talisman would be more bearable.''


    He looked through the map, and found an ind that was at a good enough distance from the Sea Dragon habitat while also not being too far.


    ....


    In the middle of the Blood Ocean, an abandoned ind stood tall.


    Surrounded by crimson waters that were filled with the scent of blood, the ind still managed to have a flourishing ecosystem.


    More than half the ind was covered in forest, and the remaining half was covered in grass. However, just like the often, the grass was also different.


    The grass did not have the natural green color. Instead, the ind grass was pitch ck. The trees stood tall, but their blood red leaves rustled in the wind, creating an eerie yet mesmerizing sight.


    Despite its haunting appearance, the ind was beginning with herbs, nts and flowers that could not be found anywhere else.


    As the sun set on the horizon, casting an eerie glow on the deste ind, a magnificent Phoenix descended from the heavens.


    Its wings, aze with vibrant hues of red, orange, and gold, created a mesmerizing sight against the darkening sky.


    With graceful movements, the Phoenixnded on the ind''s barren shores. The sound of wavespping gently against the rocks seemed to create a beautiful melody.


    Erennded on the barren rocks beneath him. This time, he was not looking at the bloody ocean from the sky. He was right in front of it.


    If he was to reach out his hand, he could even touch the bloody water of the ocean. Being cautious, he decided against touching the water, at least when he could not see clearly.


    He could only see the rough silhouette of the ocean, thanks to the moon hanging high in the night sky, casting a silvery glow over the scene.


    "Just how much blood did the Celestial Dragon have?" he jokingly asked.


    From this close, he was able to experience the scent of the ocean. And it was truly that familiar and disgusting scent of blood.


    "Let''s find a ce to rest. We will start hunting in the morning," Eren told Xiu Ying as he turned towards the forest.


    Just as he had taken a few steps, he stopped. Xiu Ying only saw him looking at an empty space.


    She had noticed him doing something simr in the past. She did not understand what he was doing, but she remained next to him.


    Meanwhile, Eren was going through the description of every option.


    [Option 1: The Hunter of the Night.


    Be the Hunter of the Night and kill Sea Serpents before morning.


    Reward: Pendant of Poison]


    [Option 2: The Hunter of the Day.


    Be the Hunter of the Day, and kill two Sea Serpents before the sunset tomorrow.


    Reward: Spirit Summoning Pendant]


    [Option 3: The Commander.


    Be amander, andmand the ones under you to hunt a Sea Dragon before sunset tomorrow.


    Reward: Thread of Fate]


    [Option 4: The nner.


    Don''t do anything until you are certain of sess. n for your next course of action.


    Reward: Coin of Decision]


    "n change. I will hunt tonight," he turned back towards the ocean of blood.

 Chapter 94: Chapter 94: Xiu Yings Secret

    The Pendant Series... Eren did not understand its origin.


    From the day he arrived in this world, he had received many rewards from the system.


    Sometimes, he received the Question Voucher which allowed him to talk to the unknown existence which held almost all the answers.


    At other times, he received Aura and a powerful Bloodline. He even received Celeste, who was from a species that wasn''t supposed to exist here.


    All these things were enough to shock anyone, but amongst all the rewards, he still considered the Pendant Series rewards to be most useful.


    The Pendant of Strength was an item that allowed him to kill Asura Sect Master with ease. The Pendant of Protection also made him invincible to any three life threatening attacks.


    The Pendant of Protection was something that could even block the most powerful attack from an Overlord. That was enough for him to understand its value.


    The pendant series rewards had proven to be the most useful reward for him. Not only did it allow him to protect himself, but also allowed him to get out of many dangerous situations.


    After hepletely exhausted the Pendant of Strength, he only had the Pendant of Protection left. This made him very hesitant.


    He had been hoping for another pendant series reward to appear. As if answering his wish, one of the options came with a pendant series reward.


    The Pendant of Poison was different from the Pendant of Strength and Protection.


    Eren was sure that it was not going to make him stronger. But it was a pendant series reward, so he was certain it was going to be extraordinary in its own ways.


    After exhausting his Pendant of Strength, he did not have a lot of options to attack. And the Pendant of Poison did appear like it could help in that.


    ''To kill the Sea Dragon, I can''t rely on conventional methods. Even with Xiu Ying''s help, I might not be able to defeat one. But if it''s something rted to poison...''


    The fourth option was the easiest, but it also came with the seemingly worst reward. The second option only increased the difficulty, while only giving him an advantage of sight.


    Even if he could summon a spirit, it was useless in battle since the Spirit could not fight for him. A spirit could only give him guidance, which was more or less useless for someone like him with such low stats.


    As for the third option, if he could easily kill a Sea Dragon in a single day, why would he have to worry so much? Going to a Sea Dragon without preparation was an even worse option.


    Out of all the options, only one made sense, despite the difficulty. And toplete that, he had to hunt a Sea Serpent before morning.


    ''To think I would be doing something like this.''


    Just this morning, he had seen a Sea Serpent. He had thought that the creature was almost impossible to defeat. And now he was nning to hunt one.


    He could onlyugh at the situation to bury his other emotions, including the fear.


    "Stay on the ind. I will go out for a hunt," Eren told Xiu Ying while patting the Phoenix.


    The third option included taking help from Xiu Ying. Hence, he understood that the first option meant he had toplete it himself, even though it didn''t outright mention it.


    If Xiu Ying joined him, it was no different than selecting the third option, which was the worst situation for him.


    "Did I do something wrong?" Xiu Ying asked with hesitation. She did not understand why Eren was leaving her behind and going out alone.


    "You didn''t do anything wrong. It''s just, it is something that I must do myself, if I want to seed. I will tell you when I return."


    Eren climbed on the Phoenix''s back. The Phoenix spread her wings and started rising in the air.


    "But it is dangerous alone!" Xiu Ying rose in the air. Although she did notnd on the Phoenix, she did not want to let him go alone.


    "I have ways to protect my life. Nothing will happen to me." Eren reassured Xiu Ying with a smile.


    "I promise toe back safely," he added before the Phoenix took off into the sky.


    As Xiu Ying watched Eren disappear into the distance, she wanted to follow him. She felt conflicted.


    On one end, she wanted to follow him to make sure that he was safe. On the other end, she did not want him to hate her.


    If it was something for which he needed to be alone, and she spoiled it for him, her heart ached at the thought of causing him distress.


    "I will not follow you. But I will still protect you..." After a long time, she sighed.


    She raised her hand, and bit her finger. A blood drop gathered at the tip of her finger, and she drew a small symbol on the back of her hand.


    With a gentle whisper, she activated the formation with her blood as a source. It was something that no one knew, other than Sect Master Feng Yu.


    If Eren was here to see this, he would have been shocked. This was a Summoning Formation. The Novel did not mention Xiu Ying knowing formations, let alone the fact that she could summon something.


    As shepleted the formation circle, an ethereal gate materialized before her. The gate possessed an ancient aura, seemingly connected to the depths of the underworld itself.


    With a creak, the gate swung open, revealing a young woman adorned with a devilish smile on her beautiful face. Her form appeared translucent, resembling more of a spirit than a living being.


    "Didn''t you vow never to summon me?" The woman''s words dripped with a hint of disdain. "Do you still remember the price of summoning me?"


    "I remember," Xiu Ying affirmed, her expression devoid of warmth towards the spirit.

 Chapter 95: Chapter 95: Lets make this title a reality

    Though Xiu Ying furrowed her brow, she allowed the spirit to continue. This was the insignificant price she willingly paid.


    "In that case, I shall im one year of your life in exchange for one night!" The spirit pressed her hand against Xiu Ying''s forehead, siphoning a portion of her life force.


    A single year of her lifespan held little significance for Xiu Ying, considering her long life span thanks to her cultivation.


    She had hundreds of years of lifespan left. With more breakthroughs, she could only increase it. So one year was insignificant.


    The only reason she hadn''t summoned this spirit all this time wasn''t because of the price. Instead, it was deeply rooted in her history and past.


    "That was delicious." The Spirit moved back, rubbing her belly with satisfaction. "My Mother keeps asking me why I even bother staying in a contract with someone from the human realm. She would never understand this feeling..."


    "If you''ve had enough of the talking, I want you to get to work."


    Xiu Ying cut her off mid-sentence.


    "Tsk, you are no fun. Are you still angry about thest time?" The Spirit cutely puffed her cheeks while rolling her eyes.


    "A man went in that direction, riding a phoenix," Xiu Ying came to the main point without even bothering to answer the spirit.


    "A man? Do you want me to kill him?" The Spirit asked, only to stop when she felt a terrifying killing intent from Xiu Ying.


    "I was joking! Calm down!" The Spirit rified, despite her surprise.


    She had never expected that Xiu Ying would care about a man so much that she was even willing to get in contact with her again.


    Not only that, she was even showing such a scary expression when she just joked about killing that man? She was really curious about the identity of that man, who could make this girl like this.


    "I want you to follow him, without revealing yourself. If his life is ever in danger, I want you to save him. But at any cost, you must never let him know that you are rted to me!" Xiu Ying stated, determined to protect the man she cared about so deeply.


    She knew the risks involved but was willing to go to great lengths to ensure his safety.


    "Remember, don''t interfere unless his life is really in danger! I don''t want you to be an obstruction for him! And if it''s something that even you can''t handle, then call for me without any dy!"


    "Something I can''t handle? Huh, did you forget who I am? There is nothing I can''t handle!" The Spirit stated, her voice carrying slight hints of arrogance.


    ....


    "Since the Phoenix is my Contracted Beast, her strength should count as my help. If I am careful about this, I should be able to finish this before morning."


    "There is only one problem... Where to find the Sea Serpent at night?"


    In the morning, he came across one without even wanting to. However, finding one was harder than he thought.


    Even the map he had did not show a proper ce where they could be found. It only showed a general area, which was so vast that he could keep searching for days.


    "If I''m not wrong, the one I saw in the morning was going in that direction."


    He pulled out a piece of paper, and started doing some calctions.


    "At the speed it was moving, if I roughly assume his velocity and the amount of time that has passed, it should give me a much smaller range to search."


    After he finished the calction, he opened the map again. He found the point where he had seen the Sea Serpent.


    He ced his fingers on the point and traced the direction.


    "This ce!"


    After a rough calction, he found a target which was not too far from his current location. It was just on the opposite side of the Sea Dragon''s habitats.


    He understood why a Sea Serpent did not want to enter a dragon''s territory, but it worked out for his benefit in the end. He didn''t have to worry about catching the attention of the Sea Dragons during his search.


    The Phoenix quickly changed direction and flew towards a different part of the ocean, as per Eren''s desire.


    Under the moonlight, Eren kept looking at the ocean. Even with his weaker night vision, he did not think he could miss something as giant as the sea serpent.


    To further help, the Phoenix flew much lower than its usual height, but still higher than the Sea Serpent could jump.


    "In the fight between the sky and ocean, we can''t afford to lose. We will win, and we will have a feast." Eren patted the back of the Phoenix as he prepared for an impossible battle.


    He checked to make sure that the Pendant of Protection was still properly around his neck.


    He prepared more talismans that could boost his speed and strength temporarily.


    The strength boost was not even close to what he received from the Pendant of Strength. But at desperate times like these, he could not afford to worry about such things.


    "There he is!" After searching in the same area, Eren saw the same Sea Serpent that he did in the morning.


    He prepared a weapon and took a deep breath. Compared to the Sea Serpent, he looked much smaller.


    If both were standing on the same ground, he would appear no different than an antpared to the giant beast.


    Still, this ant was willing to take this risk. He hadn''t even realized how he had started to change aftering into this world.


    At the start, he was more cowardly. Every time, he was worried about being killed.


    He only wanted to protect himself and stay away from danger. And here he was, trying to fight a giant monster that could swallow him whole.


    "The Hunter of Night, not a bad title. Let''s make this title a reality!"

 Chapter 96: Chapter 96: You better not run away, my precious pendant!

    Eren tightened his grip on his weapon, his heart pounding in his chest. The sea breeze tousled his hair as he stood on the edge of the Phoenix''s back, ready to face the Sea Serpent head-on.


    With amanding gesture, Eren signaled the Phoenix to descend closer to the water''s surface. As they approached, the Sea Serpent''s immense size became even more apparent.


    It glimmered under the moonlight, its scales reflecting a mesmerizing array of colors.


    Aftering closer, Eren was able to use his identification skill.


    The status Screen of the sea serpent appeared right before his eyes.


    [Name: Sea Serpent]


    [Level: 30]


    [Identity: None]


    [Bloodline: Serpentine]


    [Age: 408]


    [Traits: Slow]


    [Stats]


    [Strength: 452]


    [Agility: 143]


    [Stamina: 705]


    [Intelligence :08]


    [Mana: 0]


    Looking at its stats, Eren was able to roughly guess the strength of the beast before him. It was roughlyparable to the strength of the City Lord that hade to kill his second disciple.


    It was much weaker than Xiu Ying, who was level fifty ording to his system''s estimates. If she was here, they could easily kill that thing, without even sweating.


    "No wonder the options did not allow me to take help from her. With her help, the option would have changed to hunting the Sea Dragon instead."


    "The target is much weaker than I expected. It just looks bigger and scarier. But... It is weak whenpared to her. Compared to me, it''s still very strong. I can''t look down on it."


    The Sea Serpent, sensing their presence, raised its head above the water, its eyes fixated on Eren and the Phoenix. It let out a low, rumbling growl, as if issuing a warning.


    Eren took a deep breath. He could still leave and give up. This was thest opportunity to turn around and give up on the n. If not now, then never.


    Despite that, he did not hesitate. His grip on his sword tightened. He released his Sword Emperor''s Aura.


    Initially, it was only a bluffing skill to make him appear stronger. But that was exactly what he wanted. He wanted the Sea Serpent to be stunned or scared even if it was only for a short moment.


    "Now!" Erenmanded with all his might.


    The Phoenix screeched in response as it descended swiftly from the sky, its mes zing brightly. The Phoenix opened her mouth and shot out a torrent of scorching mes towards the Sea Serpent, engulfing it in a fiery inferno.


    Eren stood his ground, his heart pounding with adrenaline as he watched the majestic creature unleash its full power. This was the first time he had seen the Phoenix attack with all her might.


    The Sea Serpent was surrounded in mes, its painful cries echoing in the silent ocean. Unfortunately, it wasn''t just a battle between sky and earth. It was also a battle between mes and water.


    The Sea Serpent took advantage of the surroundings. It went inside the water, trying to protect itself from mes.


    "I am sorry, but I can''t let you run away!"


    Eren jumped off the Phoenix''s back. He wasn''t sure if the Sea Serpent was ever going toe out of water if it was allowed to escape. Once they lost him, it was as good as gone.


    As he fell from the sky, Eren made use of all the Talismans he possessed. One of these talismans granted him a temporary surge in agility, enabling him to move with unparalleled swiftness. Another Talisman gave him a temporary increase in strength.


    Among his arsenal of Talismans, Eren possessed a particrly vital one. It was as rare as it was expensive, even in the Great Demon Sect.


    It was a protective charm capable of ensuring his survival in the face of extreme conditions.


    Whether submerged underwater or walking in treacherous icy terrains, this enchanted Talisman granted him the resilience necessary to endure and survive.


    It allowed him to breathe underwater, while also allowing him to bear extreme temperature differences, albeit for only a few minutes.


    "I am spending so much of my stockpile on you! You better not run away, my precious pendant!"


    At this moment, Erenpletely stopped caring about his surroundings or the danger. He did not see the difference in strength between the two... He did not see the stats.


    All he saw was a beast that he had to kill, if he did not want to live his life in ignorance. In this moment, he was a hunter, who only had the prey in his mind, maybe even overestimating his abilities.


    Erennded on the burning skin of the Sea Serpent. Although the phoenix mes did not hurt him, but the burning skin of the servant was enough to make his shoes melt, and even burn his feet.


    The Serpent did not notice that someone hadnded on its back. All he knew was that he didn''t like pain! It was too hot! He wanted to leave!


    He ducked his head inside the water, and soon his body followed suit.


    Eren took a deep breath, already expecting what wasing next. He firmly stabbed his sword on the sea serpent''s back to improve his footing.


    As the sea serpent moved inside the water, Eren stood atop like a Knight with both his hands on the sword.


    He was dragged inside the dark and bloody water. If he was thinking clearly, he might have thought that he was doing something absurd. He could not even see properly under the bloody water after all.


    To his advantage, he was not thinking straight. Or rather, he could not afford to think straight. He knew that the moment he started thinking, he might lose the courage that he had managed to gather.


    He pulled out another sword from a storage ring. This was the sword kept inside the ring that was given to him by the Hero Academy.


    He had never used this sword, worried about exposing his identity. But here, he didn''t need to think about it.


    "Die!" Eren stabbed the second sword on the scorching skin of the Sea Serpent.

 Chapter 97: Chapter 97: What a pity

    As Eren''s second sword pierced the scorching skin of the Sea Serpent, a surge of energy coursed through his body.


    The sea water turned murkier with blood, making it even harder for Eren to see. But he didn''t let that deter him. With each strike, he channeled all his strength into his attacks.


    He used both the swords like ws and kept moving forward on the back of the Serpent that was moving chaotically.


    The Sea Serpent thrashed and writhed in pain, its enormous body creating powerful waves that threatened to throw Eren off bnce. But he held on, his grip on the swords unyielding.


    He could feel the Serpent''s strength waning with each strike, but he knew he couldn''t let his guard down. It was far too little to kill the Serpent. He had to hurt it even more, to the point that the creature could bleed to death.


    Suddenly, the Sea Serpent unleashed a powerful tail whip, aiming to knock Eren off its back. But Eren anticipated the attack and swiftly dodged, narrowly avoiding the crushing blow.


    He kept moving forward, predicting the attacks of the beast, based on the pressure and flow of water that he could feel. It was also with the flow of water that he was able to guess the direction of the Serpent''s head.


    It allowed him to keep moving in the right direction, even when he could not see clearly. With each second, the effects of the talismans were waning. Eren could only increase his speed as he rushed forward, akin to climbing a mountain.


    He had roughly seen the size of the Serpent and the point where he had initiallynded. With each step, he was predicting his location. And soon, he stopped moving forward the moment he reached the Serpent''s head.


    Even after bleeding so much, the Serpent was still alive. Unfortunately, even though it was alive, it could not do much to Eren who was right in his back.


    The Serpent tried twisting his body, or even creating whirlpools to throw Eren off his back, but none of it worked.


    It could only leave the water if it wanted to kill Eren, but it knew that the ming beast was waiting outside.


    ''This should be the ce...''


    Using both swords and his calction, Eren struck with precision, aiming for the vulnerable spots he had identified earlier.


    The Sea Serpent roared in agony, its massive body convulsing beneath him as its eye was stabbed. The Serpent could not take it anymore! He had to leave the Ocean to kill this insect that was hurting him.


    The Serpent, which was previously moving under the water, swam upward, and soon jumped out of water.


    As if waiting for this exact moment, Eren called out, "Once more!"


    The Phoenix, which had been following Eren''s trail, thanks to their link, opened her mouth and fired another wave of intense mes towards the Sea Serpent as it leaped out of the water.


    The bright mes engulfed the Sea Serpent again, causing it to writhe in pain and fury, like a wild beast caught in a trap.


    Eren could feel the Serpent''s life force fading, but he knew he had to finish the job quickly. He did not want to take another trip under this disgusting ocean of blood!


    Summoning thest of his strength, Eren drove both swords deep into the Serpent''s skull.


    With a final shudder, the Sea Serpent let out a deafening cry before its life extinguished.


    The Phoenix rushed forward, and used her ws to hold onto the giant sea serpent''s body before it could fall in the water.


    Eren still was not sure if this beast was actually dead or not. If he allowed the body to fall on water and that thing was alive, he could never forgive himself.


    Moreover, even if the beast was dead, he wanted the body of this thing, mainly to test something that he had long been wondering about.


    He hadn''t thought that the Phoenix was actually strong enough to carry that thing, but he still decided to give it a try. And when it worked, he was quite pleased.


    Eren stood atop the lifeless body of the Sea Serpent that was being carried by his Phoenix.


    His breath was ragged and his body covered in blood and sweat. The battle had been intense, but he had emerged victorious, right before the effects of all the Talismans ran out.


    Bloody water dripped down Eren''s clothes as he watched the ocean that had began to calm


    And so, with the wind in his hair and the taste of victory on his lips, Eren looked ahead to the unknown. This was his first victory, which he was proud of.


    "I still can''t believe that I did it."


    Eren fell on the dead Serpent''s back, looking at his beautiful summoned beast, whose mes shimmered under the moonlight sky. With this, he had gained a lot more confidence.


    "Maybe... Just maybe I can survive in this chaotic world."


    ....


    While Eren and the Serpent''s body was being carried back to the ind, not far from him, a Spirit was looking at him with a pleasing smile on her lips.


    "He''s not bad looking at all. No wonder that girl fell for him. What a pity..."


    "Looks like he doesn''t need my help at all. What a waste... I thought I could..."


    She did notplete her sentence.


    ....


    As Eren reached near the ind, the Sea Serpent was actually considered dead.


    [Congrattions on killing a Sea Serpent]


    [You have gained 3 Experience Points]


    [You have leveled up]


    [You have leveled up]


    [You have leveled up]


    A notification appeared before him which congratted him on killing the Serpent, alone with notifying him of his level ups.


    At the same time, another screen appeared before him.


    [You havepleted the Selected Option]


    [You have been rewarded with the Pendant of Poison]


    As soon as he finished reading the notification, another pendant materialized around his neck.

 Chapter 98: Chapter 98: My Mother would love...

    Xiu Ying anxiously waited by the shore, her gaze fixated on the vast expanse of blood-stained ocean. Despite having sent the protective spirit to watch over Eren, a sense of worry remained in her heart.


    "She hasn''t contacted me yet, so everything should be fine," she reassured herself, though her restlessness remained unaffected.


    The thought of personally going to Eren''s location had crossed her mind, but hesitation always gripped her in the end. Uncertainty clouded her thoughts, leaving her torn between her desire to be by his side and the fear of affecting him.


    Lost in her internal struggle, Xiu Ying''s attention was abruptly drawn to a sight on the distant horizon. A blood-red serpent soared through the sky, its giant body advancing towards her.


    Initially mistaking it for a dragon, Xiu Ying soon realized that this creature was not a Dragon. It was unmistakably a sea serpent.


    Xiu Ying steeled herself for the imminent battle thaty ahead, ready to face this beast. But as the beast came closer, she saw someone standing atop the Sea Serpent''s head.


    She also noticed the Phoenix, whose figure was hidden by the Sea Serpent previously. The Phoenix was carrying the giant serpent and Eren stood on the red serpent''s head with his hands behind his back.


    Xiu Ying rose to the air, not even waiting for him to get to her. She flew straight to Eren, wondering if he was just.


    Even though he was standing fine, she was able to see blood on his clothes and face. Even though he had wiped his face, the blood remnants could not be removed easily.


    "I am not hurt!" Seeing Xiu Ying flying to him, that was the first thing Eren said.


    He understood that she was worried, so he first tried to solve her worries.


    "It''s not my blood either. It''s the blood of the ocean, so I am perfectly fine."


    He reached out his hand, trying to calm Xiu Ying. However, a sweet scent rushed to him. Before he could react, Xiu Ying was already in his embrace.


    Even though she said nothing, he could feel that she had been worried.


    Eren ced his hands on Xiu Ying''s back.


    "You shouldn''t have approached me. Now the blood will stain your clothes as well."


    "You are really fine, right?" Xiu Ying asked.


    "I am doing much better than the serpent under me at least," Eren jokingly answered.


    The Phoenix soon reached the ind and put the body of the giant serpent down. The body of the red snake was so huge that it covered almost half the ind.


    Eren jumped down the body of the sea serpent. Unlike before, he did not need Phoenix Wind tond safely.


    He patted the head of the Phoenix. "You worked really hard tonight. Rest for now..."


    The Phoenix nodded, as if it could understand Eren. It curled its mighty wings and settled down on the sandy beach, its radiant feathers glowing in the moonlight.


    Eren also took off his blood stained clothes. After cleaning his body with water he had stored before, he changed into new clothes.


    After changing clothes, he sat beside the phoenix, feeling a sense of peace wash over him in the presence of such a magnificent creature.


    Not far from him, the lifeless body of the giant creatures remained still.


    He wanted to do a lot of things, but he had neither the strength nor the courage. He felt extremely tired and all he wanted was to sleep for now.


    He had thought about telling Xiu Ying everything that he did. He wanted to tell her about his battle with the Sea Serpent, and to exaggerate some things.


    However, as soon as he tested his head on the soft feathers of the phoenix, he fell asleep because of exhaustion, without even realizing.


    Xiu Ying sat next to him, having a lot of questions. She did not understand why he wanted to kill this thing alone? Was this the only reason he told her to not follow him?


    She rested her head over his shoulder and covered him in a nket.


    Xiu Ying couldn''t help but feel a mix of emotions as she watched Eren sleep peacefully. Her worry for him still lingered, but seeing him finally find some rest eased her heart.


    "That pendant...?"


    As she was about to close her eyes, she noticed a green pendant around Eren''s neck.


    She remembered that he loved wearing pendants, but she was certain he did not have any green pendants. At least she did not see one before.


    She subconsciously reached out her hand to touch it.


    "I wouldn''t do it if I was you."


    A voice came, making Xiu Ying stop.


    "You know what this is?" Xiu Ying asked the Spirit which had returned.


    "I don''t know what that thing is, but even I feel danger when looking at it. The only other time I get this feeling is when I''m next to my mother. It is enough to prove how dangerous that thing can be..."


    She also wanted to know more about that green pendant. And not just the green pendant but the white pendant next to it. Both these pendants looked out of ce in this ce.


    "What an interesting man. Would you mind if I take him to my mother?"


    "I will kill you if you try anything with him!" Xiu Ying snapped back. She was not joking either.


    "Calm down! I was just joking!" The Spiritzily answered. However, in her eyes, something entirely different was visible.


    She had started paying a lot of attention to Eren, the man who possessed such peculiar items. Even she could not see through this man for some reason.


    "Since I''m not needed anymore, I will be taking my leave."


    A return formation appeared under her. Behind her, the door to her world opened. The spirit stepped back, but just as she was about to enter, she stopped.


    "Before I leave, I have to remind you... In a few months, there is something really special going to happen. I will send you an invitation. If you want, you cane with that man. I''m sure my mother will treat you well..."


    As soon as she finished, she entered the portal and disappeared with the gate.

 Chapter 99: Chapter 99: Taste of Blood

    As the first rays of sunlight peeked over the horizon, the sky transformed into a canvas of vibrant colors.


    Shades of pink, orange, and purple blend together, painting a picture that seems almost surreal. With the blood red ocean, the sky created a beautiful contrast and a scenery that could not be witnessed anywhere else.


    The cool morning air carried the scent of the bloody ocean, as if nature itself is taking a deep breath.


    As the minutes pass, the sky transforms into a brilliant blue. The once dark silhouette of trees now revealed intricate details, as if they were carefully etched against the sky.


    With the sunlight falling over his face, Eren slowly woke up from his slumber. Stretching his arms, he took in the breathtaking view before him, noticing that he was covered by a nket.


    Not far from him, he saw Xiu Ying who had woken up before him. She was standing before mes, cooking something, possibly for him.


    It wasn''t hard to see the corpse of the Sea Serpent as everywhere Eren looked, he could see the Sea Serpent. That creature was just so huge.


    When he woke up, he had thought that maybe thest night was a dream. However, when he looked at the corpse, he realized that it was true. He had actually hunted that creature.


    He touched the Pendant of Poison around his beck. This was the reward that he had received after hunting the Sea Serpent and the reward truly had not disappointed him.


    This reward from the Pendant Series was just as special, maybe even more.


    [Pendant of Poison]


    [Uses left: 3/3]


    [Effects: Can turn your blood into the most potent Poison for ten minutes]


    [Warning: If the pendant is touched by someone other than you, the person would be under unknown poison effect]


    Even with his identification skill, he wasn''t able to get more details. He wasn''t informed about the actual strength of this Poison.


    However, with this being a pendant series reward, he had a feeling that it could only surpass his expectations. Maybe it could even kill an Overlord.


    The only problem was the use of this thing. Even if he could turn his blood into Poison, he had to find a way to use that poison. If only he could get the Poison ingested by the enemy, it could turn the tide of battle for him.


    Eren moved the nket aside, but as he was about to stand up, he noticed Celeste sleeping on his chest. As she was so light, it was impossible to notice her with just weight.


    He carefully picked her up and ced her on the Phoenix''s back.


    "What are you making?" He walked over to Xiu Ying and hugged her from behind.


    "The Sea Serpent," Xiu Ying replied, almost making Eren  choke.


    "I washed it well, so it should be edible and good for your health. But if you don''t like it, I can make something else for you."


    "It''s fine. As long as it''s not poisonous, I am fine."


    Eren did not refuse. If anything, he knew he had to eat the Sea Serpent''s meat. It wasn''t because he wanted to taste it. It was all because he wanted to find out the conditions of his Devouring Skill.


    He didn''t know how this thing worked. That''s why he had reserved the day just for testing. That''s also why he brought this corpse here.


    Eren walked back to the serpent. Its body was so vast that he had a feeling that couldn''t finish it even if they were to eat that for a year.


    "Maybe I can sell it. So far, I''ve only been relying on talismans given by Xiu Ying. They are quite expensive. I will need to earn my own money, especially since I need to raise my disciples as well."


    After a long and tired sigh, he pulled out a dagger and stabbed it in the Sea Serpent''s skin, letting another trail of blood trickle out.


    Eren filled the blood in the transparent ss and brought it near his lips.


    "I feel like I will puke."


    He looked at the crystal ss filled with blood of the beast that he had hunted.


    "If only I knew how Devouring works, I wouldn''t have to try it."


    He took a deep breath and ced the ss near his lips. He gathered all the courage he had and raised the bottom of the ss, pouring the blood in his mouth.


    In a single gulp, he drank the entire blood. He waspletely prepared for puking, but his face revealed a surprise.


    "This is... strangely delicious."


    He weirdly looked at the body of the Sea Serpent. Although he did not know what blood was supposed to taste like, he had not expected this at least.


    He felt like this blood could get people addicted easily, being more tasty than wine. It also affected his mind, making him feel better like mild drugs.


    "Is it really supposed to be tasty or something is wrong with me?" He thought out loud as he filled the ss again.


    He walked over to Xiu Ying and extended his hand.


    "Can you try to taste it and tell me if it actually tastes good?"


    Xiu Ying ced her hand over Eren''s hands. From his hands, she took a sip.


    "It tastes decent."


    "I thought so..." Eren finished the rest, almost looking forward to what her cooking was going to taste like when they were using this material.


    Although he was looking forward to seeing if the food was just as tasty, he was also a little disappointed.


    He used Identification on himself, but he had not gained any new ability. He had not managed to devour the bloodline of the Sea Serpent either.


    "If it''s not blood, it might be meat."


    As he waited for Xiu Ying to finish, he started gathering the blood of the Sea Serpent, which could easily be another source of ie for him.


    After twenty minutes, Xiu Ying called out to him, telling that food was ready.

 Chapter 100: Chapter 100: Victims of Devourer

    Eren approached Xiu Ying as she called out to him, indicating that the food was ready.


    He could smell the enticing aromaing from the cooked Sea Serpent. His stomach growled in response, eager to taste the unique delicacy.


    If one was to forget about your source, the food truly looked like a delicacy, further improved by Xiu Ying''s cooking.


    Sitting down beside the fire, Eren and Xiu Ying shared a meal together. The meat of the Sea Serpent was surprisingly tender and vorful, surpassing their expectations.


    With each bite, Eren couldn''t help but marvel at the taste and texture, savoring every bite. At one point, he even forgot that he was eating this to test his ability and not just to enjoy.


    As they enjoyed their meal, Eren tried to stay focused. And soon, his mind was consumed with thoughts about his Devouring Skill.


    He wondered if consuming the meat would unlock new abilities or reveal hidden secrets of Devouring Skill. With each bite, he paid close attention to any changes he felt within himself.


    After finishing their meal, Eren checked his status screen with Identification Skill. Unfortunately, once again he was left disappointed.


    ''Just what am I supposed to do?!'' he thought in frustration. He could not understand why it was so hard to use someone else''s ability. Was it truly useless baggage?


    "Do you know anything about the victims of Devourer?" He asked Xiu Ying. The only thing he knew was that the victims of Devourer were never found alive.


    "Devourer? Why are you suddenly remembering him?" Xiu Ying asked. She remembered that this was the second time he asked her about this.


    The first time he asked her if she knew how his ability worked, to which she had no answer. No one knew how his ability worked after all. But now, he was asking about his victims instead.


    "I''ve just been quite curious about his ability and how it worked. Since no one knows about it, I only get more and more curious," Eren answered.


    "I know that all his victims were found dead. And mostly, his victims were only people who tried to kill him."


    "Was something wrong with the bodies of the victims when they were found?"


    Xiu Ying thought for a while. She hadn''t paid much attention to that person as he had long been dead. He was killed by the Four Overlords. And that was probably thest time these Overlords from the four continents worked together.


    "Feng Yu might know more about it. But I do know that the bodies of the victims were covered in blood when they were discovered. And their chest had a hole, with their heart missing," Xiu Ying said, remembering something.


    She further stated, "I believe Devourer probably loved crushing the hearts of the people that tried to kill him,"


    ''Heart...?'' Eren stood up, lost in thought. "Is it truly that he loved crushing their heart, or does it have something to do with..."


    "I will be right back."


    He started running towards the giant body of the Sea Serpent. As he did not know where the creature had his heart, he could only check from start to end.


    He opened the giant mouth of the lifeless Sea Serpent and entered the creature, who was so huge that walking inside this creature was like walking in a wide tunnel.


    Eren walked inside the body of the Sea Serpent. While the food made from the meat of the serpent was delicious, walking inside his body was disgusting as the stench was everywhere.


    Fortunately, there was no acid inside the body. There was only blood from the ocean, which only made his pants a little dirty but did not hurt him.


    As Eren continued his journey through the giant body of the Sea Serpent, he carefully navigated through the dark passageways.


    The squelching sound of his footsteps echoed in the cavernous space, apanied by the asional gush of blood as he brushed against the walls.


    He knew that somewhere within the depths of this creature was its heart, the key to unlocking the secrets of his Devouring Skill. If his guess was right, then he was just a step away from confirming the mechanism of his devouring skill.


    The thought of discovering something new, something that could potentially change the course of his abilities, made him even more eager.


    As he ventured deeper into the Sea Serpent''s body, Eren noticed a pulsating glow emanating from a distant space.


    The light grew brighter with each step, drawing him closer to his destination. It was a sign that he was getting closer to the heart, the source of the creature''s life force.


    Even though the Sea Serpent was dead, its heart still had some life force left.


    Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Eren reached the ce where the heart of the Sea Serpent resided. It was a breathtaking sight. The heart was massive, even bigger than himself.


    The heart was not beating anymore but Eren could still feel the energy radiating from it.


    Eren reached out and gently touched the surface of the heart. It pulsed beneath his fingertips, responding to his presence.


    "Please work this time."


    He pulled out a dagger and sliced a small part of the Sea Serpent''s heart, his hands stained with blood.


    It was a disgusting sight, even for him. However, he knew it was a necessary step. If he wanted to live in this world, he could only leave behind themon sense and thoughts that he possessed when he was on earth.


    Closing his eyes, he took a bite of the Sea Serpent''s heart. One bite turned into two bites, and then into more.


    Before long, he finished the portion that he had sliced. Once again, it looked more disgusting than it tasted.


    Realising that he liked this taste, Eren could not believe himself. Was he really changing aftering to this world?


    He did not have time to think about it. As soon as he finished eating, he used Identification Skill.

 Chapter 101: Chapter 101: Who dares to harm my brother?

    [Name: Eren (Ren Necroline)]


    [Level: 4]


    [Identity: Elder at the Great Demon Sect, Spy of Mythical Hero Academy, Owner of Devourer Bloodline, Heir of the Necromancer Tower]


    [Bloodline: Unknown, Devourer, Sea Serpentine]


    [Age: 21]


    [Traits: Calm]


    [Stats]


    [Strength: 7]


    [Agility: 8]


    [Stamina: 9]


    [Intelligence :29]


    [Mana: 65]


    [Cultivation: Unknown (Sealed)]


    [Hero Grade: SSS]


    [Goddess Protection: None]


    [Unique items in possession: Pendant of Protection, Pendant of Poison]


    [Skills: Sword Emperor''s Aura, Aura Control Method, Identification, Devouring, Aquatic Mastery]


    "This..."


    As soon as Eren looked at the status screen, a smile spread across Eren''s lips.


    There were a lot of changes in his Status Screen. And the biggest change was that his Devourer Bloodline was not marked as iplete anymore!


    Another change was that his Bloodlines now showed an extra bloodline, which was the Sea Serpentine Bloodline. He had seeded in devouring the Bloodline of the Sea Serpent.


    More importantly, he had found a method to devour bloodlines that was used by the real Devourer.


    Previously, his Hero Grade was unranked. But as soon as he activated the Devourer Bloodline by sessfully using it for the first time, the Hero Grade was updated. He was ranked as a SSS Rank Hero.


    In the Eastern Continent, more emphasis was given on cultivation. But in the world of heroes, bloodline was everything.


    Even if a person did not know how to control his bloodline, his rank was still decided by the Bloodline Grade. And his Devourer Bloodline was a peak grade bloodline, which was enough to even alert the four Overlords in the past.


    He knew that if this news leaked, it was like painting another red mark on his back. He could be another Devourer to be hunted if that happened.


    He could only keep this hidden, but he could already imagine how he was going to use this skill in the future with the Hero Academy.


    There was another smaller but useful change. After devouring Bloodline of Sea Serpent, he had managed to steal a skill of Sea Serpent as well.


    [Aquatic Mastery: Allows the user to see, speak and breathe under water and swim like they belong to the ocean]


    It was not a skill that was made for fighting, especially not on the continent. But in this ce, this skill was extremely useful.


    As far as his eyes could see, there was only bloody water. With the skill, he could survive even if he were to fall in water.


    If he had this skill when he was fighting the Sea Serpent, he would not have to predict his step and do so many calctions to dodge the attacks and kill that thing.


    "A good skill."


    Eren closed the screen, very pleased at his haul.


    Before returning, he decided to harvest the heart. He could sell this thing in the future, or maybe use it in other ways. After separating the remains of the giant heart from the body, he kept that in his Inventory.


    Leaving the ce, Eren retraced his steps back towards the head of the Sea Serpent. The stench and the filth no longer bothered him. He was too happy to think about these small things anymore.


    ....


    Deep beneath the ocean''s surface, a magnificent pce stood in all its splendor. There was not just a pce but an entire city, flourishing beneath the waves.


    This underwater city was a sight to behold, with its graceful architecture and shimmering structures. There were Dragon Statues all throughout the city that depicted Dragons roaring towards heaven.


    Just looking at these statues, an ordinary person would have felt suppressed and the urge to bow down and pay respect.


    But what made this city truly extraordinary was the protective barrier that encircled it. This barrier served as a powerful defense, preventing the bloody water from entering their sacred domain.


    This city looked like it was an entirely different world hidden at the depths of the Ocean of Blood.


    Inside the pce at the center of the heart, there was a grand hall. At the end of the hall, there was a throne. On the throne, there sat a blue haired woman with skin as fair as porcin, exuding an aura of grace.


    The woman looked like she was barely twenty years old, but only the people of this city knew that she was thousands of years old.


    There were two dragon-like horns on her head, a sign of her lineage and connection to the powerful dragons that protected the city for generations.


    Her piercing gaze held centuries of wisdom and strength, captivating all who entered her presence. It was clear that she was not just a ruler, but a symbol of authority.


    This was the city of Sea Dragons, that could be called their own small empire. And the woman on the throne was the Empress.


    In front of the woman, there were over twenty youngsters standing. The youngsters looked just as old as her, but they were like children in her eyes.


    "Today is youring of age ceremony. You have two options in front of you. Either take the test and prove yourself, or leave this Kingdom forever. What shall you choose?"


    The Sea Dragon Empress'' voice echoed in the grand hall, filled with suppressive authority. The youngsters exchanged nervous nces but stood tall, ready to face whatever challenges awaited them in the name of this test.


    "It is good to see that you have courage! Your test is simple. You must go out of the Kingdom and hunt over fifty Sea Serpents each. As proof, you must bring their hearts to me!"


    "All of you must go in different directions so you can''t help each other. Do you understand? This is a test for you, not for this group!"


    The Empress finished, her gazezily looking at the youngsters before her.


    "We will not disappoint!" The youngsters shouted in unison.


    "We will soon find out," The Empress replied. "You can leave."


    She closed her eyes, as if going back to slumber.


    The youngsters turned around and left without disturbing her.


    While the youngsters left, there was one Sea Dragon left in the hall. It was a subordinate of the Empress. He went down on one knee before addressing the Empress.


    "Your Majesty, was it really necessary to have the Prince take this test as well? As a Royal, your brother should be exempt. What if something happens to him?"


    The Empress did not even bother to open her eyes as she responded,


    "I know my brother. He should be able to handle this much. Moreover, who dares to harm my brother in this often? You worry about nothing."

 Chapter 102: Chapter 102: Is the Bloodline trying to...

    Eren stepped out of the giant Sea Serpent''s body, his body covered in a stench of blood.


    He did not clean himself as he understood that he was going to get bloody again. He still had to test his Aquatic Mastery after all.


    Xiu Ying noticed that Eren looked quite pleased as he came out from the Sea Serpent. Before entering the serpent, he looked like he was a little stressed and worried about something.


    Now, he looked like he had received the answer to the question that had been worrying him for a long time.


    "Did something good happen?" she asked as she approached Eren with silent steps.


    The sweet scent of Xiu Ying covered the stench of the blood.


    "That is correct. I found a solution to a problem that had been troubling me for a long time," Eren answered, not hiding his happiness from Xiu Ying. "With this, everything is in ce."


    "All that''s left is to hunt a Sea Dragon and then, the puzzle will beplete."


    Eren was really close to his goal. He only needed to kill the Sea Dragon and use the Memory Fragment. With that, he was sure that he was going to get a lot of answers regarding his unknown past.


    "Are we going to hunt one now?" Xiu Ying asked. She did not mind it.


    The faster they could finish it, the faster she could help Eren get rid of his worries. After that, she could have him for herself.


    "We will do it today, but not right now. For now, I want to test a skill and master it."


    Eren told Xiu Ying to stay on the ind and to hide if she came across anything dangerous.


    Concern crept into Xiu Ying''s voice as she asked, "Are you going to fight alone again?"


    She did not understand why he did not take her if he had to fight. Was he worried about her instead? Or was there really another reason?


    "Don''t worry. I am not going to fight this time. That''s why, I am not taking the Phoenix with me either. I''m just going to swim to test a few things. I promise I won''t fight..."


    Eren stepped at the shore of the ind, looking at the red ocean. Aquatic Mastery was different from Devouring. There was no special skill to activate it.


    As he didn''t receive it from the system but stole it directly from the source, it was always active. It was more like a passive skill after all.


    His body had already adapted ording to the Aquatic Mastery which allowed him to breathe under the water, even if it was water filled with blood.


    The skill also allowed him to see, listen and speak under the water to convey his thoughts.


    Eren took a deep breath and dove into the crimson sea. The water enveloped him, and he felt a sense of calm wash over him.


    The Aquatic Mastery he had acquired allowed him to navigate the depths effortlessly. As he swam deeper, he could feel like he was at home.


    Although the water was red, he was able to see inside the water as if he was swimming in normal clean water. Along the way, he did not see any small living creatures.


    The entire ocean looked empty for as long as he swam, but still it was a sight to behold. The water was brimming with energy, and he could feel its pulse resonating with his own.


    Swimming had never been this effortless for him. He felt like he was the Sea Serpent himself, swimming just as fast. He knew that if he was ever able to fly on his own, it was probably a feeling simr to this.


    With each stroke of his limbs, Eren propelled himself forward, exploring the depths.


    He wanted to push his newfound abilities to the limit, to truly understand the extent of his Aquatic Mastery. As he swam, he could feel the water responding to his presence, as if it recognized him as one of its own.


    Eren tested his ability tomunicate underwater, speaking softly to convey his thoughts. To his surprise, his words carried through the water, reaching his own ears with rity. It was as if the sea itself had be his medium of expression.


    As he continued his underwater journey, he soon encountered a few small fishes that looked simr to piranhas. The fishes attacked him with their sharp fangs. But unlike before, he was able to fight back thanks to his new skill.


    With a swing of his sword, he was able to kill these violent fishes. For a moment, he even thought about trying their hearts to see if he could get another ability, but he quickly dropped the thought.


    He did not want to gather waste and weak bloodlines as he did not know how many slots the Devouring Skill actually had. No one knew how many bloodlines Devourer actually possessed.


    Time seemed to lose its meaning as Eren explored the depths. He reveled in the freedom and tranquility that the underwater world offered him. It was a stark contrast to the chaos and uncertainty of his past.


    Here, in the embrace of the sea, he felt a sense of belonging, a connection to something greater than himself.


    "Is this Bloodline trying to affect me, just like the Devourer helped me eat without disgust? It can be quite dangerous to stay here for long..."


    He stopped the thought of exploring further and turned around. He started swimming back to the Ind where Xiu Ying was waiting for him.


    Not far from the ind, a young man with dragon-like horns was standing over water.


    He had a frown on his face as he saw a Sea Serpent sitting on an ind. Usually, the Serpents weren''t known toe out of the water.


    Suspicious, he approached the Ind. While investigating, he could even gather the Sea Serpent''s heart as finding these things was sometimes harder than killing them.


    On the other side of the Ind, Eren came out of the blood red water.

 Chapter 103: Chapter 103: With a babysitter

    Eren emerged from the blood-red water, his clothes sticking tightly to his skin while blood drops trickled down.


    "That was refreshing."


    This time, he cleaned himself and changed into dry clothes.


    "Is Celeste up?" he asked while drying his hair.


    "She is still sleeping," Xiu Ying answered while looking at the Phoenix which had long woken up.


    The Phoenix was staying still, in order to not disturb Celeste who was sleeping.


    "She has been sleeping for quite some time," Eren thought out loud.


    He was quite curious why Celeste had started sleeping longer. Unfortunately, he had no reference to check as Celeste''s species was unknown in this world.


    He walked over to Celeste and carefully picked her up.


    "Are you waking her up?" Xiu Ying asked after seeing his actions.


    "We can''t stay here longer. I think it is time for us to leave this ind. She will have to sleep the old way."


    He carefully ced her in his pocket, where she used to live and sleep during their long journeys.


    "Are we going to do it now?" Xiu Ying asked.


    Eren opened the map and looked at one particr spot.


    "That is right. It''s time for us to finish what we came here for. It''s time for us to hunt a Sea Dragon."


    "Hmm?"


    As soon as Eren finished his sentence, he frowned at the sight of a screen that appeared before him.


    [Option 1: Challenge and kill the one observing you in silence.


    Reward: Thread of Marriage]


    ''The one observing me in silence? Clearly it can''t be talking about Xiu Ying. Someone else must be here!''


    Eren did not show much reaction on his face, even after the shocking realization. He continued reading the options.


    [Option 2: Pretend as if you don''t know anything and continue with your n.


    Reward: A coffin of your preferred color scheme]


    ''And the troll is back!''


    Eren almost coughed out loud. It had been a long time since he saw an absurd reward like this. Still, it only made him realize what a dangerous situation he was in.


    [Option 3: Give up on the n and run back to the continent.


    Reward: Luck +2]


    ''Run away and give up everything I strived for? No thanks. If I give up now, I might never have the courage to return.''


    [Option 4: Tell the person observing you in silence that you want to surrender.


    Reward: Unknown Key]


    ''I don''t know the reward for the fourth option, but I won''t leave my life in someone else''s hands. So there is only one option left for me.''


    He waved his hand and closed the system screen.


    Unlike before, there was no restriction on taking Xiu Ying''s help. He did not understand the reason, but he had a few guesses. It was probably because the person was almost as strong as Xiu Ying.


    "How long are you nning to hide like a stalker?" Eren called out in a loud voice.


    "I truly didn''t expect you to be able to sense me. Not bad for a weak human."


    A young man stepped out of the water as if he was walking on the stairs.


    Even though he came from the water of blood, his clothes were not stained in blood. Instead, they were clean and dry,pletely unaffected by blood.


    Eren was also quite surprised when he saw the person, especially because that person had horns on his hair that looked like they were the purest form of diamond.


    Eren had a lot of doubts, so he directly used the identification skill on the person.


    [Name: Alizien]


    [Level: 10]


    [Identity: Youngest Prince of the Sea Dragon Empire]


    [Bloodline: Royal Sea Dragon Bloodline]


    [Age: 100]


    [Traits: Impulsive]


    [Stats]


    [Strength: 190]


    [Agility: 150]


    [Stamina: 170]


    [Intelligence :09]


    [Mana: 165]


    [Cultivation: None]


    [Hero Grade: None]


    [Goddess Protection: None]


    [Unique items in possession: Bracelet of Escape]


    ''Youngest Prince of Sea Dragon Empire? What the heck.''


    Eren was at a loss of words. If the young prince was here, did it mean somehow their n had reached the Sea Dragons? If the Prince came with guards, was it still a one on one fight?


    When it came to levels, the young dragon prince was only level ten, but his stats were much higher because of his species.


    Still, even with his high stats, he was notparable to Xiu Ying. The Sea Dragon was strong, but not strong enough because it was still a youngling who was attending hising of age ceremony just now.


    ''With Xiu Ying''s help, it should be easy to kill him. Then why...? Why did the option not restrict or signal that taking help was forbidden?''


    At first, he thought it was because the person was strong, but that did not appear to be the case. He did not think that the system was being kind to him. That left only one possibility.


    ''He is not alone. And the ones with him are even stronger. If I''m not wrong, it must be his guards.''


    It truly had be something he wanted to avoid. It was on the verge of bing a group battle.


    "To think that I would hear someone say that they want to kill us. You truly have a lot of courage for a mere human."


    "I might have courage, but unfortunately you don''t. With a guard as a babysitter, you seem to really love acting strong," Eren taunted the young prince.


    "Guard? Heh, I don''t need a guard!" The Young Prince truly appeared ignorant as if he did not know that he had a guard.


    "In that case, let''s test it." Eren folded his arms. He was certain that he was right. And there was only one way to draw the guard out who was still in hiding.


    "Ying''er, would you please kill our dear guest?"


    Xiu Ying didn''t hesitate for even a second as she rushed forward. Before the Prince could react, Xiu Ying appeared in front of him.


    The Prince was frozen in ce, not expecting a human to be this strong.


    Just as Xiu Ying was about to touch the Prince, a shadow appeared before the Prince.


    Xiu Ying controlled her steps, immediately jumping back to avoid being hit.

 Chapter 104: Chapter 104: Only Method

    ....


    "What are you doing here?!"


    Eren already expected the Prince to have a guard, but the Prince did not. He was really shocked.


    During theiring of age ceremony, they were sent on their first hunt. And during the hunt, they were supposed to be alone. In the hunt, there was nomoner and no prince.


    That''s why, the Royal Guard was not supposed to be with him at all.


    "Did my sister send you?!" he asked.


    There was only one person who could bend the rules of the Empire as per her will. It was his Eldest Sister, who was also the Empress of the Sea Dragon Empire.


    "I apologize for following you without permission. However, it was not ording to the instruction of Her Majesty. After I return, I will ept my punishment for unauthorized trailing. But for now, I must protect you!"


    The Guard respectfully stated. He also did not want to show himself if possible. He was only supposed to hide and protect the Prince. But now that he was discovered, he could only ept his punishment in the future.


    "So my second sister sent you."


    The Sea Dragon Prince understood everything. His Eldest Sister was the Empress. Although she could create her own rules, it made sense for her to not bother about him, especially when the task was only to hunt the Sea Serpents.


    On the other hand, his second sister cared more about her. She was always worried about him. She even told him to not take part in the hunt.


    He was stubborn and did not listen to his second sister. At the end, he took part in theing of age ceremony and came out for a hunt.


    Although his Second Sister did not have control of the Empire, she was still a Royal and had a few subordinates. Without letting the Empress know, she sent a Royal Guard to secretly protect her brother.


    "Second Sister really thinks of me as a child. But this time, I am d that she did. Because that woman... She is dangerous."


    Usually, the Prince would have been furious about being trailed and looked down on. But this time, he realized that he needed help.


    He could feel that Xiu Ying was too much for him to handle alone. And he did not want to run away like a coward.


    ....


    Just as Xiu Ying was about to attack the young prince, a person appeared between them.


    She quickly retreated and appeared next to Eren. Although Eren told her to attack the Prince, he had also signaled her to not actually do it.


    She understood what he wanted, and did ordingly to draw out the guards that were hiding.


    ''Only one...?'' Eren had expected at least two or more guards but only one appeared.


    He was not sure if there was only one guard that came with the Prince or there were more that were in the hiding.


    He used Identification skill on the guard as well.


    [Name: Neim]


    [Level: 42]


    [Identity: Royal Guard of the Sea Dragon Empire]


    [Bloodline: Sea Dragon Bloodline]


    [Age: 485]


    [Traits: Loyal]


    [Stats]


    [Strength: 690]


    [Agility: 903]


    [Stamina: 970]


    [Intelligence :21]


    [Mana: 1005]


    [Cultivation: None]


    [Hero Grade: None]


    [Goddess Protection: None]


    [Unique items in possession: None]


    ''I... See.''


    Looking at the stars, Eren understood everything. It was clear why the system did not prevent him from using help.


    The guard was eight levels lower than Xiu Ying, but his stats wereparable, thanks to his species advantage. His speed was slightly lower than Xiu Ying, but his strength was higher.


    If he was alone, this Sea Dragon would be able to easily crush him.


    If the Prince was a youngling who had just started walking the path of a warrior, then the Guard was an experienced Sea Dragon who had experienced a lot of battles.


    As the Charm of Xiu Ying only worked on humans, it became useless in front of the Sea Dragons. She could only rely on her strength and her skills.


    ''I don''t know if there are any more guards hiding, but there seems to be a high chance that this is it. In that case, it is still doable.''


    Eren was constantly modifying and changing the n in his mind. He was doing a lot of calctions to find the shortest route of sess, but only one method appeared the most effective.


    He had to have Xiu Ying fight the Guard while he tried to kill the Prince.


    He could try it the other way around. He could fight the Guard and use his Pendant of Protection to survive to buy Xiu Ying enough time to kill the Prince.


    Unfortunately, this n would have only worked if the Prince did not have the Escape Bracelet. If the Prince was made to fight Xiu Ying, he would have to be a fool to not understand that his victory was impossible.


    In that case, the Prince was going to run away. On the other hand, if he was fighting the Prince, then the Prince had enough of a chance of victory.


    With his Impulsive Trait as mentioned in his status screen, if he had even a decent chance of victory, he was not going to run away.


    It allowed Eren to take advantage of the situation to kill the Prince.


    There was another method. The two of them could fight the guard and kill him. All they needed was to kill a Sea Dragon to use the Memory Fragment. But none of the options included that.


    He could also see why that was the case. Allowing the Prince to leave came under the second option.


    Even if they killed the Sea Dragon and the Prince was able to escape, it was a disaster. The Prince could return with more Sea Dragons from the Empire and cover the entire ocean, even cutting their escape.


    If that happened, he was only going to receive the second reward, a coffin, and for good reason.


    ''In that case, I have to stick to my choice. I have to kill the Prince. And devouring the Royal Sea Dragon Bloodline does not look like waste either¡­''

 Chapter 105: Chapter 105: Like Celestial Dragon?

    Eren moved closer to Xiu Ying and whispered something in her ears.


    "But you...?"


    Xiu Ying was taken aback by his words. However, she did understand his n. It was also a safer choice for him to fight the young dragon, instead of the experienced one.


    She had seen Eren kill Asura Sect Master, as well as Astral. She did not think the young dragon could be a threat to him.


    Eventually, she agreed to the n.


    "Since you are already here, you might as well be of use to me," the Young Prince confidently told his guard. "Kill that woman and leave the man to me."


    The corner of Eren''s lips crept up after hearing the Prince. It was exactly what he wanted. The Prince was confident in his skills.


    "Don''t leave me! Stay near and protect me!" Eren eximed, revealing a feared look towards Xiu Ying.


    "Hahaha, you were saying that I had a babysitter, but it seems we both know who has a babysitter."


    The Prince saw his reaction, and startedughing.


    "Take that woman away from here. Make sure that she can''t interfere when I kill that arrogant human!"


    The Guard did not want to leave the Prince, but he also could not ignore themands. Fortunately, he could see fear on Eren''s face. The young man also looked weaker than Xiu Ying and the Prince.


    "I shall obey, but if something is wrong and I can''t return in time, you must escape!" The Guard pointed towards the Sea Dragon Prince''s bracelet.


    "Hmph, I will never need to run away!" The Prince scoffed.


    Still, to send the Guard away, he lied. "But if my life is in danger, I will escape."


    "Did you think that I was just a spectator here, that you can take away easily?"


    Xiu Ying started the battle, her aura ring up. Even Eren felt a little suppressed as the woman didn''t release herplete aura often.


    "Humans should nevere to the ocean. Your sin shall be punished with death, as per His Highness''mand!"


    The Sea Dragon Warrior moved, his speed being just as fast as Xiu Ying.


    Xiu Ying also reached. Both of them were so fast that they had turned into shadows. Even Eren was not able to see their figures. They hadpletely disappeared into the void.


    Still, just the impact of the battle was enough to create tides in the ocean. The battle sound was getting distant as the two were getting farther and farther from the ind.


    Xiu Ying acted as if she did not want to move away from the ind but had no choice if she wanted to kill the Sea Dragon Warrior. It went as per Eren''s n.


    The Prince thought he was dragging Xiu Ying away to clear his path. But on the contrary, Xiu Ying was dragging the guard away without him even realizing.


    With time, the sound of battle hadpletely disappeared. It was clear that the two of them had gone so far that it was impossible to even see them.


    "Now that your protector is gone, isn''t it time for you to fall to your knees and start pleading?" The Prince arrogantly asked. "Although I will not let you live even if you do that, it will still be quite interesting to see a human plead."


    Eren was not offended by the insult. Instead, he taunted the Sea Dragon in return.


    "How do you want me to plead? Like you will right before I slice that little head of yours? Or like the Celestial Dragon did before being killed by a human?"


    He wanted to enrage the sea dragon as much as possible so that he couldpletely forget that he even had an item that could help him escape.


    Even he did not expect his taunt to work so well.


    "You dare!"


    A sea dragon could take any insult, but none directed towards the Celestial Dragon, that they considered their deity who died to protect them!


    The Prince did not care about making a spectacle out of the first human he had seen in his life. His words alone were enough to demand an immediate death sentence.


    Eren drew out both his Swords. From behind him, the Phoenix opened her mouth and shot out another wave of mes.


    Eren ran forward. The mes hid his figure within, not harming him in the slightest.


    "The mes of a mere child can''t harm me!" The Prince waved his hand, casting a shield in front of him.


    The shield was sufficient to stop the mes, but it proved powerless against what came next.


    With enhanced vision, Eren could clearly discern the shield. He skillfully maneuvered along the ground, slipping through the narrow space between the shield''s base and the floor.


    His feet hit the Sea Dragon''s ankles, causing him to momentarily lose his bnce due to the unexpected encounter.


    Eren did not waste a single second and thrust his sword towards the Sea Dragon.


    "That was disappointing," the Sea Dragon looked down as he caught the sword between his fingers.


    The Sea Dragon had expected Eren to be shocked or at least scared. But he only saw a smile on the young man''s lips.


    The young Sea Dragon was confused by Eren''s reaction. However, his expressions turned dark as something appeared in front of his eyes.


    "Argh!"


    The Sea Dragon jumped back,nding a hundred meters away. His right eye was not only closed, but bleeding as well.


    In the middle of his right eye, there was a sharp reinforced needle that was stabbed halfway in.


    "Good work, little one." Eren stood up andplemented Celeste, who was flying around him.


    That was one benefit of having Celeste. She could physically touch things, but she could not be seen by anyone except him.


    "Again!" Eren called out. His Phoenix soared high in the sky, firing a storm of mes right over the Young Prince.


    The Young Prince pulled out the needle from his eye, which was covered in blood. He looked up, with blood trickling down his eye.

 Chapter 106: Chapter 106: Sword Emperors Poisonous Aura

    The pir of mes brightened the sky, as if a ming dragon had descended from the sky, devouring everything in its path.


    Eren ran towards the pir of mes, thinking that it was easier than he had expected.


    If he could continue at this pace, he might actually end this battle sooner than expected. All he had to do was w out the Prince''s heart.


    He soon reached the pir, but just as he was about to enter, he heard a dragon''s roar. A huge tail came out from the pir of mes, hitting his chest to send him flying.


    From the pir of mes, a beautiful blue dragon came out. The Dragon''s entire body was covered in imprable scales, its entire body being almost as long as the Sea Serpent.


    Compared to adult Sea Dragons, he was still much smaller. But whenpared to the Phoenix in the sky, he looked huge.


    The Prince had returned to his true bloodline. He roared towards the sky, making the entire ind shake.


    ....


    "His Highness!" The Guard that apanied the Prince was stunned after hearing the Prince''s roar.


    He thought that the Prince could easily take care of the young man, and if he couldn''t, he was going to escape. But the Prince was instead forced to release his true form!


    In this form, the Guard was certain that the Prince was not going to run away, even if he could! He became extremely worried about the Prince''s safety.


    He had thought that he could kill Xiu Ying easily and return to the Prince, but the woman proved to be more troublesome. Her strength was weaker than him, but her speed was a notch higher.


    He didn''t know how long it was going to take to actually kill this woman. But one thing was certain. He did not have time to waste here. He had to get back to the Prince and take him away.


    "Where do you think you are going?"


    The Guard tried to return to the Ind, only to stop midway as a powerful arc of energy flew past him momentarily cutting the ocean in two halves.


    "The person you are protecting is not safe either. We should end this battle for now!" The Guard eximed.


    Even if the human was dead, it didn''t matter. But if the Prince was hurt, he could not bear the consequences. It was much better to just end this battle and get scolded.


    Xiu Ying looked in the direction of the ind. The roar did feel dangerous.


    She knew how eager Eren was to kill a Sea Dragon. This might be theirst opportunity. If she became an obstruction in his path, she might never forgive herself.


    "I will choose to believe in him. If you want to end this battle, then die to my sword!"


    She ced her faith in Eren. She believed he was much stronger than he made it appear. She had already seen him achieve some things that should have been impossible for him.


    "If he wants time, I will give him time!"


    ....


    The roar of the Dragon Prince traveled far and wide. However, it still was not powerful enough to reach the Dragon Empire.


    The other participants had also gone in different directions. Most of them did not hear either, and the ones who heard chose to ignore it.


    They thought it was because someone was having a hard time fighting a Sea Serpent.


    They did not even think about checking. It was a test where they could only rely on themselves. They could not afford to fail in order to help others.


    No one came to help the young Sea Dragon. Unfortunately, it did not look like he needed help in the first ce.


    Eren crashed against a tree, feeling the pain of his life. Fortunately, his bones hadn''t shattered. He only coughed out blood whilending on his feet.


    "Did I raise a red g?" he spat out a mouthful of blood.


    In the sky, he saw the Sea Dragon that flew straight for the Phoenix, annoyed by the constant attacks of mes.


    The Phoenix reached as if she had met a bloodline enemy. She tried to dodge the attack, but the Sea Dragon was too fast.


    Before the Phoenix could move, the Young Dragon bit her wings, stabbing his sharp fangs deep within the burning wings.


    The Phoenix screeched in pain. Her mes intensified while she tried to free herself. Her mes started burning the Sea Dragon, but they weren''t able to cause much harm.


    The Dragon''s scales protected him. Even though he was notpletely unharmed, the Prince was able to reduce the damage from these mes in his real form.


    The Dragon held the Phoenix in ces, not letting her move. It was as if he was trying to tear off the wing of the phoenix. His ws also tried to w through the Phoenix''s body, making her cry in pain.


    Although the Sea Dragon was young, he had lived in the Dragon Empire and knew how to fight. On the other hand, the Phoenix was even younger, and she never had proper guidance. She was clearly weaker in this battle.


    Eren looked at the Phoenix in the sky, his expressions filled with simr torment.


    "Bring me up!" He called out to the Phoenix. Only with the Phoenix''s winds could he fly up and help her.


    Unfortunately, hismand was buried in her painful cries. The Phoenix was immersed in fighting the battle for her survival.


    "Urgh!"


    As he could not actually fly, he could only rely on the Phoenix Winds, but it did not work if she was not paying attention.


    "Sword Emperor''s Aura!"


    Eren unleashed the Sword Emperor''s Aura, causing it to ripple outward and spread far.


    The intensity of his aura was so overwhelming that it left the young dragon and the Phoenix momentarily stunned.


    Although Eren had previously used the Emperor''s Aura as bluff, this time it felt distinctly different. It was an entirely new sensation, as if this aura had been a part of his body for centuries.


    He did not notice that his emerald pendant also began to emit a faint glow.


    "Bring me up!" Eren roared again.


    For a fleeting moment, the Phoenix regained her senses upon hearing Eren''s voice.


    She enveloped him in her winds, enabling him to soar through the air. However, their advantage was short-lived, as the Dragon regained his senses while the Phoenix faltered. She lost control of her winds.


    Realizing that he might fall, Eren used the remnants of the Talismans he had. His agility and strength was boosted in an instant.


    Stepping on the wind, he jumped with all his might. The emerald pendant radiated an even more brilliant light.


    The blood trickling down his lips turned darker, and flew towards his swords. It started gathering at the de.


    More and more blood came from his eyes, nose, lips and wounds, as if the pendant was forcefully drawing his blood.


    Tears of blood streamed down his face, while his pupils transformed into an abyssal ck. The Sword Emperor''s Aura became even stronger, spreading even farther.


    Eren''s sword became longer, shrouded by the poisonous blood. The scent of poison filled the air, giving the young dragon a sense of danger.


    The Dragon opened his mouth and tried to retreat, but the de came crashing down.


    In an instance, the entire world went silent as a giant head was separated from the body.


    ¡­.


    In the Sea Dragon Royal Pce, the Empress was sitting on the throne with her eyes closed as if she was resting.


    The door of the hall suddenly opened, and a man came rushing. His face waspletely pale.


    "Y-Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened!"


    The Empress slowly opened her eyes.

 Chapter 107: Chapter 107: Not even an ant!

    The Sea Dragon Empress slowly opened her beautiful blue eyes.


    "Has that Holy Priestess again arrived at our doors?" she asked, her voice filled withziness. "How many did that crazy woman kill now?"


    "I-it is not about that. Y-your brother..."


    "What did my brother do?" The Empress narrowed her eyes. The man who was exining, suddenly felt like a heavy mountain was resting on his shoulders.


    "He is dead... His Soul Jade has broken..."


    The Empress stood up, mming the palm rest. The entire throne room fell silent.


    "Are you saying that a mere Sea Serpent killed my brother? Do you know the consequences of lies?"


    Her brother could not die to the Sea Serpent. It was an easy test for him, with almost no risk. Moreover, he also had an escape bracelet.


    If his life was actually in danger, he easily could have escaped. In this Ocean, no one should have means or the courage to kill him!


    "I wish it was a lie. However, I was in the temple when I saw his soul jade shattered. I saw it with my own eyes."


    The man kept his head down. He tried to control himself, but his hands were still visibly trembling.


    "I have already sent the Warriors to the location where he died. Before long, we should have our answer."


    The man carefully raised his head, trying to peek at the expressions of the Empress.


    He grew stunned to see that the Empress was not there anymore. She was gone.


    He fell on his back, covered in sweat. "I thought she might kill me in anger. Looks like I survived."


    "She is personally going there. The person who killed the Prince would truly have a life worse than death now."


    ....


    Eren killed the Sea Dragon Prince. Even he hadn''t realized how he actually did it.


    It was as if the Sword Emperor''s Aura created a perfect synergy with the Pendant of Poison in that moment. He felt like the attack had naturallye to him at that moment.


    Before that attack, he did not know if he could seed, but had a feeling deep down that this was what he was supposed to do. Even he was surprised to see how effective this attack was.


    Unfortunately, he felt overwhelmed at the loss of blood. His vision had already gotten a little blurry while his body started falling down.


    The Phoenix, even with a hurt wing, came flying down.


    Eren''s bodynded on the Phoenix''s back, but the Phoenix could not keep flying. She tried to control its descent only to crash on the ground, her wing covered in blood.


    Eren saw the Phoenix, which was heavily hurt. The blood was not stopping, and he had no medicine to help the young mythical beast.


    Even with his head swinging due to blood loss, he thought about ways to protect her.


    "I will let nothing happen to you." He ced his hand on the Phoenix''s back, and sent her back to his Inventory.


    In his Inventory, the flow of time did not exist. The only way to stop the bleeding was to put the Phoenix here. Only after returning to the sect could he have someone help her.


    As the Phoenix disappeared, Erennded on the ground. He forced his body up, trying to see clearly with his blurry vision. Unfortunately, his steps were even more unstable than his vision.


    Not far from him, the giant dragon''s body also fell from the sky, making the entire Ind tremble.


    He wiped the tears of blood and walked closer to the body of the Sea Dragon Prince. He kept the entire body of the Sea Dragon in his Inventory, along with the head.


    He did not have enough time to enter the sea dragon and find his heart. And even if he had time, he did not want to do it here. He had just killed the Sea Dragon Prince.


    The first thing he wanted was to get out of here and return to the surface.


    After that point, even if the Sea Dragons attacked the continent, that''s for Mist to handle.


    After he kept the sea dragon''s corpse in his inventory, he saw a small object lying on the ground, something that looked like a bracelet.


    "Is that..."


    He picked up the bracelet and used the Identification skill on it.


    [Bracelet of Escape: A one time use unique item which allows the user teleport to a location of their choice which they had seen before]


    "What a great haul. With this, I should be able to-"


    "Hmm?" Eren stopped in the middle of his sentence as the description scene disappeared.


    In its ce, a blood red screen appeared in front of him.


    [Option One: Run Away as fast as possible.


    Reward: A surprise gift from earth]


    [Option Two: Stay here, and face the cmity.


    Reward: Random Soul Transfer]


    [Option Three: Kill yourself to avoid pain.


    Reward: Bloodline transfer to Xiu Ying]


    [Option Four: Hide and survive.


    Reward: Level +5]


    "This..."


    Eren''s expressions darkened. The options were only pointing towards one thing. Death was approaching!


    "Where is Xiu Ying now?! We have to escape!" He called out as he looked around.


    Unfortunately, his expressions only became worse as he saw a womaning out of water. Eren felt a suppression that gave him the urge to kneel, which he resisted with all his might.


    The woman looked at Eren with a deathly re.


    "Are you the one who killed my brother?"


    "I am so weak. Do you think I can kill even an ant?" Eren asked in return, pretending to be ignorant.


    However, as soon as he finished, the woman materialized right in front of him with a scary speed.


    A w, sharp as a razor, lunged straight towards his chest, catching himpletely off guard.


    In a split second, it became evident that negotiation was not on the woman''s agenda as sheunched an attack without hesitation.


    Reacting quickly, Eren instinctively brought both his arms together, forming a defensive cross in a desperate attempt to shield himself from the attack.

 Chapter 108: Chapter 108: A bad omen?

    Eren tried to protect himself, but he found his speed to be extremely slow.


    The woman was so fast that before he could even bring his arms together, her sharp ws had already reached his throat.


    The ws came, not to grab his throat but to simply slice it off. Eren could see that the woman was not joking. For a moment, death shed right before his eyes.


    The crystal clear pendant around his neck started shining. A thinyer of protective shield around his body.


    The ws hit his neck, but they were not able to slice through them. Instead, just the impact itself was powerful enough to send him flying.


    Eren crashed against another tree. The pain acted as a stimnt and made him sober.


    The world that had been spinning in his mind had started stabilizing. Even though his body was weak due to blood loss, his vision had improved.


    He coughed a mouthful of blood while trying to force himself up.


    The Pendant of Protection had activated and saved his life. But it also made him realize that he would have died if it was not for the pendant.


    It was the second time the pendant of protection was used, and he only had one more use left. Unfortunately, that one time appeared far from enough since the woman appeared to be in no mood to let him live.


    "Someone who can''t even kill an ant, but can survive an attack from me... Huh. I thought those four Overlords were the only ones. But it doesn''t matter. Today, I will kill you with my own hands."


    The Sea Dragon Empress appeared in front of Eren. Once again, before he could react, her draconian ws came for her.


    Once again, it was an attack that forced the Pendant of Protection to activate, saving Eren''s life.


    The barrier protected his life, but the impact once again sent him flying, making him feel like his bones were shattering apart.


    He flew straight towards the ocean. Just as he was about to fall in the water, a sweet scent surrounded him. Soft hands wrapped around his waist, carefully stopping his fall.


    "You really took your sweet time," Eren coughed a mouthful of blood. He did not even need to look around to see who had saved him. Xiu Ying had returned.


    "It took some time to kill him," Xiu Ying told Eren as she tossed the head of the Guard at the Empress''s feet.


    "It seems that you are not alone," the Empress walked on the air, her gaze filled with killing intent.


    Hundreds of Sea Dragon Warriors also arrived, surrounding Eren and Xiu Ying from every side.


    "Don''t interfere," the Sea Dragon Empress took off her robe.


    As her robe fell on the ground, the entire ind trembled from the weight of the robe she had been carrying on her shoulders.


    "I want to rip them apart myself."


    "Before you rip us apart, can I tell you something?" Eren asked the woman.


    He had already exhausted the Pendant of Protection. The pendant had disappeared like it never existed after being exhausted.


    "You don''t deserve anyst words," the Sea Dragon Empress responded.


    "In that case..."


    Eren raised his middle finger as the bracelet on his wrist started shining.


    The Empress'' pupils trembled. She realized what this bracelet was. This was something she had given her brother to save his life! It more than confirmed that Eren killed her brother.


    Unfortunately, the bracelet had already been activated. She rushed towards Eren to stop him, but her ws only passed through the air as he disappeared with Xiu Ying.


    Only hisst sentence was left behind.


    "Today, I am running away. But if there is a next time..."


    The sentence could not even bepleted.


    That day, the high tides rose in the bloody ocean as a Sea Dragon Empress'' roar echoed all around the ocean, making every creature in the ocean tremble.


    ....


    Far away from the Ocean, a man appeared out of thin air, falling on afortable bed mattress. A woman appeared right after him, falling on top of him.


    Eren looked at the familiar surroundings, sighing in relief. This was his house in the Great Demon Sect. He was finally back to the Eastern Continent.


    Against all odds, he had managed to survive. But his current condition... It was not looking good.


    "Can you... get me some healing medicine?" he asked Xiu Ying.


    His body was stained in blood. Most of the blood was from the Ocean, but a lot of it belonged to him as well.


    He did not want to be a person who survived Astral and Sea Dragon Empress, only to die in his bed.


    His entire body was in pain. He wasn''t even sure if there was any bone in his body that waspletely intact.


    Xiu Ying quickly got off him, while Celeste also crawled out of his pocket, almost getting crushed between Xiu Ying and Eren.


    ....


    ....


    ....


    At the depths of the Holy Empire in the Western Realm, there existed a majestic royal pce.


    In the depths of the Royal Pce, the Priestess was staring at a sword that was kept in a chamber sealed with the Goddess'' Power.


    The sword appeared to be taunted with a ck liquid that looked like the worst poison in existence.


    Next to the Priestess, there stood the Holy Emperor. It was said that the Emperor was the Ruler of the Western Empire. But everyone knew, the true ruler was the Holy Church and the Priestess.


    The Holy Emperor was just a figurehead to manage the Empire.


    "I informed you as soon as I found out about this," the Emperor told the Holy Priestess. "Do you think... It''s a sign?"


    "The Sword Emperor''s sword had been silent for centuries, but today... It finally reacted. Is this a bad omen?" he further asked, appearing to be hesitant.


    He understood really well what kind of existence the Sword Emperor used to be.


    "A bad omen? In front of the Goddess, all omens are insignificant. Don''t think too much about it. Just keep an eye on the sword and inform me if there is any other change."


    The Holy Priestess turned around and started walking away.


    "A bad omen, huh..." She mumbled under her breath as she disappeared.

 Chapter 109: Chapter 109: Leave before that witch catches you

    "You should rest more!"


    Xiu Ying called out to Eren, who stood up right after consuming a healing pill. The pill was effective in healing a person, but even this could not heal his body instantly.


    Most of his wounds were slowly closing, but the pain was still extreme. In this condition, one wasn''t supposed to move as it slowed down the healing, but Eren didn''t follow through.


    "I am fine. It''s just a little pain. But more than that, I need to go somewhere."


    He pushed the door open, but the moment he looked outside, he stopped in his tracks. He had momentarily forgotten that his house was at the edge of the cliff, and he could not fly.


    ''Which idiot makes his house at a ce like this when they can''t fly?!'' he cursed in his mind, but he already knew the answer to his question. That idiot was none other than him. Or rather, it was his predecessor in this body.


    "On second thought, I am still a little hurt. Can you help me once more?" he turned to Xiu Ying. "Can you take me to Great Elder Zia?"


    "Great Elder Zia? Did something happen to your phoenix?" Xiu Ying asked, quite surprised.


    Great Elder Zia was another Great Elder like Xiu Ying. She was the Head of the beastmaster department in the Sect as well as the best alchemist in the sect.


    Since Eren did not need another healing pill, there was only one reason he would see someone like that. It was if something had happened to his phoenix.


    Great Elder Zia was the most knowledgeable person in the sect when it came to beasts. As she also knew alchemy, she was also able to do much more than an ordinary beast master.


    That''s why she was also the only one who was allowed to take care of the Sect Master''s Mythical Beast as well.


    "She was hurt when we were fighting the Sea Dragon. She was heavily bleeding and I had to use a secret martial skill to temporarily stop the bleeding and keep her safe. But I still need to get her treated."


    Eren could not tell her about the inventory, but he also knew that Xiu Ying was not going to ask more questions than needed. As long as he gave even the slightest usible exnation, she was going to believe him.


    Moreover, she had already seen many more unbelievable things happen to him. This much was nothing.


    Just as he expected, Xiu Ying did not question him. She ced her arm around his waist.


    At first, Eren was supposed to send her back since she was supposed to be in house arrest. But currently he had no other choice.


    "Try to make sure that we aren''t seen along the way. You can drop me near her resistance. I will handle the rest."


    "Nonsense. I will take you to meet her. If you are alone, she might not even see you."


    "She won''t? But I am an Elder?"


    "She is a little rude in that regard. She won''t pay attention to you even if you are an Elder. Many Elders already line up to meet her to buy pills, so her ego is a little..." Xiu Ying did not continue her sentence but her meaning was clear.


    "But you are supposed to be under house arrest. If you are seen..."


    "Don''t worry. My house arrest should already have ended by now."


    Xiu Ying flew through the sky, not caring about anything else.


    Unlike the other Great Elders, Zia was not someone who stayed inside the Core Region. She was given her own mountain outside the Core Region, mainly so she could be closer to the Beast Hall and Alchemy Hall.


    The mountain where she stayed was also named after her. It was called Mount Zia.


    Beast Hall was halfway up Mount Zia''s South side. Meanwhile, the Alchemy Hall was halfway up Mount Zia''s northern side.


    "I think we already flew past the Beast Hall, didn''t we?" Eren called out, noticing that they had already flown past their destination.


    They were still flying towards the peak of the mountain.


    "We are not going to the Beast Hall. She probably won''t be there. So I will take you to her home directly."


    Soon, Xiu Ying reached the peak of the mountain, where a more luxurious courtyard existed.


    In front of the courtyard, there was a beautiful garden which was filled with the rarest of herbs that were used by Great Elder Zia for her alchemy.


    Xiu Yingnded in front of the courtyard with Eren. "Wait right here. I will talk to her. It shouldn''t take more than a few minutes."


    She opened the door and entered the courtyard while Eren waited outside.


    Xiu Ying searched through the courtyard, trying to find Great Elder Zia.


    "Is she not here?" she thought out loud as she failed to find the woman in the courtyard. She started checking through the other rooms.


    ....


    Outside Great Elder Zia''s Courtyard, Eren was pacing back and forth. His body was still aching all over the ce, but his wounds hadpletely healed.


    Only asionally cracking sounds came from his bones as they adjusted to their right ce.


    Eren stretched his arms, trying to test the extent of his current healing.


    "May I ask what you are doing here?"


    A voice came from behind Eren.


    Eren turned around and looked at the source of the voice.


    "Hmm? A child?"


    He saw a little girl that looked like she was no more than fifteen years old.


    "Are you the disciple of Great Elder Zia?" Eren asked the girl.


    He had read in the novel that Great Elder Zia had a great temper and didn''t like people approaching her courtyard. Only her disciple was allowed a free entry.


    "Why would I be a disciple?" The girl asked, her lips twitched in frustration.


    "If you are not a disciple, you really shouldn''t be here," Eren told the other girl. "If you came here to ask for a pill, you should go to the Alchemy Hall."


    "If Great Elder Zia saw you here, with her extreme temper, she might ban you from the Alchemy Hall forever."


    Eren patted the head of the little girl.


    "Leave before that witch catches you."

 Chapter 110: Chapter 110: Manners

    "You appear to know that ''witch'' a lot," the little girl replied, cing special emphasis on one particr word.


    "If only. She was only rarely mentioned."


    Eren scratched the back of his head. Great Elder Zia was a character of importance, but still she was rarely mentioned in the novel.


    She was so rare that her looks weren''t even described in the novel, as if the author did not care about her at all. Only her name was mentioned a few times.


    "Rarely mentioned?" The girl frowned, as if trying to remember something. However, no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn''t seem to get an answer.


    "Who even are you?" she asked.


    "Little girl, did you forget what I said? Now isn''t the time for you to talk. Go down the mountain and approach the Alchemy Hall if you need something. That witch won''t help you even if you begged her."


    Eren kept looking back and forth between the girl and the courtyard. She hade here to take help from the Great Elder, but he also didn''t want the little girl to get in trouble, especially since it could affect him.


    Great Elder Zia was a moody person. If her mood was soiled because of this little girl, she could reject him as well. Hence, he had to send this girl away.


    "If the Alchemy Hall gives you trouble, tell them that Elder Ren sent you. They should help you as much as they can."


    "Elder Ren, huh." The girl observed Eren from top to bottom. "I seem to have heard about you. The newest addition to the sect that Feng Yu brought with her."


    "Cough, what did you say?"


    Hearing the girl, Eren couldn''t help but cough as he swallowed his previous words. The little girl was calling the Sect Master by her name? Was this girl a little slow?


    As a disciple, not only was she in a ce where she was not supposed to be, but she was also talking about the Sect Master like that? Did she not realize what danger she was in?


    He opened his mouth to tell the girl to be careful with his words. However, before he could utter a single word, he heard the sound of the door opening.


    Reacting quickly, he hid the girl behind him. He wasn''t sure if Great Elder Zia hade out. Fortunately, the girl''s small figure was hidden behind him.


    "It''s you," he sighed in relief at the sight of Xiu Ying. Fortunately, the owner of this house hadn''t stepped out.


    "Did she agree to help me?" he asked.


    Xiu Ying shook her head. "She is not home. We can either wait or try to find her in the Alchemy Hall. I really hope she hasn''t gone out of the sect."


    "Out of the sect?"


    Eren had thought that he could get help for his Phoenix. But if the woman was out of the Sect, it was quite bad. Did he have no other choice but to wait if he couldn''t find her in the sect?


    "We will try the Alchemy Hall then," Eren nodded, trying to be optimistic.


    "Little girl, since we are going to the Alchemy Sect, do you want toe with us as well?" he turned around to address the little girl.


    "Who are you talking to?" Xiu Ying asked, still unable to see the person behind Eren.


    "Ah, you probably don''t know her. It''s a disciple, who shouldn''t be here in the first ce." Eren looked back at Xiu Ying as he stepped aside.


    Eren still did not realize that he was misunderstanding something. In the novel he read, Great Elder Zia wasn''t mentioned much, but one thing was clearly mentioned about her.


    It was said that every so often, disciples and even some Elders approached her courtyard, hoping to plead for her help. In mine of the cases did they get help.


    The disciples who tried it were either banned from the Alchemy Hall, or demoted. As for the Elders, they were punished by the Alchemy Hall in the form of reduced ess to pills.


    Eren had remembered that part of the novel and thought it was a simr situation. He as an Elder was here, unauthorized. And this girl, as a disciple was also here, turning that part of the novel into reality.


    "This..."


    As soon as Eren stepped aside, Xiu Ying was left stunned. She opened her lips to exin, but a voice appeared in her head that only she could hear.


    "If you tell him anything, he won''t get my help."


    "Why didn''t you tell him your real identity?" Xiu Ying used a mental transmission to ask the girl in return.


    She did not want to hide anything from Eren, as it felt like she was fooling him. But he needed her help. For his own benefit, she could only listen to the girl as even she could not force her to do things.


    Both of them had the same position as the Great Elder, and none of them could force the other.


    She did not understand why this girl was hiding her identity from Eren.


    Although she looked like a little girl, she was actually even older than Xiu Ying. She was the person that Eren was looking for. She was the greatest Alchemist in the sect, as well as a beastmaster.


    She was also a member of the Intercontinental Alchemist Organization, and her position was not lower either.


    If one looked from the point of importance, Zia was more important than Xiu Ying.


    "Should I ask you why you brought someone to my house without my permission? Also, if I''m not wrong, weren''t you supposed to be under house arrest because of him?"


    "This has nothing to do with you. I came to you for help, and if you help me, I will give you what you have been after for a long time."


    Xiu Ying and Zia kept talking amongst each other through their thoughts.


    "Spirit herb? I don''t need it anymore. I already found it," Zia replied in her thoughts. However, as soon as she finished, she felt someone''s hand on her head.


    "Where are your manners? Pay respect to a Great Elder."


    Before she could even react, Eren pushed her head down, making her lower her head to Xiu Ying.


    Xiu Ying''s jaws almost dropped.

 Chapter 111: Chapter 111: The Impossible Selection

    "Huh?"


    Eren withdrew his hand as a system screen materialized before him. The sudden appearance of the screenpletely diverted his attention away from Zia.


    Oblivious to the anger that had covered her face, Eren failed to notice her clenched fist. However, before Zia could take any action, Xiu Ying swiftly appeared between her and Eren.


    "Step out of my way!" Zia''s thoughts reverberated, seething with fury. "I will annihte this insolent child!"


    "You can''t me him! It is your fault for hiding your identity!" Xiu Ying responded.


    "I didn''t tell him my identity because I wanted to see his character as I heard so much about him! But this insolent child! I will break all his bones!"


    "If you kill him, you will have to face the anger of the Sect Master. She is the one who brought him to the sect, don''t forget!"


    "It''s fine! I have a lot of healing pills! I will heal him after shattering every single bone in his body for this disrespect!"


    "I will repeat the same thing again. How can he disrespect you when he doesn''t even know you?! In his eyes, you were a disciple and I was a Great Elder. He did nothing wrong!"


    "You!"


    A lot of words were being exchanged between Xiu Ying and Great Elder Zia. However, none of those words were said out loud. Only the two of them could hear each other''s words.


    On the other hand, Eren was immersed in the contents of the screen,pletely unaware of the things happening behind him.


    [Option 1: Take the person you touched as your disciple.


    Reward: Grade 7 Alchemy Master''s Knowledge]


    ''Take her as my disciple? Is there something special about her?''


    Eren felt a headacheing. He already had two disciples and he hadn''t taught anything to even one of them. And now he was being asked to take another one?


    Unfortunately, the reward was too good to pass. If he could be a Grade 7 Alchemy Master, he could earn quite a lot of wealth.


    [Option 2: Be the disciple of the person you touched.


    Reward: Grade 3 cksmith Knowledge]


    ''Huh?''


    If the first option gave him a headache, then the second option gave him confusion.


    What were these options? One was telling him to take her as a disciple and the other was telling him to be her disciple?


    ''What dignity would I have left in the sect if I epted a child as my master? This option is out. The reward isn''t as good enough as the first one either.''


    Eren moved over to the third option.


    [Option 3: Do nothing.


    Reward: Grade 1 Beastmaster Knowledge]


    [Option 4: Start praising Great Elder Zia loudly.


    Reward: Grade 4 Alchemy Master''s Knowledge]


    Both the third and fourth options seemed rtively easy to aplish, but the rewards they offered were significantly underwhelming.


    ''I will take the first option.''


    He made a choice and the screen finally disappeared.


    Although the third and the fourth option were easy toplete, the first option wasn''t hard either. Which disciple would say no to a master with a reputation like him?


    He was new to the sect, but his reputation had already covered the entire sect, especially after his performance at the entrance ceremony.


    He just had to ask and everyone would agree to be his disciple, so what was this girl?


    He turned around and faced the little girl.


    "Huh, when did you get here?"


    He hadn''t even noticed when Xiu Ying appeared behind him. And why was she facing the little girl instead of facing him.


    "I... Actually I need to tell you something."


    "Can it wait a little? I would just finish something real quick."


    Eren walked past Xiu Ying and went down on a knee so he was on the same eye level as Zia.


    He wanted to find Great Elder Zia, but first he wanted toplete the option. Only afterpleting one option could he receive any other option in the future.


    The faster he finished one, the more beneficial it was for him. didn''t want to miss another trigger opportunity because of not havingpleted the prior selection.


    Great Elder Zia was already controlling her anger. Only after great effort did Xiu Ying manage to calm her down.


    "What do you want now?" she rolled her eyes, not paying even the slightest of respect to Eren. She didn''t even try to keep up the act anymore.


    Eren was a little taken aback. This little girl was truly disrespectful. First she was calling the Sect Master by her name, and then she was behaving like this.


    He took a deep breath and kept his eyes on the prize.


    "As you already know, I am an Elder of the Sect. I see that you have a decent level of talent. So... Would you be willing to be my disciple?"


    This was the second time Xiu Ying''s expressions were distorted. She was still doing better than Great Elder Zia, who couldn''t even believe her eyes.


    Decent level of talent? Be his disciple? These words kept echoing in her mind.


    "It seems I am hearing things." She rubbed her ears.


    "I know you are so excited that you can''t believe it. So I will ask again. Will you be my disciple?" Eren asked again.


    This time, the girl heard it even clearly. This man was actually asking her to take him as her master?


    Every day, many Elders came to her, pleading for her help. And here, a mere elder who had just joined the sect was saying that she had a ''decent'' level?


    She clenched her teeth, but this time, she could not control her anger.


    "You moth-"


    She reached out her hand to grab Eren''s throat in anger. However, Xiu Ying reached fast and grabbed her wrist, pushing her back.


    "This time, I will really drill some manners in the head of this child!" Great Elder Zia pushed Xiu Ying back, a powerful aura rose from within her body.


    "Huh?" Eren was stunned.


    Just the sheer aura of this woman was powerful enough to make him feel like he was suffocating. How could a disciple have an aura like this?


    To relieve himself of some of this suffocating aura, he released his own Sword Emperor''s Aura.

 Chapter 112: Chapter 112: If youre grateful

    Eren had a feeling that he had screwed up. The strength that this girl revealed was not something that an ordinary disciple was supposed to possess.


    It wasparable to Xiu Ying, if not stronger. He finally put all the pieces of the puzzle together, realizing what a big mess he was in.


    ''You freakin lolicon author! Why would a Great Elder look like this?!''


    ''And this system... What the hell did an option to make her a disciple mean? How in the hell can I make the Great Elder my disciple?''


    Eren was screaming in his mind. He had expected Great Elder Zia to look like an adult at least. But this... This was out of his expectations.


    Unfortunately, it was toote to step back. In this situation, the more cowardly he acted, the more problems he could raise for himself.


    Moreover, his mentality had changed after the recent trip. He had faced Aster, and even the Sea Dragon Empress. A Great Elder who only specialized in Alchemy was nothingpared to them.


    If he had survived them, he could survive this situation as well. The only problem was that he did not have the Pendant of Protection anymore. He could not afford a battle.


    He had thought about using the Fragment of Memories afterpletely healing himself and the Phoenix. In the current situation, he knew he could not afford to be cowardly.


    Still, he stood his ground while his aura countered Great Elder Zia''s aura.


    "I would advise you to control your anger if you don''t want this entire mountain to be destroyed!" Eren said.


    This time, he wasn''t simply bluffing. He did not have the Pendant of Protection, but he had the Pendant of Poison, which was used for attacks.


    At first, he had thought that the Pendant of Poison only turned his blood to Poison. But only when facing the Sea Dragon Prince, he learned that it was much more.


    It created a perfect synergy with the Sword Emperor''s Aura. Even if he wasn''tpletely healed yet, he could still use the same attack that killed the Sea Dragon Prince.


    Even if he could not kill this woman, he could still hurt her a lot. He wasn''tpletely helpless anymore.


    "If you try to hurt him, you will have to fight me as well."


    Xiu Ying also stood next to Eren. She was also in the same position as the Great Elder Zia. And their strength was alsoparable since none of them specialized inbat.


    If it came to a battle, Eren had more advantage. Great Elder Zia also realized it.


    "Leave my mountain and never return!"


    Zia was enraged, but she also understood the reality of this situation. In any case, she could not kill Eren. Even if he upset her, he was still an Elder.


    Fighting was also useless as this was her mountain. The Alchemy Hall and the Beast Hall were on this mountain as well.


    If two great elders fought here, then it could only be a disaster for the two halls. Even the entire mountain could be destroyed, which was a bigger loss for her.


    "From today onwards, both of you are banned from the Alchemy Hall and Beast Hall!"


    She retreated her aura and walked past them.


    "If I see any of you on this mountain again, I will have to approach the Sect Master myself! And if even she doesn''t make it happen, I will leave this sect forever!"


    The woman mmed the door after entering her house. The echo of the door closing reverberated through the ce, leaving a tense silence in its wake.


    Eren also retracted his aura. He already had a headache the moment he saw those options, and now the headache became even worse.


    He rubbed his forehead, not knowing what to do next. Without the Beast Hall or Zia''s help, his Phoenix could not heal. He had to keep her in the inventory.


    Even worse was the fact that his system was stuck. He had already selected an option and now there was no other choice. Until he finished the selected option, he could not get any other option.


    He stared at the door in the distance. The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became.


    "That woman is truly just as described... A childish witch," he muttered under his breath. "But no matter what, I will make that witch my disciple!"


    He made a promise to himself. Currently, he did not know how he was going to fulfill this promise, but he had made up his mind.


    Even if the world turned upside down, he was going toplete this promise to himself.


    He turned his back on the Courtyard and told Xiu Ying, "Can you take me back?"


    Xiu Ying silently nodded. She ced her hand around his waist and flew back towards his mountain.


    Eren was weak and hadn''t healedpletely. She helped him fly, not realizing that even if he wasn''t weak, he could not fly. It was the first time he was without his phoenix whose winds helped him fly in the past.


    She brought Eren back.


    She was about to enter the house herself, but Eren stopped her.


    "I want to cultivate a little. Can you..."


    Xiu Ying was initially taken aback, but she quickly understood.


    "Uh, right. I will cast a barrier around your house so no one can disturb you or sense anything that happens inside."


    She also brought a small crystal out of her storage ring and gave it to Eren.


    "This is..."


    "This is a space enhancement crystal. It can increase the space inside your house, so you can keeprger things there."


    Eren couldn''t help but smile. Xiu Ying truly understood him well enough.


    Although she didn''t know exactly what he wanted to do, she understood what he might need.


    "If you''re feeling grateful, don''t forget to take me on another date. This one was fun."  Xiu Ying''s sweetughter fell in Eren''s ears  as she flew back. "Also, I will try to find another way to help your phoenix."


    She soon disappeared in the distance. After standing there for some time, Eren closed the door. It was time for him to use the Memory Fragment.

 Chapter 113: Chapter 113: Unseen Reward

    Eren closed the door and walked to the center of the room. He ced the crystal that was given by Xiu Ying on the floor.


    He ced his foot on the crystal and crushed it under his feet. The crystal shattered into a fine powder which dispersed in the room.


    Eren felt his head spinning, as his perception started changing. The space inside this room appeared to change as his bed moved farther away from him, along with the walls.


    His very reality seemed to be transforming before his eyes, leaving him very intrigued. This kind of treasure was something really useful, but he hadn''t even known about its existence.


    He could only imagine how expensive this small crystal had been. It was only a one time use item, and the extended space couldn''t be shifted to any other ce. This space was fixed to his room forever.


    "I owe her so much. So far, I''ve only been taking things from her. I really need to be stronger so I can help her instead..." Eren muttered, looking at the finer crystal particles disappearing from the floor.


    After a few minutes, the space stopped warping. The space inside his room had be many timesrger, enough to fit the entire Sea Dragon''s body inside.


    "Celeste, can you keep an eye on the outside? Although no one will be able to break through Xiu Ying''s barrier, the Sect Master doesn''t fall into that category."


    "If you see that womaning towards this ce, alert me."


    Celeste flew towards the window and sat there, keeping an eye on the outside. That was the advantage of having a house halfway up the cliff. They only had to guard one direction.


    With Celeste as a guard, Eren felt a lot more relieved. He took a deep breath and opened his inventory to bring out the Sea Dragon''s Corpse as well as the Memory Fragment.


    "Hmm? That''s right, I haven''t checked the rewards for a long time."


    As he opened the inventory, he noticed that there were many more sections in his inventory filled with things he hadn''t seen before. Most of these new additions were the reward he had received previously.


    "Is this... Thest reward I had?" Eren smiled wryly as he looked at thetest reward.


    He only remembered that the option had said he was going to receive a surprise gift from earth. He hadn''t expected it to be something like this.


    "How am I even supposed to use that thing here?" He scratched the back of his head, guessing the item just from its silhouette in a small inventory box alone.


    He tapped the screen, and brought out the so-called surprise reward. An item materialized right in his hand.


    "Identification."


    He used his identification skill on the item to see if there were any changes or if it was the same as avable on earth.


    [Item Name: Mana Condenser]


    [Category: Mana Weapon]


    [Description: A modified weapon that condense mana to create bullets and shoot. The bullet''s strength depends on the purity andpression of mana]


    [Reminder: Can grow with the user]


    "A Mana Weapon? Isn''t this just a gun? Did the system modify a gun from earth? Whatever, it''s better to have something than to not. At least it''s not a limited use item."


    He had a high Mana Stat, but he didn''t have any skill that used mana.


    Mana was a stat that was mainly used in the Northern Continent. It was said to be as useful as cultivation for the Necromancer Tower, as it powered all their spells.


    Previously, it was just a wasted stat, but he had some use for it now.


    "I will have to check its strength against Xiu Ying''s barrier. But I don''t have high expectations from it."


    He discreetly tucked the gun into the waistband of his pants, ensuring it was securely hidden from view.


    Although he hadn''t used a gun before, he had always seen people in the movies keep a gun in style.


    "This does feel cool. No wonder men like guns."


    "Next should be... The reward for killing the Prince."


    He brought out another item, which was more like a roll of a thread.


    "Identify."


    [Name: Thread of Marriage]


    [Grade: Special]


    [Description: A thread that binds someone''s life with yours. The connected person cannot cause you harm in any way, as they would experience ten times the pain]


    [To use the thread, the target must be within a hundred feet of yours, and you must think about them while throwing the thread]


    [Once connected, the thread will disappear but the effects will exist]


    [Once connected, the thread can''t be removed until the target dies]


    "This seems quite useful. So, if I had used it on the Sea Dragon Empress, I wouldn''t have had to run? But wait, even if she can''t directly harm me, what if she used others to harm me? I''m not sure about the limitations of this item."


    "I think I''ll need to save it forter and give it some more thought. It must be the most helpful thing for me."


    He carefully stored the Thread of Marriage in his Inventory and retrieved the third item he had kept there.


    A dragon''s lifeless body appeared in the room. Even with the extended space, most of the ce was filled with the dragon''s corpse.


    Looking at the carcass in his room, it truly felt surreal. This was proof that everything he did was reality.


    "Dragon''s Bloodline... Let''s see how much reward you give me. Because of you, I had to make the Empress my enemy. So I hope you won''t disappoint me, dear prince."


    He brought out a dagger and started cutting an opening to enter the Sea Dragon''s body. Before using the Memory Fragment, he wanted to be as strong as he possibly could. And getting a new bloodline was thest step in his quest.


    "The flight skill or the transformation skill... I really look forward to the rewards."


    After creating an opening, Eren stepped inside the Giant Dragon''s body and started making his way towards the heart of the creature.

 Chapter 114: Chapter 114: Activating the Memory Fragment

    Eren cautiously continued his exploration of the dragon''s body.


    The insides of the dragon were very simr to the Sea Serpent, but it was also very different. He didn''t know what it was, but he felt like he was suffocating the longer he stayed inside.


    As he went deeper, Eren''s eyes caught sight of the Sea Dragon''s heart. His heart was smaller than the Sea Serpent''s heart. It was so small that it was no different in size than a human''s heart.


    Despite its small size, it was still brimming with unknown bloodline power.


    "This small thing is a Dragon''s heart? Is this why they are able to transform into a human form easily?"


    He reached out his hand and grabbed the Sea Dragon''s heart. Like a fruit from a tree, he plucked the heart.


    Instead of eating the heart right here, he made his way back. He didn''t like this disgusting feeling inside the Sea Dragon''s body.


    After a short journey back, he stepped out of the Sea Dragon''s Corpse. He sent the dragon''s body back to his inventory.


    "Should I take it to an auction house in the future? Maybe next time I leave this continent..."


    He could sell the Sea Serpent''s corpse, as it was no big thing. But selling a Sea Dragon Prince''s corpse was much moreplicated as this could help his true identity reach the Empress.


    For now, the Sea Dragon Empress only knew his face, but not his identity. She hadn''t fought with Xiu Ying, so she didn''t know her identity either.


    Only the Sea Dragon Prince and his guard had seen Xiu Ying fight, and both were dead. He was as far away from the Southern Ocean as possible, and he didn''t want to bring more attention to this continent.


    After putting the body back, he took a deep breath. He mentally prepared himself and finally took a bite.


    This time, he didn''t end with a single bite and devoured the entire heart to use the excess for his Sea of Consciousness.


    "I don''t feel anything?"


    He finished the entire heart and looked at both his hands, but nothing appeared out of ce. He didn''t even feel like he had eaten anything.


    "Did it not wor-"


    He tried speaking but his words came to a sudden halt as he felt like thousands of pins were stabbed in every single nerve in his body at the same time.


    His body trembled with pain as the overwhelming surge of bloodline power coursed through his veins, overwhelmed him.


    This was not even close to beingparable to thest time. It was as if his entire existence was being torn apart from the inside out.


    Each heartbeat felt like a hammer striking against his chest, threatening to break free.


    He fell to his knees, clutching his chest in agony. The pain was unbearable, and he could feel his consciousness slipping away. His emotions were all over the ce. He felt shock, confusion and even fear.


    As the pain intensified, Eren''s vision blurred and his senses dulled. He could barely hear the sound of his own screams echoing in his ears.


    Sweat covered his body as he fought to stay conscious.


    Eren''s body trembled as he fought against the onught, desperately trying to retain his sense of self. He even wed against his own skin to stay awake.


    Time seemed to stretch on, the pain bing a never-ending torment.


    Eren''s body was drenched in sweat, his muscles trembling with exhaustion. But slowly, ever so slowly, the pain began to subside. The overwhelming surge of bloodline power receded.


    As Eren regained hisposure, he realized that he was lying on the floor, his body covered with scars of his own making. All his clothes were drenched in blood and sweat.


    This was the effect of trying to absorb the Royal Bloodline of a different species... One that was distantly rted to the Celestial Dragon.


    He could feel the dragon''s bloodline coursing through his veins, intertwining with his other bloodlines.


    The Dragon Bloodline appeared to suppress the Sea Serpent Bloodline as well. Only the Devourer Bloodline was able to keep up. Both of these bloodlines appeared to beplex and have their own characteristics.


    However, there was something unknown that was able to keep both of them calm. Even the Royal Sea Dragon Bloodline and the Devourer Bloodline appeared to be suppressed by this unknown.


    Eren remained on the ground, facing the ceiling. His breathing was heavy, but there was a smile on his lips, even after all this pain. And that was because he was seeing his Status Screen.


    [Name: Eren (Ren Necroline)]


    [Level: 11]


    [Identity: Elder at the Great Demon Sect, Spy of Mythical Hero Academy, Owner of Devourer Bloodline, Heir of the Necromancer Tower]


    [Bloodline: Unknown, Devourer, Royal Sea Dragon, Sea Serpentine]


    [Age: 21]


    [Traits: Calm]


    [Stats]


    [Strength: 19]


    [Agility: 18]


    [Stamina: 21]


    [Intelligence :35]


    [Mana: 165]


    [Cultivation: Unknown (Sealed)]


    [Hero Grade: SSS]


    [Goddess Protection: None]


    [Sea of Consciousness: 1]


    [Unique items in possession: Pendant of Poison, Modified Desert Eagle]


    [Skills: Sword Emperor''s Aura, Aura Control Method, Identification, Devouring, Aquatic Mastery, Flight, Dragon Tongue, Dragon Transformation]


    Looking at his status screen, all the pain appeared to be worth it. With this bloodline, he had finally managed to remove his biggest weakness. He was able to fly.


    Although the principle behind his flight was different from cultivators, it did not matter. At least he didn''t have to rely on others to leave this house.


    Even if he had only received this one skill, it would have been worth it for him. However, that wasn''t all. He had gained two more skills.


    One of those was dragon transformation. He didn''t think he was ever going to use it, but it was still a powerful skill.


    Most importantly, he received Dragon Tongue, which was also known as the Dragon Language, which was a skill unique to the Dragons.


    He closed the status screen and forced his body up.


    "And atst, everything is in ce. Let''s see what secrets you have been hiding."


    He brought out the Memory Fragment from the Inventory. He crushed the Memory Fragment and activated it.

 Chapter 115: Chapter 115: Why is he here?

    ....


    ''Hmm? Where am I?''


    Eren felt like he was on someone''s shoulder. The person carrying him appeared like he was running from something, his heavy breathing making his exhaustion evident.


    He slowly opened his eyes, noticing that his vision was still a little blurry. He could see over the person''s shoulder and noticed his surroundings.


    The sky was dark as it was in the middle of the night. Only a blood red moon could be seen in the sky, casting red over the barrenndscape. Eren could feel the cool night air against his skin.


    He tried opening his lips to ask a question, but he could not do it. His body refused to listen to him, making him feel like he was nothing more than a spectator.


    "It looks like I won''t be able to apany you for longer." He heard the man''s voice as arge siren echoed in the entire barrenndscape.


    "They found out." The man slowed down and looked back.


    As the man turned around, Eren noticed a change of sight. Even with a blurry vision, he could make out a tower-like structure in the back.


    The tower was so tall that it looked like it was touching the sky itself. Even though he could not see it clearly, Eren had a rough idea about this ce.


    ''The Tower of Necromancer....''


    The ce this man was running away from was none other than the Tower of Necromancer.


    ''Why am I seeing this ce? Is this the memory of Ren? I thought it would start from the moment he was born.''


    ''But I can feel it... This physique is simr to my current physique. He is much older at the starting point of this memory. It probably wasn''t long before the present day.''


    ''Is this an iplete memory? Is that why it was called a fragment? But still, I can most probably guess what happened before this moment. What matters is whates next.''


    ''With my title as the Heir of Necromancer Tower, it doesn''t seem hard to understand why we are running.''


    The tower was filled with sirens, making it appear no different than a prison from where a prisoner had escaped.


    ''So much for being a Heir. Don''t tell me it''s some cliche thing like some family member being jealous and trying to kill me or use me as a puppet leader until a loyal subordinate helped me escape.''


    If possible, he wanted to ask the man more questions. Unfortunately, he wasn''t able to do that. There was only one positive thing in this all. It was that he wasn''t actually here.


    It was just a memory so he wasn''t at risk of dying. He already knew the oue where he managed to survive.


    "They already found out. I will have to change the n. But don''t worry. I will not let anything happen to you!"


    The man ced Eren on the ground, helping him sit with his back resting against a rock. Only now, Eren was able to see the face of the person. And it was a face that certainly surprised him a lot.


    ''Isn''t he...? How is this possible? Why is he here?''


    The man appeared to be in histe twenties. He had a very peculiar scar mark on his face. His clothes were also mismatched.


    His deep ck hair was scattered across his forehead. Even with a scar on his face, the man still looked very handsome.


    There was only one significant person described like this in the book.


    "Who knew that the abilities I devoured woulde in handy in this ce."


    ''Devourer...'' Eren thought in his mind. ''Why is it him?''


    His suspicions were confirmed. This man was none other than Devourer, who was killed by Four Overlords. It wasn''t just his looks but also his words. There was no doubt about his identity anymore.


    Devourer brought a ring out of his pocket and closed his hand with the ring in the middle.


    "Target selected: Ring of Merger. Ability Transfer: Perception Modification."


    He opened his palm, revealing the ring that had changed the color.


    ''Ability Transfer? It was not part of the ability I gained from his bloodline. It must be something he stole as well.''


    Eren observed Devourer''s actions. He could guess what this ability did. It allowed him to transfer any of his own abilities into any object. As for Ring of Merger... He could also guess what this thing did.


    As soon as Devourer finished, he ced the ring onto Eren''s finger. Upon contact, the ring merged seamlessly with his skin, vanishing from sight. Simultaneously, Eren''s appearance began to transform.


    His jet-ck hair shifted to a deeper shade of crimson, while his once ordinary pupils underwent a noticeable change. Other facial features also underwent changes, all in sync with the ring''s influence.


    "Now, all that is left..." Devourer took a brief pause, "is to kill you."


    A devilish smirk appeared on his lips as he stood up.


    ''What the heck? Was he a good guy or a bad guy?'' Eren grew confused by this man''s reaction.


    If it wasn''t for the fact that this was a memory, he might have even tried to get away from this man.


    Devourer brought out a dagger and grabbed Eren''s wrist.


    When Eren was expecting something drastic to happen, Devourer made a little cut on his thumb, only enough to make a single blood drop fall on the ground.


    "It was quite hard to kill that guy, but his ability wasn''t half bad."


    "Puppet Creation. Although these puppets onlyst for a short time, that should be enough. But it''s truly a pity... To face my death after so long.''


    The drop of blood was absorbed by the soil. Under the effect of Devourer''s Puppet Creation, a hand came out of the ground.


    Devourer grabbed the hand and pulled it up, bringing out a young man from the soil. The man was dressed in the same manner as Eren.


    "This looks just like you. It should be enough to fool those idiots."


    ''Is this... how I really look?'' Eren looked at the puppet, truly amazed. He thought he looked good, but this puppet... This was truly next level.

 Chapter 116: Chapter 116: Family

    Eren couldn''t help but be amazed by the puppet''s appearance. As per Devourer, it was an almost perfect replica, with every detail meticulously recreated.


    "Impressive, isn''t it?"


    Devourer was really putting on a great disy of abilities.


    Some of these abilities even made Eren jealous, especially the ability to create a puppet. If he could do something like that, it could really benefit him.


    Unfortunately, it was impossible for him to take this ability. Devourer had been killed a long time ago.


    Unless he could find Devourer''s heart that was still kept in a perfect condition, taking these abilities was just a distant dream.


    "Stay right here. I have cast a shield around you. As long as you don''t move, no one will be able to locate you."


    "Once I draw those bastards away and you think that it''s safe, only then must you try to leave!"


    "Once you sessfully leave this ce, you should go to the Southern Continent and join the Hero Academy. That ring will be enough to fool them into believing that you have a bloodline."


    "As long as you can retrieve that thing, you will be able to remove that seal. I managed to find out that it''s being kept in Mist''s safe. If those bastards weren''t on my tail, I would have retrieved it myself."


    ''This... Why does it seem moreplicated than I thought? What is with this plot? What happened to a servant helping a tormented heir escape? And what does my seal have to do with Mist?''


    Hearing Devourer''s words, Eren felt like a lot of threads were tangling with each other. After much effort, he had managed to untangle a few, but it became even worse now.


    Fortunately, he also managed to find out a few things with this conversation.


    He learned the reason why the heir of Necromancer Tower managed to join the Mythical Hero Academy, even though he didn''t have the bloodline.


    He had faked the test, thanks to his ring. It was also because his ring gave him the ability to change faces, Mist thought he was the best person to be her spy.


    "Andstly... Never! You must never step foot in the Eastern Continent! After you killed that Demoness Feng Yu''s entire family, she had been looking for you like crazy."


    ''I did what?!'' Eren''s jaws almost dropped. If he was able to control this body in the memory, his reaction would have been enough to shock Devourer.


    "As for the Western Continent-"


    ''What? Don''t tell me I did something in the Western Continent as well?! How the fu*k can I do anything that you me me for? Are you sure it was me? I can''t even jump off a freakin cliff!''


    Eren really wished that he could ask all these questions right now. Unfortunately, he could only watch the Devourer.


    As long as the person whose memories he was observing didn''t ask anything, he also could not get those answers.


    He thought Devourer was going to tell him something about the Western Continent, but after speaking only a few words, Devourer paused.


    He looked in the direction of the tower and in distant space simultaneously.


    "Looks like I need to take my leave now. They have probably already located me. That freaking Astral guy is so annoying. I promise, I will kill him one day!"


    Devourer ced the Puppet''s body on his shoulders and started running away. Not long after, Eren also noticed multiple shadows following after Devourer.


    Eren wanted to see more and understand what happened to Devourer. Was this the moment where the Four Overlords killed him, or did he survive and diedter?


    Unfortunately, it was impossible to find these answers. Only Devourer could tell him more, but he was already dead.


    Eren wanted to watch more, but his surroundings started turning darker when Devourer disappeared in the distant horizon.


    Cracks started appearing all around him, as if the world had started breaking apart.


    In an instant, the world shattered into countless fragments, hurtling towards Eren with rming speed.


    One of these fragments struck him directly in the throat, causing a searing pain that mimicked the sensation of being stabbed.


    As Eren''s consciousness reawakened, he found himself gazing up at the familiar sight of the ceiling, signaling his return to reality.


    His clothes were still covered in his own blood, but all his scars that he made while awakening the Sea Dragon Bloodline had healed.


    It wasn''t just the speed of healing that came with a healing pill.


    It was even faster, which made him wonder if his new bloodline had a hand in it. Or did he sleep for weeks, instead of only a few hours as it looked like in the dream.


    He stood up and took off his bloody shirt and robe and walked towards the window.


    "Is it the same day?" he asked Celeste.


    It wasn''t just his wounds that had healed, but he was also feeling a lot refreshed.


    Celeste nodded and confirmed that it was the same day. He hadn''t slept for weeks.


    He subconsciously rubbed the finger where the ring of Devourer was supposed to be. However it had done such a perfect job merging with him that even he couldn''t feel it.


    Only after he focused more on the ring and its form that he had seen in the memories, the ring came out of his skin and became visible.


    "It was all real. Then Devourer''s words were also real."


    "So I really... killed Feng Yu''s family. Does she know? What am I even thinking about? If she knew, I would have been dead already."


    "Devourer''s ring saved me. But how long can it save me? I have to be stronger, and in this journey, it''s only a matter of time before I have to face her."


    "Path of a Lover and Path of a Conqueror. I thought both these paths are connected. But there seems to be a high chance that I might have to select one of these when the time reallyes¡­"

 Chapter 117: Chapter 117: Uninvited Guest

    Feng Yu was sitting in her room, looking at a portrait.


    The portrait depicted a middle aged man sitting on a chair. Next to him, there was a beautiful woman. And in the woman''sp, there was a little girl who didn''t look any older than ten years of age.


    The portrait looked like a true family picture, even though it was drawn by an artist. For quite some time, she gazed at the portrait.


    It was only after she heard a knock on the door, she shifted her attention. She kept the portrait in her storage ring.


    "You cane in."


    As soon as she finished speaking, a person appeared in her room out of thin air.


    "Did you find what I asked?" Feng Yu asked.


    "I believe it was in the coastal city of the Southern Continent," a woman''s voice came in response.


    "Did you find his trace then?" Feng Yu questioned the hooded figure.


    "If only..." The hooded figure briefly paused before exining further. "The Coastal City has been destroyed. With the destruction, all the traces are gone."


    "Was it Mist?"


    "It wasn''t her. The Sea Dragons have been very chaotic recently. They attacked the Coastal City and tried to kill their way into the continent. The entire city was destroyed along with a few more."


    "Did they lose their mind? Why would they try something like that?"


    "Unfortunately, I haven''t been able to gather more information because of that. But something big must have happened."


    "It was only when Mist made an appearance that the invasion appeared to have stopped and the Sea Dragons retreated."


    "Hmm? She got involved personally? What about Astral and his other subordinates? Did she need to get involved personally?"


    "Astral died around the same time that aura was felt across the Continents. I believe she came to check herself, only toe across the Sea Dragons."


    "I see."


    Feng Yu stood up and walked over to the window, looking at the beautiful night sky.


    "I thought Mist was involved with him. But it seems that he targeted her first. After hiding for so long, is he finally trying toe to light again?"


    The beautiful moon in the sky was hidden behind the dark clouds, making it impossible for her to see it.


    ....


    ....


    "Just what kind of messed up life did this guy live?" Eren rubbed his temple, trying to make sense of the situation.


    He looked at his reflection in the window ss. This was the face he always believed belonged to him. However, only now did he realize that it didn''t belong to him.


    He used the Ring of Merger, given to him by Devourer. The ring started shining, and his looks again started transforming, returning to his real face.


    His hair turned darker, and his face also became slender. His physique did not change much, but he looked like an entirely different person.


    He touched his cheeks. This was the real Ren. There were no more illusions that even fooled him.


    "It seems I can only use two looks with this ring. One is the original, and the other is the fake that everyone already knows me as."


    He looked a little disappointed after testing the ring. He had thought that he might be able to change into more looks. But there was only one look that he could use.


    He could either look like the ''Elder Ren'', or reveal his true self which was an even bigger enemy to the people.


    Considering his safety, he ultimately decided to revert to his disguised appearance, as it provided him with the greatest level of security.


    Moreover, he didn''t hold any particr preference towards either appearance, as neither truly reflected his true self. After all, he wasn''t an existence from this world.


    He turned back towards his room and started cleaning all the traces of blood that were on the floor.


    Only after cleaning up, he told Celeste that she could stop guarding now. It didn''t matter who came now as he left no evidence behind.


    "I will take a shower and then we will go and check up on my disciple. It has been a long time since I met her. I haven''t taught her a single thing. I wonder if she is already considering me a scammer."


    He entered the shower and started cleaning his body. There were a lot of questions in his mind, but for now, he buried them in the back of his head.


    He only had two priorities for now. The first was to retrieve his system bypleting the option he had selected. Even if it was an impossible choice, he had to make the Great Elder his disciple.


    As for his second priority, it was to be a good teacher. He could not give up control of his identity and his life. If possible, he wanted to properly teach a disciple.


    He needed to create his own force. He couldn''t always be in the sect after all.


    Only after retrieving his system could he even think about the Hero Academy and the thing he had to retrieve.


    "If only the Great Elder was naive like my second disciple, I might have been able to fool her into bing my disciple."


    "I can''t force her. I can''t bluff her either. That leaves only one option. Although she is a character that I know the least, but with her characteristics, this n might just work."


    After cleaning the blood off his body, he stepped out of the water. Drops of water trickled down his skin, falling on the floor.


    After drying himself, he dressed in a new and cleaner attire before stepping into the main room.


    "With how fast I''ve been destroying my clothes, this is myst pair of clothes. When I''m free, I should buy myself more."


    He rubbed his long hair with a towel while stepping out of the bathroom, only to notice that Celeste was flying right in front of her face, waving her hand hysterically, trying to tell him something.


    With a frown on his face, Eren looked past Celeste and noticed another woman sitting there on his bed.


    His face went nk at the sight of the woman who had managed to get past the barrier enacted by Xiu Ying. She was sitting right in his room.


    This person was none other than the Master of this Sect, and the Overlord of the Eastern Continent Feng Yu.


    "Did you have fun killing them?" Feng Yu asked.

 Chapter 118: Chapter 118: Variables

    Feng Yu''s words echoed in Eren''s mind, causing him to struggle with controlling his emotions. He was trying his hardest not to reveal anything through his emotions, but internally, chaos consumed him.


    ''Did she find out everything?''


    This question gued Eren''s thoughts.


    "I don''t understand what you mean by ''kill''," Eren feigned ignorance, attempting to downy the situation. "Could there be a misunderstanding?"


    Feng Yu rose from her seat, her expression cold. Her words alone carried a weight that made Eren feel as if he stood on the edge of death.


    Approaching Eren with silent steps, Feng Yu exuded an increasing aura of pressure, intensifying the unease within him.


    Eren maintained hisposure. He refused to let fear consume him. After all, what difference did it make if she were an Overlord? This time, he had a n of his own.


    "Does anythinge to mind now?"


    Feng Yu stopped before Eren, her eyes looking in his eyes, as if she was trying to see through his soul.


    Eren was standing with his hands behind his back. Thanks to that, Feng Yu could not see his hand. She didn''t notice a roll of thread appearing in his head.


    ''I thought I would be using this muchter. If I don''t use it now, I might really die."


    The Thread of Marriage has appeared in Eren''s hand. Since his thoughts were already consumed by Feng Yu, he didn''t need much to activate the thread.


    He simply released the threads that only he could see. While the threads fell towards the ground, one end of the thread flew towards his wrist and tied itself around him.


    The other end of the thread flew towards Feng Yu and tied around her wrist.


    As both threads were tied, the threads disappearedpletely and even Eren was not able to see them anymore. He didn''t even know if it had worked.


    [Congrattions on using the Thread of Marriage]


    [Path of Lover Progression: 5.6 Percent]


    ''Hmm? That was a lot of progress. I didn''t think just trying to save my life could help me in this way. But for now, I can''t lower my guard."


    The Thread of Marriage made it almost impossible for Feng Yu to kill him. With this, his safety was guaranteed, at least temporarily.


    Still, he didn''t want to have a fallout here.


    "I have killed quite a few people that deserved to die, so I don''t understand who you are talking about?" he stated. "I''m afraid the Sect Master will have to be more specific."


    "The Sect Master of Asura Sect... Does that remind you of something?" Feng Yu asked.


    "Him?" Eren looked weirdly at Feng Yu.


    ''She was talking about that? I thought she was talking about Astral and found out my identity! This girl... She really knows how to scare a person.''


    "I came here because I was informed that you have returned. You even had some argument with Zia right after returning?"


    "It was not my intention to have an argument with her. It was just a misunderstanding..."


    "It doesn''t matter. What you do is insignificant to me. But when you spoil a prey, that is not something I can ignore."


    "A prey? Are you talking about the Asura Sect Master?"


    "That is right. I was looking forward to that insect trying to attack my sect with other insects. After so long, I would have had an excuse toe out. What a pity..."


    Feng Yu turned around. She didn''t ask how Eren was able to kill the Asura Sect Master. Instead, she just looked disappointed, even though her face didn''t reveal it.


    "Now that you have already ruined it, let it be. More interesting things have started happening, so it doesn''t matter. But you... I still can''t let you go without punishment."


    "I want you to end it once and for all. A new guest has started making an appearance. At a time like this, I don''t want any internal conflict in the future."


    "Hence, you are to take the disciples andpletely eradicate the remnant sects. Last time, I let a few exist, but it seems there is no need for that anymore."


    "Eradicate the other sects? Does that include the Elders only, or..."


    "Everyone... The Elders, and the disciples and even the new masters. I want you to clean it thoroughly so there are no unnecessary variables left."


    "I..."


    "You can refuse this instruction, but I don''t know what might happen after that. So think carefully."


    Feng Yu opened the door, as if preparing to leave. She didn''t even care about his answer anymore.


    "I will do it. But I have one question. You said a new guest is making an appearance? May I ask which guest you are talking about?"


    "You don''t need to know that. But remember, if you fail me, I might retrieve my protection. Everything you did to join my sect will go to waste."


    Feng Yu stepped out of the house and flew away. The barrier cast by Xiu Ying was still present, but it couldn''t even touch her.


    "This arrogant girl... I was feeling bad about her for what Ren did, but sometimes she really makes it hard to feel pity for her."


    Eren stood at the door, looking at the night sky.


    "If I''m not wrong, the new guest she is talking about is most probably me. Either that, or it''s another Transmigrator. But what did she mean by herst sentence?"


    "Everything I did to join her sect? What did I do? With my weak body, I couldn''t have done much. So the Hero Academy must have put up an act."


    "Whatever... It''s just cleansing a few sects. I can let the disciples take care of it. It might even be a good opportunity for me to level up."


    "My own disciple can also train through practicals. What a good opportunity."


    Eren jumped out the door. However, his body didn''t start falling this time. Instead, he was flying through the air.


    "I thought I should go teach my disciple a little. But since there is a chance in ns, let''s retrieve my system first."


    He flew straight towards the mountain of Great Elder Zia.

 Chapter 119: Chapter 119: Attempt to kill

    Eren used the skill he had received with the Sea Dragon''s Bloodline. However, he suddenly came to a halt when he noticed someone on the foot of the mountain assigned to him.


    "Isn''t that... the Main Character?"


    He didn''t expect to see that person near his mountain, especially at a time like this. He had a different master, so it didn''t make sense for him to be here.


    It was the first time he was seeing the Main Character after tricking him in the Forest of Death.


    In this life, he had controlled his interaction with the Main Character. Even in the Forest of Death, he didn''t reveal himself. So it was quite surprising for him.


    While he was curious about the purpose of this young man, he noticed another figure rushing down his mountain.


    "And that person is... My first disciple Yu Lin? Did they already have some interaction while I wasn''t here?"


    Yu Lin stopped before Ye Liang.


    While Eren thought they were going to talk about something, he saw Yu Lin attack the Main Character.


    "Huh? They are fighting?"


    Ye Liang blocked the young girl''s attack. Not only did he block the attack, but he was even able to push her back. With just the first interaction, the difference in strength had be evident.


    "Of course she can''t defeat the Main Character. That''s the trait of these annoying creatures. They always have the blessing of growth."


    Eren folded his arms and observed the battle without intervening.


    "During the Entrance Ceremony, Yu Lin was definitely stronger than the Main Character. But he not only caught up, but even surpassed her. It might partially be my fault though."


    "If I''m not wrong, then at this point in time, Yu Lin was definitely stronger than the Main Character in the novel. Even with the system, he hadn''t caught up to her."


    "I have changed the past, hence it makes sense that the future changed a little as well."


    "The main character has a different teacher now. Yu Lin was also supposed to have a more powerful elder as her master, but she chose me. She hasn''t learned anything from me, so she hasn''t grown much."


    Ye Liang kept attacking Yu Lin, and with each passing second, she was being pushed back. The battle was over before it even started, but still Yu Lin kept fighting.


    "That girl... She should understand that she is weaker. She should have given up by now. Her will is quite impressive."


    "Hmm? Something is wrong. The Main Character can end this battle anytime he wants. But why does it look like he doesn''t want to end it? The way he is fighting... Is he trying to kill my disciple?"


    With each attack, Eren was growing more and more convinced. Yu Lin was fighting this battle to win. For her, it was a proper fight. But for the Main Character, it was not the same.


    Each of his attacks were targeting her vitals. If she didn''t manage to protect herself, she would have died many times already.


    "Why would he try to kill my disciple? It wasn''t like his in the novel. These two had be good friends in the novel. No... They had be more than just friends. So why?"


    He couldn''t remember any drastic changes that he might have caused to affect their rtion to this extent.


    "Is it because I had him beaten up in the Entrance Ceremony? That''s the only thing I changed that could have caused this. But still, was he really this petty? I don''t think that was the case in the novel."


    The main character''s actions had surprised Eren, who thought that he knew him well enough.


    Eren could see that things were getting dangerous. The attacks of the Main Character were also getting more threatening. He couldn''t let it pass.


    In the midst of the intense battle, the Main Characterunched another fierce attack.


    Yu Lin swiftly responded, raising her sword to intercept his blow. However, she was taken aback as Ye Liang abruptly altered the trajectory of his sword.


    In an unexpected turn of events, his sword evaded Yu Lin''s weapon and advanced directly towards her body. The lightning-fast sequence of events left Yu Lin with no time to react or evade the sword.


    Just as the sword neared her throat, a mysterious figure swiftly intervened, grabbing Ye Liang by his cor and forcefully pulling him away.


    The sudden intervention caused Ye Liang to be flung backward, crashing onto the ground.


    ''I was so close! Who intervened?'' Ye Liang quickly stood up, but when he looked at the person who had intervened, he froze.


    The person was wearing an Elder''s robe. He couldn''t see the man''s face, but it didn''t take him much time to guess that person''s identity. He was on Elder Ren''s mountain after all.


    ''Wasn''t he not in the sect? I had confirmed it repeatedly. So how did he...''


    His expressions darkened. He quickly thought of something and rushed ahead.


    "Are you alright? I am sorry, I didn''t manage to control my attacks! I am so d that nothing happened to you!"


    He truly made it look like he was regretful about his attack that was beyond his control.


    "I am truly sorry. I should have been more careful. To that I almost... And that too, after I asked for your help in a training battle."


    He lowered his head regretfully.


    Eren didn''t even look back at the main character, but he was almost on the verge of killing him. ident? No, this was no ident! This was all intentional, and now he was putting up an act?


    "It is fine. You were too immersed in battle, so you probably didn''t want this either," Yu Lin answered before Eren could even say anything.


    "Also, it is clear that it was my loss. You are really strong. If you hadn''t gone against Master''s Mythical Beast, you might have been the top recruit of this year."


    The young woman was taken aback that she had lost. But still, she maintained herposure and epted defeat.


    "Elder Ren, I am-"


    Ye Liang also tried to apologize to Eren. However, before he could finish, his entire body froze.


    A sharp sword aura descended on his body, making him fall to his knees with a thud.


    "Say another world and your head will go flying!"

 Chapter 120: Chapter 120: Try it and watch me rip you to shreds

    "Say another world and your head will go flying!"


    Eren''s cold voice sent shivers down Ye Liang''s spine. Yu Lin was also taken aback. It truly looked like her master might actually kill this guy.


    The Main Character... It was the person who brought the plot of the story forward. He was the reason that the story kept going until the point Eren had stopped reading.


    Many times, Eren had thought about killing the main character and getting rid of any potential threat. But he didn''t want to change the future he remembered too much.


    At best, he only thought about stealing the opportunities that he needed and to make sure he couldn''t grow beyond his control. He thought about using the Main Character to his benefit, but this was too much.


    Only a few months had passed, and this Main Character was already trying to climb above his head?


    Not only was he trying to kill his disciple, but also acting as if he was a fool who couldn''t see what actually happened here?


    ''Maybe I should just... kill him!''


    Eren looked at the young man, who was on his knees.


    Ye Liang could feel that Eren actually wanted to kill him. It wasn''t just a threat anymore. He really hadn''t thought that things would reach this point. If he had known, he never would havee.


    He simply thought that Eren wasn''t here, so he could secretly kill Yu Lin and return. Unlike other mountains, this mountain waspletely empty.


    Only Elder Ren and his one disciple lived here. Hence, it was almost impossible to leave any witness with Elder Ren''s absence.


    Even if anyone suspected him, what could they do? He was also an Elder''s disciple, so they couldn''t do anything to him just on the basis of suspicions.


    Unfortunately, the Elder not only returned, but happened to see everything.


    ''This useless system! I should have known that it wasn''t going to be so simple when it offered such a good reward for this side quest!''


    Ye Liang was cursing his system in his heart. If it wasn''t for his system, he wouldn''t have cared about Yu Lin.


    On the contrary, he might have tried to approach her as he found her to be very beautiful. But the quest changed his path.


    ''Ever since I have entered this sect, nothing has been going my way! First, I got this impossible Main Scenario Quest to kill Elder Ren.''


    ''Then, I lost the ancient inheritance in the Forest of Death, and even exhausted the system rewards I had received previously in the process!''


    ''After I returned to the sect, it gave me another side quest to kill Yu Lin! I would''ve rejected it if the reward was not so good. But who would have thought that this man would be here?!''


    ''If only I was stronger, I would have killed them both andpleted two quests at the same time.''


    He had put in too much effort in this quest. For thest few days, he had been approaching Yu Lin, asking her to have a sparring session with him.


    He even had to use an excuse that he was shy about fighting in public, hence he had lost at the entrance ceremony. That''s why he asked her to spar with him when no one else could see him.


    He even gave her the excuse that he didn''t want to trouble her too much, so he was willing toe to her mountain for this sparring session. In reality, it was only because this was the perfect ce to kill.


    "Tell me... Do you think that you are too clever or do you think that the world is too stupid?" Eren asked the young man, bringing him out of his thoughts.


    ''This man... Did he already guess what I was actually trying to do? How long had he been watching? This is too dangerous. If I said anything wrong, I might die. And if I don''t say anything, I might still die.''


    ''Should I use the life saving treasure that the system gave me in gacha? But if I do that... No, I can''t use that yet. I can only ask for help... From the only person who can help me.''


    "I asked you a question!" Eren grabbed the throat of the young man, raising him in the air.


    As an Elder, he could kill any disciples at will. He could even kill another Elder''s Disciple as long as he had a good enough reason.


    The only reason elders didn''t do this was because they were worried about retribution from the other elders.


    "Hmm?" Eren noticed the pendant around the young man''s neck shining. "So you already alerted your master?"


    The pendant on Ye Liang''s neck was a raremunication jade. Each elder only received one of these things, that that could give to their most precious disciple.


    As long as the disciple was within the range of the Elder, they could send a message to their master with just their thoughts.


    Although it could only be used once a day, it was still a treasure for disciples favored by their masters.


    Eren was not surprised to see this boy have it. It was normal for him to attract his master''s attention with his skills. However, he also hadn''t expected him to receive such a thing so early.


    While Eren was observing the pendant, he felt that the temperature had dropped a lot.


    "He must care a lot about you. To think he came in such a hurry," Eren said, but instead of releasing Ye Liang, his grip only tightened.


    The temperature kept dropping, as if they had been shoved into the Frozen Lands. There was only one Elder in the sect who could be associated with this strange phenomenon.


    He was an Elder who froze an entire Kingdom into a thick block of ice, killing countless. From that day, the ice over that Kingdom still hadn''t melted.


    He was Elder Li, who had another nickname... The Frozen Demon. He was also the master who selected Ye Liang.


    "Elder Ren, can you release my disciple?"


    "And what if I don''t?" Eren asked, without even looking towards the source of the voice.


    Even with the lowered temperature, his dragon blood kept his body warm. Meanwhile, his Sword Aura destroyed any snowke that even approached his body.


    "Then I might have to do the same with your disciple..." A calm yet threatening voice came in response.


    "Try it and watch me rip you to shreds..."

 Chapter 121: Chapter 121: The only consequences

    "Do you understand the consequences of what you are doing?"


    The Frost Demon hadn''t expected Eren to behave like this, even after he had asked him to release his disciple.


    "Consequences? The only consequences I know is that I might have to bury two bodies instead of one..."


    Eren slowly turned around, the green pendant around his neck slowly starting to shine, forming synergy with his Sword Aura.


    With his left hand, he grabbed Ye Liang''s throat. A sword also materialized in his right hand.


    "I noticed it when I saw you at the Entrance Ceremony. But you truly are arrogant. Do you really believe no one can stop you?" Frost Demon asked, ayer of freeze gathering around his hand.


    "Elder Ren, Don''t forget, I am your senior. Before you even entered this sect, I had been well known throughout the continent. Do you think I can''t destroy you?"


    His eyes narrowed, a trace of murderous intent clearly visible in those deep blue eyes.


    "I don''t know what my disciple did to make you so angry, but don''t go overboard. I''m asking you onest time... Release him!"


    "Would you release my disciple if she had tried to kill yours?" Eren coldly asked, his grip on Ye Liang''s threat growing even tighter. Just a little more and he could crush this young man''s neck.


    ''This bastard, he is really crazy! I thought with my master here, he would let me go! But this psychopath really might kill me!''


    Ye Liang''s face was white like a thin sheet of paper. His face was filled with fear as he realized the severity of the situation he had gotten himself into.


    ''System, I have no choice! The moment I''m about to die, use that! Not a single moment before that! If possible, I don''t want to waste it!'' hemanded his system, preparing for any oue.


    [Don''t worry. That was always active. Even if you don''t ask, it would have been used when you are on the verge of death]


    A system screen appeared in front of Ye Liang, calming him down. For a moment, the fear in his eyes disappeared.


    At any cost, he wasn''t going to allow himself to die here. If he used it, he might waste his only life saving treasure, but it was better than losing his life


    "Attempted to kill your disciple? That''s absurd! Why would he do that?" The Frost Demon found it hard to believe, but looking at the serious expression of Eren, he could feel that this guy was not lying.


    Did his disciple really do that? Was there some enmity between him and Yu Lin?


    "Even if he tried to kill your disciple, it is a matter between the disciples. As an Elder, don''t you feel ashamed after involving yourself in children''s matters?"


    "Ashamed?" Eren burst intoughter, but the murderous intent in his eyes only strengthened. "Did you feel ashamed when you froze an entire Kingdom? How many children died that day?''


    "You!" The Frost Demon was at a loss of words. It was true that they were demonic cultivators and didn''t care about anyone when they were angry.


    It was also true that he had killed many innocent people in his anger, even though unintentionally.


    "That was different! They were insignificant mortals! But he-"


    Eren intervened in the middle of his sentence.


    "He is your disciple, so his life has more value than those mortals. Is that what you were trying to say?"


    "That is correct! How can those insignificant mortalspare to my disciples? You can also kill millions of them, and I won''t say a world. But the moment you try to kill my disciple, I can''t sit back and watch."


    "Then don''t sit back. If that''s how it needs to be, then I might as well make an insignificant elder disappear from this sect," Eren said, his sword aura making even the space around him distort. "Go ahead, and attack me..."


    The Frost Demon was furious, but he didn''t attack. His disciple was still in Eren''s hands. Even if he started a fight and his disciple died, it was useless.


    Even if he was to win the battle, his disciple was going to be dead. But if he lost, he might die as well. In both circumstances, he couldn''t see the benefit of engaging in a battle with this man.


    At first, he had thought that he could intimidate Eren into releasing his disciple. As long as his disciple was freed from Eren''s hands, he didn''t have to worry about anything.


    Even if there was a battle after that, he could have handled it. But for now, that wasn''t the case.


    "You... My disciple made a mistake. I will givepensation to your disciple, and promise you that my disciple will never approach her. I will also punish him myself. But... Don''t kill him."


    As if tired, he sighed and retracted his Frost Aura. He brought a Rare Grade Treasure from his sword.


    "This is the Demon Blood Sword. I bought it from an auction. I was nning to give it to my disciple, but I will give this to your disciple as a form of apology."


    He gave the sword to Yu Lin, who appeared hesitant. She looked at her master, wondering if she should take it. But before she could even decide, the Frost Demon handed the sword in her hand and stepped back.


    Ye Liang''s expressions turned darker. It was supposed to be a sword given to him! But now, it was given to this woman? Not only did he not gain anything from this quest, but he also lost something.


    "I am sure this is enough for an apology. Not only does it punish Ye Liang, but also reward your disciple. Can you... Let him go now?"


    "That is not enough..."


    "What else do you want?" The Frost Demon frowned. He had already gone overboard with an apology and the reward, but now this guy wanted more? Did he really want a battle?

 Chapter 122: Chapter 122: Splendid view in afterlife

    "Someone attempted to kill my disciple. What makes you think that you will be the one to decide the punishment?" Eren asked, his voice brimming with authority.


    "But the sword-" Frost Demon attempted to speak, only to be abruptly silenced by Eren''s interruption.


    "The sword is not an apology from him. It is as an apology for you, for your failure in properly instructing your disciple," Eren answered, his wordsced with disappointment and reprimand.


    In any other circumstance, anyone who dared interrupt his sentence would face the wrath of his anger. They would have been killed.


    However, in this situation, the Frost Demon didn''t have such freedom unless he wanted to lose his disciple.


    Normally, the Frost Demon didn''t care about his disciple this much. But Ye Liang had never failed to surprise him with his cultivation and growth.


    He even mastered some really difficult skills in a short time, as if he had some external help. In Frost Demon''s eyes, it was pure talent. He didn''t know about the existence of a system.


    It was only because of this assumed talent, Frost Demon was paying such attention to this new disciple of his. He even gave him themunication crystal that he had never given to his other disciples.


    He believed that Ye Liang could be the strongest cultivator of this continent with his talent. For him, it was only a matter of time. That was... Unless he died before that.


    No matter what, Frost Demon did not want to lose his disciple, so he controlled his anger.


    Fortunately, there was no one else to watch this scene. Or they would have been stunned to see the Frost Demon being treated like this.


    After the Blood Demon Zhang Wei, Frost Demon was the most well known Elder of this sect. And now, a new Elder who hasn''t even been here for a year was scolding him?


    "What punishment do you want to give him in that case?" Frost Demon tried to calm himself by taking a deep breath. He had never found himself in a situation like this.


    A hint of a smirk appeared on Eren''s lips, but it was so subtle that no one noticed it.


    He looked at the Main Character, who was clearly furious but he was trying his hardest to not reveal his emotions.


    Even though he couldn''t die thanks to hisst life saving measure, but if possible, he didn''t want to have you use it.


    ''Just look at this brat. No fear in his eyes. If I hadn''t read the Novel, I really would have thought that he was brave even in the face of death.''


    ''If I hadn''t known about the thing he received when he first awakened his system, I really would have tried to kill him. But if I do that, that thing will activate on its own when he is on the verge of death.''


    ''What an annoying treasure. If it activated, he would be taken through space into another continent. Even I might not be able to find him then. If I lost this boy, it would only make things more troublesome for me.''


    ''But you really did something that you never should have done. At first, I wanted to stay away from you as much as possible. I didn''t want to have anything to do with you, other than stealing every opportunity from you.''


    ''But since you are so eager toe and be an annoying pest, then so be it. I will make sure to put you to good use, my dear main character...''


    Ye Liang watched Eren looking at him. He didn''t know why, but a bad feeling started rising deep within his heart suddenly. It was as if a predator was looking at him, just waiting to devour him whole.


    "I have decided on his punishment! First, he will have to apologize to my disciple. And second..." Eren paused briefly, the corner of his lips crept up. "The Sect Master assigned an important task for me. For that task, I am to lead the disciples."


    "You want my disciple to take part in that?" The Frost Demon asked.


    "While I do want him to apany me, it is not as a participating disciple," Eren responded. "As his second punishment, he will serve me as a servant during this expedition."


    "I do need someone to take care of some pesky matters for me after all. From this moment until the end of the expedition, he will be my servant."


    "You!" The Frost Demon thought that Eren wanted his disciple to take part in the mission for the sect, but he only wanted him as a servant?


    He couldn''t fathom why Eren would want to use another Elder''s personal disciple as a mere servant. Was this an attempt to humiliate him?


    "You have the choice to ept this punishment, or we can resort to more drastic measures," Eren provocatively suggested. "Considering the size of the mountain, I am confident I can find a suitable ce to bury you two..."


    His smile widened as added, "Would you prefer the peak of the mountain or the bottom? Personally, I find the south-facing side to be quite appealing. You''ll have a splendid view of the sunset in the afterlife."


    Frost Demon interjected, "Do not go too far!"


    "We have already gone past the point of ''too far'' the moment someone tried to hurt my disciple. This is me being merciful, but you can refuse if you want. I won''t force you. I''m not a demon after all."


    Eren''s innocent expression and taunting words were making Frost Demon even more angry. He was trying his hardest to control his anger.


    Eren could even see that his fists were clenched so tightly that drops of blood were falling to the ground.


    All these drops were freezing before they could even touch the floor, eventually shattering into multiple blood shards.


    Eren didn''t care about Frost Demon''s anger and pushed forth.


    "As you may know, I don''t have much patience. On the count of three, I will crush this rude disciple''s neck."

 Chapter 123: Chapter 123: A different plan

    "One," Eren began the countdown, his voice steady and unwavering.


    Frost Demon''s expressions darkened.


    If he agreed to let his disciple serve another Elder, even if it was for a short time, it was no difference than having his dignity trampled. If he didn''t agree, then he might lose the most talented disciple he ever had.


    "Two," Eren''s voice grew colder.


    In a sudden burst of realization, the Frost Demon made a decision. He would swallow his pride and ept Eren''s deal. It was the only way to ensure his disciple''s safety.


    "Wait!" Frost Demon chimed in, just as Eren was about to finish his counting. "I ept your punishment for my disciple. My disciple will serve you as a servant from this point onwards, until the expedition ends."


    A triumphant smile spread across Eren''s face as he heard Frost Demon''s submission. He had achieved his goal.


    "I will give you authority over my disciple, but during this time, you would be responsible for his safety. If something happened to him during this time..."


    "Don''t worry. As long as he doesn''t cross my red line, he will be returned to you safely," Eren answered before turning to Ye Liang.


    "I hope you heard this as well. Try hurting my disciple one more time, and I don''t care where you run off too, I will crush that little head of yours."


    He tossed the young man at his disciple''s feet.


    "Now apologize to her."


    Ye Liang''s expressions were twisted while he kept his head down.


    ''This bastard! I will kill him! I will definitely kill him one day!'' he kept repeating in his head.


    The moment he raised his head, he hid his true emotions from being noticed. He carried an apologetic face while looking at Yu Lin.


    He tried standing up before apologizing, but the Sword Emperor''s Aura kept him suppressed.


    "I didn''t tell you to stand. The apology should be done the right way," Eren calmly reminded the young man.


    Ye Liang clenched his fist, finding it extremely hard to control himself. If Eren wasn''t strong and he didn''t want to protect his main scenario quest, he would have already done something drastic.


    He remained on his knees and looked up to Yu Lin.


    "I am extremely sorry for what I did. I hope you can forgive me. I will make sure this doesn''t happen again."


    This was the first time Yu Lin had found herself in this situation. Two powerful elders were looking at her, and an Elder''s disciple was sitting at her feet, apologizing to her.


    "I ept your apology."


    She would have been fine even without an apology. But for now, she just wanted to end this. She didn''t want the two Elders to fight.


    "Elder Li, are you not going to leave?" Eren asked the Frost Demon, who was still standing right there.


    Frost Demon''s lips twitched in frustration but he couldn''t do anything. He couldn''t break his promise either. He turned around to leave.


    "My dear disciple, I look forward to your return. And Elder Ren, I hope you remember your promise. Nothing must happen to my disciple while he''s with you, or..."


    He disappeared without finishing his sentence. For quite some time, the extreme cold remained before the temperature slowly started returning to normal.


    Eren''s pendant of poison also stopped shining while he retracted his Sword Emperor''s Aura. He walked towards Yu Lin and patted her head lightly.


    "I have been out for quite some time, so some fools thought that they could bully you. Now that I am back, everything will change. Go back for now. From tomorrow, I will officially begin your training."


    "Yes Master." Yu Lin lowered her head.


    Listening to her master, she turned around and went up the mountain. Only when she turned around did a smile appear on her face which Eren could not see.


    "As for you..." Eren looked down on the Main Character, who was still on his knees.


    The young man didn''t reveal any unfavorable expressions, as if he was truly regretful about what happened and not at all angry.


    Eren wasn''t fooled by this act. He had read about this main character for quite a number of chapters. He even knew the things about the Main Character that this guy didn''t know about himself yet.


    It wasn''t hard for him to guess that Ye Liang was fuming right now. He was just putting up an act, while thinking about ways he was going to kill him in the future.


    '' At first, I truly wanted to have nothing to do with you. But now... Try everything you want. It''ll be more fun to slowly crush that arrogance of yours in the time that''s toe.''


    "Elder Ren, I truly feel that I was wrong. I would really like to apologize to you," Ye Liang said while lowering his head towards Ye Liang.


    "Don''t worry. I will give you a lot of opportunities to self-reflect." Eren smirked. "Shall we go on a short trip now?"


    "A short tri-"


    Ye Liang tried to respond, but before he couldplete his sentence, Eren grabbed him by the cor and flew high in the sky.


    "I was already on my way to a really nice ce, but I was dyed because of you. Let''s start your apology tour from this point onwards."


    Carrying Ye Liang like a baggage, Eren flew towards the Mountain where Great Elder Zia lived. His first priority was to retrieve his system, but now he had some entertainment  as well.


    Ye Liang didn''t understand why, but a foreboding feeling crept over him as they soared towards the majestic Mountain.


    Thendscape below stretched out like a picturesque painting, but he still couldn''t get rid of that bad feeling.


    Eren did not go straight for the Great Elder Zia''s Courtyard. Instead, hended before the Alchemy Hall that was on the same mountain.


    Great Elder Zia had banished him from the Alchemy Hall and the Beast Hall. He wasn''t allowed to enter either ce, but he had a different n in mind.

 Chapter 124: Chapter 124: True Essence of Arrogance

    Erennded in front of the Alchemy Hall, which was one of the most important ces in the Demon Sect.


    It was the ce where most of the divine pills were created for the Sect''s use. It was also the ce where Alchemists of the Sect coulde and train themselves.


    Ye Liang was instantly able to recognise this ce as he was sent here by his master once. His master never came here personally, and always sent Disciples whenever he needed to buy something.


    He didn''t understand why Eren brought him here. Were they here to buy some pills that were to be used during the Sect Master''s Quest?


    The Guards standing at the entrance of the Alchemy Hall did not recognise Eren.


    Everyone in the sect associated Elder Ren with an existence that always traveled on his Phoenix, so they didn''t even think of the possibility that it was the same person.


    They only saw the Elder''s robe on Eren, and understood that he was an Elder of the Sect. But which Elder? There were many Elders who never came here before, so they weren''t sure.


    "Don''t speak until I tell you to, no matter what you hear," Eren reminded Ye Liang before approaching the entrance.


    The Guards looked at each other.


    One of them asked, "Greetings, Elder. May I ask you for your identity?"


    "Li Haoran," Eren answered. "And this is my disciple Ye Liang. Now step aside."


    "Ah, that''s right. I remember him!" One of the guards suddenly eximed. "He came here a few months ago, saying he was a personal disciple of Elder Li. He even had the official token. How could I forget?"


    The guards stepped aside and cleared a path for Eren and Ye Liang.


    Ye Liang looked at Eren weirdly. Why was this guy pretending to be his master? Just what was he scheming? If he just wanted to enter this ce, he could have used his own name as well.


    "We apologize for dying you. Usually, we don''t question the Elders. It''s just that one of the Elders has recently been banned from the Alchemy Hall. So we had no other choice."


    Eren stopped right next to the Guards. He already knew which Elder they were talking about, but he was quite surprised that Great Elder Zia was so fast.


    "If I''m not wrong, it must be Elder Ren," he said.


    "That is correct, but how did you find out?" The Guards were surprised.


    Only the people of the Alchemy Hall were supposed to know about this, and no one was foolish enough to leak it. No matter what, the banished person was still the Elder of the Sect.


    "The Alchemy Hall Master told me. It''s nothing much. Just be careful and make sure that you don''t allow Elder Ren to enter," Eren patted the guard''s shoulders and walked past them.


    Ye Liang rubbed his forehead. These guards were so foolish. The banished person entered the hall right in front of their eyes.


    Not only were they not stopping him, but they were also thinking that he was the Frozen Demon? How could such foolish people be guarding such an important ce?


    ''It''s truly a beautiful ce. It''s so much bigger on the inside than it looks from the outside. They probably used quite a lot of Space Stones. As expected of one of the wealthiest halls of the sect.''


    After entering from the main door, they ended up in the Main Hall, which appeared so vast that it could house tens of thousands of people and still have space left.


    He could smell most exotic herbs even in this huge hall where not a single herb was on sight.


    ''What a waste of money on unnecessary things. They have an entire mountain, but they still have to use spatial stones on such unnecessary things.''


    ''Then again, I''m even worse than them. Despite having an entire mountain, ''I'' chose to make a house at the edge of the cliff.''


    He shook his head and cleared unnecessary thoughts. He approached the main desk. Looking at his robe, many disciples that were in front of him cleared his path.


    "How may I help you today?" The manager of the Alchemy Hall asked respectfully.


    Even though she was respectful, it was not to the extent of the guards. Instead, she was respectful but still talking to him like an equal.


    "I am here to sell this."


    Eren brought a small herb from his storage ring and ced it on the desk.


    "This is...?" The Manager looked at the herb with confusion. She couldn''t recognise the herb, even with her vast knowledge.


    The herb looked very ordinary, but it was the first time she was seeing a herb like this, which was filled with the scent of blood.


    It felt as if the herb had grown in the depths of a bloody battlefield, constantly bathing under the blood.


    "What is this?" The woman asked Eren after failing to recognise it.


    "I had a feeling that you can''t recognise it. You are too young for this. Go ahead and show this to the Great Elder. I''m sure she would recognise it,"


    The Manager of the Alchemy Hall silently observed the herb, lost in some thoughts. She was the most knowledgeable person here, but she couldn''t recognise it. She could only ask the Alchemy Hall Master, who was Great Elder Zia.


    "Please wait right here. I will ask the Great Elder." The Manager carefully kept the herb in a precious box.


    "Tell your Great Elder that I have even more things that might interest her. But if she wants to buy them, she might have toe here herself."


    The Manager grewpletely silent. Who was this arrogant Elder? He wanted the Great Elder toe here for him? This was the first time she was seeing such an arrogant person.


    "Lie, please escort the Elder to the vip room. If the Great Elder agrees, we will arrange a meeting there."


    The Manager quickly left while handling the other responsibilities to her subordinates.


    Another woman told Eren to follow her to the meeting room.


    Eren followed the girl and reached the special room, which waspletely empty. The room contained only a pair of sofas positioned around a sleek ss table.


    He entered the room and took a seat on one of the sofas, casually resting his foot upon the ss table as he awaited the arrival of the Great Elder. Ye Liang stood behind him.


    After the girl exited the room and shut the door behind her, only Ye Liang and Eren remained behind.


    "You may have mistaken arrogance for confidence. Today, I shall enlighten you on the true essence of arrogance, all while taking back what is rightfully mine," Eren''s calm voice broke the silence in the room.

 Chapter 125: Chapter 125: Borderline Evil

    Minutes passed until finally, the door swung open, and a child-like figure dressed in elegant robes entered. It was none other than Great Elder Zia, the Alchemy Hall Master.


    She was apanied by the Alchemy Hall Manager who carried the small box in which she kept the sample herb Eren had given her.


    Zia''s eyes widened in surprise as she took in the sight of Eren sitting there, his foot casually resting on the ss table.


    "You? How dare you enter this ce after I banished you?"


    She was surprised when she was told that an Elder hade here to sell herbs. The herb she was shown was not a regr herb. It wasn''t even found in the East after all.


    After looking at the sample herb, greed got the best of her. It became even more effective when the Alchemy Hall Manager told her that the man had even more precious herbs as per his own words.


    Unfortunately, even in her wildest dreams, she hadn''t thought that the person who came here to sell these herbs was the same person who was banished.


    When she saw the man, she remembered all his actions. He was also the one who asked her to be his disciple, saying her talent was decent.


    "Hey there, my potential disciple." Eren greeted without the slightest care in the world. He didn''t even take off his feet from the ss table.


    Thest time he came to her, he wanted to be humble. He wanted to take her help and in exchange, reward her. But this time, he didn''t intend to be humble at all.


    When the Alchemy Hall Manager heard the way Eren addressed Great Elder Zia, her jaw almost dropped.


    She knew he was arrogant when he said he wanted the Great Elder toe here personally. But the way he addressed her.... It was surprising that he was still alive.


    "I must say, you are just as audacious as ever," Zia said, her voice filled with uncontroble anger. "Will you leave yourself or should I kick you out after breaking a few bones?"


    Eren smiled, his expression calm andposed. "You seem very happy to see me again. So... Have you thought about my offer?"


    Great Elder Zia''s face twisted with anger as she tightly clenched her fist.


    This ongoing provocation had reached its limits, and she had already issued a warning to him previously. However, his tant disregard for her words left her with no choice but to take drastic action.


    "If that is truly what you desire, then so be it. I shall grant your wish."


    She stepped forward, but only after taking a few steps forward, she came to a sudden halt.


    Her eyes widened in disbelief as she stuttered, "How... how is it possible that you have that?"


    "Have what?" Eren asked while ying with a herb that looked like it was made purely from crystal.


    "Stop it! That thing is fragile! If you broke it-"


    "If I what?" Eren asked innocently as he intentionally missed to catch the crystalline herb.


    The herb fell from his hands onto the ground, shattering into a thousand pieces. The room fell into a scary silence as the shards glinted in the dim light before dispersing.


    "You!!!"


    Great Elder Zia couldn''t take it anymore! This was the herb she had been looking for all her life!


    She was a Seventh Grade Alchemy Grandmaster. To step into the next realm, she needed the Crystalline Herb which was the most precious thing for an alchemist.


    This thing was so rare that even the Alchemist Organization that was spread throughout the four continents could only find a rare few of them. And those who found it, used it on themselves.


    That''s why there were so few Eighth Grade Alchemists or higher in the world. Even though she had been searching for decades, she failed to find any.


    This herb and the eighth grade of Alchemy had be her obsession. This was the first time she had even seen this herb that she read so much about.


    The herb was so precious that if Eren could even exchange a high position in the Alchemist Organization in exchange for this herb without having no know a single thing about Alchemy.


    When she saw the herb, it was as if she had seen the most precious treasure in the world. But that dream came crashing down when Eren broke the Crystalline Herb.


    "Oops..." Eren yfully responded.


    "I will kill you!" Great Elder Zia had been mercifulst time by now trying to kill Eren. But this time, he had gone overboard. He had crushed her dream right before her eyes.


    "Now that I think about it, I seem to have one more of that." Eren ignored Zia''s words and brought out the second crystalline herb. "Wait, were you saying something? I''m sorry that I didn''t hear it."


    Zia''s emotions fluctuated rapidly within the span of a few minutes. The sight of the herb in Eren''s hand left her momentarily speechless.


    Fearful of causing unintentional harm to the herb, she swiftly retracted her aura. This was thest thing that was standing between her and the Eighth Realm of Alchemy.


    Eren observed the reaction of Zia. The arrogant woman was finally more humble in front of him.


    He had never thought that the herbs he randomly found at the depths of the Bloody Ocean during his swimming session could be so useful for him.


    If it wasn''t for his Identification Skill, he never would have known its uses or value either.


    He wanted to save these herbs for his meeting with the Alchemist Organization of Four Continents in the future. Until then, he didn''t want to have to use this bargaining chip with anyone.


    Unfortunately, things didn''t go ording to his n. He ended up offending this woman who even refused to heal his Phoenix due to a small misunderstanding.


    On top of that, his system was taken hostage. With no choice, he decided to use this bargaining chip to bring this woman''s arrogance down a notch and retrieve his system.


    His first disciple came because of an ident. His second disciple came because of a bluff.


    As for his third disciple, he was willing to go a step farther and use something that could be described as borderline evil.

 Chapter 126: Chapter 126: Greets Master

    The yful smile on Eren''s lips disappeared. The time for games was over. It was time for him to get serious.


    He had the precious Crystalline Herb in his possession, a herb that Zia had been searching for tirelessly. It was a powerful bargaining chip that he could use to his advantage.


    Zia''s anger turned into desperation as she realized the gravity of the situation. ording to Eren, this was thest Crystalline Herb he had. If he broke it, even killing him a thousand times couldn''t make up for it.


    "What do you want?" she asked. "Do you want me to apologize? Do you want money? I''m willing to give you everything!"


    "Everything?" Eren questioned, a hint of amusement in his tone. "Even yourself?"


    "You..." Great Elder Zia looked at Eren in disgust.


    Observing her reaction, Eren looked at Zia with a weird expression. He could roughly guess the strange thoughts that were going through her mind.


    "Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked, slightly annoyed. "Didn''t I already tell you that I want you to be my disciple?"


    Zia couldn''t help but find her request absurd.


    "Impossible!" she eximed. "I am the Great Elder of the Demon Sect. Not only am I in a higher position than you, but I am also stronger. What can you even teach me?"


    With a calm and confident demeanor, Eren replied, "I can teach you how to make a deal with the man who holds what you want. Is that enough?"


    Deep down, Eren knew that he couldn''t truly teach her anything. Zia was not only stronger than him, but she was also a high-ranking alchemist.


    If it wasn''t for his system tricking him, he wouldn''t even consider having Zia as his disciple.


    Unfortunately, it was also because of her high position, he couldn''t trick her into bing his disciple. Hence, although evil, the only option for him was to ckmail her into bing his disciple.


    His priority was only retrieving his system before leaving for the Sect Master''s mission.


    Zia observed Eren''s fingers around the crystalline herb. Just a little force and the entire herb could shatter, making it useless.


    Eren made it look like she had a choice, but she knew that there was no choice. If she wanted to reach the next realm in her alchemy, she had to ept this deal.


    Alchemy had be her obsession. For this, she was willing to do anything.


    After a long pause, she unwillingly said, "Urgh, fine. I will be your disciple."


    "But I don''t want anyone to know the fact that I am your disciple. I don''t want to be aughingstock.''


    "I wasn''t nning on telling others either." Eren simply shrugged. Why would he even want the Sect Master to know about such things? It could only make things moreplicated.


    The Alchemy Hall Manager couldn''t believe her ears. The Great Elder was about to be a disciple of an ordinary Elder? It looked like a dream, but it was nothing but really.


    "Do you understand what I''m saying?" Zia said, but her target was the woman standing behind her.


    "I understand." The Alchemist Hall Manager brought out two pills from her storage ring.


    "One pill can erase memories of thest ten minutes," she gave a pill to Ye Liang, who was no less in disbelief than her. Just what was happening in this sect?


    To protect himself, he could only eat the pill. After watching him eat, the Alchemy Hall Manager also ate the pill.


    With that, only two people knew what happened here today. Other than Eren and Zia, no one was going to remember a single thing.


    "Huh? Hall Master?" The Alchemy Hall Manager came to her senses, feeling a little headache. She didn''t even remember when she entered this room.


    It didn''t take her long to realize what might have caused this. Although she was curious what made the Hall Master erase her memories, she didn''t ask. If it required her memories to be wiped, it was not something she could know.


    Ye Liang also came to his senses. Thest thing he remembered was waiting for the Alchemy Hall Master with Eren.


    "Stop being in a daze. Take this list." Eren gave a list to Ye Liang. "Alchemy Hall Manager is kind enough to provide us the herbs we need free of cost. Go with her and gather these herbs."


    Ye Liang took the list of papers. The Alchemy Hall Manager also looked at Zia, wondering if she actually promised something like that before losing her memories.


    "Help him," Zia nodded. No other herbs mattered for now. All she wanted was that crystalline herb.


    Ye Liang left the room with the Alchemy Hall Manager. Zia closed the door with a wave of her hand.


    "Now that all the unnecessary people are gone, shouldn''t you... pay respect to your master?" Eren smiled, enjoying the momentpletely.


    Zia''s lips twitched in frustration. It was the most embarrassing day for her.


    She took a deep breath and stepped forward, lowering her head respectfully. She poured tea in a cup. With her head down, she offered the tea to Eren.


    "Disciple Zia greets Master."


    Eren controlled hisughter, realizing how much Zia wanted to kill him right now.


    He took the cup of tea from Zia. "Good disciple."


    While taking the sip of tea, he could see a familiar notification appearing in the corner of his view.


    [Congrattions onpleting the Selected Option]


    [You have been rewarded with knowledge and experience of a Seventh Grade Alchemy Grandmaster]


    ''Although I had to do some questionable things to get it back, but finally it''s here.''


    Following the notification, Eren went silent. Foreign memories started entering his head, all being rted to Alchemy.


    It was as if he was living the life of a Seventh Grade Alchemist, without having to go through unnecessary parts of their life.


    He came to learn all the Alchemy recipes of the unknown alchemist whose memories he inherited. He even felt like he had been performing alchemy for centuries.


    ''How incredible... This Knowledge... No wonder Alchemists are so revered. Doesn''t this mean I am in the same realm of Alchemy as my disciple?"


    He raised his gaze, his smile widening.

 Chapter 127: Chapter 127: Strange Man

    While Eren remained silent, lost in his own thoughts, Zia looked at him with anticipation. Her gaze kept shifting to the herb in his hand.


    "I have prepared a gift for you," Eren finally spoke up.


    "Zia would humbly ept Master''s gift," Zia replied, reaching out her hand to ept the herb.


    However, Eren didn''t hand over the herb. Instead, he took another sip of the ceremony tea.


    "I would love to give you the gift right now as well, but something has been troubling your poor master. Can my dear disciple help her poor master with one more thing?" Eren asked, his voice filled with concern.


    Eren could hear the sound of Zia''s cracking knuckles, a clear indication that she was resisting the urge to punch him.


    "Zia would love to help master in any way she can," she replied, trying to keep her frustration in check.


    "That is great. In that case, please help my Phoenix. She was injured while trying to protect me," Eren requested as he stood up.


    He kept both the sofas and the ss table in his storage ring to clear the space.


    "She is in a very bad condition. So don''t waste a single second when I bring her out. I''m sure you understand, right?"


    "I hope this is thest demand from ''Master''," she stated, putting special emphasis on one particr word that she hated.


    "Don''t worry. I am not stingy. Not just this herb, I''ll provide you many more useful things that can help you reach an even higher realm in Alchemy in theing future."


    Eren opened his inventory and brought the Phoenix out.


    When in the Inventory, the time for the Phoenix had stopped. She remained frozen in time until the point she was brought out. She looked no different than she had been on the ind.


    Her wings were bleeding, some of the flesh was also gone.


    "This... Just who did you fight to get her hurt so badly?"


    After seeing the pitiful condition of the Phoenix, Zia quickly rushed to her. She was an Alchemist, but she was also a beast master. If anything, she cared more about the beasts than she did about humans.


    As she started trying to treat the Phoenix, she even forgot about the Crystalline Herb at the moment.


    Eren let Zia take care of his Phoenix while he stepped back. He only observed the entire process, feeling pain when he heard his phoenix cry with pain.


    The Phoenix had been with him from the first moment he appeared in this world. She had also saved his life many times in the past. And now, her life was hanging between life and death.


    "Please seed," he mumbled under his breath.


    While Zia focused on treating the injured Phoenix, Eren''s mind was filled with some regrets. He couldn''t help but me himself for her condition.


    If he knew how to control the Pendant of Poison sooner, he could have saved her. Or maybe he was too hasty in going to the Ocean without proper preparation.


    Killing the Sea Serpent had gotten to his hands. He thought he could deal with a Dragon in the same manner. He looked down on the Sea Dragon when he was in no position to do so.


    He realized that his actions not only put himself in danger but also Xiu Ying, Celeste and his phoenix.


    As he watched Zia work diligently to save her life, he couldn''t shake off the sour feeling that lingered within him.


    "Strength... I need more strength!"


    ....


    As time passed, Zia''s efforts began to bear fruit. The Phoenix''s wounds slowly started to heal, and her cries of pain turned into softer.


    Eren couldn''t help but let out a sigh of relief himself, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. Looking at her improving condition, he could feel that she was going to be fine.


    Zia tied his Phoenix''s wings with special grade cloth that was mixed with medicine of her creation.


    Zia wiped her bloody hands from the remaining pieces of cloth that she burned. After that, she stood up and wiped the sweat off her forehead.


    "Idiot... When you can''t even take care of your Mythical Beast, why do you keep one?!" Zia angrily stated, but she soon came to her senses as she remembered that Eren still had the herb she needed.


    In her efforts to save the phoenix, she hadpletely forgotten about that.


    Eren wasn''t angry at her words. If anything, her childish figure looked quite tall at that moment. He was grateful to her.


    "Thank you."


    Zia nodded briefly.


    "It is my duty as your disciple to protect and heal those who are important to you, Master," she replied, her voice filled with sarcasm. Her gaze again went to the herb in his hand.


    She made a lot of things clear with just a simple gaze.


    "Don''t worry. I will keep my promise," Eren assured as he ced the crystalline herb in Zia''s hand while walking past her.


    He then sat before his Phoenix, who had fallen asleep under the effect of the medicine.


    "You have worked hard, little girl. Sleep peacefully," he patted the Phoenix''s head, his voice filled with relief.


    "She is very weak. If I take her with me, it will be bad for her. Can she stay here? " he asked Zia.


    "That''s fine with me. Even if you wanted to take her away, I wouldn''t agree. If she is here, I can help her more. Moreover idiots like you can''t take care of a hurt beast as good as me."


    "That''s quite a rude way to talk to your Master, isn''t it?" Eren jokingly asked.


    "Hmph," Zia scoffed.


    "I wille to see you often, until I have to leave this sect. So sleep well, little one." Eren gently caressed the head of his Phoenix before standing up.


    He turned to leave the ce, not wanting to annoy the Great Elder anymore.


    "Although I used an underhanded method to make you my disciple, but I do promise you. You will not regret this decision. If anything, you will bless your stars one day."


    Eren pushed the door open and left the room, ending the meeting with the Great Elder.


    Zia rolled her eyes, not believing Eren in the slightest.


    She still didn''t understand why he wanted her as his disciple to the point he was even willing to hand over such a precious herb?


    It was the same when he suddenly asked him to be his disciple when he hadn''t known her identity.


    "What a strange man¡­"

 Chapter 128: Chapter 128: Ye Liangs Mission

    Eren walked through the long corridor, but only halfway through, he remembered something important.


    "I forgot to tell her to remove me from the cklist," he thought to himself. However, he quickly dismissed the thought, confident that she would be wise enough to do it herself.


    "Even if she doesn''t remove me from the cklist, it''s fine," Eren reassured himself, a smile forming on his face. "I''m ''Elder Li'' after all."


    He continued walking, his long robe gracefully fluttering in the wind.


    He soon reached the main hall, where Ye Liang was standing while holding multiple bags that were filled with medicinal herbs.


    If it was a normal n, it would be seen as emptying the entire treasury, but for the Alchemy Hall, this much was nothing.


    "Looks like everything is prepared."


    Eren observed the ten bags. With the 7th Grade Alchemy Grandmaster''s knowledge, he didn''t even need to open the bags to see the herbs that were there. Just their mind scent was enough.


    Ye Liang waited for Eren to keep the bags in his storage ring, still not understanding why this guy brought him here. Was this just for this much?


    Was he just overthinking when he thought that Eren was nning something bad for him?


    "Carry all these bags to the foot of my mountain. And remember, don''t keep them in the storage ring as it might affect their properties in ways you can''tprehend," Eren told Ye Liang.


    Ye Liang''s expression darkened. He was to carry all these bags physically? And what did he mean by affecting the properties of herbs by keeping them in a storage ring?


    It was absurd. Everyone carried herbs in the storage ring. There was no such thing as affecting their properties! This man... He was clearly saying it because he didn''t want him to take the easy way out.


    Usually, he could still cheat by keeping these things in his inventory, but he didn''t know if Eren was going to be observing him to see if he cheated. He couldn''t reveal his inventory or system.


    "But your mountain is so far!"


    Not only was the ce too far, but he couldn''t even fly. If he was to walk there with so much weight on his shoulders, it might take the entire night to reach there!


    "Good to see that you agreed. As expected of Elder Li''s disciple."


    Eren ignored Ye Liang''sints entirely. He only heard what he wanted to hear, which was the thing that Ye Liang didn''t even say.


    Ye Liang stared at Eren''s face nkly. This man couldn''t be serious. Was he still trying to have his revenge for what happened earlier? Such a petty man!


    Seeing Eren observe him as if waiting for him to carry these things, he begrudgingly picked all these bags, barely managing to carry them all.


    As a cultivator, his strength was higher than an ordinary mortal. But still, the weight wasn''t little for him.


    Only when Ye Liang stepped out of the Alchemy Hall, the smile on Eren''s face started fading.


    Outside the Alchemy Hall, Ye Liang wasn''t hiding the murderous intent either.


    ''I will definitely kill him!'' he thought in his mind while walking down the mountain slowly.


    Even now, he didn''t speak his thoughts out loud as he thought that Eren was following him secretly to see if he was going to cheat.


    Always expecting Eren to be in hiding, Ye Liang didn''t try to cheat. Even when his body was aching due to the weight, he kept going forth. The only motivation he had was the thought that he was going to kill Eren.


    He didn''t realize that Eren was not following him. He hadn''t even left the Alchemy Hall, nor was he nning to.


    ....


    Eren told the Alchemy Hall Manager to gather a few more herbs, this time even higher grade herbs.


    The Alchemy Hall Manager had already received the permission from the Hall Master to let him take the herbs he wanted.


    She didn''t check with the Hall Master again and gave all the herbs that Eren wanted.


    "Elder, may I ask why you need these herbs? If I''m not wrong, only a Seventh Grade Alchemist can use these herbs. In the entire sect, that would be only our Hall Master."


    She was suspicious about Eren''s intentions. Was he nning to sell these herbs? That was foolish as well. If he was caught, he could be expelled from the Sect. So why? And why did the Hall Master allow him to take what he wanted?


    "That''s not something for you to know." Eren kept the herbs in his storage ring, right after telling Ye Liang that it wasn''t allowed.


    The woman who heard everything he told Ye Liang was at a loss for words.


    "Can you have someone guide me to an Alchemy Room?"


    "You are... an Alchemist?" The woman found Eren even more confusing. This man was an Alchemist? Why wasn''t he associated with the Alchemy Hall then?


    "Ah, right away."


    Only when she saw Eren ring at her, shemanded a person to lead Eren to an empty Alchemy Room.


    ....


    Zia checked the Phoenix once more and cast a few protective measures around the room before leaving.


    She walked to the main hall and met with the Alchemy Hall Manager.


    "Did he leave?"


    "If you are talking about the Elder, he hasn''t left yet. Instead he..."


    She informed everything that happened, including Eren asking for an Alchemy Room


    "Hmm? What would he do with that? Does he think it''s children''s y? That fool will only waste the herbs."


    Zia found Eren''s action to be very childish. It was no different than Eren looking down on Alchemy.


    Just because she became his disciple, did he really go crazy and start thinking that he was some great Alchemy Grandmaster?


    "I will check on him myself," she told the young woman while leaving to check on Eren.


    Soon, she was in front of the room assigned to Eren. She pushed the door open and entered the room.


    "This...."

 Chapter 129: Chapter 129: High Seventh Grade

    "What are you doing here?"


    Zia watched Eren, who was standing in front of a closed cauldron, looking like he was lost in thought.


    "Hmm? Why are you here?" Eren came to his senses and turned around. "Ah right, what a silly question. This is also your ce."


    "Anyways, I am done here. I will take my leave." Eren went past Zia and left the room. "You can have the room."


    "Alchemy isn''t a child''s y. Since you helped me with what I needed, I will let you go. But next time, I won''t allow you to y around and waste rare herbs," Zia reminded Eren, who was walking away.


    She assumed that Eren had already used the herbs and ruined them. It was impossible for him to use the sixth-grade herbs sessfully, after all.


    If it was someone else wasting a sixth-grade herb, she would have been even more upset. But it was him, so she only gave him a reminder.


    "Best of luck for reaching the eighth realm, my dear disciple."


    Eren waved his hand as he walked away, realizing that he was annoying the young girl. But sometimes, he found it fun to tease this grown up childish elder.


    "You!" Zia clenched her fist before taking a deep breath to calm herself. "He is such a child."


    ....


    The Frost Demon arrived at the entrance of the Alchemy Hall.


    "Please wait, Elder. May we ask your identity first?" The Guards stopped Elder Li, who was also known as the Frost Demon.


    "My identity? Whatever. I am Elder Li from the 7th Peak," the Frost Demon answered.


    In response, the two guards looked at each other before bursting intoughter.


    "Elder, Please be honest. Who are you? If you aren''t honest, we can''t allow you inside."


    "What do you mean I have to be honest? I am Elder Li. Why would I pretend to be someone else?"


    The Frost Demon would have flipped in anger by now if it was another ce, but this ce was the Alchemy Hall. He behaved himself.


    Just as he finished speaking, the door opened and Eren stepped out.


    He saw Elder Li standing before the guards. A smirk appeared on his lips as he decided to have some fun.


    "Elder Ren, you are here as well? I would have loved to talk to you, but I am in a hurry. So I will take my leave."


    After leaving a few carefully crafted sentences, he flew away.


    Elder Li frowned, not understanding just what that guy was talking about? Did he lose his mind or something?


    Meanwhile, the Guards red at the Frost Demon.


    "You can''t go inside. You have been banished from the Alchemy Hall and the Beast Hall. Please leave and don''t make things harder for us." One of the Guards said after closing the door.


    "I am banished from the Alchemy Hall? Why?" The Frost Demon had never been this confused. He never had a problem with the Alchemy Hall, so why?


    ....


    Zia shook her head and turned to leave as well. But as she was about to turn to leave, curiosity got the best of her.


    "While I''m here, I might as well see how badly he ruined those herbs."


    She walked to the cauldron and opened the lid. As she did that, the scent of herbs rushed out, that was different from the herbs she heard Eren had taken with him.


    The entire cauldron was filled with the scent that soon spread in the entire room. And at the bottom of the cauldron, she saw some pill residue.


    "This is.." she picked up the pill residue from the cauldron and observed it carefully.


    "Isn''t this from the Consciousness Elevation Pill? It''s a seventh tier pill, used to strengthen the Sea of Consciousness. But how... How did he...?"


    She looked at the cauldron, finding it incredible.


    "Eli!" she called out.


    The alchemy Hall Manager rushed inside the room, breathing heavily like she had run all the way here.


    "Yes, Great Elder."


    "Who used this from before Elder Ren?"


    "Before him? I don''t think anyone used this room. It was empty the entire time. Did he do something?" The Alchemy Hall Manager cautiously answered.


    "Only he was here? That means this was done by him as well?"


    Zia ced the residue of the pill on her lips.


    "This is incredible! This is from a High Tier Seventh Grade Consciousness Elevation Pill! It doesn''t make sense at all! Only top Seventh Grade Alchemists or higher can make something like this with only sixth grade herbs!"


    Although she could also make this pill, she couldn''t do it with only the sixth grade materials. Even if she tried, the grade of the pill could lower.


    "Just what is he?"


    She had looked down on Eren. For her, he was a child who was only here to y around with herbs. So how could he make a High Tier Seventh Grade Pill with lower grade herbs?


    Was he really a novice? No! This wasn''t something that could be done by a novice. If someone without experience and knowledge even tried, the entire cauldron could explode.


    She also couldn''t see any waste in the room. It was clear that Eren had seeded in just one try.


    "A High Ranking Seventh Tier Alchemy Grandmaster?"


    "Did Elder Ren do something wrong?" Alchemy Hall Master asked. If that was the case, she could also be punished since she sent him here.


    "It''s nothing. Just remember one thing! Never mention to anyone that Elder Ren was here, or anything rted to him. Also, remove him from the cklist."


    Great Elder Zia walked over to the corner of the Alchemy Hall where a recording crystal was kept.


    She took the recording crystal and left the room after keeping the Cauldron used by Eren in her storage ring.


    "I am leaving. I don''t want anyone to disturb me, so handle everything in the Alchemy Hall in my absence."


    Zia left the room and quickly rushed out of the Alchemy Hall. While leaving the Alchemy Hall, she saw an Elder almost attacking her guards, fuming in anger.


    "Fighting before the Alchemy Hall? Who gave you such courage?" The child-like Great Elder came to a sudden halt.

 Chapter 130: Chapter 130: Just like Mother said

    Zia appeared before the guards and stopped his fist that was about to hit him.


    "Such arrogance!" She grabbed the young man''s wrist, almost cracking it with her strength.


    Frost Demon came to his senses when he saw the Great Elder before him.


    In a moment of rage, he had forgotten his surroundings, especially when the Guards said that they might have to forcefully kick him out if he didn''t listen.


    After seeing the Great Elder, he realized that he had made a mistake.


    "Great Elder Zia, wai-"


    Unfortunately, before he could finish, Zia flew up and grabbed the back of his head, smashing his face on the ground.


    "Attacking a guard of the Alchemy Hall... You truly have great audacity!" Zia said while raising Frost Demon''s head and smashing it on the ground again.


    "You are lucky that I am in a hurry today, or I would have cracked that skull open to see where you received that courage from!"


    She released the Frost Demon''s head and stepped back, but her tone was still filled with authority.


    The Frost Demon indignantly stood up, his face bing a bloody mess. Still, he didn''t attack the little girl.


    He really thought that today was the worst day of his life. First, he lost his disciple to Elder Ren for a few weeks. He couldn''t even save his disciple. And now, he was beaten by the Great Elder.


    "Leave unless you want to have more punishment. From today onwards, you will be banished from the Alchemy Hall and Beast Hall," Zia dered.


    The Guards looked at each other weirdly. Wasn''t this person already banished? Did Great Elder forget that she had already cklisted him?


    The two guards had a bad feeling about this.


    "I will listen to the Great Elder." Although unwilling, Frost Demon turned around and left.


    There was nothing he could do. Not only was this girl stronger than him, but she was also closer to the Sect Leader.


    He could only ept this disrespect and punishment.


    As for getting medicine from the Alchemy Hall, it wasn''t a problem. Even if he was banished, he could ask other Elders to get them for him. But the embarrassment... It was something he could never forget.


    Before walking away, he red at the Guards before disappearing.


    "Tell the others inside the Hall. From today onwards, Elder Li is banished from the Alchemy Hall and Beast Hall," Zia once again repeated, this time specifically for the Guards.


    "Elder Li?" The Guards gulped heavily. "That person was Elder Li?"


    "Who else but him uses that irritating frost?" Zia answered while patting the ice shards off her clothes.


    After cleaning her clothes, she flew up the mountain.


    Meanwhile, the Guards nkly stared at each other for quite some time.


    "If that person was Elder Li, then who was the one that came before him?"


    They realized that they had made a mistake. But they could not tell anyone, or it would be them getting punishment.


    "Forget it! Let''s just pretend that we don''t know anything." The Guards decided while one of them entered the Alchemy Hall to convey Great Elder''s message


    ....


    Zia flew up the mountain and entered her courtyard.


    It wasn''t often that she was so excited or shocked as an Alchemist. But today, it was the second time this had happened.


    Not only did she find the Crystalline Herb of Alchemists but also found the presence of an Alchemist who was even better than her.


    She sat in her room and started reying the scene in the recording crystal. And the more she watched, the more amazed she became. It was as if she was watching someone perform the most beautiful art.


    It wasn''t just Alchemy but something more precious. Looking at the scenes, she also had some enlightenment of her own. This time, she was truly like a disciple who was learning from her master.


    "Maybe... Maybe it''s not so bad to have such a master...'' she mumbled under her breath.


    ....


    Eren flew towards his mountain, only to notice Ye Liang along the way. The young man had been walking without rest, but he still only managed to cover only the person in the distance.


    "At this rate, he might take the entire night to reach the destination. Not bad. But this is just the beginning."


    He didn''t help Ye Liang and continued on his way to the Ninth Peak. This much punishment was nothing for the Main Character after all.


    ....


    Yu Lin was sitting outside her courtyard, gazing at the moon in the sky.


    The scene where Eren saved her was still reying in her mind. But only did he get angry for her sake, but he was even willing to kill another Elder for her.


    Although he hadn''t taught her anything yet, but this much was more than enough to make her happy. Which other Elder was willing to go so far for their disciple?


    "He is really nice... just like mother told me," she smiled innocently.


    "Who told you what?"


    Yu Lin stood up the moment she heard Eren''s voice.


    "M-Master." She quickly turned around and greeted Eren who just returned from the Alchemy Hall.


    "You don''t have to be so stiff. You are my disciple. I won''t bite you," Eren jokingly stated.


    He changed the topic.


    "I looked at your courtyard thest time I was here. But now, it seems even better. You are very good at it."


    "If the Master likes it, you can stay here," Yu Lin said. "There is more than enough space. And if you need the entire ce, I can make another one for myself."


    Eren burst intoughter. "What kind of master will I be if I start taking things from my disciple? Instead, I should be giving you things."


    "Now that I think about it, I haven''t given you anything yet. How about it? I will teach you something really nice. With that, the next time you face that brat, you can beat him to a pulp."


    Eren brought a book from his storage ring. The book looked very old and worn out. It appeared like it could be torn with just the slightest of force.


    "Master, this is...?" Yu Lin asked, filled with confusion.

 Chapter 131: Chapter 131: Elemental Princess

    Eren handed the worn out book to Yu Lin.


    "This is a very special book. It''s called ''The Art of Elemental Maniption.'' With this, you will learn not only how to control the basic elements but also how tobine them into powerful techniques."


    Yu Lin carefully took the book, trying to not harm it in the slightest. Just from the name alone, she could see that this book wasn''t simple.


    The Library of Sect did not contain any skill books that were this old. And even if there were such books, they would have been rewritten in new books. The original would have been kept more securely.


    Looking at the condition of the book, it became clear that Eren didn''t get this from the library.


    She was certain that he brought this book from outside. Was this the reason he left the sect? He went out to find a skill that was the most suitable for her?


    "When you are not using the book, you can keep it in the storage ring." He gave the Asura Sect Master''s storage ring to his disciple.


    He had already taken most of the important things out of the ring, but he did leave some spirit stones in the ring for Yu Lin to use during her cultivation.


    "That ring also contains the sect''s Qi Breathing Method. I should have given you one on the first day itself, but some things happened and it has to be dyed."


    "Give it a try, and I''m sure you would realize the intricacies of this skill. And if you have any questions, you can ask me tomorrow."


    Eren patted Yu Lin''s head and didn''t stay there longer.


    He left Yu Lin alone with the storage ring and flew towards his own house.


    Yu Lin watched him leave, her eyes filled withplex emotions.


    ....


    Eren entered his house and took off the Elder''s robe.


    For most Elders, this robe was very light. But his strength was still limited. Only he knew how heavy this robe truly was. Wearing it felt like carrying heavy weights on his shoulders.


    He carefully ced the robe in his storage ring.


    "It''s truly hard being a teacher..." He rubbed his shoulders, feeling much more rxed. "Should I get Ye Liang to massage my shoulders?"


    "Hmm? Why are you looking at me like that?"


    As Eren prepared to take a cold shower, he noticed Celeste looking at him.


    "Are you wondering why I gave those things to Yu Lin?"


    He didn''t know why, but he truly felt like he was able to understand Celeste without her speaking a single word.


    "You might not understand what I''m about to say. But that old book... It was eventually going to belong to her in the first ce. I just changed a few small things in the progression."


    Eren took his shirt off while vaguely exining.


    Yu Lin was an important ally of Ye Liang in the novel, so quite a lot of attention was paid to her as well.


    That''s why, there was an entire arc where Ye Liang and a few of his friends went against the Asura Sect. It was when Asura Sect Master''s son was about to be killed by Ye Liang.


    When checking his storage ring, Ye Liang was going to find that worn out book. He even tried learning it himself, only to fail. It was a skill that could only be learned by a woman after all.


    After failing, he handed over the book to Yu Lin who mastered it. This also became her signature skill, making her known as the Elemental Princess in the Eastern Continent.


    Unfortunately, he had already changed that part of the future and killed Asura Sect Master''s son much earlier.


    "I really thought that I was going to find this book in the young man''s storage ring. Who would have thought it was still with his father. He probably didn''t have time to give it to his son."


    "But I still don''t understand. It''s a skill that men can''t learn. Why would the Asura Sect Master even give this book to his son?"


    "Since they are dead already, I suppose it''s impossible to find answers. I should just prepare to tackle the changed future."


    "Are you jealous?" Eren saw Celeste still looking at him.


    He had given inheritance to his second disciple, the ancient skill book to his first disciple and the Crystalline Herb to his first disciple. But she didn''t get the same care. All he gave her were a few cakes.


    "I will find a suitable gift for you." He patted Celeste''s head. "And it would be even more special than I have anyone else."


    "Until then.." he paused briefly.


    A smile spread on his lips while he waved his hand. "How about another cake?"


    Celeste had been pouting until now. But the moment she saw the cake, her eyes lit up. Eren ced the cake on the table for Celeste to enjoy while he entered the shower.


    "Yu Lin, huh. There''s more to this girl than meets the eye, especially her mother," he mused quietly. "But for now, I''ll focus on nurturing her potential."


    ....


    Meanwhile, Zia had secluded herself in her private chamber, reying Eren''s alchemical process over and over.


    Each time she watched, she uncovered new insights, new techniques that she had never considered before. Her admiration for Eren grew with each passing moment.


    "This man... he''s not just an alchemist. He''s a prodigy," she whispered to herself. "I must learn more from him."


    "I was nning to use the Crystalline Herb myself. But the chances of failure were higher. But if I get his help..."


    Determined, Zia decided to seek Eren out the next day.


    ....


    Back at the Frost Demon''s quarters, Elder Li nursed his bruised ego and injured face. The humiliation he had endured was unlike anything he had ever experienced.


    "Elder Ren," he spat the name with venom. "You will pay for this. I will find a way to bring you down."

 Chapter 132: Chapter 132: Hells Door

    At first, he was confused about why he was being banished from the Alchemy Hall. But when he reyed the scene in his mind, he noticed a few things that he hadn''t thought about before.


    The Guards kept saying that he wasn''t Elder Li. And Eren also called him by his own name. At that time, he was confused. But everything started making sense in his mind now.


    The reason they didn''t believe that he was Elder Li was because someone else used his name. And they told him that he was banished when he was called Elder Ren.


    It was clear who was actually banished and who stole his name.


    ....


    The night passed, and with the first light of dawn, Ye Liang reached the Ninth Peak.


    He ced the bags filled with herbs at the foot of the mountain, gazing up at the towering height of the mountain peak.


    He was filled with exhaustion and knew that hecked the strength to climb any further.


    Slumping to the ground, Ye Liang rested his back against a rock. His eyes clouded with disappointment while looking at the notification in front of him.


    [You have failed to finish the Weekly Quest]


    [A penalty will be applied to you]


    He had carefully nned to kill Yu Lin toplete this weekly quest, only to fail in the end.


    "My luck has truly been bad ever since I entered this damned sect."


    Not only did he fail to finish the quest, but he also suffered from a penalty.


    The worst part was that he didn''t even know which penalty he was going to receive at the start of the quest. It was like a lucky draw for him... Or rather, an unlucky draw.


    An illusory slot machine appeared before him with a big red button that seemed to mock his misfortune.


    Despite knowing that pressing it would reveal his punishment, he hesitated, unsure if he was prepared to face the consequences.


    However, with a deep breath, he steeled his resolve and pressed the button, bracing himself for whatever awaited him.


    [Congrattions Host, you have won the Penalty of Laughter]


    [Penalty ofughter has been activated]


    [For the next one week, you will startughing at irregr intervals]


    Ye Liang''s lips twitched at the sight of the penalty. However, before he could even have the chance to curse this penalty, he startedughing randomly.


    ....


    The Holy Empire was established in the Western Continent. It was said that the Holy Empire was blessed by the goddess herself.


    There was not a single person in the Holy Empire who slept hungry. The crops in the Holy Empire always flourished. There was never any natural disaster that wrecked the Holy Empire either.


    Amongst the four continents, the Western Continent was called the most prosperous continent as well.


    Every morning, tens of thousands of people could be seen in front of the Holy Church, praying to the Goddess. They also hoped to catch sight of the Holy Priestess, who was the true guardian of the Continent.


    The Holy Priestess was not the Empress. She did not rule over the Empire. Still, she had more authority than everyone else in the Empire.


    If she wanted to be the Empress, even the Holy Emperor was going to step aside for her. But she had no interest in ruling over the Empire.


    She only spent most of her time inside the Holy Church, immersed in prayers to the Goddess.


    Currently, the Holy Priestess stood on a balcony, her hands gracefully waving towards the worshippers below as she bestowed blessings upon them.


    "Is the report urate?" she inquired, her gaze never wavering from the gathered crowd.


    "That is the information we have received. Unfortunately, there have been no further updates. It appears our spy has been caught," responded a priest in a Knight''s attire. "With this, thest of our spies is dead as well."


    "I see. So, the Necromancer Tower is indeed plotting to open Hell''s door. Those vile beings..."


    "Shall we prepare for the Holy War?" The Crusader asked.


    The Holy Priestess stopped waving her hand. The smile on her lips disappeared while she turned around and went inside.


    She stepped before the Goddess'' Status and looked up.


    The Crusader stopped behind her.


    "It is not the time yet. If Hell''s door is opened, you can''t go near it. The Northern Continent is not in the Goddess'' Domain. You will only bring more corruption to your soul and lose the blessing."


    "Even if I lose the protection of the divine being, I would still fight to protect our people!" the Crusader proudly stated.


    "I know you will. But will you be able to go past that man? If you go there, thatnd will only Devourer your divine blessing and use it to keep Hell''s Door open for even longer."


    "Then what are we to do?" The Crusader asked. "Can we do nothing but watch? Even if the door can only be opened for a few minutes, that''s more than enough. Who knows what might cross the threshold in that short time."


    "Who said we can''t do anything?" The Priestess asked. "With the Goddess'' Will, what can''t be done?"


    "What do you mean?" The Crusader asked, confused.


    "What do you think Feng Yu will do if her Elders and disciples are killed in the Northern Continent by Necromancer Tower? Will she take it as an act of war from Necromancer Tower?"


    Although it was a question from the Priestess, but more than a question, her words carried an answer.


    "You mean... Using a borrowed knife?" The Crusader thought of something. "But that-"


    The Priestess didn''t let him finish.


    Shemanded, "Write an invitation for me..."


    .....


    Eren stood in front of the window, looking at the rising sun.


    Today was a long day, where he had to select disciples who will be going with him to annihte the sects of the Eastern Continent.


    However, he also hadn''t forgotten that he had more important things to worry about. He was still focused on the book that he had read. He still didn''t know much about the other three books this world was made from.


    All he knew were their names.


    "Demon Lord''s Ascent."


    "Revenge of the Fallen Priestess."


    "Rebirth of the SSS Rank Hero."


    "Andstly, The Necromancer Who Returned from Hell."

 Chapter 133: Chapter 133: The List

    "If only I could find a way to read those novels as well. At least then, I would have a rough understanding of what I am going to face."


    He knew what kind of threat the Main Character in the Eastern Continent was. Although Ye Liang had a system, but it was a novel where he went from weak to strong.


    Even with the system, he took quite a lot of time to grow strong enough to be a threat. He also had many opportunities to be stronger along the way.


    As long as Eren kept an eye on him, not only could he stop him from bing a threat, but also use him to his own benefit.


    On the other hand, he didn''t know what kind of people the Main Characters from the other three novels were. All he could do was take a guess from the titles, which was oftentimes misleading.


    The only person who knew about the other three books was the author, who stubbornly refused to ept that he was the author.


    "Should I send someone to the other continents to investigate those ces?" he wondered aloud. "No, it will only be a liability. If that person is caught, it would only lead to more trouble for me."


    "First, I need to consolidate my own strength in the Eastern Continent. Then, I need to enter the Hero Academy to steal the item that can unseal me."


    "So far, everything seems to be stable. But with my luck, I really can''t be sure of anything. I just hope nothing derails my ns..."


    He nced back at the bed, where the heavy Elder''s robey waiting for him. He hadn''t even worn it yet, but he already felt exhausted.


    "Before anything else, I need to clean up the remaining sects. Only then can I get the Sect Master off my back and gain some freedom."


    He picked up the heavy robe and draped it over his shoulders.


    "Celeste, we are going out."


    Hearing his voice, Celeste flew to him and sat on his shoulder.


    Eren stepped out of the house. He was assigned a task by the Sect Master. He had full authority over the task.


    Even the Mission Hall couldn''t do anything about it. All he had to do was have the sect disciples gather for this mission.


    To make sure that things went smoother, he had already decided to take all the Core Disciples and Inner Disciples.


    "With the Core Disciples, I won''t even need to intervene unnecessarily," he thought. "It would also be a good opportunity to level up while conserving my strength."


    Before going to the Mission Hall, hended in front of Yu Lin''s courtyard to check up on her. He had even thought about taking her with him.


    It could be a form of training for her. When seeing the Core Disciples fight, she could learn a lot of things.


    He opened the door and stepped inside, soon finding Yu Lin in her room. She was sitting on the bed, with the Breathing Skill Book lying next to her.


    "Not bad. Instead of focusing on the Elemental Skill, she is improving her Qi Breathing Skill."


    Not only did she understand the essence of the breathing skill, but she was also absorbing all the Qi from her surroundings greedily. She looked like she was on the verge of a breakthrough.


    He didn''t interrupt her. An opportunity like this was rare, especially since she had only received this skill the previous night.


    He thought about waiting for her, but it could take too much time. He didn''t even know when she was going to finish.


    In the end, he decided to give up on the thought of taking her along. Instead, he wrote a letter telling her that he was going out for some time.


    He ced the letter on the table in the room before leaving.


    Next, he went to the foot of the mountain. There, Ye Liang was sleeping, using a bag of herbs as a pillow.


    Eren stored the bags filled with herbs in his storage ring before pulling thest bag that was being used as a pillow.


    Ye Liang hit his head on the ground, immediately waking up from his slumber and seeing the beautiful sky above.


    "And here I thought it was all a dream," he said, rubbing the back of his head while standing up.


    "Dreams don''t take long before bing nightmares," Eren told the young man as he turned around.


    "Elder Ren, greetings." Ye Liang greeted the man who was supposed to be killed by him.


    "Enough with the greetings. I am leaving and you areing with me." Eren grabbed the young man by the cor and flew higher into the sky.


    ....


    Eren reached the Mission Hall, but to his surprise, the leader of the Mission Hall was already waiting outside for him.


    "Elder Ren, I received a message that you would being today," the bearded man said as he handed Eren a thick book that looked like it had over a thousand pages.


    "This is...?" Eren asked, confused.


    "This is the list of all the disciples, ranking them from strongest to weakest depending on their cultivation and strength," the old man exined.


    "The disciples who are not currently in the sect are marked with a dot in front of their names. Excluding them, you can select anyone."


    "I see. The Sect Master already informed you," Eren said, opening the book and checking the first page which listed the core disciples.


    "Is there a limitation on how many disciples I can select?" he asked.


    The old man shook his head. "I wasn''t informed about any such limitations. If you want, you can take all of them."


    "Unfortunately, the ship taking you has a limit of only a thousand people. If you can arrange other methods, you can take everyone with you."


    "A thousand would be enough in that case. I will take-"


    Eren had already made up his mind. He wanted quality over quantity. He only wanted the strongest disciples. But just as he was about to express his desire, he heard a familiar sound.


    A screen appeared before him with four options.


    "Really now?" he muttered as he read the options.

 Chapter 134: Chapter 134: Hells Pass

    "Did you say something?" The old man looked at Eren with confusion. "Is something wrong with the list?"


    "No. Nothing seems to be wrong with the list, but..."


    Eren frowned at the sight of the options. Once again, he was being screwed by these options.


    He was once again at the crossroad where he had a choice between convenience and the rewards.


    He could select the most rewarding option or he could select the option that made his life easier while going along with his initial n.


    [Option One: Select the ten weakest disciples from the list andplete the mission only with them without fighting for them.


    Reward: Hell''s Pass (Unique Grade)]


    [Option Two: Select the ten strongest disciples from the list andplete the mission only with them without helping them.


    Reward: Luck +2]


    [Option Three: Take no disciples andplete the mission yourself.


    Reward: Level +2]


    [Option Four: Take all the disciples with you and help themplete the mission.


    Reward: Affinity +5]


    Looking at the options, he didn''t have to think hard to guess which reward was the most valuable.


    Although he didn''t receive a pendant series reward, he did get a unique reward as an option. Moreover, the name also made him interested.


    Hell''s Pass. The name of the reward reminded him about one of the four books that made this world.


    It was also something rted to the Necromancer Tower, which was the most mysterious and hard to explore existence.


    ''Should I take the safe route?'' he wondered. ''No. How far can I go with the safe route? Sooner orter I will have to face the Necromancer Tower.''


    ''But destroying the sects with just the weakest disciples of the sect? Is that even possible?''


    The Demon Sect was strong. Not just strong, it was the strongest sect. Even the weakest disciple of the sect was stronger than an ordinary sect''s top disciple. But that was the extent of it.


    To destroy other sects, they didn''t just have to face the disciples of the other sects. They had to kill the Elders, the Guardians and even the Sect Master. Could these disciples kill them without his help,


    "I have made up my mind."


    Eren opened thest page of the book. "I want the ten people that are at the end of this list."


    He showed the page to the old man, who looked even more confused.


    "Elder Ren, are you sure that you want them and not the Core Disciples?" he asked. "Could it be that you are nning to fight for them?"


    "Don''t worry. I won''t fight for them. Just call these disciples here and arrange the boat for our departure."


    Eren handed the book to the old man. Although confused, the old man did as he was asked. It was a mission for Eren. He didn''t have anything to do with it.


    He returned to the Mission Hall and had a message delivered to the Elders overseeing the Outer Sect.


    The ten disciples that were selected by Eren belonged to the Outer Sect.


    As soon as the Outer Elders were informed that an Inner Elder was waiting, they personally gathered the ten disciples and reached the mission hall.


    ....


    The Outer Elders entered the Mission Hall with the ten disciples trailing behind them.


    Each disciple wore expressions ranging from curiosity to outright fear.


    They all knew that being summoned by an Inner Elder was no small matter, and they couldn''t understand why they were called. Did they do something wrong?


    Eren stood in the center of the hall, his arms folded as he observed each disciple. They were clearly the weakest of the lot, some barely able to maintain theirposure in his presence.


    Quite a few disciples recognised Eren. Most of the female disciples had their eyes lit up.


    Most of them had been thinking about bing Elder Ren''s disciple if they could be an Inner Disciple. They didn''t expect to have an opportunity to meet him this early.


    "Listen up," Eren began. "You have been chosen for a special mission to eradicate the enemies of our sect. This mission will not be easy, and I will not be helping you. You will have to rely on each other. And if you fail, you will die."


    Some of the outer disciples exchanged nervous nces. It was a mission that was personally led by an Inner Elder. It couldn''t be an easy mission.


    Even someone like that was saying that they might die in this mission. It wasn''t a small thing. Some were wondering if they could step back and give up on the mission, but they didn''t even have the courage to speak up.


    One of them, a young man with short ck hair, stepped forward, hesitatingly. "Elder, can we... give up?"


    "Those who are cowardly, don''t deserve to be a part of this sect. If you want to be expelled, then you can surely give up," Eren answered, not caring about his harsh tone.


    He didn''t want anyone to give up. No, he couldn''t allow them to give up.


    He needed the ten weakest disciples for this mission. If even one of them stepped back and he had to rece them, it wasn''t going to be the ten weakest.


    To make them the ten weakest disciples of the sect, he could only expel the person who didn''t agree.


    Although he also didn''t like forcing them to put their lives on the line, but once again, he had no other choice on the matter.


    His every action, his every choice had the potential to make or break his future.


    While he had the opportunity and the options were simpler, he wanted to gather as many high rewards as possible.


    Hearing his words, the young man went silent. He had worked so hard to join the sect. He couldn''t afford to be expelled.


    Moreover, he wasn''t even sure if Eren was actually going to expel him and not outright kill him if he insisted.


    He turned to the Outer Elders. "Ensure that they are prepared and equipped for the journey. We leave in an hour."


    The Outer Elders nodded, quickly moving to follow Eren''s orders. The ten disciples, still stunned, were led away to prepare.


    As they departed, the old man who had initially presented Eren with the list approached him.


    "Elder Ren, are you certain about this? You said you are not going to interfere or fight during this mission. Can those ten evenplete this mission at the rate? These disciples...they''re not ready."

 Chapter 135: Chapter 135: Not human

    Eren''s expression softened slightly. "Can theyplete this mission? I guess we will find out."


    The old man sighed but nodded in understanding. "Very well. I hope your faith in them is not misced."


    Eren watched the disciples as they were led out. Even though he understood that the mission was risky, he still had toplete it.


    Although those Sects were weaker than the Demon Sect, they weren''t so weak that a mere ten disciples could eradicate them.


    He knew the option he had chosen was filled with danger, but it was a necessary step. Not just for his own growth, but also for his future.


    As for these youngsters, he wasn''t nning for them to die. His sess depended on their sess. If they died, how was he going to get the reward?


    He knew that he had toplete the mission with just these ten without fighting in their ce. But it didn''t mean that he couldn''t help them in other ways.


    ''If I had my Phoenix, I could have cheated in this mission. Unfortunately, that''s out of the question now. I can''t even take another person''s help as that would count as the eleventh person.''


    For quite some time, Eren sat there silently, thinking of ways he could help them seed without failing the selected option.


    .....


    As the hour passed, Eren stood at the edge of the pier, watching the sun rise over the horizon.


    The flying boat was ready, and the ten disciples stood behind him, their faces still not entirely confident.


    "Remember," Eren said, turning to face them. "This mission is an opportunity for you. If you canplete it, I will have you be Inner Disciples. So don''t waste this chance I have given you."


    Eren stepped on the flying boat.


    When the outer disciples, who were filled with hesitation, heard Eren, their eyes lit up. An opportunity to be Inner Disciples?


    It was hard to be an Inner Disciple, especially for them. They were weakest even in the Outer Sect, so they didn''t even have a chance to participate in the test to be an Inner Disciple.


    If an Inner Elder was willing to support them, they could actually be an Inner Disciple without even having to fight for the limited ces.


    The youngsters in the group were even more excited. If they had the opportunity to be an Inner Disciple, didn''t that mean they had even more opportunities?


    This entire mission was truly an opportunity and a test for them. Elder Ren was going to be observing them throughout the mission.


    If they could put on a spectacr performance for him, didn''t they also have a chance of catching his attention even more? What if they put on such a good show that he decided to ept them as his personal disciple?


    As the weakest in the Outer Sect, they didn''t have much of a position in the sect. But still, they were praised in their home cities. They were stars of their cities, who managed to join the sect.


    What if they became a Personal Disciple of an Elder? Their families could rise with them, gaining influence throughout the Kingdom.


    Even the Kings would have to be respectful to their families. And that was just the tip of the iceberg.


    The fear in their eyes was reced by greed. Eren''s words motivated them even more than any motivation word could have done.


    They boarded the boat, looking forward to the mission.


    The Boat that could carry a thousand  people easily was filled with only a dozen or so people, most of them responsible for guiding the boat.


    The Flying Boat soon started rising into the air.


    ....


    Great Elder Zia had spent the entire night going through the recording.


    Not for a single second was she bored. Instead, every time she watched the recording, she gained a new insight.


    By morning, she felt that herprehension had improved even more.


    She thought she might even be able to use sixth-grade herbs to create a Seventh Grade Pill.


    Quickly, she prepared a cauldron that Eren had used before. Using the same herbs, she attempted to create the Consciousness Elevation Pill that he had crafted.


    She carefully repeated his steps, noticing her own improvement. She followed his method exactly, yet still, something felt amiss.


    Although she managed to create a seventh-grade pill like him, it was the lowest tier. On the other hand, Eren had produced the highest seventh-tier pill.


    No matter how many times she tried, she couldn''t create the highest tier seventh grade pill. The best she could manage with the sixth-grade herbs was a mid-tier seventh-grade pill.


    "What am I doing wrong? I thought I could do the same. Do I have no choice but to ask him?"


    Though she had prepared herself to seek his guidance, as morning drew near, she hesitated. She felt embarrassed at the thought of asking him for help.


    She hoped she could do it without his assistance. Then, instead of approaching him as a disciple, she could approach him as a fellow Seventh Tier Alchemist. That would be less embarrassing.


    Unfortunately, she didn''t seed in reaching his level. Her realm was still lower than his, despite both of them being seventh grade alchemists.


    With a deep breath, she gave up and decided to seek his guidance, despite the embarrassment.


    She kept the cauldron back into her storage ring along with a few more sets of herbs for the same pill.


    She left her courtyard and flew towards the Ninth Peak.


    "This is his house? Is he crazy? Who builds a house in a ce like this?" she muttered, looking at Eren''s abode.


    She flew to the door and knocked, but no one answered.


    After several tries, she lost patience, kicked the door open, and entered.


    "Hmm? He isn''t here?" She nced around but didn''t find Eren anywhere.


    As she was about to leave and search elsewhere, her gaze fell upon a spot under Eren''s bed.


    "That is... not human blood?"

 Chapter 136: Chapter 136: They are here!

    ....


    The Asura Sect was one of the most prominent sects after the Great Demon Sect. Although it wasn''tparable in strength to the Demon Sect, it still held significant influence in its region.


    This was especially true since it was located on the opposite end of the Continent, farthest from the Great Demon Sect.


    When Feng Yu ascended to the position of Sect Master and became the Overlord of the Eastern Continent, she personally eradicated all the sects in the province where her sect was based, establishing absolute dominance.


    She even destroyed many prominent sects that were once said to possess strengthparable to the Great Demon Sect.


    The sects in other provinces of the Eastern Continent thought that this was the end. Many were preparing to disband before the Demoness came for them.


    Fortunately for them, Feng Yu stopped her onught. She allowed the other sects to exist. No one knew why she let the other sects exist.


    Some thought that it was because she thought they were too insignificant and too far away to affect the workings of her sect. Others thought it was because of other reasons. But no one knew the truth.


    Even though she didn''t eradicate the sects in other provinces, but still, from that moment onwards, the Demon Sect held absolute dominance in the Eastern Continent.


    The other sects managed to survive. They believed this would always be the case, but none realized that their time was nearing its end as the Battle Ship of the Great Demon Sect was currently flying towards the Asura Sect.


    The Asura Sect had grown quite strong throughout the years. It had even managed to surpass their strength in the past. That''s why, the Asura Sect Master thought that he could take the Demon Sect down if he worked with others.


    Unfortunately, the Asura Sect wasn''t in a good situation now. The Asura Sect Master had suddenly died with his son. It was said that the person who did it was none other than a Great Demon Sect Elder.


    Initially, many Great Elders of the Asura Sect were worried that the Great Demon Sect had discovered their n. They fully expected to be attacked and activated the Sect Protection Formation in advance.


    Unfortunately, nothing happened in the following weeks. Keeping the Sect Protection Formation running continuously also exhausted a lot of their resources instead.


    In the end, they concluded that the Demon Sect was unaware of their ns. Their suspicions were confirmed when they heard from those who escaped the city where the Sect Master had died.


    ording to the survivors, the person who killed the Sect Master was Elder Ren from the Great Demon Sect. The reason for the killing was that the Sect Master''s son had attempted to harm a disciple of the Demon Sect.


    "Our Sect Master died at the hands of a mere elder of that sect. Do we still think we can do anything to that sect?" one of the Great Elders asked during an important meeting regarding the future of the Sect.


    It was also the meeting where the new Sect Leader was to be selected.


    "I always knew this was a foolish n. It''s impossible to bring down the Demon Sect. Instead, we would only harm ourselves by poking a poisonous snake''s den."


    "We should forget that we ever nned anything like this and start fresh. We should focus on our Sect and expand our influence in our own area."


    "There''s nothing embarrassing about epting that we are inferior to the Demon Sect."


    "That is right. The Sect Master was too obsessed with his father''s death. It''s good that he died; otherwise, he might have dragged the entire sect down with him."


    One after another, the Great Elders agreed with each other. It was also because they were scared.


    When the Sect Master was alive, they couldn''t do anything about it since he was the strongest cultivator in the sect. Now, they had an opportunity to decide for their own survival.


    Their loyalty was less towards the sect master and more towards themselves, hence they didn''t even think about revenge.


    "We won''t leak this, but what about the other Sect Masters?" Suddenly, a Great Elder asked. They weren''t the only ones who knew about this n after all.


    The Sect Master had discussed this n with the Sect Masters of the other sects as well.


    "I am certain that the other Sect Masters won''t talk about it either. They are guilty of the same sin after all. So we shouldn''t worry about it."


    "Just to be safe, how about we assassinate the Sect Masters of the other Sects that were in contact with our Sect Master?"


    "It''s not easy. It might instead backfire on us. Let''s not talk about it for now. We are here to select the next leader of our Sect. To select the new Sect Master, I have thought of a method."


    "What method?"


    "We-"


    Thud~


    The Great Elders were discussing the next master of the Asura Sect when the door opened with a thud.


    A middle aged man rushed inside, his face void of any blood as if he had seen a ghost. He was truly frightened.


    "Elder Wei, have you forgotten manners? How dare you enter without asking for permission?"


    "G-Great Elder, it''s not the time for that! They are here! They are really here!" The middle aged man paused to catch his breath, his hands trembling with fear.


    The Great Elders exchanged nces before turning their attention back to Elder Wei.


    "What do you mean ''they are here''? Who is here?" one of the Great Elders asked, trying to calm the agitated man.


    Elder Wei took a deep breath and eximed, "The Great Demon Sect! Their Celestial Battleship has been seen only a few hundred miles away from our Sect! And their destination... It''s our Sect!"


    "What?!" All the Great Elders stood up, their faces losing all color.


    The sound of chairs falling filled the room.

 Chapter 137: Chapter 137: Cheat with Style

    "The Great Demon Sect''s Battleship is headed here? Are you sure it''s them?" another Elder asked, trying to keep his voice steady despite the rising panic.


    Elder Wei nodded. "The scouts have confirmed it. We have little time to prepare. They should be here in a few minutes."


    Many Great Elders had hoped that this was going to be a misunderstanding. But when it was confirmed that the Demon Sect was heading for this ce, the room erupted into chaos.


    The Great Elders began to argue amongst themselves, their voices ovepping with each other. Some suggested immediate surrender, while others demanded to prepare for a fight.


    "If we surrender, we might survive! Why fight when we can''t win?!"


    "Do you think that they will let us live if we surrender?! Did you forget the time when that emotionless Demoness went to eradicate the sects? Those who surrendered were still annihted!"


    "If we surrender, we might die even faster!"


    The arguments kept increasing as more and more elders started panicking.


    "Enough!" A cold voice cut through the chaos. It was Great Elder Lian, the oldest and most respected among the Great Elders. "It is true. If the Demon Sect has decided to destroy us, surrendering won''t save us."


    "Do we have no choice but to fight? How about we run away?" Another Great Elder asked.


    "Do you think the Demon Sect won''t expect that? It might even lead us to our deaths faster," Great Elder Lian responded.


    "So, we can only fight and ept our fate? Is that what you are saying?"


    "No! I''m saying we might fight and win, but if we don''t fight, we will only lose! The Demon Sect is arrogant. I don''t think they''ll send their Great Elders to destroy us. Even Feng Yu won''te personally."


    "And I doubt they would send more than one Elder since they look down on us after how easily our Sect Master was killed. If that''s the case, we might actually have a chance!"


    "How would we have a chance? Even if it''s just one Elder and a few disciples, that''s more than enough. How can we kill someone who even the Sect Master couldn''t?!" someone argued back.


    "Because this is our ce! We have the support of all the sect''s protective formations. If we use them well, we can kill the Elder and the disciples. That would buy us time to escape before the Sect sends other Elders."


    "But if we try to escape now, we would be giving up our advantage. What do you prefer? Fighting that person outside the sect or inside the sect?" Elder Lian asked, his voice echoing through the hall.


    Following his words, the ce grew silent. Even the Great Elder who had been arguing back stopped.


    It was truly a much better choice to fight within the sect where they had the advantage than outside while attempting to escape.


    "Seal the sect and activate the protection formations. We must buy ourselves time."


    "But Elder Lian," another Elder asked, "our resources are mostly depleted. How long can we sustain the formation?"


    "We don''t have a choice," Elder Lian replied. "We must kill them before the formation fails. Hurry up!"


    "We don''t have much time! Inform the other Elders to prepare and meet me at the entrance of our Sect!"


    The Elders quickly dispersed to execute Elder Lian''s orders.


    ....


    On the Celestial Battleship, Eren stood at the bow, gazing at the horizon. The ten weakest disciples stood behind him.


    They still weren''t informed what they had to do, even though so much time had passed. All they knew was that it had something to do with the Asura Sect.


    "Elder Ren, what is our n once we reach the Asura Sect?" one of the disciples asked, his voice shaking slightly.


    Eren turned to face them, his expression calm andposed. "Your mission is simple. You just have to enter the Asura Sect and kill everyone."


    "But don''t worry, you won''t have to fight the Sect Master. I have already killed him. At best, you''ll have to face their Great Elders."


    The Disciples were previously filled with excitement about the opportunity they had. But when they heard the details about this mission, they grew stunned.


    What did he mean they only had to kill the Great Elders of the Asura Sect? It was easier said than done, especially for them. Even killing ordinary Elders might be hard for them.


    Eren told him that they just had to kill everyone except the Sect Master like they weren''t killing powerful cultivators but going on shopping.


    Unfortunately, there was nothing else they could do about it. Instead of dying at Eren''s hands, it was better to take the risk which came with high rewards.


    Moreover, they didn''t think Eren was a fool. Why would he choose them if he thought they couldn''t do it? Failing here could only bring embarrassment to the Demon Sect after all.


    Hence, they believed that there were only two possibilities. First was that Eren was lying about not fighting in this battle. He was going to get involved.


    As for the second possibility, it was that the mission looked hard but they could actuallyplete it without anyone''s help.


    Was it because the Elders of the Asura Sect were weaker than them? Was their reputation exaggerated? They weren''t sure.


    ....


    There were a few small cities established around the Asura Sect. But when the citizens saw the giant ship hovering above their cities, they were horrified.


    They saw the Battleship fly past their cities and towards the Asura Sect. Many citizens wondered if something big was about to happen.


    Only a few of them had recognised the Battleship as one that belonged to the Great Demon Sect.


    Soon, the Battleship reached the Valley where the Asura Sect was established.


    The sect''s protective formations glowed with a bright light, as if challenging the Asura Sect.


    Eren looked at the formation and smiled.


    Along the way, I thought about all the different ways I can cheat toplete this option. But this truly seems like the best option. Since I''m going to cheat, I will cheat with style.''

 Chapter 138: Chapter 138: No time for regrets!

    Eren understood that he could notplete this mission that was given to him by the sect master with the help of ten weakest disciples alone.


    It would still be possible if he had a Core Disciple in the mix, but that wasn''t the case either.


    He couldn''t even use Ye Liang who apanied him as a servant on this trip. Hence, this mission was no different than sending the ten outer disciples to their deaths.


    During the journey, he had been thinking about various ways he could help them seed, without actually fighting in their ce or taking another person''s help.


    Fortunately, he did manage to think of a decent method that fit the criteria of the option he had chosen.


    "Elder Ren, the formations are active," one of the ship''s crew members reported. "Should we break it?"


    Eren looked back at the ten disciples, not answering the crew members.


    He paid special attention to a female outer disciple who was standing in the back. Although she didn''t take the lead from the start to the beginning, she still managed to catch his eye.


    Amongst all the ten disciples, she was the only one who hadn''t shown much fear, even though he tried to scare them by telling them that they were all alone in this mission, or were going to die.


    It was as if she trusted him while also being prepared to die.


    "Come, I''ll teach you something." He ced his hand on the young girl''s shoulder. "As for the remaining nine, prepare for battle. The moment this formation is broken, I want you to rush down and start killing your way into the sect."


    The nine disciples looked at each other with confusion. They didn''t understand why Elder Ren took that girl with him.


    They were the ten weakest disciples in the sect, but the girl he took was the weakest even amongst them. She was the weakest disciple of the sect, to the point that many were even surprised how she managed to enter the sect.


    There were even rumors amongst the Outer Disciples that she ententered through cheating. That''s why she was constantly bullied by the disciples in the Outer Sect and looked down on.


    The nine disciples wondered if Elder Ren had a special reason for choosing the weakest among them. Did he have some hidden affection towards the weak? His actions were truly beyond theirprehension.


    Setting aside their doubts, they focused on the iing battle. Even if they were to face the Great Elders, they had Elder Ren''s watchful eye upon them. They could only ce their trust in him.


    They prepared their weapons and stood at the forefront of the Battleship, gazing down at the Asura Sect, which was concealed within a barrier formed by the sect''s protective formation.


    From outside the barrier, the sect resembled a turtle hiding within its shell rather than the formidable force it was influential in the region.


    The Celestial Battleship slowed to a halt before the Asura Sect''s barrier.


    The nine disciples prepared themselves for the battle of a lifetime, holding the Weight Reduction Talismans to jump into action the moment the barrier shattered.


    A minute passed since the Celestial Ship had stopped, and nothing happened. Five minutes psed, and still, the situation remained unchanged.


    Awkward silence enveloped the deck of the ship as the nine disciples exchanged nces, each wondering if something had gone wrong. Was something wrong with the ship?


    Tuck~


    Tuck~


    The awkward silence was soon broken when they heard the sound of footstepsing from behind them.


    They looked back and saw that Eren had returned, but he was alone this time, looking just as dignified as ever.


    Eren went past the disciples and looked down at the Sect.


    "Are you prepared?" he asked.


    "We are prepared!" The disciples answered in unison.


    "What are you prepared for?" Eren asked again.


    "To give our lives for the sect! To protect the glory of the sect!" the disciples replied.


    "Wrong. The sect doesn''t need you to protect its glory. In the grand scheme of things, you are insignificant for the sect. I will ask you again. What are you prepared for?!"


    The disciples were silent for some time, before one of them eximed, "To take this opportunity and prove ourselves!"


    "Prove yourself to whom?"


    "To ourselves!"


    Eren smiled as he heard the disciples'' words. Finally they were on the right track.


    "That is correct. Today, you must prove yourself! But not to me, and definitely not to the sect! You must prove to yourself!"


    "Prepare for descent!" Erenmanded loudly.


    The disciples stepped forward and raised the Weight Reduction Talismans they were given by Eren.


    "On the count of three!"


    "One!"


    "Two!*


    "Three!"


    With a deafening roar, the Celestial Battleship unleashed a barrage of energy sts, hammering the Asura Sect''s protective formations.


    The ground shook as cracks started spreading through thend with the Asura Sect at the core.


    "Go!" Erenmanded. The disciples leaped from the ship, descending into the chaos below.


    They activated the Talismans which temporarily reduced their weight, making them slowly descend above the Asura Sect.


    ....


    Inside the Asura Sect, the Great Elders watched in horror as their protective formations began to crack. The energy sts from the Celestial Battleship were relentless, and their defenses were crumbling.


    "We can''t hold them off much longer!" one of the Elders shouted, his voice filled with despair.


    They thought they could at least hold the formations during the battle, but it started crumbling before the battle even began.


    The cracks kept spreading through the barrier that had covered the Sect. The Formation also started getting weaker until the entire barrier shattered into small pieces, disappearing in the air.


    The formation stopped working, and the sect was defenseless.


    "Activate the Battlefront Formation! Remember the n!" A Great Elder called out at the top of his lungs.


    At multiple locations around the sect, formations were activated. But these formations had nothing to do with protection. Instead, they were simply to kill.


    The Sect even activated the Illusion and Maze formation at the same time.


    Elder Lian clenched his fists. "There''s no time for regrets! Prepare to kill all intruders!"

 Chapter 139: Chapter 139: Completing the Main Scenario

    The Asura Sect knew they couldn''t win a battle against the Great Demon Sect, but they believed they could at least kill an Elder and a few disciples with the help of their Formations.


    Their goal wasn''t to defeat the entire Great Demon Sect. It was simply to take down the Elder who was attacking them.


    If they were lucky, they might even be able to seize the Battleship of the Demon Sect, which could help them escape after the battle.


    This would allow them to carry all the Sect''s precious items and bring many important disciples on the Battleship.


    After this battle, they would no longer have a ce in the Eastern Continent, so they nned to flee to another continent.


    They could trade the Demon Sect''s Battleship with the Overlords of other continents in exchange for protection. The Southern Continent, which already despised the Great Demon Sect, seemed like the perfect ce.


    If sheltered by Mist, they could start fresh on a different continent. Even if they were treated as inferior for being from the Eastern Continent, it was better than dying here.


    The nine disciples were descending from the sky. But before they evennded, they saw multiple powerful dragons flying towards them.


    The Dragons opened their mouths, trying to rip them apart. The nine disciples were scared. The moment theynded on the ground, they tried to avoid the Dragons, losing theirposure.


    "That illusion formation isn''t half bad." Standing on the Battleship, Eren observed the reaction of the outer disciples.


    He didn''t me them for this reaction. It was because he fought with Aster and the Dragon... If it was him from the past who had the mentality of a frightened child, he might have been scared as well.


    However, something had changed inside him. From the moment he returned from the Ocean, he had changed.


    He wasn''t sure if it was because of the Dragon Bloodline assimtion or because he had gone through so many near death experiences. He didn''t know what the reason was, but death scared him a lot less now.


    "Now," Erenmanded, his voice cutting through the silence.


    As soon as the word left his lips, another powerful energy st erupted from the ship.


    The beam sliced through the illusory dragons, heading directly for the core of the Illusion Formation.


    The Elders guarding the formation barely had time to react to the bright light in the sky. Before they could react, it descended upon them. They died without even having an opportunity to scream.


    The Illusion Formation was also destroyed under the force of the attack.


    In themand room, a young girl stood before a screen, surrounded by the ship''s crew, who were there to guide her.


    "We''ve located the Formation Core of the Maze Formation as well. It''s on the Eastern Side. The points are marked," a middle-aged man informed her.


    He couldn''t understand why Eren had given control to this girl. They could handle the situation more efficiently, yet Eren had forbidden them from touching anything.


    During this battle, the girl hadplete control over the ship''s attack systems. If there was an attack, it had toe from her. The crew could only guide her from behind.


    Although they didn''t understand the reason, they still followed the others. They helped her as much as they could.


    Thanks to their help, the young girl was able to locate the Formation Cores that were spread throughout the Asura Sect territory.


    One after another, all the formations that the Asura Sect was relying on were destroyed. The Great Elder could only watch in horror.


    They thought it was a battle between them and a single elder. How did it be a battle between them and a Battleship?


    How shameless was this Elder that he didn''t fight them fair and square, instead using such shameless methods like using external force! Why was he so different from what they heard about the Elders of the Great Demon Sect?


    Seeing all the formations be destroyed, Great Elder Lian felt his hands tremble.


    "Not bad." Eren smiled while observing the sight of the carnage.


    He reached out his hand with an empty ss.


    Ye Liang''s lips twitched as he poured more wine in Eren''s ss like a true Servant.


    "This shouldn''t take long," Eren said, enjoying the sight like he was watching an action movie.


    Once the formations were destroyed, the attacks from the ship focused more on the Great Elders. Meanwhile, the nine disciples started killing their way inside the sect.


    One single girl was killing the Great Elders without even joining the battle while the other disciples were clearing the rest.


    He had truly found the perfect way to cheat. Why would he even have to worry when he had such a good weapon like this ship.


    He was certain Feng Yu didn''t think this when she gave him this ship for this trip.


    She only allowed him to use the ship for travel as she expected him to take more disciples. This was also a form of training for disciples.


    Eren didn''t care about the first function of the ship. All he cared about was the second function. When he gave the ship to the girl temporarily, it counted as her weapon.


    Hence, it was still the ten weakest disciples who were killing the sect. And he wasn''t fighting in their ce. All the rules were satisfied.


    Even though it was cheating, he didn''t care about ying within the rules, especially when it came to the system that kept trying to screw him over.


    "I will bring more wine," Ye Liang told Eren while waving the empty bottle, bringing him out of his thoughts.


    "Hmm. We would definitely need more," Eren nodded while taking another sip.


    Ye Liang turned around and went back. He picked up another wine bottle.


    He looked around, trying to see if there was anyone else there. After confirming that he was alone, he opened the bottle.


    "You decided to bring me as a servant, thinking you can punish me. But I will make you regret this decision. Thanks to your foolish decision, I will bepleting my Main Scenario quest right here."


    Ye Liang brought a small ss vial out of his inventory. He opened the vial that was filled with an unknown ck powder.


    He carefully poured the ck powder inside the wine bottle.

 Chapter 140: Chapter 140: All because of you

    Within seconds, the ck powder disappeared inside the wine, not even changing the wine''s color in the slightest. It dissolved instantly, leaving no trace of its presence.


    Ye Liang smirked, his eyes glinting with malice. He resealed the wine bottle. However, just as he was about to leave, he stopped.


    "Hahaha!"


    He startedughing randomly, unable to control himself. He keptughing like a maniac. Fortunately, no one was here to listen to him.


    He keptughing until tears came from his eyes. Only after a long time, he stoppedughing.


    "This damn penalty!" He cursed under his breath while wiping his years.


    Only after making sure that nothing looked out of ce, he made his way back to Eren.


    Meanwhile, the battle raged on below. The nine disciples had realized that Eren was actually supporting them from the ship.


    All they had to do was fight their way in the sect. Everything else was going to be handled by the Battleship.


    As they killed more people, they also became much more ustomed to it. They fought with a ferocity that even surprised themselves.


    Their confidence grew with each fallen enemy while the Asura Sect''s defenses crumbled.


    Eren, still seatedfortably, watched the chaos unfold with a satisfied smile.


    "This is quite the show," he remarked, swirling the wine in his ss.


    Ye Liang approached, the wine bottle in hand. He stood silently next to Eren, simply waiting for him to ask for another refill. He didn''t want to make Eren suspicious by being impatient and asking him first.


    Eren took thest sip,pletely emptying the ss.


    "Ah, perfect timing," he said as he reached out his ss towards Ye Liang.


    Ye Liang opened the wine bottle in front of Eren and poured it in the crystal ss.


    While Eren brought the ss closer to his lips, Ye Liang watched him silently. All he needed was for Eren to have one sip.


    Even if the poison failed to kill him, it could still weaken him and make it impossible for him to use his Qi.


    That much time was enough for him to kill Eren who was going to be no different than a mortal, thanks to the Poison.


    Eren ced his lips on the ss, slowly tilting it upwards.


    Ye Liang brought out a dagger from his storage ring, ready to strike the moment the poison started taking effect.


    "Hmm?"


    As the wine was about to touch Eren''s lips, he stopped. He ced the ss back down and stood up, his eyes narrowing as he looked at a very particr location inside the Asura Sect.


    "Isn''t that... What is she doing here? She shouldn''t be in the Eastern Continent at this time."


    Ye Liang watched as Eren ced the ss back on the table. His expression darkened, suspecting that Eren had realized the wine was poisoned. But Eren''s next words quickly dispelled that notion.


    "I need to step out for a moment."


    With that, Eren jumped off the ship, leaving the ss of wine untouched behind.


    Erennded at the Asura Sect''s entrance, a ck robe draped over his shoulders. He stepped inside the Asura Sect.


    His first step itselfnded on a blood stain on the ground. Not far from him, there was the corpse of an Elder.


    Great Elder Lian had barely managed to survive. Thest half an hour had been no different than a nightmare for him. He had seen so many people in the sect being killed.


    So many of the other Great Elders had been killed. They couldn''t even fight back. Even if they tried to fly towards the Battleship, they were shot down and killed.


    The entire battle was less of a battle and more of a ughter. Amongst the Great Elders, he was the only person who had survived, albeit barely.


    As soon as Great Elder Lian caught sight of Eren, his face darkened.


    "You! It''s all because of you!"


    He hadn''t seen Elder Ren before, but there was no doubt in his mind that it was all because of this one person.


    If it were any other Elder, they would have fought without using the Battleship. Using a weapon like the Battleship was disgraceful for them.


    Hence, he was certain that this was the work of the new Elder. And the only new Elder in the Demon Sect was Elder Ren, who had killed their sect master.


    Eren also matched the physical description of Elder Ren that he had heard from the survivors.


    Everything that happened to them was because of this one Elder! He killed their Sect Master, and now he came to annihte them as well?


    "Even if I am to die today, I will take you with me!"


    Great Elder Lian flew towards Eren. On the other hand, Eren didn''t even spare a second nce in his direction.


    As Great Elder Lian reached near him, an energy wave came from the Battleship. Great Elder Lian reacted fast and jumped back, but at the same time, another energy wave came for him.


    It was as if someone was really upset with him and wanted to kill him at any cost.


    "I told the kids that I am not here to fight. So keep me out of it." Eren waved his hands at Great Elder Lian. "But if you can survive until I return, I might as well y a little with you."


    "You!"


    Great Elder Lian kept dodging the energy waves, but with each passing second, his reaction speed was getting slower. He was barely avoiding the attacks until he failed, and his right arm disappeared.


    "Arghhh!" He roared in pain, but right then another energy wave came from the Battleship, swallowing him whole.


    The blinding light from the energy wave consumed Great Elder Lian, and his agonized roar was abruptly silenced.


    Eren watched calmly as the remnants of the wave dissipated, leaving nothing but a burnt silhouette where the great elder once stood.


    "The girl really knows how to y with her toy." Eren looked towards the Battleship.


    For the most part, this battle was over. All the Great Elders were dead. Even most of the Elders were annihted.


    Meanwhile, the nine outer disciples were killing the rest. It was only a matter of time before everything was over.


    ....


    One of the nine outer disciples came across a young woman. The woman was not wearing the attire of the Asura Sect, but he didn''t take it into consideration.


    For her to be inside the Asura Sect, she could only be a member.


    "Did you think that not wearing the Sect''s clothes can help you escape?" The young man grabbed his sword firmly and ran towards the young woman.

 Chapter 141: Chapter 141: Uninvited Guest

    The outer disciples had grown more confident with time. In this battle, they were the hunters. They were here to destroy this sect. And with the support from the Battleship, they truly felt invincible.


    One of those disciples came across a young woman who was not wearing the Asura Sect''s attire. Without asking a single question, the young man attacked the woman.


    As soon as he moved, he felt that his body came to a sudden halt. Someone grabbed him by the cor and pulled him back.


    "Another enemy?" The young man swung his sword towards the person who stopped him. But the moment he saw that person''s face, his face was filled with horror.


    He quickly changed the direction of his sword, avoiding the person. He didn''t even dare to leave a single scratch on that person''s face, because it was none other than Eren.


    "Elder..." The young man quickly dropped his sword while apologetically lowering his head. "Leave this ce for me. Go elsewhere and continue with your mission."


    "Yes Elder." The young man picked up the sword and ran away like his life depended on it.


    He didn''t understand why Eren came down from the ship. Even when they faced the Great Elders, he hadn''te down. He didn''t even react at that time. And now that everything appeared stable, he was here?


    Did something happen that forced him toe down? Was it something to do with that woman? He wasn''t sure. Although he was curious, but his life was more valuable than his curiosity.


    "It''s you..." The woman saw Eren, her eyes widening in surprise. "Do you recognize me?"


    "What are you doing here?" Eren deflected her question with one of his own. "Are you siding with the Asura Sect?"


    "Siding with them? They are far too insignificant for me." The woman turned away and faced the door.


    "Then why are you here?" Eren pressed.


    "I came here to take something. What else?" she replied, fiddling with the door. "I thought I might have to destroy this sect along the way. But I didn''t expect your people to create an easier path for me."


    "While we''re on that topic, I must say. You surprised me a lot. Last time, I forgot to ask your name or identity. I didn''t expect you to be a part of that annoying Demon Sect."


    "But don''t worry. It doesn''t matter. You are still my savior, so I will not do anything to you. And my offer still stands. If you ever need my help, you just have to contact me."


    "Strange. There''s no lock. How do you people even use such things?" she muttered.


    "So, you''re here to steal from the Asura Sect," Eren deduced. "As for the door, it''s sealed with a formation. Only a formation master can open it."


    "I see. No point in trying to open it then. I should''ve known." The woman clenched her fist, and instead of attempting to unlock the door, she punched the formation.


    The force of her punch sent shockwaves all around. The formation wasn''t stopped, but the entire door itself was shattered into pieces as it flew back. When there was no door, what could the formation lock even do?


    Eren wasn''t surprised when he watched her attack or the strength contained in that attack.


    This girl had single handedly fought the Poison Dragon in the Forest of Death. She had seen an even more spectacr disy of strength then.


    If he hadn''t stolen the kill, she would have been the one to kill the Poison Dragon. Not only did he steal her opportunity, but he also took Ye Liang''s opportunity.


    Originally, Ye Liang was supposed to meet this girl in the Forest of Death when she was poisoned. He had healed her poison with an antidote. But Ye Liang hadn''t done the same.


    In the original novel, Ye Liang didn''t have the antidote. Hence, he slept with this girl in the novel. The woman was really furious in the morning, but she had mercy on Ye Liang and didn''t kill him.


    With time, they came across each other more and more and eventually became lovers. However, Eren cut that entire arc with his actions.


    He had changed the future rted to this girl that he saw in the novel. Not only did he prevent her meeting with Ye Liang, but he also temporarily cut any contact he might have had with the Southern Continent.


    "My name is Sera. Last time I failed to introduce myself. What''s your name?" the girl asked as she entered the hall.


    With most of the guards and Elders dead, no one was there to stop her. And even if there was someone, Eren knew that they couldn''t stop her.


    Sera was the daughter of Mist who was the Overlord of the Southern Continent. She was still young and hadn''t even awakened her mother''s bloodline, but still she was very strong, simply because of her second bloodline.


    "What could the Asura Sect have that caught your attention? Aren''t the treasures and skills from the Eastern Continent useless for the people of the Southern Continent?"


    Eren followed the girl inside the hall that led to the treasury of the Asura Sect.


    Sera was quite taken aback as she heard Eren. "You knew where I was from?"


    "I knew it from the moment I saw you fighting the Poison Dragon. You didn''t use any Martial Skills. You only used raw strength that came from your bloodline. Did you really think I wouldn''t notice?"


    Sera didn''t even realize that Eren hadpletely changed the direction of the conversation. He didn''t tell her his name.


    "You are an Elder from the Demon Sect. Shouldn''t you be hating the people from the Southern Continent, especially Heroes?" Sera didn''t understand why Eren helped her.


    At first, she thought it was because he didn''t know her identity and thought she was from the Eastern Continent as well. Now that she realized that it wasn''t the case, the value of his help increased even more.

 Chapter 142: Chapter 142: Im really not

    It was easier to help a stranger than it was to help an enemy. And he did that for her. Although he took the inheritance as a price, that didn''t change the fact that he saved her life.


    He could have taken the inheritance and then killed her if he wanted to. He could have done worse things as well. Instead, he waited there to make sure that she woke up and was safe before leaving.


    "I am an Elder of the Great Demon Sect, but does that matter? It doesn''t matter which continent you are from. I only kill those that I want to kill," Eren answered.


    "Does that mean you don''t want to kill me?" Sera asked.


    "Not yet at least," Eren replied. "And as long as you don''t try to hurt me, I doubt I would even want to kill you."


    Sera smiled in response. She didn''t ask any more questions. She already had the answers she needed. She could see that he was different from the other Elders. He wasn''t biased. For him, everyone was the same.


    For him, there wasn''t an Eastern or Western Continent. There were only enemies, friends and neutrals.


    The silencested for quite some time, only to be broken when Eren finally spoke.


    "You still haven''t answered me. What are you trying to steal from the sect?"


    "I''ll only tell you if you promise not to steal it from me when I find it," Sera responded cleverly.


    Eren knew he couldn''t steal it even if he wanted to. He couldn''t defeat Sera without using the Pendant of Poison, and if he did use it, she would die.


    Killing Sera was different from killing Aster. Aster was a threat to his life, whereas Sera was not. In fact, Sera was more valuable to his future ns.


    He hadn''t forgotten that he needed to steal something from Mist. Sera was the key for his ns.


    There was also another reason he couldn''t do that. It was because he wasn''t ready for the consequences yet.


    Mist loved her daughter the most. It wasn''t wrong to say that Sera was the reverse scale of Mist.


    Mist had already marked her daughter. If Sera were to die, her killer would be marked. It was a mark that couldn''t be erased. If he killed this girl, he was going to be chased to the depths of hell by Mist.


    Until he achieved his goals, he didn''t want to poke the Overlords more than he already did.


    No treasure was worth putting his future ns at risk.


    "I promise. If you find it, I will not steal it from you," Eren said after a brief pause.


    "It''s a book called the Art of Elemental Maniption. I came to find out that the book is with the Asura Sect. Hence I came here to take it," Sera exined, putting her trust in Eren''s promise.


    "The Art of Elemental Maniption?" Eren''s lips twitched as he heard the name.


    It was the same book that he had stolen from the Asura Sect Master after killing her. Currently, that book wasn''t in the Asura Sect at all. Instead, it was in the Great Demon Sect in the hands of his own disciple.


    He had a lot of questions when he heard the name. In the novel, that book was still with the Asura Sect until Ye Liang killed the Sect''s heir and took it. That meant, the book wasn''t taken by Sera in the novel.


    ''Is it because I changed the future? That might be possible. I have done quite a lot of things ever since I came to this world. I''m even having the Asura Sect destroyed right now.''


    Now that he thought about it, he noticed that the future was really moving towards an unknown direction.


    In the real novel, today was the day when he died. But here he was, perfectly fine.


    He had truly changed his past, but at the same time, he also changed the future.


    Things that hadn''t happened in the original novel were happening all around him. Instead of being a side character, he had be something akin to the main character. Wherever he went, lives were changed.


    He shook his head.


    ''What am I even thinking? I''m really not the main character. It''s just thanks to my knowledge that such things are happening. My advantage of knowing the future is slowlying to an end. Or maybe, it already did.''


    "We are here!" Sera stopped before the treasury where the most important skills and treasures of the Asura Sect were kept.


    Only the Sect Master was allowed to enter this ce, but now there were two more people who were nning to.


    "I will just take the book of Elemental Arts. You can take everything else," she told Eren while preparing to break the door.


    She clenched her fist and started gathering momentum.


    "Do you have to break everything?" Eren ced his hand on the girl''s shoulder and pushed her aside, breaking all her momentum.


    He took a key out of his storage ring and ced it inside the formation lock.


    As soon as the key touched the formation, the formation lock opened. Slowly, the door started opening.


    "I picked up the key near the Great Elder''s corpse. It''s just as I expected, this was for the treasury."


    Eren offered an exnation which was filled with lies.


    He had received the key when he killed the Sect Master. He just didn''t tell her the truth because he didn''t want her to think that he had entered this treasury before.


    Sera didn''t think much about it. It didn''t matter how they opened the door. What mattered was that the door was opened.


    She rushed inside the treasury, immediately going towards the shelves where the skill books were kept.


    Meanwhile, Eren walked towards the treasures. In any case, everything in this ce was his.


    Sera only wanted the book of Elemental Maniption. She promised him that everything else belonged to him. As the book wasn''t here, he already became the owner of everything in this ce.


    ''It''s truly fun to bet when you know the answer.''

 Chapter 143: Chapter 143: Nameless, Faceless

    Eren went through the treasures that were kept in the Asura Sect treasury. He used Identification on the artifacts one after another.


    The treasury was much bigger than he expected, and the number of artifacts was even higher.


    As the Demon Sect didn''t care about the items from such an insignificant sect, he didn''t have to give them to the sect. Instead, he could keep all these treasures for himself.


    He found quite a few decent artifacts that he could use for himself. There were also a few that he wanted to give his disciples.


    This entire treasury had be a shopping ce where he was selecting artifacts to give to his disciples.


    After he finished, he turned around. He found Sera checking thest book. Her expressions were filled with disappointment and he already knew why.


    Still, he didn''t make it known and asked, "Did you find what you were looking for?"


    "It''s not here." Sera ced thest book back. Her face was filled with questions. Where did the Book of Elemental Maniption go? It was supposed to be here. Did someone take it away?


    "Are you sure it was here in the first ce? Maybe it was just a rumor?"


    "It was not a rumor."


    "How are you so certain?"


    "Because I have a good source. In the Academy, there is a Professor." Sera began exining as she believed that Eren didn''t believe her.


    "It was him who told me about the Inheritance in the Forest of Death, the Sword of Severance in the Mountain of Loss and the Book of Elemental Maniption in the Asura Sect."


    "I found the ancient inheritance in the Forest of Death. But you took it. Then I went to the Mountain of Loss and found the Sword of Severance."


    "Andstly, I came here. So far, his words haven''t proven wrong. It should have been here! It doesn''t make sense!"


    ''The Sword of Severance? How is this possible? It was supposed to be taken by Ye Liang a few monthster. Once again, the future has changed.'' Eren grew silent.


    He also wanted to take the Sword of Severance, but he didn''t want to step foot on the Mountain of Loss. It wasn''t just about strength or skills. Entering that ce was easier but getting out of that ce was much harder.


    It was said that unless one had great luck, even an Overlord couldn''t easily leave the Mountain of Loss which was another forbidden region in the Eastern Continent.


    He already knew how bad his luck was, so he decided against going there. He was only nning to send Ye Liang to that ce and then take the sword from him.


    ''So I wasn''t the only one who was changing the future. This is troublesome. Just who is this Professor who is changing the future of the Eastern Continent while staying in the Southern Continent?''


    Eren was starting to have a headache. Just as he thought things were beginning to settle down, another troublesome thing happened.


    "This Professor... What kind of ability does he have to do something like that?"


    "I don''t know for sure. Maybe it has something to do with finding treasures? I never asked. I just know that he has helped a lot of people at the Academy," Sera replied.


    "At first, I was skeptical too. But he has been proven right twice. It couldn''t be a coincidence." She thought aloud. "That''s why I don''t understand. Why isn''t the Book of Elemental Maniption here?"


    "What did you say his name was?" Eren asked, maintaining his focus on the professor. He had a bad feeling about the man''s identity.


    Was this the Main Character of the Southern Continent''s Novel? Or was he another Transmigrator? At any cost, Eren knew he couldn''t ignore this.


    "It''s easy. His name is..." Sera tried answering but she stopped before she could finish. "Hmm? Why can''t I remember his name?"


    She tried thinking about his name, but she didn''t know why, she couldn''t remember it. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t think what his name was.


    "What did he look like?" Eren changed the question, his bad feeling getting stronger.


    Sera looked even more confused now. Not only could she not remember his name, but she also could not remember his face. She found it really strange. Was something wrong with her memory?


    She could remember everything else. She could remember the names and faces of every other Elder in the Hero Academy, but it was just one particr Elder she couldn''t remember.


    She rubbed her forehead. "What is happening with me? Why can''t I remember his name or face?"


    "That''s enough. I doubt you would remember him even if you tried. It must be one of his bloodline abilities that makes others forget his name and face when they aren''t looking at him directly. That''s why you didn''t notice it before."


    Eren hadn''t read the Novel that depicted the Southern Continent. The only thing he knew about the Southern Continent was only from the small parts where it was mentioned in the Eastern Continent''s Novel.


    That''s also why he knew about Aster or a few other powerful Heroes from the Hero Academy. But there was no mention about a Hero who could help find treasures or make people forget about him.


    Either he was too insignificant to make an appearance in another, or something else was going on with him.


    The only thing that was clear was that this time, that person was trying to make his presence known in other continents.


    That person was changing the future of the Eastern Continent. Not only was he changing the future, but he was also ruining his future ns with his actions.


    Eren wasn''t sure if it was only happening with the Eastern Continent. Was he also changing the future of the other continents? He was a bigger threat than even Aster.


    Based on his limited knowledge, Eren was able to make a few assumptions. And all these assumptions made his head hurt even more.

 Chapter 144: Chapter 144: Another Guest

    "Do you remember anything else about him?" Eren asked, trying to gain any clues that might help him recognise that person in the future.


    Sera furrowed her brow, trying to recall any detail.


    "He always wore a cloak that covered most of his body, except his face. He also had gloves every time I saw him."


    She exined as much as she could, to the best of her abilities.


    "While he wears a ck cloak, his gloves were pure white. His voice was also very calm and reassuring. But that''s all I can recall."


    Unfortunately, she couldn''t find any information other than his usual attire.


    In the Hero Academy, there were many Professors who wore a robe or a cloak. Aster was the same after all. However, the thing with the white gloves interested Eren a little bit.


    "Why are you asking about him? Do you also want his help?" Sera asked, bringing Eren out of his daze.


    Eren did not answer Sera. Help? He wasn''t sure. More than help, he wanted to take out everything that could be a threat to him. And this person... He was exactly that.


    He was a threat.


    This man... It didn''t matter if he was a Transmigrator or the Main Character. It also didn''t matter if he was just an ordinary character that remained unknown in the novel. What truly mattered was that he was dangerous.


    "Can you-" Eren''s lips parted as he prepared to ask a favor from the girl. But before he could finish his sentence, the door was pushed open.


    "Elder!" A young girl rushed inside. The girl was one of the nine outer disciples who had entered the Asura Sect to annihte it.


    "What''s the matter? Why are you in such a hurry? If it''s just to inform me that the battle is over, then you don''t need to do that. I can already see that."


    Eren could see that the explosions had stopped. The ground was not trembling anymore. That could only mean that the battle hade to an end. The outer disciples had seeded.


    "T-that''s not it. Although it''s true that the battle is over, something else has happened. We need your presence!"


    "And why would that be?" Eren asked, slightly confused. If the battle was over, why would they need him? They should have been celebrating by now.


    "Another Battleship has been seen! It has a symbol on the g! And the symbol... Please see yourself!" The girl eximed. She didn''t look happy at winning the war. Instead, her expressions were grim.


    "Another Battleship?" Eren frowned at the revtion. In the Eastern Continent, only the Great Demon Sect had battleships.


    There was no chance that the Sect was going to send another Battleship to help them. That only meant one thing... The Battleship came from another continent!


    "Don''t tell me your mother came to take you back?" Eren turned towards Sera. He didn''t believe Mist was going to do something like that, but he couldn''t ignore the possibility.


    Sera was also unsure.


    "I will check."


    She rushed out of the treasury which was useless for her since the Book of Elemental Maniption was not here.


    As per her promise, everything here belonged to Eren and she kept that promise.


    Eren waved his hand, storing everything in the treasury into his storage ring. Once the ce was cleared, he stepped out, curious to see which continent was trying something so drastic.


    Eren stepped out of the building and noticed another Battleship flying towards their direction from the West.


    The entire ship was covered in bright divine symbols that made it stand out.


    As for the symbols... Ordinary people might not recognise that symbol, but people from the Great Demon Sect recognised that symbol all too well.


    "The Holy Church? What are they doing here?" Eren was quite confused.


    No matter how absurd, it still would have made sense if Mist had sent a Battleship to bring her daughter back home. But why was it the Holy Church?


    He looked around but failed to find Sera anywhere.


    "Did that girl also run away?" He scratched the back of his head, slightly frustrated. Still, he understood her reasons.


    She wasn''t an ordinary person. She was the daughter of the Southern Continent''s Overlord. If she was seen by the Holy Church, apanying an Elder of the Great Demon Sect, it might create a lot ofplications.


    "Elder, is this an invasion?" The young girl behind Eren asked. They had just finished taking down the Asura Sect, but an even bigger threat had appeared.


    They weren''t prepared to face the Holy Church. This ce was also closer to the Western Holy Empire than it was to the Great Demon Sect.


    Even worse was the fact that they only had one Elder and a few outer disciples. If there was a war, the chances of survival were close to none.


    "I doubt this is an invasion. I don''t believe the Holy Church is a fool. They wouldn''t start a war with one of the Overlords when they have the Necromancer Tower to worry about," Eren answered, trying to calm the young girl.


    ''But if it is indeed the start of a war...'' He didn''t finish his thought. So many things about the future had changed in the other continents, he couldn''t be certain about anything.


    Just like he was changing his future in the Eastern Continent, there might be another simr person in the Western Continent. So he couldn''t be certain about anything.


    He ced his arm around the girl''s waist and flew towards their Battleship.


    The other youngsters were already waiting on the Battleship for them. Erennded on the ship and released the girl.


    With a slight blush on her face, the girl walked back to the group. Meanwhile the other girls looked at him with jealousy.


    The girl who was given themand of the attacks from the ship had alsoe upstairs. And the real crew had taken over the battle systems.


    Eren stood at the forefront of the ship, observing the iing ship in silence.

 Chapter 145: Chapter 145: I know a place

    The Holy Church''s ship approached slowly.


    "Elder Ren, we can attack as soon as youmand."


    Eren''smunication talisman lit up, and he heard the voice of the crew member who had takenmand of the battle systems.


    "For now, we wait and see," Eren responded, his eyes never leaving the approaching vessel. "Do not engage unless I give the order."


    As the two ships drew closer, a figure appeared on the deck of the Holy Church''s vessel.


    The man was dressed in a pure white robe that was covered in golden symbols of the Holy Church. He had short blonde hair that matched perfectly with his simrly colored pupils.


    He appeared no older than thirty.


    As soon as people saw that man, they subconsciously felt like they had witnessed a divine being that needed to be worshiped.


    A few outer disciples almost fell to their knees, only toe to their senses when Eren released his Sword Emperor''s Aura.


    "Don''t lose your mind. It''s nothing but the side effect of his blessing," Eren reminded the young disciples who couldn''t believe that they had almost fallen to their knees.


    "Archbishop, should I approach them and exin?"  A young priest asked the blonde haired man.


    "It is fine. We are the guests here. I will do it myself. It wouldn''t be good if we caused a misunderstanding and spoiled her ns."


    The ship came to a halt merely a few hundred meters away from Eren''s Battleship. The Archbishop rose in the air and walked towards Eren as if he wasn''t in the air but on ordinary ground.


    Eren also rose in the air and flew towards the Archbishop to meet him in the middle.


    "I don''t expect someone from the Holy Church to get lost and end up in an entirely different continent. Your sense of direction is quite something," Eren said.


    "Those who follow Goddess Freya are never lost." The Archbishop kindly replied.


    He observed Eren''s robe.


    "You just be an Elder of the Great Demon Sect."


    Although the four continents didn''t interact much with each other, some things weremon knowledge amongst the higher powers of the four continents.


    Just like the symbol of the Holy Church was known to the Great Demon Sect Disciples, the attire of the Demon Sect was also well known in the Holy Empire.


    The young archbishop turned to the Asura Sect and saw the sight of blood. He joined his hands together and said a short prayer.


    After he finished the short prayer, he opened his eyes and focused on Eren.


    "It seems the Eastern Continent is just as chaotic as ever. Poor people of thend... I can only feel mercy for them, living without the existence of our great goddess in their life.*


    "Are you here to preach?" Eren asked. "If you are interested, I know of a good ce where you can preach the greatness of your goddess."


    He pointed in one particr direction and continued, "Go straight to the north. After a few months, you wille across a very eye-catching tower. I have a feeling that they need your goddess more than the people here."


    The Archbishop grew silent. His eyes narrowed for a brief moment, but he quickly recovered.


    "It is only a matter of time before the entire world knows the greatness of Goddess Freya."


    Eren didn''tment. In his eyes, no matter what he said, it wasn''t going to matter to these people.


    The Archbishop could also see Eren''s impatience.


    "Let''s put that aside for now. I am Nathaniel, an Archbishop of the Holy Church." He reached out his hand.


    Eren did not reciprocate. He did not trust this person. After a few seconds, the young Archbishop awkwardly retracted his hand.


    "We are here to deliver a letter from our Holy Priestess to your Sect Master. Hence, I hope you can allow us passage," Nathaniel exined.


    "In that case, you can give me the letter. I will have it delivered to the Sect Master," Eren stated.


    He was quite suspicious about the letter. If possible, he wanted to get his hands on it so he could read it on the way back.


    "I''m afraid I can''t do that. With Goddess Freya as my witness, I promised that I would deliver this letter myself."


    "Even if that''s the case, I can''t allow you to advance towards the Sect with a Battleship."


    He didn''t think that a single ship could cause any harm to the sect. But still, he couldn''t judge the reaction of Feng Yu.


    He was less worried about the Sect getting harmed by this ship and more worried about Feng Yu destroying the Holy Church''s ship in anger.


    If only the Holy Church''s ship was destroyed, it was fine. But if an Archbishop died at her hands, then things could really spiral out of control.


    Although he didn''t want any unnecessary contact between the two continents, it was still much better to be safe than sorry.


    "If that''s the only problem, then the solution is simpler. I will travel with you and send my ship back," the Archbishop said without showing the slightest anger.


    The only reason he even came on a Battleship was because it was faster. Now that the Great Demon Sect was here with a Battleship, he could just travel with them.


    "Fine. You can inform your people and send that ship back."


    Nathaniel went back to the ship and informed his people that he was going to go alone with Eren to the great demon sect.


    "But Archbishop, it''s not safe! What if they schemed against you?! At least take a few of us with you!"


    Nathaniel smiled at the sight of Priests worrying about him.


    "Is your trust in Goddess Freya wavering?" he asked the young priests.


    "N-never!"  The Priests panicked and eximed in unison.


    "Then why worry? Who says I''m going alone? I have our goddess with me! Hence, don''t worry. I will finish the task I am given and return. You should go back and wait for me."


    The Priests could not say anything in response. They could only nod and agree.


    They watched Nathaniel go to Eren''s ship. Their ship turned around and started leaving.


    ....


    Back on the Demon Sect''s ship, Eren and Nathanielnded on the deck together.


    Eren noticed Ye Liang standing in the back with the bottle of wine.


    "We have a guest. Serve a drink for him," he told Ye Liang.


    "Huh?" Ye Liang froze in ce.

 Chapter 146: Chapter 146: Poisoned Guest

    Ye Liang had mixed the poison in the wine and even poured it for Eren to drink. Unfortunately, before Eren could take a sip, he left the ship.


    From that moment, Ye Liang had been waiting for Eren to return and drink the poison. However, before Eren could return, the other Disciples came back to the ship.


    It had been a perfect opportunity to kill Eren when he was alone. But if he killed him in front of others, it could be dangerous. Ye Liang had been constantly calcting the risks in his mind.


    Was it worth bing an enemy of the Demon Sect toplete the Main Scenario Quest? The only way to prevent that whilepleting the quest was to kill all witnesses as well.


    For quite some time, he had been mentally preparing for this. But every single n fell apart when another Battleship arrived before Eren could return. Now, it had be even more dangerous.


    Eren finally returned, but he didn''t return alone. He came with a guest from the Holy Church and now he was asking Ye Liang to serve the poisoned wine to this guest?


    Ye Liang even wondered if Eren knew about the poison and was just messing with him.


    Ye Liang gulped down, his back covered in cold sweat. However, he knew that there was no turning back now.


    He stepped forward, slightly hesitating. He carefully filled two sses with the wine and presented them to Eren and Nathaniel, maintaining aposed demeanor.


    After handing over the two sses, he stepped back. Only he knew what was going on in his mind.


    ''No need to worry. There is only a slight change in n. It just means another person will die with Elder Ren and the other disciples! No, it might even be better! I can me the Holy Church after returning to the sect!''


    Eren held the ss of wine in his hand and activated themunication talisman.


    "Take us to our next destination."


    The battleship began to move, altering its course towards a new destination.


    Nathaniel took a sip of the wine. Even in his wildest dreams, he hadn''t imagined that the wine would be poisoned.


    Why would he even consider such a possibility? The Western Continent and the Eastern Continent didn''t have such an extreme level of enmity.


    The Eastern Continent only held hatred towards the Southern Continent.


    Furthermore, he didn''t expect an envoy to be poisoned. Why would the Demon Sect want to create another powerful enemy when they already had too much on their te in the form of Mist and the Hero Academy?


    He ced the empty ss down and turned to look into the distance. He suddenly started frowning as he noticed that they were heading in a different direction.


    "Are we not going to the Demon Sect? The direction seems different," he called out, his voice carrying a hint of suspicion.


    Although he had never been to the Demon Sect, he knew the directions all too well.


    "We will return to the Sect in a few days," Eren replied calmly. "But before that, we need to visit a few more ces. I hope you won''t mind."


    As he finished speaking, he took a sip of his own wine.


    While the wine went down Eren''s throat, Ye Liang''s smirk widened.


    He pulled out his sword from his storage ring, ready to annihte everyone on the ship as soon as the poison took effect.


    In his mind, he even started a countdown as the Poison was meant to take effect in less than a minute.


    Nathaniel was taken aback by Eren''s words. Was this a mockery? He had already told Eren that he needed to deliver a message. It was an important matter.


    If Eren didn''t have time to return right now, he should have just allowed him to take his own ship instead of having it sent back.


    "But I have a letter to deliver! I don''t have days to waste. I have to deliver it as soon as pos-"


    Nathaniel tried to exin again. However, before he could finish his sentence, he stopped. A sudden chill spread all over his body, and his heartbeat became irregr.


    "You...!" he looked at Eren in disbelief. He truly couldn''t believe it. He was poisoned?


    He didn''t have to think about it much to understand where the poison came from. The wine was filled with poison!


    He didn''t understand why? Why would Eren poison him? Did the Eastern Continent join hands with the Necromancer Tower?


    The poison kept spreading inside his body, slowly moving towards his heart. Nathaniel ced his hand around his pendant and closed his eyes, trying to use his Divine Energy to remove the poison from his body.


    Eren was initially confused about Nathaniel''s reaction. He stopped in the middle of his sentence. Was he that upset because of the dy?


    He didn''t know that the people from the Western Continent were such snowkes. In his eyes, Nathaniel was like a child throwing a tantrum after not receiving what they wanted.


    Normally, he might have given in. But this time, he didn''t want to return beforepleting the option at any cost.


    At no cost did he want to give on the reward Hell''s Pass. Even if he didn''t understand the true value of the Hell''s Pass, he was convinced that it had something to do with the Book of the Northern Continent.


    That alone made it the most precious reward that he couldn''t give up on.


    "You don''t have to be so upset. It will only dy the journey by a few days. We will get to the sect in a few days. On the other hand, if you are to fly, it will take a few weeks for you."


    "Moreover, I didn''t believe that letter is a matter of life or death. If that was the case, a Cardinal would have been sent in your ce," he tried to exin.


    Unfortunately, he soon discovered that this wasn''t the reason for the Archbishop''s strange reaction

 Chapter 147: Chapter 147: Award Worthy

    Eren was confused about Archbishop Nathaniel''s reaction, but he soon received an answer. The moment he saw it, his expression darkened.


    It wasn''t because something was wrong with his body. Instead, it was because he saw a notification appear before him.


    [Royal Sea Dragon Bloodline has neutralized the mid-tier poison]


    The moment Eren saw the notification, he realized everything.


    The Royal Sea Dragon Bloodline was already a superior bloodline. One of its advantages was immunity to most poisons.


    There were still poisons in this world that could kill a Royal Sea Dragon, like the one kept in his Pendant of Poison. However, poisons like these were hard to find.


    Hence, there was a misconception that Sea Dragons were immune to all forms of poison. In reality, they were immune to most poisons.


    Since Eren possessed the same bloodline, he received the same trait.


    If it weren''t for the notification, he never would have known he was even poisoned. That''s how efficiently this poison worked.


    It didn''t take him long to realize who might have poisoned him. Who else could it be but the so-called hero of this novel?


    This time, the Main Character had really screwed him. It wasn''t just because he tried to kill him. Instead, it was because he tried to kill an Archbishop of the Western Continent with him.


    Eren wasn''t a fool to think that the Archbishop was going to die with just mid tier poison. These people were more resilient than anyone knew. Unfortunately, that was the problem.


    This man was not going to die. Instead, he was going to survive and me him. Who in their sane mind would believe that a mere disciple poisoned him on his own, instead of beingmanded to do it.


    If he didn''t handle it well, it could truly be a headache. For now, dealing with the Archbishop was more important than dealing with the main character.


    The Archbishop bit his thumb, letting blood trickle out of his thumb.


    Blood came out of his thumb, containing all the Poison that had gathered inside his body. The ck blood fell on the floor.


    Eren also didn''t wait longer. He also grabbed his chest, falling on the ground, his face growing pale.


    It was time to protect his reputation and prevent a war. And the only way to do that was to put on an award-worthy act, just like he did in front of his second disciple.


    "Elder!" A young outer disciple rushed towards Eren, her voice filled with panic and loud enough to catch everyone''s attention.


    Nathaniel''s breathing was still heavy when he turned towards Eren. He was surprised to find that Eren had also fallen to the ground.


    It was only now that he remembered that Eren had also drank that same wine. If he poisoned that wine, why would he drink it as well?


    It only made sense if he had taken an antidote before. But if that was the case, why would he fall like this?


    He could see that a lot of things didn''t make sense. If Eren actually wanted to kill him, he could have attacked him when he was trying to remove the poison. He was the most vulnerable at that point.


    Eren didn''t try to kill him. That meant he didn''t want him dead. Instead, he was hurt by the Poison? Did that mean like the target of this Poison wasn''t him but Eren instead?


    Someone was trying to kill Eren and he just happened to be caught in between? But who could dare to do this to an Elder of the Great Demon Sect? Was this because of rivalry inside the sect?


    "He seems to be poisoned. If any of you have any healing pills, give it to him," Nathaniel said. He didn''t approach Eren personally, not wanting to create a misunderstanding.


    Ye Liang silently watched everything. Deep down, he was quite irritated. Why was this timing so wrong? If both of them were affected at the same time, he could have attacked.


    Unfortunately, when Nathaniel was affected, Eren was standing fine. And when Nathaniel improved, Eren had fallen. It was as if fate was toying with him.


    He could try to attack Eren now, but the chances of sess were close to none, especially if Nathaniel was going to intervene.


    In the worst case scenario, he might have to waste hisst life saving measure while also bing an enemy of two continents simultaneously.


    "I have a healing pill!" He could only give up on this opportunity.


    To remove any evidence, he released the bottle of wine and rushed towards Eren. The bottle crashed to the ground, shattering and spilling the poisoned wine everywhere.


    He handed the pill to the young outer disciple who was closest to Eren.


    Nathaniel, although calm, kept a watchful eye on Ye Liang. It was the same boy who had served the poisoned wine and was the most suspicious.


    "Elder, this will help!" the young girl said as she tried to ce the pill in Eren''s mouth.


    Eren weakly took the pill from her hand and ced it on his tongue. However, he secretly kept the pill in his storage ring, making everyone believe he had swallowed it.


    This pill came from Ye Liang, and Eren wasn''t sure if it was a healing pill or another poison.


    Although he knew it was unlikely for Ye Liang to find a poison that could get past his Royal Sea Dragon Bloodline, Eren didn''t want to take any risks, especially when there was no need to.


    "We should go back to the Demon Sect. Your Elder needs treatment," Nathaniel suggested, trying to take advantage of the situation toplete his own task.


    "It... is... fine," Eren weakly said as he stood up with the support of the outer disciples, clearly showing how weak he was.


    "A mere poison can''t stop me... I will only return afterpleting the task given by the Sect Master," he added.


    "Elder, please don''t speak. You are very weak now," the young disciple said with concern, carefully escorting him to his room with the help of others.


    Eren didn''t resist. Since he had already issued instructions, there was no way the ship would return to the sect.


    On the way back, he briefly nced at Ye Liang. Ye Liang felt a sudden chill run down his spine.

 Chapter 148: Chapter 148: Spirit Realm

    After helping Eren lie on the bed, all the disciples were sent outside. Only Eren stayed inside the room.


    He sat up and took off the heavy robe. The weakness that he had previously shown was nowhere to be found.


    He was quite conflicted about how to deal with the Main Character.


    The only way to deal with the Main Character was by having him use hisst life-saving treasure without making him suspicious. However, that was also what made him most conflicted.


    It was something that even he didn''t have the counter to. As soon as the Main Character was about to actually die, his system was going to use the treasure kept in the inventory to send him to an unknown ce.


    The only way to prevent that was by having the Main Character bring that thing out of his inventory and then taking it from him. However, that was easier said than done.


    Not only did Ye Liang try to kill his disciple, but he also tried to kill him. It was clear that the Main Character had be a threat to him.


    If he wasn''t for that, he would have already killed that man.


    "Should I have someone else try to kill him and force his treasure to be activated? He would be sent elsewhere. But he wouldn''t know that I had a hand in it. He might return to the sect."


    "No, it would be too naive. He is the main character. With his Plot Armor, he might even be sent tond filled with opportunities and treasures instead."


    "Urgh, why are Main Characters so hard to deal with? Now I truly understand the pain of the Viins."


    "Every time they would try to kill the Main Character, some Plot Armor would activate and make them even more dangerous."


    "Good thing there is no social media here, or there might be some trend like justice for viins."


    Exhausted, he fell on the bed.


    "I wonder what would happen if two Main Characters went against each other? They might actually kill each other and negate the plot armors. That is, unless they both have a mother named Martha..."


    He started smiling at his own joke, even though he knew that it was childish for him to do so.


    "With my kind of luck, it would be good if both of them didn''t turn against me instead. I''ll have to find another way to deal with them. Something that can stop their plot armor... Or maybe a realm where it wouldn''t work."


    While he was talking to himself, he felt someone punching his cheeks.


    He turned towards Celeste.


    "Are you hungry again?"


    Celeste shook her head and waved her hand, making some gestures.


    Although Eren didn''t understand her gestures, he could roughly understand her feelings and intentions.


    "Are you saying that you know of a method to help me?" he asked, wondering if he had actually managed to guess right.


    Celeste finally nodded. She pointed at herself and then towards the roof. Unfortunately, Eren did not understand her this time.


    "Upstairs?" he asked.


    Celeste shook her head, refuting.


    "Then what''s above that? Sky? Heaven?" he asked again.


    He could feel that she was talking about a ce, but he didn''t know which ce.


    Celeste shook her head. She again pointed at herself and then to Eren.


    "Your ce?" Eren asked. "And my words?"


    Celeste nodded.


    Eren''s eyes lit up and he sat up again. "You are saying you know a ce which could help me?"


    Celeste again nodded.


    Eren didn''t even know where Celeste came from. He received her in the form of a reward from the system.


    He even thought that she was not from this world. But now she was saying that she had a ce that could help him? Did that mean her home was in this world?


    "Is that a ce in the Eastern Continent?" he asked.


    Celeste shook her head, confirming that it wasn''t here.


    "In the Western Continent?" Eren changed the continent.


    Celeste again disagreed.


    "Is it in the Southern Continent?"


    Celeste shook her head again.


    "Don''t tell me it''s in the Northern Continent then?" Eren frowned. At this moment, that was thest ce he wanted to visit.


    However, he was also going to receive the Hell''s Pass, so he understood that it was only a matter of time before he had to go there.


    To Eren''s surprise, Celeste still didn''t agree.


    Eren scratched the back of his head and asked again, "Is it even in this world?"


    Celeste neither agreed nor disagreed.


    Eren again fell on the bed. "What''s the point of mentioning it if we can''t even go there?"


    Celestended on his chest and started jumping over him, trying to catch his attention.


    "What is it? Is there even a way to get there? It would be useless if we can''t even go there," Eren reacted.


    Moreover, he had a feeling that the ce wasn''t as simple as Celeste made it out to be.


    Celeste covered the lower half of her face with her sleeves and started walking in a particr fashion.


    "Is that a veil? You are saying that Xiu Ying can take us there?" Eren asked. "How can she take us to your home?"


    Eren didn''t understand what rtion Xiu Ying had with Celeste''s home. He didn''t remember reading anything like that.


    Celeste finally nodded. She even appeared to be excited to some extent.


    "What is that ce called?" Eren changed his question. If he didn''t even know where he wanted to go, how could he ask Xiu Ying?


    After what seemed like an eternity and a lot of effort by Celeste, Eren managed to guess the name.


    "Spirit Realm? Strange, I didn''t remember anything like that existing in the novel. Was that explored in theter parts of the story that I didn''t read?"


    Eren frowned. "If it''s from theter part, it can''t be an easy ce... Maybe even worse than the other continents."


    ....


    Xiu Ying was returning to the sect, dragging a Beast Master by his cor.


    However, as she neared the sect, she suddenly stopped. A letter materialized before her, visible only to her eyes.


    "An invitation? As if I would ever step foot there again," she scoffed.


    With a swift motion, she sliced through the illusory letter, dispersing it into nothingness.

 Chapter 149: Chapter 149: Blasphemy

    It was early in the morning when Eren stepped out of his room.


    As soon as he did, he was greeted by the sight of Outer Disciples waiting outside. Some had even fallen asleep right there.


    "Elder Ren!" a disciple called out upon seeing Eren emerge.


    Though Eren appeared a little pale, he looked significantly better than he had the night before.


    The disciples who were sleeping also woke up and stood straight.


    Eren was quite taken aback to find the disciples here. He wondered if they were worried about the consequences they could face if something happened to him.


    "What are you all doing here? Did you forget that we are here on a mission?"


    He didn''t express his surprise. He still had to maintain the dignity of an Elder, especially since it was the Demon Sect. Moreover, Nathaniel was also on the ship.


    "We should be reaching our next destination. Get prepared."


    "Yes!" the Disciple eximed. None of them appeared upset that Eren didn''t appreciate their concerns. It waspletely normal for them.


    Despite all that, they still felt grateful for Eren. Although he said that he wasn''t going to help them, he allowed them to use the ship''s attacks to destroy the Asura Sect. No other Elder would have done the same.


    Even if he didn''t show any concern, they still preferred Eren. That was especially the case for female outer disciples who were already charmed by his looks.


    They still hadn''t forgotten that they had a chance of bing Inner Disciples.


    Eren apanied the disciples and went to the deck.


    The sight from the deck looked magnificent as the sun had just started rising in the distance.


    Nathaniel was already standing on the deck, embracing the pure light from the sun like it was a gift from the goddess.


    He slowly opened his eyes as he heard the sound of footsteps. He turned around and caught sight of Eren, who was apanied by disciples.


    "It seems you are feeling a lot better," he asked.


    "Mere poison can''t keep me down," Eren calmly answered.


    "Do you know who might have poisoned the wine?"


    Eren and Nathaniel engaged in conversation, and Ye Liang listened carefully. He already believed that Eren might have realized who it was.


    "I''m not sure yet. I might have created a few enemies in the sect. And the news about my mission was known by quite a few people. So they might have used poison before I even stepped on this ship..."


    "That''s why I said, thisnd is thend of chaos. And without the blessing of Goddess Freya can''tst long," Nathaniel responded. "Unfortunately, you people have abandoned the goddess. It''s a sin you can''t wash unless you enter her embrace."


    "I will stick to my words. The people who truly need salvation are in the North. You should really direct your attention to them," Erenzily replied.


    He didn''t hate the gods of this world. If anything, he didn''t even believe in gods.


    If there were gods that were all powerful, why was the Western Continent not able to defeat the North? Why did the Necromancer Tower still exist?


    If anything, the four continents had simr levels of strength, even though the Western Continent had the Goddess'' Blessing. Didn''t that mean the blessing was insignificant? He didn''t know.


    "You are very stubborn. But I have a feeling that one day... you will see the light." Archbishop Nathaniel turned back towards the sun. "You might close your eyes, but that will not make the sun disappear. It''s only a matter of time before you see the eternal truth."


    "Unfortunately, I have seen more light that I would like to ept," Eren replied. "This world is moreplicated than you realize."


    Was this world real? Was it fake? Who was the author? He had many questions, but that was also because he had seen some truths of this world.


    On the other hand, Nathaniel was still stuck in what he considered the eternal truth, not realizing that there was something beyond that as well.


    Even if there was a goddess in the Western Continent, how strong was she whenpared to the author he had seen?


    If anything, he felt like even the Goddess of the Western Continent couldn''t free herself from the shackles of the person who brought him here.


    The conversation came to a sudden stop. There was only silence as Nathaniel thought about Eren''s words.


    Meanwhile Ye Liang sighed in relief. It appeared that Eren didn''t think he was suspicious.


    If that was the case, he would have tried to kill him. It wasn''t as if Eren knew about his secret that could save his life, or so he thought.


    He was even more d that the conversation shifted in a different direction and the topic about the poison disappeared.


    "You know that your words can be considered sphemy? You are saying that you know more than the Goddess?"


    "sphemy?" Eren smiled. "How can I do sphemy towards something that I don''t even believe in?"


    Until a few months ago, this entire world was no more than a story created by someone.


    For the people of this world, it was everything. But for him, there was something beyond this world. And it wasn''t the Goddess.


    The ship slowed down as they reached a different sect.


    The news about the destruction of the Asura Sect hadn''t even started spreading, hence the people here were still unaware about the fate of Asura Sect.


    "The remaining Sects are much weaker than the Asura Sect. So I will not allow you to use the Cannon this time," Eren reminded the ten disciples. This time, they weren''t going to get any external help.


    "Instead, you can use these."


    Just as he finished saying that they weren''t going to get help, he brought out a few weapons and protective artifacts from his storage ring that he had robbed from the Asura Sect.


    The disciples were quite surprised when they saw the quality of these weapons.


    It was not even close to the quality that the Core Disciples in the Demon Sect received. But for outer disciples, these were as good as it could get.


    Each of them selected an artifact and jumped down.

 Chapter 150: Chapter 150: For a ride

    "I can only call you naive. You are truly the person who thinks that they know everything, even though their knowledge is wed from the start."


    Archbishop Nathaniel didn''t agree with Eren. His faith was strong, and so was his belief. For him, Eren didn''t know what he was talking about.


    "Oftentimes, arrogance blinds people to reality. And when they see the truth, it''s toote. All they can do is regret. It seems you are also walking the path of regret."


    He tried to sow a seed of reflection in his heart.


    "I am walking two paths, and neither of them is regret. There might be a few things I will regret in the future, especially some of my actions. But isn''t that what being human is all about?" Eren responded.


    "Being human is about making choices at every section of our lives. It''s about doing things that might make you ufortable, as long as they benefit you," he added. "Which human doesn''t have one regret or another?"


    "Right or wrong, a human creates his own path. And that''s what makes him human. I am much happier being a human, rather than being someone''s puppet."


    "Are you calling me a puppet?" The Archbishop frowned.


    "I never named you," Eren answered. "I only spoke in general. If you want to take that for yourself, I can''t do anything about it."


    As the disciples fought their way into the sect, Nathaniel and Eren continued their conversation.


    Standing in the back, Ye Liang didn''t understand a single thing they were talking about. Just what were these two arguing about?


    Nathaniel''s frown deepened, but he said nothing. He was starting to feel that it was useless to argue with someone who did not even consider his words.


    The disciples were making good progress. The sect they had arrived at was indeed weaker than the Asura Sect, but that did not mean they could afford to be careless.


    Eren''s train of thought was interrupted by a loud explosion from the direction of the sect. It seemed that some of the disciples were encountering some resistance.


    Nathaniel nced at Eren, noticing hisck of concern. "You seem awfully confident in them."


    Eren didn''t answer. He simply observed. If these disciples couldn''t even finish this with the artifacts he had provided them, then they could only be called useless.


    The Archbishop also went silent and turned his attention back to the rising sun.


    He couldn''t understand Eren''sck of faith in the divine. Why did the people of other Continents not believe in the divine? Just what was wrong with their heads?


    A few minutes passed. Although the battle was tough, the outer disciples put the artifacts of Asura Sect to good use.


    They had gained some battle experience when they destroyed the Asura Sect. They put that experience to good use, especially their courage.


    Eren could also see that the outer disciples were a little different.


    When they first came, they were cowardly and scared. They were truly like children. But now, they looked like real warriors whose swords had tasted a lot of blood.


    Soon, the sound.of battle slowly diminished. The disciples returned, victorious but weary.


    They had even captured the sect leader. The man was bound and forced to his knees on the ground, his body heavily wounded.


    "Elder Ren," one of the disciples spoke. "We have subdued the sect and captured their leader. What are your orders?"


    Eren jumped off the ship andnded in front of the sect master. He looked down at the sect leader, who was ring up at him defiantly.


    "What is your name?" he asked.


    "Jin," the man spat out. "And I will not beg for my life."


    Eren''s expression remained neutral. "I''m not interested in your begging either. I just want to know where your treasury is."


    "You think I will tell you?" The Sect Master scoffed in response.


    "You can tell me and die in peace, or I can ask your soul after enving it for an eternity. The choice is yours," Eren threatened the Sect Master, whose face turned pale at the mention of soul envement.


    He had heard that there was a Great Elder in the Demon Sect who could do something like that. That person had even enved thousands of souls already.


    It was said that dying was much better than having their soul enved. He didn''t expect a mere elder to know the same skill.


    He didn''t know if Eren was telling the truth or bluffing, but he didn''t want to take the risk. He was going to die anyway, so there was no point in risking his soul.


    He lowered his head in fear, the defiance in his eyes dying down.


    He told Eren everything, even the method to open the treasury.


    "You can kill him now," Eren told the disciples as he went towards the Treasury.


    After robbing the entire ce, he returned. On the way back, he saw the body of the Sect Master. He didn''t know the method of soul envement, but it didn''t matter. He had already received everything.


    "I had no enmity with you or your sect. If you are in your afterlife and want to haunt someone, go to Feng Yu," he told the lifeless body before flying to the ship.


    For the next few days, the Great Demon Sect''s Battleship was seen all around the Eastern Continent. And everywhere this ship appeared, a sect disappeared from the continent.


    Within a few days, every single sect in the continent was destroyed except the Great Demon Sect.


    Eren robbed thest sect as well beforending on the ship.


    "If you are done, can we finally go back to the Demon Sect?" Nathaniel asked, growing exhausted after waiting for so many days.


    "And here I was nning to take the ship for a ride," Eren jokingly replied.


    Just as Nathaniel turned serious, Eren used themunication talisman.


    "Take us back to the Sect. We are done here," he said while looking at a notification screen before him.


    [Congrattions onpleting the selected option]


    [You have been rewarded with Hell''s Pass]

 Chapter 151: Chapter 151: The Demonic Elder

    The Great Demon Sect''s Battleship turned around, leaving only destruction behind him. Within a few days, all the sects had disappeared, leaving only the Demon Sect.


    As the news started spreading, many people wondered why the Sects were destroyed. They couldn''t understand how the smaller sects could have offended a mighty existence like that Overlord Sect.


    Along the way, many rumors also started rising. Some rumors stated that it was because these Sects were nning to attack the Demon Sect.


    There were also other rumors that stated that it wasn''t the work of the Great Demon Sect at all. And strangely enough, these rumors were the most believable as well.


    These rumors were linked with Eren''s name. Many people knew that there was a person known as Elder Ren who killed Asura Sect Master because his son tried to hurt a disciple of the Great Demon Sect.


    As per the rumors, even after all that, the Elder Ren wasn''t calm. He was so upset that he decided to annihte every sect in existence so that something like that could never happen again.


    Eren was on his way back to the sect and didn''t even realize that he was bing popr all over the Eastern Continent.


    He became even more well known than the Great Elders of the Great Demon Sect. It wasn''t wrong to say that excluding Feng Yu, he was the most frightening existence for everyone in the continent.


    The other Elders of the Great Demon Sect only destroyed a kingdom when they were directly offended. Destroying a Kingdom was easy for an Elder of the Sect.


    Eren didn''t destroy a mere kingdom. Instead, he destroyed every single sect in existence to calm his anger. And that was when he wasn''t even offended directly.


    Just because a random disciple of the Sect was almost hurt, he annihted every sect.


    They couldn''t help but wonder what would have happened if something had happened to that disciple? Or even worse, what would have happened if someone offended Eren directly.


    Eren was the youngest Elder of the Demon Sect. He wasn''t that well known in the continent and didn''t even have a title. But this time, he gained a title.


    Throughout the continent, no one dared to call him by his name anymore. Everyone only called him by his new title... The Demonic Elder.


    The name struck fear into the hearts of the people of this continent, especially since some rumors about him were exaggerated.


    Some rumors even stated that Eren ate the flesh of the people he killed, or that he bathed in blood whileughing like a maniac when he killed people.


    There were even stories about him enving the souls of those who he killed.


    Tales of his ruthlessness were spreading in hushed tones in taverns, marketces and even houses. Each story was more terrifying than thest, making him sound like an absolute monster.


    Thanks to his actions, people were even more careful about not offending a disciple of the Great Demon Sect.


    The families whose members had managed to enter the Great Demon Sect rose even higher in influence.


    Let alone offending a disciple, no one even wanted to offend their distant family, unsure when Eren mighte to kill them in anger.


    Those who were preparing to participate in Sect Selection Exams next year were repeatedly told to try to perform the best and select Elder Ren as their master if given the opportunity.


    Within a few months, Eren had gone from being unknown to being the most well known monster in this continent.


    Unaware of all these rumors about him, Eren was simply enjoying the scenery as the ship traveled back to the Great Demon Sect.


    On the way, he noticed a mountain range in the distance, that was surrounded by fog all year around.


    The crew of the ship was extremely careful in this region, trying to stay as far away from the Mountain Region as possible.


    "That should be the mountain of loss. What a pity that the Sword of Severance is already taken by that girl. And here I was, nning to send Ye Liang to the mountain so he could bring the sword to me..."


    One of the reasons for Eren to select Ye Liang as his servant for a few days was to punish him, but the second and most important reason was the Sword of Severance that he was nning to take on the way back.


    As a Servant, Ye Liang had to apany him. Hence, he was nning to enter the mountain of loss with him. It was also with Ye Liang''s plot armor that he was nning to get out after finding the sword.


    Unfortunately for him, the sword was already taken which made his entire n useless. It simply became a wasted opportunity.


    As he thought about the wasted opportunity, frustration was evident on his face. He couldn''t help but remember the Nameless Professor who told Sera about the Sword of Severance and its whereabouts.


    That person had told Sera about three things. And all three things were something that Eren wanted.


    The first thing was the Ancient Inheritance that he took from Sera in exchange for the antidote. He gave it to his second disciple in exchange for the system''s reward.


    The second thing was the Sword of Severance that he wanted for himself. It was taken by Sera before he could even try to take it.


    As for the third thing, it was the Book of Elemental Maniption. It was fortunately taken by him before Sera could get her hands on it.


    He was certain that in the original timeline, it was most probably going to be ced in the treasury by the Asura Sect Master.


    It was going to stay there until it was taken by the Sect Master''s son, only to end up in the hands of Ye Liang.


    However, something was different in this timeline. Thanks to the Nameless Professor, it was going to be taken by Sera if he hadn''t taken it before.


    "She didn''t know that the book wasn''t going to end up in the treasury. That confirms my suspicions."

 Chapter 152: Chapter 152: Only the Original Timeline

    As Eren thought about it with a calm mind, he was able toe to a few important conclusions about the Nameless Professor and how his abilities worked.


    "That Nameless Professor... Even if he can see anything about the future or treasures, it''s only as per the original timeline."


    "He most probably can''t see the changes brought by me or the other Transmigrators in his world. If he could, he would have told her that the Book was going to be in the Great Demon Sect instead."


    "If that''s the case, his threat level goes down a little. In the original novel, I should have been dead by now. If he can only see that timeline, I might as well be invisible to his prediction."


    The more he thought about it, the more interested he became in his theory. However, he also understood that it was only an assumption at this point.


    He couldn''t confirm anything without knowing exactly how his powers worked.


    It was still a serious threat, but strangely enough, there was a smile on his lips.


    "If it''s a bloodline ability, doesn''t that mean I can steal it if I kill him?"


    He had the bloodline of the Devourer. It might not have many abilities on its own, but it held the unique advantage of being able to devour the bloodline of others.


    His bloodline was like a hungry snake that could swallow every other bloodline. As long as he stole the ability, he could make it his own and use it to his heart''s content.


    "Even if he can only see ording to the original timeline, that would still be very useful."


    He had only read two hundred chapters of the Eastern Continent''s novel. As for the other three novels, he hadn''t read a single page.


    If that ability allowed him to see the original timeline, even to a limited extent, it would still be very useful to him.


    "But what if it''s not because of his bloodline?" Eren thought out loud. In thest few minutes, he had gone through multiple emotions.


    "What if he didn''t know because of some bloodline ability? If he was a reader like me, then it would be something simr to my knowledge."


    He didn''t know what contents were included in the Novel of the Southern Continent.


    Just like a few things about the other Continents were mentioned in Demon Lord''s Ascent, there was also a small chance that these treasures were mentioned in Rebirth of the SSS Rank Hero.


    "That would be the most disappointing oue. But that would also mean that he is a Transmigrator like me."


    Eren let out a tired sigh.


    "Why do things have to be soplicated? He lightly patted Celeste''s head who was sitting on his shoulder.


    ....


    Half a day passed as the ship continued its long journey across the continent.


    It was early morning when they neared the Demon Sect.


    Under the morning glow, the Mountain Range of the Great Demon Sect appeared even more magnificent.


    Archbishop Nathaniel gazed at the mountain range, but the Demon Sect itself remained hidden from view.


    Though it wasn''t visible, he sensed the presence of a powerful, invisible protective barrier surrounding the entire mountain range.


    He could feel that it was because of this barrier, the Demon Sect couldn''t be seen yet.


    Almost everyone gathered on the deck, eager and anxious, as they neared the Great Demon Sect.


    The Outer Disciples were looking forward to the moment they were going to be informed about their promotion to the Inner Sect.


    At the same time, they were also nervous, worrying if they were even going to get selected or not. During this trip, they tried their best. They gave it their all, but they weren''t sure if it was enough as per Eren''s standard.


    Meanwhile, Ye Liang was watching, taking a sigh of relief. Once hended in the sect, he was going to be free of the servitude.


    Only he knew how he handled this trip that onlysted a few days, especially with his penalty ofughter.


    Half the people on this ship had already started considering him crazy because he randomly startedughing every day out of nowhere.


    He was even thanking his stars that he hadn''t startedughing when Eren and Nathaniel were poisoned. If his penalty hade into effect at that time, he didn''t even want to imagine the oue.


    Fortunately, his penalty kicked in when he was mixing the poison in the wine instead.


    Eren was also relieved that he was returning to the Sect. Now that he had finished the task at hand, he could focus on his own things.


    He was also looking forward to meeting his Phoenix again. It has already been a few days since he left her with Zia.


    By now, she should have beenpletely fine. He could take her back, instead of letting her live in the Alchemy Hall like an orphan.


    The battleship pierced through the protective barrier and entered the Sect.


    Only now did the beautiful sect that was spread throughout the vast mountain rangee into sight.


    Nathaniel had heard a lot about this ce. But this was the first time he was actually seeing the Domain of another Overlord. He didn''t want to admit it, but this ce looked truly beautiful.


    "Magnificent, isn''t it?" Eren asked, observing the expressions of the Archbishop.


    "Magnificent indeed. It''s only slightly less magnificent than the Holy Empire, which in itself is quite an achievement," Archbishop Nathaniel answered. "Not bad at all."


    The Battleship soon reached the Mission Hall andnded on the ground. Eren stepped out with Nathaniel and the outer disciples soon followed behind.


    "Wee back, Demonic Elder," the Mission Hall Master weed Eren with a teasing smile.


    "Demonic Elder? What are you talking about?" Eren didn''t understand what the Mission Hall Master was talking about.


    The Mission Hall Master didn''t exin. Instead, he congratted Eren onpleting the mission sessfully with only the Outer Disciples.


    Only after that, he turned to observe the Archbishop. Looking at the man''s robe, it wasn''t hard to guess where he was from either.


    "I didn''t know you wereing back with a guest..."

 Chapter 153: Chapter 153: Only he can

    The Mission Hall Master had been a part of this sect for a long time, but this was the first time he had seen someone from the Holy Church arrive here.


    "He is the Archbishop of the Holy Church."


    Eren exined how he came across the Archbishop during his mission and why he decided to bring him to the Sect. It was a matter between two Overlords, so he didn''t have much choice either.


    "I see. The Holy Priestess sent a letter to the Sect Master. It must be something important."


    Although the Hall Master was surprised, he believed Eren. It was impossible to lie about such a thing, especially since there were so many witnesses.


    "In that case, you can bring the guest to the Sect Master. I will handle everything here."


    Eren had thought that the Hall Master was going to bring Nathaniel to the Sect Master, but to his surprise, this task was also handed over to him.


    "I will take him in that case." He agreed, also being slightly curious about the contents of the letter.


    He told Nathaniel toe with him, but as he was leaving, he noticed the outer disciples that had gone on a mission with him.


    "Oh right, how can I forget. All ten of them have performed exceptionally well in the mission. Can you arrange an Inner Disciple position for them?" he asked the Mission Hall Master who handled the rewards for all missions.


    "An Inner Disciple position? But they are the weakest even in the Outer Sect?" The Mission Hall Master found it hard to agree to this demand. "How about I give each of them a thousand contribution points?"


    Eren frowned. He approached the Mission Hall Master, bringing his lips closer to the old man''s ears.


    "I promised them this reward. I hope you are not telling me to break my promise?" he asked the Hall Master.


    In the Demon Sect, not all Hall Masters held the same position. While the Alchemy Hall Master was Great Elder, the Treasure Hall Master was a mere elder.


    The Mission Hall Master was also nothing more than an Elder. If anything, his position was the lowest even amongst the Elders despite him being one of the oldest.


    Eren couldn''t pressure Zia in a simr manner, but he could definitely put a little pressure on the Mission Hall Elder, especially since it wasn''t such a big thing.


    The Mission Hall Elder gulped nervously. If it was another Elder, he might have held his ground, but Eren wasn''t any other Elder.


    Eren was the person that the Sect Master herself brought to this sect. She also assigned this mission to him and not any other Elder. There were already many rumors about Eren being close to the Sect Master.


    As if those rumors weren''t enough, there were now rumors about him drinking blood and eating flesh of those who he killed. It was enough to intimidate the Mission Hall Elder.


    "I-i will make it happen."


    "Much better." Eren smiled while patting the old man''s shoulders. Sometimes, he really enjoyed carrying a reputation that scared others. It made some things so much easier to handle.


    He nced back at the ten disciples but didn''t say a single word to them. He simply flew away towards the core region, apanied by Nathaniel.


    The disciples watched Eren leave. Some of them were excited that they were now inner disciples, but most of them were still disappointed.


    Not a single person amongst them was selected by Elder Ren as his disciple.


    "You people are very lucky. You have the rmendation of Elder Ren. Just that name alone will keep you safe from quite a few troubles in the Inner Sect.


    The old man sighed while watching Eren disappear in the distance.


    The Inner Sect was more chaotic than the Outer Sect. There were almost no rules for the disciples here. They were even allowed to rob other disciples or kill them, as long as they could bear the consequences.


    It was especially worse for new inner disciples that were often robbed of their resources. Although Elder Ren hadn''t taken these disciples himself, it was a fact that he rmended them.


    The old man knew that it was only a matter of time before you spread through the Inner Sect. And only fools would try to rob someone rmended by the Demonic Elder.


    "Come with me."


    He told the youngsters to apany him inside the Mission Hall to finish the formalities.


    Ye Liang was the only person left outside the Mission Hall. The innocence in his eyes disappeared as he turned to leave as well.


    [You have received a new quest]


    A screen floated before him while he walked away.


    ....


    Eren reached the Core Region of the Demon Sect, which was protected by a barrier. However, this barrier didn''t stop anyone from entering the region as long as they were part of the sect.


    Instead, it alerted the Guards to their presence.


    As soon as Eren approached the barrier, the Guards arrived and blocked his path. Fortunately, this time he wasn''t sneaking inside. He had a proper reason.


    After Eren exined, the Guards allowed him to pass through, but they didn''t let him go alone with the Archbishop of the Holy Church.


    The Leader of the Guards apanied Eren, along with a few other guards who kept an eye on Nathaniel.


    Soon, Eren reached the center of the core region, where he noticed a pce-like structure.


    He had always thought that this was where Feng Yu lived, but he realized that wasn''t the case when hest infiltrated this ce in search of Xiu Ying.


    "The Sect Master is inside. I will go and inform her. You can wait outside," the Leader of the Guards told Eren before entering the Pce.


    A few minutester, he stepped out.


    "You can enter."


    Eren and Nathaniel approached the entrance, but the Guard stopped Eren.


    "Elder Ren, only he is allowed to enter for now. So please wait."

 Chapter 154: Chapter 154: It was me

    Eren thought that he could find out the contents of the letter if he was with Nathaniel when the letter was delivered. It was one of the reasons he even came here in the first ce.


    He didn''t expect to not even be allowed to apany Nathaniel.


    As he couldn''t force his way inside, he stepped aside and allowed Nathaniel to enter. However, he still didn''t give up.


    He tapped Celeste''s head, sending her a signal. Celeste understood what he wanted and flew inside the Pce with Nathaniel.


    So what if they weren''t going to tell him the contents of the letter? He had other ways to get his answer.


    Eren silently waited outside the Pce for Nathaniel''s meeting to end and for Celeste to return. Not far from him, the Leader of the Guards also waited.


    The silencested for quite some time, before it was broken by the Leader of the Guards.


    "Elder Ren, can I ask you something?"


    "Hmm? Go ahead." Eren was unsure what the Leader of Guards was going to ask him.


    This man looked simple, but he was farthest from it. It was said that he was as strong as a Great Elder. That''s why, no one understood why he was even working as a Guard in the first ce.


    "Some time ago, your Phoenix entered the Core Region."


    "It did?" Eren acted surprised as if this was the first time he was hearing about it.


    The Leader of the Guards narrowed his eyes. "That day, we also found some footsteps. You wouldn''t happen to know anything about it, would you?"


    "Footsteps? I don''t understand what you are talking about? My bird is young, so she loves flying everywhere when I am sleeping. But I doubt it would leave footsteps anywhere."


    "They were human footsteps,"  the Leader of the Guards stated.


    [Option One: ept that these were your footsteps.


    Reward: A random skill (Rare)]


    [Option Two: Convince the man that you had nothing to do with it.


    Reward: A random title (High Tier)]


    [Option Three: Don''t offer any exnation.


    Reward: A random artifact (High Tier)]


    [Option Four: me him for doubting you and get angry.


    Reward: A random stat +5]


    "Those were my footsteps. You are right," Eren said without a second thought.


    [You have been rewarded with a random skill: Skill Unification]


    [Skill Unification: You can merge two or more skills to create a new skill.


    The skills used for merger will forever disappear and the process cannot be reversed]


    "Since you have confessed, I''m afraid I would have to-"


    The Leader of the Guards sighed. Eren had already confessed to the crime.


    Elders were not allowed to enter the Core Region without permission. Even if Eren was an Elder, he had to be arrested for breaking the rules of the Core Region.


    He was partially expecting Eren to act ignorant. In any case, he didn''t have much proof about it. But he was also taken aback to see Eren ept so easily.


    "You are right. I infiltrated this ce to steal the pillows of the Great Elders and run away," Eren continued, but instead of appearing scared, his tone only became colder.


    "Is that what you thought I would say?" he further asked. "What a stupid question you are asking. Why would I do something like that?"


    "What''s in the Core Region that I would even need toe here and put my life in danger?"


    "You¡­" The Leader of Guards was at a loss for words. So what Eren did was not a confession but sarcasm?


    "But those footsteps¡­"


    "Why would I care about some random footsteps that I didn''t even see? It''s your responsibility to catch all infiltrators."


    "Are you shifting your duties to me? Don''t tell me the Guards of the Core Region are so useless that they would need help from me."


    "That night, your phoenix¡­"


    "What about my phoenix? Just because my Contracted Beast flew here, you thought I would be here as well? What kind of logic is that? Do you think I am stuck to my Phoenix with glue or something?"


    Eren didn''t even give the man a chance toplete his sentence before countering. The Leader of the Guards was truly at a loss for words.


    "I apologize. My intention was not to me you. I was just asking a question."


    "Ask your question to your subordinates. It seems people truly exaggerate the guards of the Core Region," Eren responded.


    "If your words are true, then you people allowed an infiltrator to enter the Core Region and you couldn''t even catch him? As expected, your reputation is undeserved."


    Eren closed his eyes and stopped talking. He looked quite upset about being falsely used. However, he wasughing on the inside.


    He wasn''tughing at the Leader of the Guards. Instead, he wasughing at his luck.


    ''My dear system, thank you for the sweet reward.''


    The system had screwed him quite a few times in the past. It wasn''t often that he had an opportunity to exploit the options thanks to their vagueness.


    [...]


    "I truly apologize. It seems I was really hasty." The Leader of the Guards didn''t question Eren anymore.


    He apologized before going silent, but deep down, he was still suspicious.


    ....


    Inside the main hall, Feng Yu was sitting with a letter in her hand. In front of her, the Archbishop of the Holy Church was standing silently.


    "You can leave."


    She kept the letter on the side and told the Archbishop to leave.


    "It would be great if we could have an answer. I need something to convey back to the Holy Priestess." The Archbishop stated, being extremely careful with his words.


    In front of Feng Yu, he felt the same pressure that he felt when he faced the Holy Priestess. Even his heart was wavering to some extent.


    "Tell her that I will send someone," Feng Yu told the Archbishop, who nodded respectfully.


    "We look forward to it," Nathaniel stated as he turned to leave.

 Chapter 155: Chapter 155: So?

    "When you leave, tell Ren to enter," Feng Yu said, her eyes sharp as they followed Nathaniel out.


    Nathaniel exited the grand hall silently.


    Feng Yu watched the Archbishop depart, her gaze shifting back to the letter next to her.


    "That sneaky woman..." she muttered under her breath.


    ....


    "I will escort you out," the Leader of the Guards said to Nathaniel as he stepped out of the pce gates.


    With his missionpleted, there was no reason for Nathaniel to stay here. The Sect Master hadn''t asked for his presence beyond delivering the letter.


    Moreover, although they didn''t hate the Western Continent as much as the Southern Continent, they weren''t exactly friends either.


    Nathaniel nodded, not wanting to cause any trouble. His task was done, and now he could focus on the long journey home, even if it was going to be a tiring one in the absence of a ship.


    "Your sect master wishes to see you," he informed Eren as he walked past. "Oh, and I really hope you are selected. You might get the opportunity to see the wonderful world we have created with the blessing of our goddess."


    "Selected for what?" Eren asked, a sense of unease sneaking into his voice.


    His schedule was already packed, and thest thing he needed was another responsibility. If he could, he wanted to find a way to excuse himself immediately and run back.


    "How long are you going to make me wait?"


    Feng Yu''s voice echoed directly in his ears, breaking his hesitation.


    Resigned to his fate, Eren sighed and stepped inside the pce.


    This was the first time he was entering the pce. However, he had read the description of this ce quite a few times in the novel he read.


    The ce matched the descriptionpletely. No, it looked even more beautiful than he had imagined. It was truly like a Royal Pce.


    Feng Yu, with her calm andposed demeanor, sat at the end of the hall.


    "I heard you gained quite a nice title on this trip?" she asked. "Demonic Elder, was it?"


    "I am not sure what you are talking about?"  Eren asked, getting even more confused.


    This was the second time he had heard this title since he returned. The first time was when the Mission Hall Elder addressed him and now this?


    "You are very famous in the eastern continent now. It seems you don''t know yet," the Sect Master stated, sounding toozy to even care about this.


    She waved her hand. And the letter she had received flew straight towards Eren.


    Eren caught the letter, even more taken aback. Why was Feng Yu showing him the letter that was sent by the Holy Priestess?


    He thought he would only know about the contents thanks to Celeste, but he didn''t expect this woman to outright show him.


    The paper appeared normal, but when it was in his hands, he was able to feel a texture that was like nothing he ever experienced before.


    Even more strange was that the entire letter was brimming with the divine power of the Holy Priestess. Just because she wrote this letter, this piece of paper became an item blessed by divine power.


    Just touching it gave Eren a soothing feeling, as if a warm light was spreading through his body.


    He didn''t lose himself in this sensation and focused on the words.


    Just reading the words also ced quite a lot of pressure on his mind. It was as if consumed his mental strength to even read these words.


    "This is... Why would the Holy Church do this?" Eren asked after he finished reading this letter.


    This was another change in the story that he had never read about. It wasn''t supposed to happen, at least not until the point he read.


    "It doesn''t matter why they are doing it. Someone needs to go there," Feng Yu said while lightly rubbing her wrist.


    Eren saw her rubbing her wrist right where the Thread of Marriage was supposed to be.


    Although she couldn''t see it, it still made her a little ufortable. She didn''t understand the reason for this ufortable feeling and asionally rubbed her wrist.


    "Please tell me you''re not thinking about sending me there?" he asked, his bad feeling getting even stronger.


    "I''m not," Feng Yu responded.


    Just as Eren was about to sigh in relief, she continued, "I''m not thinking about sending you alone. Elder Li and Elder Zhang will go with you as well. The three of you have recently taken a disciple each. Take them as well."


    The sigh of relief disappeared before it could even reach the surface.


    Elder Li and Elder Zhang? It was even worse than going alone.


    Elder Li was the Frost Demon who was the master of the main character and also the person he had recently annoyed.


    As for Zhang Wei, she was also a nightmare in herself. She was the first elder he had interacted with when he appeared in this world.


    He hadn''t interacted with her much after the sect entrance examination. If possible, he wanted to stay away from that Demoness. And now, he was stuck with those two, and that too for something like this?


    "It might be a trap," Eren said.


    Unfortunately, Feng Yu simply asked, "So?"


    "I don''t worry about myself, but if it''s a trap, Elder Zhang and Elder Li might also die," Eren exined.


    "Don''t worry. I will take revenge for you," Feng Yu answered without much change in her emotions.


    ''Have revenge for me?'' Eren''s lips twitched in frustration.


    What would he do with revenge if he was dead? It was more like she was using this as an opportunity to see what trap they might set.


    He even thought that she actually wanted them to get hurt so she could have an excuse to break the treaty and invade the Western Continent.


    "You three will depart next week. You can make preparations."


    Before Eren could even react, she waved her hand. Qi surrounded Eren and forcefully sent him out of the pce.


    "That b-" Erennded outside the Pce, almost cursing out loud.

 Chapter 156: Chapter 156: Luck even worse

    Before Eren couldplete cursing Feng Yu, he abruptly stopped as he caught the sight of the Guards.


    Fortunately, he stopped himself at the right time and didn''tplete his sentence.


    "I guess I better prepare," he muttered, ncing back at the majestic structure of the pce.


    ''Next time, I will steal more than just a vase from you,'' he thought while flying away.


    Already burdened with his own problems, Eren found himself once again caught in an unexpected turn of events. He was being sent to the Western Continent.


    "The Holy Church couldn''t have chosen a worse time to involve me in their affairs. Couldn''t they wait a few months for me to finish?" he grumbled to himself as he flew out of the core region.


    The letter that he was shown fell inside the hall while he was kicked out. However, there was one small thing he hadn''t noticed.


    When he touched the letter, his pendant showed a very minor reaction. Within the deep green pendant, a small golden light momentarily flickered.


    That light only disappeared when the letter fell from his hand and he was separated from the Divine Energy.


    ....


    In the depths of the Royal Pce of the Holy Empire, a poison sword once again started reacting fiercely.


    Unfortunately, the Divine Energy kept it restricted in shackles.


    The Holy Emperor was quickly informed about the strange phenomenon. He was in a meeting with his ministers, but as soon as he was informed, he quickly rushed out of the chamber.


    All his ministers looked at each other''s faces, not understanding why the Holy Emperor had suddenly be so restless? Just what was he informed that worried him so much?


    The Holy Emperor quickly rushed downstairs, but by the time he reached the sealing chamber, the sword had stopped reacting.


    "It has been happening more often... Just what is going on? Why is that traitor''s sword reacting like this? Why is the sword that went into slumber with ''his'' death awakening now?"


    He observed the silent sword, his concern still evident on his face. He hadn''t forgotten who this sword belonged to and what that person had done for him to be killed.


    "The Holy Priestess says that there is nothing to worry about. But is that really the case?" he asked himself. Unfortunately, even he knew that there was no way for him to find an answer.


    "On one hand, the threat of the Necromancer Tower is increasing. And on the other side, this sword... If it''s really a sign of a bad omen, I hope this omen never steps foot in ournd..."


    After a long period of silence, he turned around and left, not noticing a small golden shine appearing on the hilt of the poison sword that was barely noticeable.


    ....


    Eren did not go back to his house or anywhere else. His first destination after getting away from the Sect Master was the Alchemy Hall.


    Before anything else, he wanted to check up on his phoenix and take her home.


    Hended in front of the Alchemy Hall and saw the same guards that were here thest time he came.


    The Guards also saw him and their lips started twitching. Both of them remembered how they had Elder Li beaten because they confused him thanks to Eren.


    "It seems you already know my identity now?" Eren asked the guards.


    "Elder Ren, do you know that because of your small joke, Elder Li was beaten by the Hall Master?"


    "Because of me? How?"


    Eren had only lied to them about his identity and messed with Elder Li a little. He didn''t understand how Elder Li could have gotten beaten simply because of that.


    The guards looked around to make sure no one else was nearby. So far, they hadn''t told anyone about their mistake, which was also the reason they were still working here.


    After ensuring no one else was around, they exined everything that happened after Eren left that night.


    Initially, Eren listened with full seriousness. But by the end, he couldn''t control himself and burst intoughter.


    "And here I thought I had bad luck," he said, patting the guards'' shoulders while walking into the Alchemy Hall.


    In any case, he had been removed from the cklist of the Alchemy Hall, so even the guards couldn''t stop him, despite knowing his true identity.


    "Elder Ren!"


    The Alchemy Hall Manager caught sight of Eren. Instead of having hime to her, she came for him as if he was a very precious guest.


    Everyone who saw her reaction found it hard to believe. The Alchemy Hall belonged to the Great Elder. No matter which elder came here, they were treated like an ordinary person. This was the first time they had seen someone being treated in this manner.


    "Did she say Elder Ren?"


    "Huh? You mean the Demoniac Elder?"


    "The one who drinks blood?"


    Quite a few disciples who had heard the rumors stepped back in fear.


    Meanwhile, many others looked at Eren with eyes filled with awe. Currently, Eren was regarded as the strongest Elder in the sect.


    While the rumors of him killing people and drinking their blood frightened them, they also idolized him for seeking revenge on behalf of the sect''s disciples.


    "Drink what?" Eren was also surprised by the level of attention he was getting, but when he heard how people addressed him, he was even more shocked.


    What did they mean by him drinking blood of people he killed, or eating their flesh when they were alive? Just what kind of monster did they create in their mind?


    Although he hated these rumors, he didn''t even try to rify. In the long run, it was better to have people be scared of him.


    "You seem to be treating me a lot better than thest time," Eren focused on the Alchemy Hall Manager.


    "Who won''t? The Hall Master already told me that you are a High Seventh Grade Alchemist, even higher than her. She said that you are to be treated like the Hall Master and allowed use of all the herbs at half the price.


    Eren froze in ce when he heard her words. He wanted to close her mouth, but it was toote. Almost everyone around him heard her.


    "What? Elder Ren is a better alchemist than Great Elder Zia?!"


    Amotion rose among those present in the hall.

 Chapter 157: Chapter 157: The what blood?

    Eren lightly tapped the Alchemy Hall Manager''s head.


    "Get a loudspeaker and scream from the top of the mountain about it. Why stop here?"


    Eren didn''t want anyone to know that he was a Seventh Grade Alchemist. He hadn''t expected Zia to find out about his level in Alchemy so quickly. Not only did she discover it, but she also told someone else?


    And that someone else was even worse, talking about it in front of everyone else.


    "Those who are here, listen clearly," he addressed the people who were present in the hall. "Forget what you heard today. If you told anyone else, then I might be tasting your blood next..."


    Those who heard his threat gulped down heavily. No one wanted to be a blood bag for Eren. All of them cherished their life.


    Eren was a person who could wipe every sect for a single disciple. They didn''t want to experience what he might do if they touched their bottom line.


    Some were even regretting being present here and hearing this secret.


    Eren didn''t stay behind after issuing a threat. Instead, he walked towards the room where the Phoenix was resting, but he suddenly came to a stop.


    "Urgh, how could I forget such a basic solution?"


    He quickly rushed back towards the Alchemy Hall Manager.


    The Alchemy Hall Manager had realized that she made a mistake. Amongst all the people present here, she was the most scared.


    It became even worse when she saw Eren rushing back towards her.


    "E-Elder Ren, my blood doesn''t taste good! No, it tastes absolutely disgusting! Please don''t!"


    She stepped back in fear.


    "What nonsense are you spouting now?" Eren scoffed in response. "I returned for something else. The pills that erase thest one hour of memories... Get them."


    "I can''t trust them to keep their mouths shut. Since we have a better solution, we''ll use it."


    "Ah, that!" The Alchemy Hall Manager was also surprised. She couldn''t believe that she hadn''t thought about it.


    She was so scared that she even forgot about such a thing. She even used that pill on herself on Zia''smand.


    She still didn''t know what conversation Eren had with Zia in the room even though she was right there when it happened, all thanks to that pill.


    She quickly rushed away and returned with the memory erasure pill. She handed out a pill to everyone present and watched them consume it to ensure no one cheated.


    Within a few minutes, everyone in the hall lost their memories of thest hour, even the parts unrted to Eren.


    By the time they came to their senses, they were all confused. Some remembered leaving their rooms but couldn''t understand how they had already arrived at the Alchemy Hall.


    Once again, they saw Eren.


    "Elder Ren?" a youngster who had seen Eren before called out.


    "Did he say Elder Ren?"


    "Huh? You mean the Demonic Elder?"


    "The one who drinks blood?"


    The same conversation began again. But this time, Eren wasn''t as annoyed. It just meant that the pill had worked.


    "Much better," Erenmented before he left.


    The Alchemy Hall Manager apanied him from behind, being extremely respectful and apologetic.


    "Where is Hall Master Zia?" he asked the young girl while stopping in front of the room where his phoenix was being treated.


    "She should be at home. But someone already went to inform her about your arrival. She should be getting here soon."


    "Why do I feel like you''re all treating me like some rare animal that everyone wants to see?" he asked as he opened the door and stepped inside the hall.


    The Phoenix was sleeping on the ground, her wingspletely healed. Not a single scar or trace of the wound remained.


    Eren was relieved to see that she looked a lot better. This also reduced some weight from his heart.


    As soon as he stepped into the room, the Phoenix sensed his presence. She opened her eyes and locked her gaze on him.


    "How are you, little one?" Eren softly asked as he approached the mythical beast, gently patting her head. "Are you feeling better?"


    The Phoenix screeched with joy, her happiness visible in her eyes. It was clear she was overjoyed by Eren''s return.


    "She missed you a lot," the Alchemy Hall Manager informed Eren from outside the room. "She even tried to escape a few times, most probably to search for you."


    "Do you want to go home?" Eren asked the Phoenix, knowing that she wanted freedom from this room.


    Which Mythical Beast liked being sealed in a room every day? If it wasn''t for her safety and healing, even he wouldn''t have left her here.


    Phoenix nodded her head as if she could clearly understand his words.


    "Good." Eren kept the mythical beast in his inventory for a short period to make it easier to take her out as the door openings were much smaller for her.


    "H-how...?" The Alchemy Hall Manager was stunned. She didn''t understand where Eren kept the Mythical Beast. Was he also a Seventh Tier Beast Master or higher?


    Only they could keep something like a mythical beast in their inner world. Excluding that, the only other option was to possess a very unique treasure.


    In the entire eastern continent, only Feng Yu had something like that as far as she knew. Even the Hall Master couldn''t do this.


    "Just... What are you?" She asked in disbelief. She could understand why Zia was so obsessed with him.


    As she was thinking about Zia, a child-like figure darted past her and entered the room.


    Zia quickly closed the door behind her and cast a soundproof barrier. The Alchemy Hall Manager was locked outside, unable to even hear anything.


    "What are you doing?" Eren asked, confused by the Great Elder''s sudden and unusual behavior. "Why did you close the door so suddenly?"


    "You... Why did you have Sea Dragon''s Blood?!" Zia asked, wasting no time ying with words or greetings.


    "The what blood?" Eren''s expression darkened slightly.

 Chapter 158: Chapter 158: Two reasons to not kill

    ....


    In the Sea Dragon Empire, the Empress was sitting on her throne.


    Not far from her, her knights were aiming their weapons at an outsider who had arrived here alone.


    The man was dressed in a ck cloak that covered his entire body, only leaving his face visible.


    There were some traces of dirt over his ck cloak, but strangely enough, his pure white gloves were still spotlessly clean.


    The Sea Dragon Empress looked at the man with narrow eyes. It was as if she was contemting if she should even listen to the man or not.


    "You are brave toe here alone after what Mist did to my people. Tell me one reason to not kill you right here and send your corpse back to her?"


    She had lost her brother. In rage, she sent her Knights to the surface to find that person at any cost. They annihted many cities in their path.


    Her knights came from the Ocean of Blood and turned the surface into an ocean with the blood of the citizens that had nothing to do with her.


    They even forced Mist toe out herself. They were simply going to demand her to hand over the culprit. But instead of listening to them, Mist started killing them.


    Within a few minutes, Mist killed thousands of the Sea Dragon Knights, even after they transformed to their real form.


    Only a few of the Knights managed to survive and escape into the Ocean, returning to the Sea Dragon Empire.


    Even the Empress herself was wounded. Mist made the entire difference in that battle. She wasn''t called an Overlord for nothing.


    Even if the Royal Knights of the Sea Dragon Empire wereparable to SSS Rank Heroes or Great Elders in strength, but they couldn''t even be ced inparison with Mist or Feng Yu.


    Even the Sea Dragon Empress was a little weaker than them.


    The gap between a Great Elder and Feng Yu in strength, or the gap between a SSS Rank Hero and Mist was muchrger than the gap in strength between a Royal Knight and the Sea Dragon Empress.


    Even if she could fight Mist, but she knew that it was impossible for her to win that battle, at least not on the surface.


    In the end, she could only swallow her anger and return to the ocean, fuming at her failure. Her brother was killed and she couldn''t even have her revenge.


    As if making a mockery of her, a person from the Southern Empire suddenly arrived at the Sea Dragon Empire. More importantly, that person wasn''t an ordinary citizen of the continent either.


    He was a member of the Mythical Hero Academy and worked as a Professor there.


    "Tell me one reason to not kill you right here and send your corpse back to her?"


    The young man, instead of being scared, smiled in response.


    "How about I give you two reasons instead?"


    The Empress narrowed her eyes but she didn''t interrupt him. She was quite curious to see what gave this person such confidence. Did he really think she wasn''t going to kill him?


    "The first reason would be... The Heart of Celestial Dragon. I can help you find it," The nameless man said.


    Sea Dragon Empress'' expressions turned grim. In that moment, a terrifying killing intent filled the entire hall.


    The Celestial Dragon was a god for the Sea Dragons. He wasn''t just a god but also their ancestor.


    When the Sea Dragon was alive, Dragons were considered a divine existence in this world. What was an Overlord? Just a weakling in front of the Celestial Dragon.


    Not just the Celestial Dragon, but the other Dragons of that era were also very strong. They were much stronger whenpared to the Dragons of today.


    In that era, a single dragon could destroy an entire continent with no one to stop them. That''s why humans were at their mercy. Humans made temples for them and also prayed to them.


    Unfortunately, there came that unfortunate day when the Celestial Dragon was killed. It was the day when this beautiful blue ocean turned red and everything fell apart.


    It was also the day when Dragons fell from grace. Not only did they lose their god, but they also lost their legacy.


    The ocean where the Celestial Dragon''s blood fell, every existence there was cursed. Even now, the Dragons were living under the same curse, unable to awaken their ancestral bloodline.


    The only way to break the curse was to purify the ocean, which was easier said than done. This was the blood of the Celestial Dragon. No treasure could contain it.


    The only thing that could contain this blood and the curse within was the heart of the existence who it belonged to in the first ce.


    Unfortunately, the day when Sea Dragon died, his body had also disappeared. Let alone finding the Sea Dragon''s heart, they didn''t even find the slightest trace of it.


    For centuries, every sessive ruler of the Sea Dragon Empire had been searching for the Celestial Dragon''s corpse and the heart contained within.


    Unfortunately, none had managed to find out. And now, there was a person who was iming that he could help them find it? Even worse was that the man was not even a friend of the Dragons.


    "How can you help us find it? You weren''t even born when it disappeared."


    The Sea Dragon Empress'' voice wavered with doubt, yet deep within, a spark of hope flickered. She didn''t want to believe the man, but at the same time, she wanted it to be true.


    If the Dragons could remove their curse, they could reim their former glory.


    "It is true that I wasn''t born in that era," the nameless man replied with calm. "But I don''t need to be born in that era to help you, do I?"


    "This is why we are called Heroes. It doesn''t matter how old we are or when we were born. All that matters is our bloodline and how we use it."


    "I am sure you know it better than anyone since you faced Mist, who is much younger than you."


    Hearing Mist''s name, the Empress''s face darkened even more.


    "Even if I were to believe that you can help me," she countered, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. "Why would you want to help us? We are enemies."

 Chapter 159: Chapter 159: The Last True Emperor

    "Or rather, what do you want from me in return for this help?" She modified her question, realizing that he could only be here if he wanted something from her.


    There was no way he was here out of the goodness of his heart, trying to help her.


    "Before you ask what I need, don''t you want to know the second reason for you to not kill me?"


    The nameless man did not answer her. The corner of his lips crept up as he asked a question of his own.


    The Empress'' frown deepened.


    "Tell me."


    "It''s because I can help you find the person who killed your brother," the nameless man answered. "Hence, if you get my help, you can fulfill the two deepest desires in your heart."


    "You can break the curse that had been keeping the Dragons restricted, and you can have your revenge on the person who killed your brother," he further stated, his words sounding like alluring wordsing from a demon''s mouth.


    Even he knew that the Sea Dragon Empress could not ignore his words.


    "What do you want from me?" The Sea Dragon Empress repeated her main question now that she knew how he could help her.


    She didn''t know if it was true or not, but she was willing to take the risk. Even if he couldn''t help her find the Celestial Dragon''s heart, just finding Eren alone was enough for her.


    She wanted to destroy him with her own hands. As long as the man didn''t ask her to betray her Empire or do anything that was harmful to the Sea Dragons, she was willing to listen to any condition.


    "I only want one thing from you. I want you to kill a few people for me when the timees," the nameless man stated. "But you don''t have to worry. I am not talking about the four Overlords."


    "The ones I want killed... I don''t believe it should be hard for you to kill them."


    "Why don''t you kill them yourself?" Sea Dragon Empress asked. Even if this man wasn''t as strong as her, she was certain that he could find ways to kill those people.


    Even if he was to hand over the Celestial Dragon''s heart to Mist, she would have helped him kill those people in exchange. So why did hee so far from the continent?


    "You don''t need to know that," the man answered. "As long as you take a Dragon''s Oath to help me in exchange for my help, I will tell you the whereabouts of the Celestial Dragon''s heart right now to prove my words."


    The Sea Dragon Empress wasn''t sure how true his words were, but still, she stood up.


    "I take an oath on my Bloodline... As long as you can help me find the Celestial Dragon''s heart and the killer of my brother, I will help you kill all those you want dead, irrespective of their identity!"


    She took the oath in front of everyone in the royal court. For a Dragon, an oath on their bloodline was everything.


    If they failed their oath, they didn''t die. Instead, the oue was much worse.


    If they didn''t honor the Dragon''s Oath, they were forced to live a fate worse than death. Even death could only be called a mercy in that situation.


    As soon as she finished her oath, a blood-red mark appeared on her neck as proof of the sessful oath.


    "Good." The nameless man had achieved his goal. "The Celestial Dragon''s Heart is in the Western Continent."


    Before the Sea Dragon Empress could even react, he asked, "Have you heard about the Sword Emperor?"


    "Thest true Emperor of the Western Continent before the Holy Empire was established?"


    The Sea Dragons had been searching for the Celestial Dragon''s corpse for centuries.


    Throughout those centuries, they had gathered quite a lot of information about the four continents, even the information that had long been buried and forgotten in this era.


    The Sword Emperor was one of those people whose entire existence was buried and forgotten by the Holy Empire. There were only a handful of people who even remembered that name.


    "Good. Then it should be easier to exin," the nameless man smiled.


    ....


    "Sea Dragon''s Blood!" Zia repeated. "Don''t y dumb with me. You know exactly what I''m talking about."


    "I truly don''t understand what you are talking about?"


    Eren acted ignorant, but deep down, he was quite confused. He didn''t understand how Zia knew about the Sea Dragon. Did he make a mistake somewhere?


    "I went to your house to find you," Zia continued, her eyes narrowing. "There, I found a trace of Sea Dragon''s Blood under your bed. Now stop pretending and tell me why it was there?"


    Eren''s lips twitched as he heard the exnation. Zia''s discovery left Eren speechless for a moment, trying toe up with an exnation.


    He was sure he had done a good job cleaning the floor when hest brought out the Sea Dragon''s corpse. Did he actually leave a trace under the bed?


    Even if he left something there, it was probably because he hadn''t noticed it. So how could she notice it that easily?


    "Were you a mouse in yourst life?" he asked subconsciously.


    "What?"


    "Nothing. Honestly, I''m still not sure what you are talking about." Eren rolled his eyes and continued.


    "Blood in my house? You are saying that someone else entered my house when I wasn''t there and left blood? Is this some ck magic thing that I don''t know about?"


    "Even I am barely at my residence, so where would bloode from? It might even be a scheme by opposition parties to malign me."


    "You stay here, I will go and check!" He patted Zia''s shoulders and went past her.


    Zia was still trying to understand his words. ck magic? Opposition Parties? What was he even talking about?


    By the time she came to her senses, Eren had already disappeared from her sight.


    Eren was flying towards his house, thinking to himself.


    "Now that I think about it, maybe going to the Western Continent might not be half bad."

 Chapter 160: Chapter 160: He will marry?

    Eren returned to the Ninth Peak, avoiding Great Elder Zia along the way.


    Along the way, he was really curious about how Zia even recognised the Sea Dragon''s blood in the first ce. Was there really so much detail about the Sea Dragons avable in the sect?


    He went back to his residence to erase whatever traces he had identally left behind. But the moment he reached there, he saw that the door was already open.


    Cautiously, hended inside the hall. The moment his feet touched the wooden floor, a sweet scent assaulted all his senses.


    A person came to his embrace, apanied by the sweet scent which he was all too familiar with. This was the scent of Xiu Ying.


    "You are back." Eren wrapped his hand around her.


    It took him a few moments to register the fact that they weren''t alone in that ce. From the corner of his vision, he noticed an old man whose hands and legs were tied.


    The old man was simply lying in the corner of the hall like a prisoner.


    "Who is that person?" he asked, seperating from Xiu Ying. The man didn''t look particrly strong as a cultivator, but he didn''t look simple either.


    "He''s a Beast Master. Excluding Zia, he should be the best on the continent. It took quite a lot of effort to find him, but he should be able to help your phoenix," Xiu Ying exined.


    Eren had known that Xiu Ying was seeking a way to heal his injured phoenix, but he hadn''t expected her to capture a Beast Master to do it.


    For quite some time, he was at a loss of words. It became especially awkward since his phoenix was already perfectly fine now. For Xiu Ying, this was just a wasted effort.


    "Thank you so much."


    He could only thank Xiu Ying. He didn''t tell her that his phoenix was already better. If possible, he didn''t want her to feel like all she did for him was for nothing.


    "Now that you brought him here, it''s only a matter of time before my Phoenix is better," he said, appearing extremely grateful.


    Xiu Ying smiled like a child who was truly excited. Even though her face was covered in a veil, it still couldn''t hide how beautiful she truly appeared when she smiled


    Her eyes lit up with her smile, enough to intoxicate anyone who saw it.


    "Bring her out? Let''s have him check her right now," she suggested.


    Eren hesitated. He knew that if he brought his phoenix out, Xiu Ying would see that it was already fine. He needed to stall.


    He looked at the Beast Master, an idea forming in his mind.


    "Before bringing her out, let''s check with him if this ce is good enough for the treatment."


    He walked over to the old man on the floor and removed the tape covering his mouth.


    Under normal circumstances, the man would have started cursing them for kidnapping him. But he was strangely silent.


    It made Eren wonder just how much Xiu Ying had frightened him along the way. The old man looked like a tamed beast.


    "I really appreciate youing so far to help me," Eren told the man. "I wanted to ask, is this ce really enough?"


    The old man looked at the woman in the back and nodded. "I-it is fine."


    "That''s good." Eren smiled and stood up. "Oh, wait, I also heard something in the past."


    "A Phoenix is a Mythical Beast with Yang energy. Women contain Yin energy. It would be fine to have her stay here as well, right?" he asked, taking the conversation in a different direction.


    The old man looked at him weirdly. What nonsense was he talking about? How did it matter at all? Even if ten women were here, it didn''t affect the treatment.


    However, just as he was about to open his mouth, he shut it close.


    As Eren posed the question, he subtly released a trace of his Sword Emperor''s Aura, detectable only to the man nearest to him.


    He didn''t utter another word, but the old man grew pale. He understood that Eren was looking for a specific answer. He even gestured with his fingers, indicating for the old man to say no.


    The old man, already terrified of Xiu Ying, now faced another intimidating figure. He had no choice but to agree with Eren, especially since Xiu Ying seemed to heed Eren''s words as well.


    "T-that is right. If a woman is present during the treatment, it might reduce the chances of sess."


    He went with what Eren wanted to hear, even if it was a lie.


    Xiu Ying had also never heard such a thing. But at the same time, she also didn''t know if it was a lie. She wasn''t a Beastmaster.


    If Zia or someone from the Beast Hall was here, they would have called out absurdity, but Xiu Ying couldn''t do that.


    "I remember that I had to meet the Sect Master. I will be backter."


    Before Eren could even say a word, Xiu Ying turned around and left the room. She flew outside and created some distance from the ce.


    Eren closed the door and went back to the old man.


    "Now listen well." He grabbed the man by his cor. "My phoenix has already been treated. But you better make sure that girl''s effort in kidnapping you isn''t wasted. Do you understand?"


    "I..." The old man didn''t understand what Eren was saying. What did this man even want from him? If the bird was already healed, then why did he have to make things soplicated?


    "When she returns, you must tell her that you helped my Phoenix and she is perfectly fine now. And after that, leave without looking back. Do you understand?"


    The old man was at a loss of words. Why was everyone in this sect so crazy? In the end, he could only nod.


    ....


    Xiu Ying was flying towards the Core Region. As an Elder, she had permission to enter and leave freely. She even stayed there after all.


    However, along the way, she suddenly came to a stop as she heard Eren''s name.


    "Elder Ren is so beautiful. If only I could marry him..." A female disciple was sitting under a tree, talking to a friend.


    Another girlughed in response.


    "Keep dreaming. If anything, Elder Ren will marry Elder Zhang. Didn''t you see how close they were during the Entrance Examination?"

 Chapter 161: Chapter 161: She wont find out

    "The two of them look so good together. They might as well be the most ideal couple in the sect," the girl said.


    She still remembered the time she took part in the Entrance Examination and saw Eren and Zhang Wei together.


    She was a new disciple of the Sect who came from the same batch as Yu Lin and Ye Liang. But she had failed to be selected by any Elder. She only managed to be an Inner Disciple.


    "I know. But I can still dream. It''s not necessary for a great man like Elder Ren to have only one wife. Elder Zhang can be his main wife and I can be his second?"


    "Pah! Keep dreaming!"


    Both of them knew that Eren was the sky that they could never touch. They weren''t talented enough to be his disciple, nor beautiful enough to be his wife.


    The two girls didn''t realize that someone was standing in the sky, hearing their conversation.


    Xiu Ying''s expressions grew dark the moment she heard about Eren and Zhang Wei being the ideal couple.


    She knew that it was only the imagination of these girls, but she still hated this imagination. Just the thought alone made her angry.


    Her fists were clenched so tight that she had started bleeding, small drops of blood falling from the sky.


    ....


    "I understand. I will do as you ask," the old Beast Master agreed to Eren. "But before that, can you free me first?"


    Eren started freeing the old man''s hands and feet. Although the man was forcefully brought here, but he knew that he wasn''t stupid enough to try to hurt them, especially since they were in the Great Demon Sect.


    "She might have been a little rude, but she isn''t a bad person. She was just worried about me," he told the old man while freeing him, trying to exin that they weren''t bad people.


    If he didn''t have to maintain the dignity of an Elder and put up an act, he might have apologized for Xiu Ying.


    "I already understand everything. You don''t have to worry. I won''t me her for it. And what can I even do by ming her? She is too strong."


    The old man rubbed his wrists which still had the marks from the bindings. "I suppose I am also at fault. If I knew she was from the Great Demon Sect, I wouldn''t have made her wait."


    If he knew Xiu Ying''s identity or strength, he would have left everything behind toe talk to her. Instead, he made her wait. That was his biggest mistake.


    As Xiu Ying was in a hurry, she didn''t wait at all. He was still thinking about the losses he had suffered because of his one mistake.


    While the old man was talking to him, Eren was looking around the room, trying to see what trace Zia had noticed.


    "While you''re here, you can check my Phoenix. It would always be good to have a second opinion. This will also help you act better."


    He brought his Phoenix out and told her to rest in this room for a little while.


    The old man''s vision was obstructed as the giant phoenix appeared in the center of the hall, separating him from Eren.


    Meanwhile, Eren walked closer to the bed.


    "So this is what it was..." He looked under the bed and saw a drop of blood that was sticking to the leg of the bed, having fried up.


    "I really should have been more careful. But I truly never thought that someone like Zia woulde here. She just happened to be a Beast Master who recognised this blood."


    He cleaned thest trace of the blood as well and made sure to check everything thoroughly to make sure he didn''t make the mistake of leaving something behind again.


    He cleaned every remaining trace and came out from under the bed. However, the moment he came out, he saw someone sitting on the bed.


    The person wasn''t the old man, but it wasn''t Xiu Ying either. It was none that he knew. Instead, it was a woman that was semi transparent like a ghost.


    The woman had a letter in her hand, which was simr to the letter that Xiu Ying had torn before.


    "Hmm? Why does it feel like you can see me?" The woman looked curious as she watched Eren looking at her.


    Eren hadn''t seen her before. If he had, he would have recognised her as the spirit that was summoned by Xiu Ying in the past.


    "Who are you?" Eren asked the woman, standing up. He stepped back, creating some distance from the woman.


    "Hmm? So you truly can see me? How is that possible?"


    Even the woman appeared surprised as she confirmed that Eren could actually see her. Last time she was observing him on the Ocean of Blood.


    She was certain that he couldn''t see her. Or was that because she hadn''t appeared in front of him? It was only now she started considering it. Could it be possible that he would have seen her there as well if she wasn''t hiding?


    "It should be absolutely impossible. That''s what Mother said. Only the Contractor can see a Spirit, and you aren''t my contractor. So how?"


    She stood up and started circling around Eren as if he was a treasure and she was a treasure collector.


    "I had a feeling that you were special. But it seems you are even more special than I had assumed."


    "I came here using my own spirit essence, all because she kept rejecting the invitation. But now, it doesn''t seem like a waste. If mother finds out, she would be quite interested in you as well. I must take you with me."


    She appeared to have made up her mind but she was still hesitating. She knew that if she did it and Xiu Ying found out, it might not be good.


    "Urgh, she isn''t here anyway. How will she even find out?!" She convinced herself. She was going to take Eren with her.

 Chapter 162: Chapter 162: Absolute Ruler or...?

    Eren noticed the woman talking to herself, her voice barely audible. It seemed more like she was trying to convince herself than anything else.


    He slowly stepped back, a sense of unease rising within him. Unsure if his poison would even affect a Spirit, he prepared himself nheless.


    "Identify."


    Eren activated his skill to gather information about the woman. But before he could finish reading the first word on the Status Screen, he felt a sudden emptiness beneath him.


    It was as if the floor beneath him had simply disappeared.


    A portal appeared right under his feet. He wasn''t prepared for it. Before he could even react, gravity did its job and he fell inside the portal.


    He quickly reacted and used his Sea Dragon Bloodline to fly up, but the space around him hadpletely changed. The more he flew up, the more he appeared to be falling in this spatial tunnel.


    "I will cross that bridge when the timees. For now, I must take him with me," the woman said, but no one was able to hear her.


    She had used the life essence she had gathered throughout the years to open a portal, intending to bring Eren to her world.


    Simultaneously, the door to the Spirit Realm appeared behind her. She stepped back and vanished. The door closed and dissolved into the void.


    The Beast Master was looking at the Phoenix in awe, not realizing that Eren brought her out to keep him distracted, allowing him to clean all blood traces.


    Throughout this time, the Beast Master was oblivious to the fact that Eren had been kidnapped right in his presence.


    It was the first time he had seen a Mythical Beast like the Phoenix. For a Beast Master, there was no greater pleasure.


    Subconsciously, he reached out to touch the Phoenix, but just as he was about to make contact, she turned violent.


    She sensed Eren''s absence. Turning around abruptly, she identally struck the Beast Master, sending him flying out the window.


    As a Mythical Beast, she could see the portal into which Eren had fallen. It further helped that she had a connection to him.


    The portal on the floor wasn''trge. Judging by its size, it seemed it could only amodate a human. As for a giant phoenix, it seemed impossible.


    Despite that, the Phoenix flew straight toward the portal. The portal, although small, red up with spatial energy, pulling the Phoenix inside as well.


    Only after swallowing the phoenix, the portal started cracking apart, overwhelmed. It was soon destroyed and disappeared into nothingness as well.


    ....


    Eren fell through the spatial tunnel. The sensation was disorienting, and for a moment, he could do nothing but fall into the unknown.


    "Just what is up with my luck? Now I''m even getting kidnapped from my own residence?"


    "It seems that my luck points reward has been put to good use," he sarcasticallymented as he stopped resisting the spatial tunnel flow.


    He didn''t even know if there was an end to this spatial tunnel. However, he was certain that there had to be an end to this spatial tunnel.


    He was prepared to protect himself as soon as he was out of the spatial tunnel. He didn''t want to make the mistake of being unprepared and falling to his death.


    The more he resisted the flow of space, the more he felt like his body was getting hurt. It was as if his body was being pulled from all sides at the same time. Only the downward pull appeared to be stronger.


    Fortunately, the spatial tunnel didn''tst for an eternity. After what felt like a few minutes, he saw the strange pull disappear.


    The colorful vortex of the spatial essence disappeared and he was finally able to see a blue sky. He even felt the flow of wind brushing against his skin while he was falling from the sky.


    He used his Sea Dragon Bloodline and controlled his fall. His fall slowed down and he was finally back in control as hended softly on a patch of soft grass.


    As soon as hended, before he could even start observing his surroundings, a red screen appeared in front of him.


    Initially, he thought it was the continuation of the status screen of that unknown spirit. However, when he read the content, he sat on the ground, seemingly exhausted.


    [It has been detected that you have entered the Spirit Realm]


    [Your fate has changed by a small fraction]


    [New options have been triggered that can affect your main path]


    [Option One: Conquer the Spirit Realm and be the Absolute Ruler of Spirits.


    Reward: Unknown Guardian Spirit (Legendary Tier)]


    [Option Two: Take the Path of a Lover and win the heart of the Spirit Queen.


    Reward: A Contract with the Spirit Queen]


    [Option Three: Hide for thirty days and don''t let any Spirit find you.


    Reward: Infinite Travel Pass to Spirit Realm and Back(Unique Tier)]


    [Option Four:  Create your own path that doesn''t align with the other options.


    Reward: Reincarnation Pass (Legendary Tier)]


    Eren sat on the grass, looking at the screen with aplicated expression.


    Thanks to these options, he finally understood that he had ended up in the Spirit Realm. There were only four ways for him to go back, and those four ways were present in the option.


    He could either conquer this realm and force the spirits to send him back. Or he could make the Spirit Queen fall in love with him and request her send him back.


    He could also hide for thirty days. With the return pass reward, he could return without relying on others.


    Unfortunately, all these options were easier said than done. The easiest option appeared to be the third option.


    As for the fourth option, it made Eren most concerned.


    Every time the reward was a Reincarnation Pass, he was able to guess that it meant he was going to die whilepleting that option.


    Although the fourth option didn''t mention it clearly, Eren was able to guess that it asked him to go with the flow and didn''t take the other three options.


    He had a feeling that the flow was exactly what was going to lead him to death.

 Chapter 163: Chapter 163: First Loss

    Eren was looking at these options and with each passing second, he was able to feel his headache getting stronger.


    An even bigger problem was the way this system worked. If he selected an option, he had toplete it. If he couldn''tplete it, he couldn''t get any future options or rewards.


    Last time, he was somehow able to retrieve this system by making Zia his disciple through crooked means. But this time, he didn''t want to end up in a simr situation.


    "I suppose I can only take the third option just to be safe..." he muttered to himself.


    Making the Spirit Queen fall for him, or conquering this ce appeared impossible. And the fourth option appeared too unreliable and risky, especially with that reward.


    At this moment, he was thinking less about what rewards he wanted to get and more about what option was the most suitable for him.


    That made the third option safest.


    Even though it was hard, he could at least achieve it one way or another. All he had to do was make it impossible for the Spirits to find him.


    Unfortunately, before he could confirm his option, the third option went nk and disappeared, leaving only the other three options now.


    "What? Where did it go?" Eren grew shocked to see the option disappear before he could even select it. This was the first time it had happened ever since he first started receiving these options.


    For a moment, he even wondered if the system was trolling him because he fooled itst time.


    "Where did what go?" A woman''s voice came from behind.


    Hearing that voice, Eren facepalmed. He finally understood why the third option had disappeared. It was because he had failed that option before he could even select it.


    The voice belonged to the same spirit who brought him here in the first ce. Hence, he was already found by the Spirits.


    The third option disappeared, but he appeared to have beenpensated for that at the same time.


    The timer for selecting the option had only a few minutes left on the clock. But with the disappearance of the third option, the duration in the timer increased.


    He now has over twenty four hours to make his selection. That at least allowed him to gain a better understanding.


    "May I ask why you kidnapped me? I don''t think I had anything to do with the Spirits or the Spirit Realm?"


    Eren asked with a frustrated sigh. Because of this girl, his favorite option was gone. All that was left was to conquer this world, win the heart of Spirit Queen or go with the flow.


    Even if he had more time to make his selection, he still felt a little salty.


    "Hmm? You know it''s the Spirit Realm? It seems Xiu Ying told you quite a lot of things. That''s quite unexpected. With how much she hates us, I thought she wouldn''t even say a single word about us."


    "Xiu Ying?" Eren frowned while standing up.


    Celeste had told him before that Xiu Ying could lead him to the Spirit Realm. It appeared to be true as the spirit also looked like she knew Xiu Ying.


    There was another thing that Eren noticed. It was that even the Spirit wasn''t able to see Celeste.


    At first, he had thought that Celeste was also a Spirit, which made it impossible for others to see her. But that didn''t appear to be the case. Even the Spirits couldn''t see her.


    He was even more curious about Celeste''s identity.


    "Xiu Ying hates you? Did you try to kidnap her as well?" Eren asked with sarcasm, implying their actions towards him.


    If this was their behavior, then who wouldn''t hate these spirits.


    "Kidnap? Not at all. I just did what she asked... But instead of thanking me, she started hating me after that." The Spirit innocently said.


    Eren found it quite hard to believe her words. Xiu Ying wasn''t a fool. Why would she hate someone for doing what they asked?


    Just what exactly was it that she asked in the first ce? And how did she evene in contact with this spirit and the Spirit Realm that wasn''t even mentioned in the novel up to the point he read?


    "What did-"


    Screech~


    He opened his lips to ask her directly but before he could finish his sentence, he heard the voice of his phoenix.


    He looked at the sky and saw his phoenix shrouded in mes falling from the sky.


    "Is that your Familiar?" The Spirit asked. "To think that this unwanted guest followed you as well. No wonder I felt like I had lost more life essence than I should have..."


    Eren didn''t listen to her words. He flew towards the Phoenix, trying to calm her down.


    He could see that his Phoenix was even more disoriented than he had been, most probably because the spatial tunnel was even more chaotic during her fall.


    In his human form, Eren was certain that he wasn''t strong enough to stop his Phoenix from having a brutal fall. He needed something else.


    In his world, he had promised himself that he wasn''t going to use this skill. It was more dangerous for him to reveal this skill there as it linked him with the death of the Sea Dragon Prince.


    Fortunately, this was the Spirit Realm. He could use the skills freely, even the ones that he was initially very cautious about


    "Dragon Transformation!"


    ....


    "This..."


    The Spirit grew silent as she watched Eren transform into a Sea Dragon.


    "He has the Sea Dragon Bloodline? But those marks... Unlike the real sea dragons, he appears to be unaffected by their curse."


    Spirits were more sensitive towards Divine Bloodlines and she could feel that Eren''s Sea Dragon Bloodline had traces of Divine Celestial Dragon Bloodline.


    It appeared to be very diluted, but it was still better than what she saw with the Sea Dragons who were cursed.


    "How strange..."

 Chapter 164: Chapter 164: Too old for my taste

    Eren flew against the winds to reach the Phoenix which was falling. However, the speed at which he flew surprised even him. It was much faster than his speed in the human form.


    In the dragon form, his bloodline skills had also strengthened. More than that, it was his stats that surprised him. All his stats had be stronger in this form and he could feel it.


    Another thing that surprised him was the entire transformation itself. He had thought that it was going to be painful to transform.


    His entire body had to deform to transform into the dragon form, and it should have been a painful process. But that wasn''t the case. It wasn''t his body that transformed.


    He felt like he was still in his human form, but the Sea Dragon''s essence had formed a new body around his human body at core.


    There were a lot of questions about this transformation in his mind, but he focused on the Phoenix.


    In the delirious state, his phoenix wasn''t in the right state of mind. He didn''t want her to resist and hurt herself in the process.


    To restrict her movements as much as possible, he wrapped his body around the falling phoenix.


    The Phoenix resisted as much as she could, but Eren did not give her any room. Only when he reached near the floor, he released the Phoenix, letting her fall on the floor from only a few meters of height.


    He also canceled his transformation andnded next to the Phoenix. His clothes werepletely intact which further confirmed his assumption that his real body hadn''t transformed. It was a different transformation.


    As the Phoenixnded on the ground, she was ready to attack. However, when she saw Eren in front of her, her fierce expression softened into one of confusion.


    Eren extended a hand towards her and ced it on her head. "I don''t think it has been long enough for you to forget about me, has it?"


    The Phoenix rubbed her head against Eren''s hand.


    "I didn''t expect you to follow after me. What if something had happened to you?" Eren asked the mythical beast that behaved more like an ordinary bird that was attached to him.


    The Phoenix had barely recovered and now she again ced herself in danger. If even a single thing had gone wrong, she would have been ripped apart by the space and he never would have known.


    "Sigh. Although it was not a good decision, but I can''t me you either. I think there is someone else who deserves more of the me here," he red at the Spirit as he spoke.


    "Next time I kidnap someone, I will be more careful," the spirit said, her toneced with sarcasm.


    She didn''t take his words seriously. For her, even if the man was special and unique, he was still just a human. As someone from the Spirit Realm, she naturally considered herself in a higher position than him.


    Eren could also feel that the Spirit was looking down on him. He was still quite frustrated about her actions as she dragged him here without his permission.


    No matter which oue he was going to have in this ce, he knew that he wanted to leave a good lesson for her.


    ''Identify.''


    He used his identification skill again, failing to read the status screenst time.


    ...


    [Name: Estelina]


    [Identity: Heir of Spirit Queen]


    [Bloodline: None]


    [Age: 470]


    [Contracted Human: Xiu Ying]


    [Additional Information: The Spirit who showed most promise amongst the current generation,ter adopted by the Spirit Queen]


    .....


    ''So the mother she talked about was the Spirit Queen herself?''


    Eren looked at Estelina, losing himself in thoughts. Almost all his options had something to do with the Spirit Queen who was the key to leaving this ce.


    Estelina had brought him here to meet the Spirit Queen as well, so this meeting was inevitable. But if the meeting was going to result in his death or another oue, that was the question.


    "Why are you looking at me like that? Did you call for my charms? My poor Xiu Ying, falling for such a fickle man." Estelina yfully teased, carrying a smile on her sweet lips.


    "Your charms? I''m afraid you might be too old for me," Eren answered in a simr manner. He could see that the Spirit was over four hundred years over.


    She was the oldest existence he had met, probably even older than the Dragon Empress.


    "Too old?" Estelina''s face turned red. It was unclear if it was due to anger or embarrassment of being called old.


    "You are old! Your mother is old!" she further responded, almost fuming.


    "Let alone my mother, even my great great grandfather might not be as old as you if he was still alive," Eren reacted, not losing at the war of words.


    "You! Big words for a small man. You call me old, but I''m sure you would start lusting after me at the slightest opportunity. All men are the same!"


    "Lusting for you? You do have some good delusions. At this point, I''m impressed," Erenzily answered as he turned towards his Phoenix which waspletely calm now.


    His phoenix spread her wings, ready for a flight. Eren flew higher andnded on the back of the Phoenix.


    "Let''s go meet your mother," he said, but the moment he turned around, he noticed that Estelina wasn''t there anymore.


    "Did she run away in embarrassment?" he asked himself, wondering if he had teased that girl too much.


    Now that the option to hide was no longer avable, he had no other choice but to meet the Spirit Queen.


    Without Estelina''s help, he wasn''t sure how long it was going to take him to find the Spirit Queen. And even if he found the ce where she stayed, it wasn''t as if the others were going to allow him in.


    It would have been lucky if they didn''t outright attack him, considering him an intruder. And with his kind of luck, he was certain that this was exactly what might happen.


    "It seems we will have to find her ourselves," he told the Phoenix while taking eyes off the empty ce where Estelina was standing previously.


    "Huh?" As he turned his gaze, he found Estelina. She was right before him, with barely any distance between them.


    "Are you sure you won''t lust after me?" she whispered seductively while moving closer, pressing her breasts against his chest.

 Chapter 165: Chapter 165: Are you sure you want to...?

    Eren was quite taken aback. The spirit truly felt like a human, to the point that he could even feel her touch. Still, he knew better than to fall for her provocations.


    "Is this how you always greet your guests?" he asked the girl, who felt more human than she should have.


    Estelina''s eyes glittered with amusement. "Perhaps I make an exception for intriguing humans like you."


    "I''ll take that as apliment," Eren replied, his voice steady. "However, I would have to decline your offer."


    He gently pushed her back, creating some distance between them.


    "Now, if you would kindly lead the way to your mother, I would appreciate it."


    Estelina smirked at Eren''s reaction. "I didn''t expect you to be in such a hurry to meet my mother."


    "Isn''t that why you brought me here? The faster I meet her, the faster I can return," Eren justified himself.


    Although he said that it was for his return, in reality, he had another more important reason.


    He paid special attention to the timer. He didn''t have unlimited time to select an option.


    Before being forced to choose one, he wanted to at least meet the Spirit Queen and understand what might be her most probable cause. He didn''t want to make a mistake and then get his system stuck at this option.


    Estelina maintained her smile, but behind that smile, she was quite irritated. Not only did this man call her old, but he didn''t even fall for her charm? She felt like her ego was hurt.


    She had thrown herself onto him. In that situation, any man would have tried to take advantage of the situation. She thought Eren was going to do the same.


    She even nned to stop him when he tried and then mock him for being so weak. On the contrary, this had backfired on her.


    Instead of being the one to reject him, she became the one who was rejected instead. She didn''t want to fail here. If anything, she wanted to seed even more now.


    It was all to heal her bruised ego. She had to be the one to reject him instead. And for that, she had to make him chase after her.


    "Are you sure you don''t want to spend more time here?" she asked, lowering her dress a little to reveal more of her cleavage that started popping out of her dress.


    "If you want, we can spend the entire night here and go meet my mother in the morning?"


    Eren wasn''t less of a man. Even though he found her attractive, he was not a fool. Although he didn''t understand why she was trying this, he knew that falling for her trap could be the worst decision of his life.


    "I have nothing to do here. It would only be a waste of time to stay here longer," he said as his Phoenix started rising in the air.


    He tried to get to the height to see if he could find any residence where the Spirits might be staying.


    In the real world, the spirits were invisible to ordinary people, but here, they were like ordinary people. He was certain they also had a city somewhere.


    Not just a city, he believed that they had an entire Kingdom as they had a Queen.


    The only other ruler he met was the Sea Dragon Empress, but that was also over the surface. This was the first time he was going to meet a ruler in her own kingdom.


    "I am sure we can find some really fun things to do tonight," Estelina didn''t give up. She stepped closer to Eren again, her sweet scent again trying to assault his senses.


    "I don''t think there are any fun things I want to do here. As I said, you are too old for me," Eren answered, not even looking at her.


    "What did you say? I can''t hear you..." Estelina''s voice came.


    Eren turned to look at her. "I said I''m not into-"


    As soon as he turned, he was at a loss of words. Estelina was standing behind him, but it was not the same. Her clothes turned semi-transparent, revealing what shouldn''t be revealed.


    Through her semi-transparent clothes, Eren was able to see her soft and fair skin hidden underneath. Although she was said to be a Spirit, she was as much like a human as possible.


    She could be touched, she could be felt. She was different from the ghosts that he had heard about.


    He took a deep breath and turned his back on her. "I said that I am not interested."


    "Why don''t you say that while looking into my eyes if you''re that honest?" the girl asked as she moved closer to him, her warm breath brushing against his neck.


    Eren felt something soft pushing against his back while Estelina nted her lips on his neck.


    "I know that you are a man. And I know what a man wants. You might say that I am old for you, but your body is more honest than your mouth, isn''t that right?" Estelina gently whispered, simply provoking Eren too much.


    She just wanted him to lose his reasoning and give in, so she could reject him.


    That was going to be the punishment for him. He was going to have a beautiful woman like her before him, but he couldn''t do anything. Unfortunately, she needed him to lose his reasoning first.


    She ced her arms around Eren''s waist and started sliding her hand down. As her hands were about to reach the ce they shouldn''t, she felt her warm hands hold her hands.


    She smiled, wondering if he was going to give in now. However, to her surprise, he held her hands firmly and released his Sword Emperor''s Aura which was even more harmful from such close proximity.


    "Since I can touch you here, I am sure that I can kill you as well. Are you sure you want to provoke me like that?"

 Chapter 166: Chapter 166: Intruders

    The woman was frozen in ce when she felt the full brunt of the Sword Emperor''s Aura. As she was so close to Eren, she felt the suppressive pressure pushing down on her.


    Horrified, she freed herself and stepped back. Her face was ghastly pale. When she was under that aura, she truly felt like Eren could kill him.


    Eren looked at his hands and sighed. "What a pity..."


    Estelina heard Eren''s words which made her expressions turn dark. She clenched her fist to stop her hand from trembling.


    That horrifying sensation of being at the core of that aura was still fresh in her mind. She had never felt something like that. Even as a spirit, she was scared of it.


    Usually, most of the auras couldn''t affect a Spirit. Even most physical attacks were useless on them. But something was different about that aura.


    She didn''t know why, but she felt like a terrifying beast was staring at her when he was being suppressed by the aura.


    Was Eren calling it a pity because he didn''t want her to give up so she could actually kill her? Was he disappointed that she stepped back? She didn''t realize that all her thoughts were going in the wrong directions.


    Eren was not disappointed in Estelina. He was disappointed in himself and hisck of strength. He had held Estelina''s hands, but she was easily able to free herself.


    When she did that, he was able to confirm that she was stronger than him, at least when it came to strength. Still, that didn''t mean that he couldn''t kill her.


    He had his own way to make it happen if he wanted to, but he didn''t. He only wanted to scare her and that appeared to have worked.


    "The first time, you kidnapped me. And this was the second time you did something without my permission. If there is a third time, there will not be a warning." Eren''s words brought Estelina out of her daze.


    "Are you threatening me?" Estelina said with clenched teeth. Eren could hear the sound of her teeth grinding as she spoke.


    "There is only a fine line between a threat and a reminder," Eren answered. Now that he was in this position, he couldn''t step back. His future actions depended on them entirely.


    "What gives you such confidence? Do you think that Xiu Ying wille to save you?" Estelina smirked. "If you think that she will, then let me remind you. The time in the Spirit Realm flows much slower than the real world."


    She did not reveal the unease and hesitation that was deep down in her heart. She kept it hidden deep in her heart.


    "A month here isparable to just a single day there. If you don''t behave, you might die before she can even find you missing!"


    "Huh?"


    Estelina thought that Eren would be scared when he was going to realize that he was all alone with no oneing to save him in the future.


    Unfortunately for her, his reaction wentpletely against her expectations. Instead of being scared, he appeared to be smiling while his eyes lit up.


    "Thirty to one time dtion. That seems barely passable."


    He didn''t expect Xiu Ying toe here in the first ce. And even if she did, he didn''t think she was strong enough to go against the Spirit Queen. It was better for her to note here.


    What he was actually worried about was his future. He was worried about missing the deadline of going to the Western Continent. He didn''t want to have to exin to Feng Yu where he had disappeared and why.


    This realization slightly eased his burden. He could spend quite some time here without having to worry about returning. However, he hadn''t forgotten that this ce wasn''t very safe either.


    He still had to meet the Spirit Queen and decide which option to take. Was he going to annihte her and receive the legendary rank reward or try to make her fall for him and get a Spirit Contract with her.


    "You... You truly are crazy!" Estelina raised an eyebrow in disbelief. She couldn''t digest Eren''s reaction.


    Even if he was strong, why was he so happy about being stuck here with no help? Did he truly think that he was strong enough to defeat her mother?


    "What a psychopath!" She waved her hand, returning her clothes to their normal. "No wonder you don''t fall for me. Because something is really wrong with your head. I feel pity for Xiu Ying."


    "There is nothing wrong with my head. It''s just that you aren''t even close to being as beautiful as her," Eren responded while shifting his focus to his surroundings.


    With the Phoenix flying high in the sky, he was able to see his surroundings much more clearly.


    "Found it. That must be the city where your mother lives."


    At the faraway distance, he noticed what appeared like a city. As the city was too far, it looked really small. But still, he was able to feel that the city was quite majestic.


    "You Spirits really know how to live your life." Hemented while his Phoenix soared in the sky, flying towards the city.


    "My mother and living in that backward city? Don''t be absurd. That''s just the barren city on the outskirts. The only use that city has is to stop intruders," Estelina exined.


    "But that city also has a portal that leads to the Capital City. So you''re still going in the right direction."


    "Intruders?" Eren asked. "Are there intruders from our world thate here?"


    On the topic of intruders, Estelina went momentarily silent.


    "You don''t need to know about that. Just focus on yourself. It would be a pity if you maintained this arrogance before my mother and she identally killed you."


    "Why did you even bring me here in the first ce? What does your mother even want from me?"


    Estelina looked at Eren but she didn''t answer. Deep down, she wasughing.


    ''You bastard, you had fun mocking me, right? Just wait until you meet my mother!''

 Chapter 167: Chapter 167: Finally seeing the charm

    "Intruders!"


    The Spirit Guard yelled as he caught the sight of something flying in their direction.


    As soon as he issued the warning, a bell resounded in the city three times in a row, being heard in every corner of the vast city.


    The Spirits that were staying in the city rushed to the safe houses and hid with their families. Meanwhile, the Spirit Warriors rushed towards the border wall.


    This was not the first time they had been attacked. They were experienced and well prepared for something like this.


    A barrier appeared around the entire city that covered it in a dome. The Spirit Guards gathered to stop the border walls with weapons in hands, watching the flying figure getting closer.


    The closer it came, the more clearly they were able to see it. It appeared to be arge bird. They also saw a few people standing on the back of the Phoenix.


    "A bird?" One of the Guards looked at the beast weirdly.


    "How did they manage to..." Another guard appeared to be confused as this was the first time they had seen a bird like this in the Spirit Realm.


    "Don''t worry. It''s not a hoarde likest time. It should be much easier to take them down!" A man covered in a unique Spiritual Armor stood in the lead, his long hair flowing in the wind.


    "Captain Ley!"


    The Spirit Guards grew excited at the arrival of their leader. With his presence, they grew even more confident.


    Ley raised his Sword. The Spiritual Energy from the Realm started gathering around his sword.


    Within seconds, an illusory figure of a sword appeared over him, that reached up to thousands of feet in height.


    "That... Are you not going to stop him?" Eren smiled wryly at the sight of the giant sword in the sky.


    He could feel that it wasn''t an ordinary sword or an illusion. Although it didn''t look real, it was a proper attack, maybe even the strongest he had ever faced.


    "Do I even need to intervene for that? You can handle it yourself," Estelinazily answered. "Weren''t you capable of killing me as well? It should be easy for you then."


    She didn''t look like she was nning to intervene. Instead, she just sat down behind Erenfortably.


    She had seen Eren fight the Sea Serpent before, but that was the extent to it. At that time, his strength didn''t appear anything extraordinary.


    He had even used some tricks and used external help from the Phoenix to kill the Sea Serpent.


    It was only when she saw his Pendant of Poison that she started taking interest in him. But even that wasn''t much. She didn''t think he was a threat or could ever be a threat.


    It was only when she saw him the second time that she started paying more attention to him. He was able to see her which should have been impossible.


    She was so intrigued that she wanted to inform her mother and find out why this was the case. This man had many more secrets and only the Spirit Queen could uncover those secrets.


    That''s why she brought him with her. But when she saw him transform into a Sea Dragon without a curse, she started bing more cautious of him.


    When she came across his Sword Emperor''s Aura from such close proximity, that acted as the final nail in the coffin. At that moment, she truly felt like she might die.


    It was at that moment, she started considering Eren to be dangerous. But even then, she didn''t know his real strength.


    Was that aura a bluff? Or was this truly something that he hadn''t shown her before? Was his weak battle with the Sea Serpent an act because he knew that she was watching?


    She wanted to see how strong he actually was. That''s why she didn''t n to intervene. She simply observed like a spectator.


    This was the perfect opportunity to see what this man was capable of. Was he truly strong or was he simply putting on an act? She didn''t want to take this man to her mother if he turned out to be too dangerous.


    "Die, Intruder!" Ley brought down his Sword as soon as the Phoenix was in the range of the giant sky sword.


    Perfectly apanying his movements, the giant sword also fell from the sky. It aimed straight for the Phoenix.


    Eren watched the Sword fall from the sky with a heavy frown. He could have his phoenix dodge but the attacks were never going to stop.


    He wasn''t even sure if the sky sword could also change direction at thest moment. Dodging appeared unlikely.


    He could easily destroy that sword if he used the Pendant of Poison, but he also had only two uses left of that.


    He could also try other attacks, but he wasn''t sure what this sword was capable of. This was his first time against a Spirit.


    "Are you sure you don''t want to intervene?" he asked Estelina.


    "No," Estelina answered without even a second of dy to think about it. "Also, are you sure you want to be distracted at a time like this?"


    "I don''t know about my time, but..."


    Eren reached out his hand towards Estelina and grabbed her fair hand.


    "Oh? Did you finally realize my charm? Toote, I''m not going to help you here." Estelina rolled her eyes but she didn''t take her hands off.


    "I am d that you are willing to intervene," Eren said with a smile on his lips.


    "Intervene?" Estelina was confused. "When did I-"


    As she was replying, she felt a strong pull. Eren pulled her hand out of nowhere with all his might. Before she could react, she was swung in the air and tossed towards the falling sky sword.


    "As I said, I am d that you are willing to intervene," Eren repeated under his breath while watching Estelina flying towards the falling sky sword uncontrobly.


    "You bastard!!!" Estelina''s angry roar was drowned out by the rush of wind as she hurtled towards the sky sword.

 Chapter 168: Chapter 168: Shall I drag the Queen?

    Eren watched the scene unfold calmly. Estelina had forcefully brought him here and now she was forcing him to fight? He didn''t want to y ording to her rules so he created his own rules.


    She was the host and he was a guest. He simply made her fulfill her responsibility of being a good host. He pretended to not understand why she was so upset as she was tossed up in the sky.


    Estelina saw the Sky Sword falling over her. Or rather, she was tossed at the sword like a toy. With the sword this close, she couldn''t dodge it even if she wanted to.


    She controlled her body which started glowing with a radiant light while she summoned her own spiritual energy, creating a spiritual sword in her hand.


    She swung the spiritual sword which appeared like a child''s sword in front of the sky sword. But despite the appearance, her sword managed to cut the Sky Sword in two halves.


    In the sky, there was a massive explosion of spiritual energy that brightened the sky.


    The Spirit Guards on the wall shielded their eyes from the blinding light. When the light faded, they finally opened their eyes and looked at the woman hovering in the air.


    The woman was unharmed but she appeared visibly furious.


    The sky sword had shattered into countless fragments that rained down, but before they could touch the ground, they dispersed in the air and merged with the Spiritual Energy around them.


    "C-captain..." A guard stuttered as he watched the woman with a pale face. "Don''t you think that woman... looks like the Saintess?"


    Captain Ley''s eyes narrowed. "She doesn''t just look like her. She is her."


    "Lower your weapons!" Hemanded his men before flying towards Estelina.


    He could feel that he was going to get some scolding for making the mistake of attacking her. But he also couldn''t be med. He was prepared to exin and beg her to not tell this to the Spirit Queen.


    Ley thought that Estelina was furious at him. But he was somewhat surprised when she turned towards the Phoenix instead.


    "You!" Estelina, now free from the immediate threat, turned her sharp gaze on Eren.


    Her eyes burned with anger and she appeared as if she truly had been wronged. She wanted to see his strength, but instead she had to reveal her own strength.


    A man was supposed to protect a woman. Eren was supposed to treat her with care, not use her as a shield. What kind of man was this guy even?


    Eren did not react to her angry gaza. Instead, he was surprised himself. He didn''t expect her to be this strong. She was even stronger than a Great Elder.


    If that was the case, then how strong was the Spirit Queen? Was she as strong as an Overlord? Or was she even stronger? He had a lot of thoughts at the moment.


    "Now that we have taken care of that ''weak attack'', shall we continue on the journey?" Eren didn''t even offer an apology and simply asked her to apany him to the city.


    "Are you even a man?! How can you use a woman as a shield?!" Estelinanded on the Phoenix''s back, scolding Eren like a wife.


    "Why would I need a shield for such a weak attack?" Eren responded, focusing on the attack being weak, which were her own words.


    "I can''t believe Xiu Ying fell for someone like you. All you can do is hide behind a woman!" Estelina rolled her eyes, trying to insult Eren.


    "Is that supposed to provoke me?" Eren shrugged nonchntly. "How can you be so old and still use such childish taunts?"


    Ley stood in the sky and looked at Estelina and Eren arguing back and forth. For a moment, he couldn''t even believe his eyes.


    Was this still the same woman who didn''t even spare a second nce to any man? And now she was engaging with one with such intensity?


    What was more shocking was the fact that she appeared to be upset with him, but she wasn''t even trying to kill him. Is this what they call love? You want to kill them, but at the same time you can''t?


    "Ah, Captain. I think your definition of love might be a little wrong," The young Spirit Guard who apanied Ley chimed in, scratching the back of his head.


    "Don''t try to teach me. I have more experience than you," Ley scoffed while flying closer to the Phoenix.


    ''But Captain, didn''t your wife run away on the first night itself?'' The Spirit Guard weirdly looked at Ley''s back.


    He apanied Ley who stopped only a few meters away from the Phoenix.


    "Lady Estelina, wee to the Border City. And I would like to apologize for the attack. I didn''t expect it to be you. I would ept any punishment."


    Ley lowered his head apologetically. He reached out his hand and grabbed the head of the Spirit Guard who was standing silently. He lowered his subordinate''s head as well.


    ''Why am I apologizing? Wasn''t it you who attacked?'' the young Spirit Guard thought in the back of his head but he didn''t resist.


    Estelina felt like her temper was only going to keep increasing if she kept talking to Eren. It was fortunate that Ley attracted her attention at that time.


    "Hmph, it''s fine." She turned to Ley who was standing with his head down, despite being older than her.


    In the Spirit Realm, age didn''t decide the hierarchy. Estelina was the daughter of Spirit Queen. Even if she was young, she was still above millions and below only one; her mother.


    "You were just doing your duty. There is no need for punishment."


    "I thank the Saintess for the mercy." Ley raised his head and freed his subordinate as well.


    "Saintess, the person next to you... Is he a human?"


    "He is someone that my mother needs to meet. You don''t have to worry about him," Estelina reacted. "Just open the gate to the Capital."


    "Right away." Ley wasn''t in a position to Question Estelina. He simply turned and flew towards the City which had already removed the barrier.


    The Phoenix followed after Ley.


    ....


    A majestic ck tower existed in the Northern Continent, surrounded by death throughout the year.


    "Hell''s gate will be opening soon. Go to the Spirit Realm and prepare for more sacrifices." A voice rose in the depths of the Necromancer Tower.


    "Shall I drag their Queen as well? She will make for a good sacrifice," another voice came, apanied by a cold cackle.

 Chapter 169: Chapter 169: A Threat or a Question

    "You are not ready for her. Don''t take any unnecessary steps without the Tower Master''s Permission. Just do as you are told."


    "Kek, the Tower Master is not here. How do you expect me to take his permission?"


    "I told you what you must do. I don''t have any more words for you."


    Distant echoes of footsteps resounded in the dark space, making it feel like someone was walking away.


    A distant voice whispered, "I hope you won''t overestimate yourself. Don''t make a mess this time..."


    "Hmph, I will decide what I do myself."


    A soft light flickered in the dark space while a portal appeared in the middle of the hall.


    Under the lighting from the portal, the face of the person was revealed, creating a horrifying sight. The man did not have skin on his face.


    All he had was a skill with a little lump of charred flesh slowly regenerating and getting destroyed at the same time. It was as if his skin was regenerating and getting destroyed simultaneously, creating a ghastly sight.


    "The Tower Master is not here tomand me otherwise. I might as well..." A cold cackle resounded in the hall as the man entered the portal.


    With the portal''s disappearance, the hall returned to the darkness again.


    ....


    The Phoenixnded in the center of the city.


    Eren jumped down from the back of the Phoenix andnded before the small portal that looked just big enough for one person to enter.


    "Is this the doorway to the Royal City?" he asked Estelina.


    The portal looked simr to the one that brought him to this world. He could feel that it wasn''t stable enough for his Phoenix. Not only was sherge, but she was also a divine beast.


    If she again suffered in the same manner during the transit, then she might actually attack the Royal City when they left the portal.


    "Did you think I brought you to this portal for sight seeing or something?" Estelina sarcastically asked.


    As Eren was observing the Portal to see if it was safe for his Phoenix, he noticed the Spirit Warriors gathered around him. They all had a weapon in their hands as if they were prepared to attack him.


    "May I ask what they are doing?" he asked Estelina. "Are you truly trying to kill me?"


    "Why would I kill the gift I brought for my mother''s research?" Estelina asked, but she didn''t deny either.


    She herself hadmanded the Spirit Guards to gather and be prepared for a battle.


    ''Is she really trying to make me select the first option? If I fight and kill them, the second option will be impossible. Why would the Spirit Queen fall for someone who killed her people?''


    Eren didn''t respond. He just observed the Spirit Guards around him that were gathered inrge numbers. Even Ley was amongst them.


    Although they looked prepared, none of them were attacking him.


    ''Is this for intimidation in that case?'' he wondered.


    He was brought here after being kidnapped. Even if he wanted to believe that he was a guest, he could see that he was more of a prisoner here instead.


    Despite that, he hadn''t been behaving like a prisoner. He was doing as he pleased, even ying with Estelina.


    This was her way of reminding him that she wasn''t alone here. This was her way of making him know that if she wanted, he could be killed right here and right now.


    "I have a question..." Eren stated after a brief period of silence.


    "What question?" Estelina smirked.


    Seeing Eren so serious, she was clear that he had received the message clearly. It was about time for him to start behaving.


    Eren sighed and walked to his Phoenix. He ced his hand on the mythical beast''s head, rubbing it lightly.


    "Pray tell, what would happen to your Royal City if I kill everyone here and the Intruders just happened to attack right after that?"


    The Phoenix disappeared into thin air, sent back to his inventory.


    "You... Are you threatening us?" Estelina''s face darkened. Even in this situation, this man was still so arrogant? Did he not understand the kind of situation he was in?


    "Who am I to threaten you? I was just asking an honest question," Eren answered calmly, but at the same time, he again released his Sword Emperor''s Aura.


    It was clear that his words and his actions didn''t match. He was openly challenging them. It was as if he was asking them to attack him if they wanted to find the answer to his question.


    Estelina was certain that Eren couldn''t take all of them down. How could a man do that? He wasn''t an Overlord! But even then, something about his aura made her hesitant.


    What if it was possible? What if he was somehow able to kill everyone here? Even if he couldn''t kill everyone here, what if he still hurt the people here, making them incapable of protecting against the next invasion.


    If the Border City wasn''t able to stop the Intruders, then the Royal City was next.


    If the invaders reached the Royal City, she could only imagine the kind of damage they could cause. Was it really worth it to fight this man here?


    "What a pity... It seems we will never know this answer." Eren calmly answered as he took a step inside the portal, keeping his hands behind him.


    "This man... Fine! Keep that arrogance! The more arrogant you are, the more fun your downfall will be!" Estelina clenched her teeth as she followed after the man.


    "That person..." Ley watched silently. "Saintess, just what kind of a monster are you bringing inside the Royal Capital?"


    "I hope I''m just overthinking... But that aura... Why does it..." He stared at the portal with a grim expression.


    ....


    When he first came into this world through the portal, it was more painful and appeared to take an eternity. But this time, before Eren could even blink, he found himself on the other side of the portal.


    It was as if he had not walked through a portal but through an ordinary door.


    "This is the City of Royal Spirits?"

 Chapter 170: Chapter 170: Pervert, stop playing with me!

    Eren had seen the Border City of the Spirit Realm, which looked like an ordinary city. There was nothing special about that city except for the barrier.


    The Royal City, on the other hand, waspletely different.


    The city in front of his eyes looked like it had been pulled straight out of a fantasy. He could see many inds floating through the clouds.


    All these floating inds looked as if they were forming a staircase that led to the highest ind, which was also the smallest in size.


    Eren took a step forward, but the moment he did, he heard a feminine voicee from below.


    "Hey buddy, watch out where you walk!"


    Stunned, he retracted his foot. He looked down, but there was no one there except the soft grass.


    "What are you looking at? Do you want to fight?!" The voice came again while the grass rustled.


    "This grass... It can talk?" Eren went down on his knees, fascinated by the realization that the grass was talking to him. Just what kind of world was this?


    "Was it really you who was talking?" He touched the grass softly.


    "Kyaaa! You perverts, stop touching me!"


    Eren''s lips twitched as he momentarily lost control of his expressions. This was the first time he was called a pervert by wild grass of all things!


    "I see. No wonder you didn''t like me. So you were swinging in this direction," said Estelina mockingly as she came out of the portal as well.


    "Saintess! Save me from this pervert!" The grass rustled again.


    Eren had the urge to almost stomp this grass. Why the heck would he be interested in grass? Just what kind of kink did she think he had?


    "What is this thing?" he asked as he started flicking the grass.


    "Kyaa, Saintess! He is viting me."


    "Since you already gave me the title of a pervert, I might as well fulfill your wish," said Eren as he pinched the grass. He was quite curious about this thing and if it could die when pulled out of the group.


    "Eeek! You pervert! Stop ying with me!" The Spirit Grass cried out for help in a sweet yet wronged voice.


    "And what if I don''t stop?" Eren asked as he continued toying with this rude Spirit Grass.


    At times, he even appeared like a demon who was enjoying torturing the Spirit Grass.


    While Eren was punishing the Spirit Grass for defamation, he didn''t notice that there was another woman standing right behind him.


    The woman was wearing a royal white gown that came down to her ankles. She looked much like Estelina, but her ears were a little different. Her ears were long like that of an elf.


    She didn''t look a year older than Estelina. If anything, she appeared to have a mature charm of her own which made even Estelina pale inparison.


    "Tell me. Are you going to call me a Pervert again?" Eren kept flicking the grass. It was him who was wronged here.


    "Kyaa! You are a pervert! You shameless, evil pervert! Don''t you have any shame?"


    "Didn''t you already call me shameless? Why did you think I would have shame?" Eren asked while rolling his eyes.


    Estelina didn''t say anything even if the Spirit Grass asked for help repeatedly. Usually, Eren would have wondered why she was so silent, but currently he was more immersed in punishing this shameless spirit grass.


    Estelina was looking at the other woman who was standing next to her. She had extreme respect in her eyes as she looked at that woman.


    Her cherry lips parted to say something, but the woman stopped her from saying anything.


    "Why aren''t you telling me? What is this thing?" Eren asked Estelina without looking back.


    "That''s Spirit Grass. I hope you are having fun."


    "A Spirit Grass... Fascinating. Even grass has spirits in this world. What a fascinating ce. What else has a spirit here? Rocks?


    Also, wha-"


    Eren suddenly went silent in the middle of his response, realizing something.


    "Ah, Estelina? Why does your voice sound so different?"


    "Because it wasn''t my daughter speaking," the woman said.


    Following her words, there was a scary silence in the ce. Eren''s expressions turned dark as he realized the meaning behind those words.


    This person was calling Estelina her mother. And ording to Estelina''s stats, her mother was the Spirit Queen herself. That meant the person behind him was...


    He removed his hands from the spirit grass and facepalmed.


    "Sob, sob! Queen Mother, save me from this pervert!" The Spirit Grass requested like a child asking for the person who stole his candy to be punished.


    The Spirit Queen walked past Eren and went down on her knees, patting the Spirit Grass gently.


    With her being so close, Eren just had to look sideways and he could see her. But he felt as if he was going to die if he turned around at that moment.


    He wondered if he could actually defeat this person with the help of his Pendant of Poison.


    Ordinary attacks didn''t work on spirits. That was already a disadvantage for humans and one of the things that made Spirits so formidable. However, his Poison was different.


    "My daughter told me that you are very interesting. You are able to see the Spirits despite being in contract with them," the Spirit Queen calmly said. Under her caressing, Spirit Grass slowly went down and fell to sleep.


    "There are only two types of people who can see a Spirit in the human realm. One who has a contract with the Spirits, and the others are those who hade to the Spirit Realm before. But you are neither."


    "She also said that you have a very interesting pendant." The Spirit Queen turned around and brought her face closer to Eren''s Pendant of Poison.


    While she observed the pendant of poison, he felt her warm breath brush against his skin. For the first time, he was able to see her face.

 Chapter 171: Chapter 171: Queen in Embrace

    While the Spirit Queen observed the Pendant of Poison, Eren observed her.


    The Spirit Queen had deep ck hair that cascaded down her back. Every movement she made was graceful, confident and filled with charm.


    She had a timeless elegance and eyes that sparkled like stars on a clear night while being filled with curiosity. Even though she wasn''t smiling, it was clear that her smile could only increase her charm.


    She wasn''t prettier than Xiu Ying, but she was not less either. She just had a different charm than Xiu Ying which didn''t pale inparison either.


    She examined his pendant with intense curiosity, her delicate fingers almost brushing against the cold crystal. However, just as her fingers were about to touch the pendant, she quickly retracted her hand.


    She hadn''t even touched the pendant but her fingers still turned ck from poison just because of being in close proximity to the pendant.


    The Spirit Queen was so taken aback when she felt the poison spread in her fingers, she almost lost her bnce and fell back.


    "Watch out!" Eren reacted fast and reached out his hand, grabbing her hand to prevent her fall.


    He instead pulled her closer so she didn''t fall behind as the Spirit Grass was right behind her. If she fell in this ce, it was the Spirit Grass that might be crushed.


    He didn''t want to be med if the Spirit Grass was destroyed. She was the one who tried to touch it and he wasn''t at fault, but still he didn''t want to create any variables.


    He didn''t think of anything other than saving the Spirit Grass. Unfortunately, as he suddenly pulled the Spirit Queen in his direction, it was him who lost his bnce.


    He fell on his back with the Spirit Queen falling on top of him.


    "Kyaaa, that pervert didn''t leave Queen Mother either! Help!" The Spirit Grass, seemingly awake from her short name, started screaming in her childish voice again.


    "You!" Eren clicked his tongue, even more annoyed at the Spirit Grass''s words. "You little brat, I should''ve let her crush you instead!"


    He argued back with the Spirit Grass. In his distraction, he didn''t even realize that when the Spirit Queen fell on top of him, his hand had moved into her skin waist.


    The Spirit Queen was even more shocked than Eren. She was momentarily frozen in shock.


    She had never been touched by a human. She didn''t even have a contract with a human in all her life. How did she end up in a human''s embrace? Her mind had gonepletely ck.


    Estelina was standing in the back when she saw her mother fall on top of Eren. Her jaw almost dropped to the ground. She brought Eren here so they could uncover his secrets, but what was happening now?


    Nothing had gone right for her ever since she brought this man into this world! Not only was she mocked and insulted, but she was also threatened before the Guards in the outer city. And now this?


    "Can you take your hands off?" The Spirit Queen came to her senses, gathering someposure.


    "My hands?" Eren didn''t understand what she was talking about. He thought about his hands and felt like they were holding onto something slender and soft.


    "Don''t tell me..." If his hands were free, he would have facepalmed himself at this moment. He quickly removed his hands from the Spirit Queen''s waist.


    Estelina rushed to her mother and helped her up.


    "Mother, this man is truly rude! Let me punish him for you!"


    The Spirit Queen stood up. Her thoughts were also a mess at this moment.


    "Punish for what? I just tried to save the Spirit Grass. Everything else was an ident."


    Eren also stood up and patted his clothes. Now that his mind wasn''t focused on the Spirit Grass, he was also able to notice his surroundings better.


    This ce was the lowest ind, but there were no people here other than the Spirit Queen and Estelina who came with him.


    He had thought that the lowest Ind was the ce where the weakest Spirits lived, but he realized that this was something more than that.


    There was no other ind lower than this. So it didn''t make sense for the portal to lead to this ce, unless the coordinates could be manipted.


    There was no way ordinary spirits would have been allowed on this ind. Estelina had only set this location because she was certain that her mother was going to be here.


    The lowest ind was the personal garden for the Spirit Queen and the highest ind was her castle. The remaining inds were for spirits.


    That exined why something like a Spirit Grass was at a ce like this, being cared for by the Spirit Queen herself. It also meant that if he was pushed down from this ind, he was going to fall to his death if he hadn''t known how to fly.


    "Hmph, this pervert knows how toe up with a good excuse! He wants to pretend to be a savior after bullying me so much?" The Spirit Grass rustle in disapproval.


    "You know, sometimes I really feel like stomping you. Can''t you keep your mouth shut for a moment?" Eren scolded the Spirit Grass that kept intervening.


    "Kyaa, Queen Mother! This pervert wants to kill me!"


    Eren''s lips twitched in frustration. There was just no end to this Spirit Grass'' nonsense. If it wasn''t something cherished by the Spirit Queen, he wasn''t sure what he might have done at this point.


    Fortunately, Eren wasn''t at aplete loss.


    He watched the Spirit Queen''s sharp reaction when she tried to touch his pendant. It confirmed his notion that his poison was indeed effective against the Spirits, including the Spirit Queen.


    It gave him a little more confidence about his ability to protect himself. The only problem was getting away from the Spirit Realm.


    The timer of the selection was also moving towards an end. He didn''t have long before he had to make a selection.

 Chapter 172: Chapter 172: True Strength of Necromancer Tower

    ....


    "Lord Ley, just who was that man?"


    The Spirit Warriors had never seen a human who was personally escorted by Estelina.


    At first, they thought that he was her friend. But when she told them to aim their weapons at him, that illusion was also broken. That man wasn''t a friend, but he wasn''t an enemy either.


    What shocked them the most was that even with so many of them around him, he was still unaffected. Instead, he was threatening them in return.


    ''You are asking me, but who should I ask?'' Ley thought, rubbing his forehead. He had the same question, but there was no way for him to get answers.


    "Stop thinking about unnecessary things and get back to position. Don''t forget the responsibility you hold!"


    Ley turned his back on the portal while sending a signal, alerting all the family members who were in the hiding.


    The signal made them know that there was nothing to worry about and that they coulde out.


    "Captain, it has been so long since we saw those intruders. Do you think they might have given up?" a spirit warrior asked.


    "That is correct. They must have realized that it is impossible to get past our Captain!" another Spirit Warrior proudly answered.


    "Maybe after some time, we might not be needed here at all."


    "I hope that day isn''t far. I can''t wait to return to the Capital and live my life in retirement."


    "Same here. When we aren''t needed here anymore, the Spirit Realm will truly be at peace."


    Ley heard the conversation of his subordinates and smiled. He really hoped that this was truly the case.


    "When the dayes, I will give you all a drinks party!" he stated.


    "Really?! Captain, you can''t take it back!"


    "Hahaha, I would make Captain spend so much money that he would regret promising this!"


    "Hah. Captain must be regretting that promise already"


    "Do you think your captain is so poor that he can''t afford it?" Leyughed. "Let me tell you, not just the drinks but I will pay for the food as well."


    "All hail the captain!"


    "Our captain is the best!"


    "As expected of our captain!"


    Ley knew that the future was uncertain. But he truly wished for this future toe true.


    He wanted to see a future where his men didn''t have to put their lives on the line. He wanted a future where these invaders stoppeding to their world.


    If there was a future like that, it wasn''t much to celebrate with his men. They had lived in the city for over a decade.


    They fought together and they killed together. They even cried when they lost their friends in war with the invaders.


    These men were his subordinates, but they were also like his family.


    Unfortunately, he didn''t have much time to think about the future as he was pulled back to reality.


    "Captain!"


    Ley and his subordinates were approaching the border wall when they heard the roar of a Spirit Warrior standing atop the border wall.


    The rm bell kept ringing again and again. One time... Two times... Ten times... It just kept on going like never before.


    The Bell was a treasure of the Spirit Realm. And the number of times this bell rang was said to reveal the strength or the numbers of the invaders.


    For as long as Ley had been staying in this ce, he hadn''t heard this many bells. His expressions grew pale as he thought about the implication.


    "Activate the barrier!" He yelled while running towards the Border Wall.


    He jumped high in the sky andnded atop the Border Wall. His expressions were grim as he watched the direction where the sun had started setting.


    All he could see was a single person, but the setting sun behind that person made it hard to see his face. It was especially hard as the man was still over a hundred kilometers away from the Border Wall.


    The person was too far to see clearly, but something didn''t look normal about him. The ringing of the bell only intensified and became louder with each step the man took towards the City.


    "Only one person? But that bell..."


    The person who was approaching the city raised their right hand.


    While Ley was looking at the man, he saw his surroundings brighten. He looked above, his expressions became even worse.


    Above the city, arge magic circle formed that was asrge as the city itself.


    "This... can''t be happening..." Ley looked at the Magic Circle in disbelief.


    ....


    Around a hundred kilometers away from the border walls, a person was walking towards the city. He didn''t appear to be in any hurry in the least.


    Instead, he wasughing. While Ley couldn''t see him properly, he was able to see Ley and even his expressions.


    "That''s right! That''s the despair I want to see!"


    Hisughter echoed through the emptyndscape as his robe fluttered behind him.


    His ck robe covered his entire body, but it didn''t hide his face or his hands. In his hands, there was no flesh. He only had bones that made it look like he was nothing more than a skeleton.


    Each of his skeletal fingers had a ring with an embedded gem, their purpose being unclear.


    The only flesh anywhere in his visible body was on his face, but that made it even worse as his skin kept regenerating and destroying at the same time.


    Despite that, he didn''t care about hiding his face.


    "Kek, The Tower Master always sent the weakest of the undead to train them. No wonder these people grew so arrogant. To think that they expected to stop me with just that one barrier..."


    "With the opening of Hell''s gate drawing near, there is no time to y. Let me teach you how useless your efforts are in front of the strength of the Necromancer Tower!"


    He raised his hand.


    "Inferno!"


    That one word sounded like a demon''s prophecy. As soon as the word was uttered, a magic circle appeared above the city and a ming inferno fell upon the city.

 Chapter 173: Chapter 173: A greedy spirit

    Ley looked at the Magic Circle in the sky. "If that falls, then the barrier..."


    They had faced many invaders before, but there was nothing like this. Invaders were strong, but not to this extent.


    Just from the magic circle in the sky, he could see that the caster was in an entirely different league than anything they had faced before.


    "Get ready for the worst!" Ley shouted, his voice barely audible over the deafening roar of the firestorm descending upon the city.


    "Focus! Channel all your energy into the barrier!" Leymanded with all his might. "Protecting this city!"


    The inferno crashed against the barrier, causing it to crack and strain.


    Many Spirit Warriors were frozen in shock and fear.


    This barrier was there to protect the people of the city who couldn''t fight. It was to protect their families. As far as they remembered, this barrier had never been broken. But when they saw cracks, they couldn''t believe their eyes.


    On hearing their Captain''s voice, they came to senses and started putting everything they had in the barrier to strengthen it.


    The ck robed figure in the distance did not stop walking towards the city at his own page. His malevolentughter didn''t stop as he enjoyed the futile struggle of the Spirits.


    "Kek, Shall we spice it up a little?"


    He snapped his fingers. A secondyer of magic circle appeared right above the first one. With the stacked effect, the Inferno became even stronger.


    Ley was giving it his all to keep the barrier in ce. But when the Inferno suddenly became stronger, he watched the barrier shatter in front of his eyes.


    His pupils trembled as a storm of me descended upon the city, followed by many short yet painful bursts of screams from the city.


    "What? It only took two stacks? Were they really supposed to be that weak?"


    The ck robed skeletal figure looked at the city with great disappointment.


    He could create seven stacks of a magic circle at any time. The only reason he started with one major circle was because he wanted to watch them struggle and have fun.


    He didn''t expect his fun to stop with just two stacked magic circles.


    "I wanted to try so much, but these weaklings..."


    The ck robed skeleton sighed in disappointment.


    "Kek, fine. It''s not like it''s the end of the world. Their Queen should be able to give me some entertainment."


    ....


    The inferno left nothing but destruction in its wake. By the time it disappeared, the city was unrecognizable.


    All the buildings were left in ruins, and charred bodies were scattered everywhere. The ordinary spirits of this city hadn''t even reached the safety of the shelters when the inferno descended


    A small and weak barrier flickered in the city amidst the rubble. Soon, the barrier also disappeared. A hand with burn marks came out of the rubble and moved the stones aside.


    A person came out of the rubble, most of his body having burn marks despite the barrier.


    Ley stood alone in the ruined city, looking around at the destruction. Except him, not even a single person had survived this attack.


    All his subordinates who were talking about returning to the capital city and enjoying a peaceful life were gone. No single structure was left standing in the city.


    Most of the city was turned ck from the me that had raged through it, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Only a spatial portal was left standing.


    "I..."


    Ley didn''t even have the time to mourn his friends as he weakly started walking towards the portal. The defenses had fallen.


    He had to return and close the portal from the other side. He couldn''t let the invaders reach the Royal City!


    In the real world, the spirits had spiritual bodies, but in the Spirit Realm, they were truly like humans. They had flesh and felt pain just like a human.


    Despite the constant pain of burn, Ley ran towards the Portal, running past the lifeless bodies of his subordinates.


    Soon, he reached the portal. He reached out his hand, but just as his fingers were about to touch it, something grabbed him by the neck.


    He was forcefully pushed back and tossed aside.


    He quickly regained his bnce and prevented his fall.


    He raised his weapon and rushed to attack the person who had pulled him back. But the moment he saw the person, he came to a sudden halt.


    "H-how...? You are alive?!"


    For a moment, happiness shed in Ley''s eyes. The person who pulled him back was one of his subordinates.


    It was the same subordinate who was telling him that he wasn''t allowed to take back his words about the party.


    Ley was excited to see that he wasn''t the only person who was alive. But when he saw him clearly, he noticed that something was wrong.


    This person... It didn''t look the same as before. His eyes didn''t have the same shine in them. They were lifeless and darker.


    "What happened to you?" he asked, his expressions turning darker. His subordinates had the same eyes as those invaders in the past.


    "Kek, How is my gift?"


    While Ley was confused, a voice came from behind him. He turned around and his expressions twisted even more as he saw a skeleton whose face had living flesh.


    "I didn''t expect anyone to survive the moment that barrier broke. But a person managed to survive. Not bad at all. Hence, I decided to give you a gift."


    The Skeletonughed at the sight of Ley''s twisted expressions.


    "What? You didn''t like it?" he asked, his grin getting wider. "Kek, What a greedy spirit you are. It''s alright. Let me give you a bigger gift then."


    He raised his bone fingers and created another magic circle in the air. But this time, the magic circle was pitch ck.


    The sight that unfolded before Ley next was even more disgusting for him. All around him, the charred corpses started rising from the dead, their eyes turning pitch ck and lifeless as well.


    "I brought all your friends back. Kek, are you happy now?" The strange skeleton cackled.

 Chapter 174: Chapter 174: Catastrophe

    Ley watched his subordinates rise from the dead. What made him more shocked was that they weren''t just walking corpses.


    Even though they were lifeless, they still had enough intelligence to follow themand of the Skeletal Mage.


    They were his subordinates. They were his friends. His heart sank as he watched them being used to this extent.


    They wanted peace in the Spirit Realm, but even in death, they weren''t allowed peace even in death. It was as if fate was making a cruel mockery of them.


    "Stop this!" Ley roared, his voice filled with anguish. "Let them rest in peace!"


    With a sword in hand, he flew towards the Skeletal Mage as if wanting to erase this evil from the face of the spirit realm.


    "Kekeke."


    The skeleton''sughter echoed through the ruined city, a chilling sound that sent a chill down Ley''s spine but he did not stop.


    In the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of the Necromancer, and struck at his body.


    Like butter, his Sword sliced through the Mage''s body in two.


    "Kekeke."


    Unfortunately, even as he sliced the Necromancer in two halves, the cold cackle continued. This time, it appeared to being from behind him.


    The body that he had sliced in two started changing form, revealing itself to be the same subordinate who had stopped him from entering the portal.


    Meanwhile, the Necromancer had appeared in front of the portal, facing the Spirit Warrior.


    "And here I thought you two were friends. No wonder you didn''t like my gift." The Necromancer Skeletonughed, enjoying every bit of struggle of this Spirit Warrior.


    "I will kill you!"


    Ley''s grip on his weapon tightened. He knew he had no choice but to fight. He flew towards the Necromancer again, but again he came across an obstruction.


    The undead gathered in front of him, blocking his path and preventing him from reaching the Skeletal Mage.


    Ley never expected to end up in a situation like this. To reach the Necromancer, he had to kill his own friends.


    Even if they were already dead, but he still felt slight hesitation in his heart. He couldn''t even properly bury their corpses.


    "This is boring. Are you going to move or not? If you are not entertaining, I might just decide to go elsewhere," the Necromancer said while stepping back, getting closer to the portal.


    With that, only a few steps of distance was left between him and the portal.


    "Arghhh!"


    Ley clenched his fist and attacked the undead, even while being filled with sadness.


    The skeleton watched with glee while Ley killed his undeads.


    He didn''t care about the destruction of his newly created undead as they were just temporarily created by him. For him, they weren''t even strong enough to pay attention.


    Instead, he was more interested in Ley, the man who was the only survivor in this city.


    "Kek, a decent spirit! This should be good material for the hell''s opening."


    Ley killed the undead. With each swing of his sword, their rotten blood sshed on his clothes. With each attack, he walked closer to the Necromancer.


    Even though he was exhausted, Ley fought with everything he had.


    Fortunately for him, after he killed an undead, they weren''t rising. He wasn''t sure if it was because they were actually destroyed or if the Necromancer didn''t want them to rise again.


    All that mattered to him was that he was getting close to the Necromancer who was overconfident and hadn''t entered the portal. He still had a chance.


    After walking through a sea of corpses and getting tainted with their blood, Ley finally reached the Necromancer.


    "Die!" He swung his sword onest time, putting all his strength behind that attack.


    The Skeletal Mageughed even louder.


    "Not bad at all! You should definitely be a fine material!"


    He raised his bone hand while a magic circle appeared around it.


    "W-what?" Ley stuttered as he watched in disbelief. A single finger... With just a single finger the man had blocked his Sword.


    He tried to change the direction of his sword and attack again, but he felt like someone had held his hand.


    Another person held his other hand as well. One after another, many rotten hands came out of the group, grabbing all over his body to restrict his movements.


    "A material doesn''t need a weapon, so I will be taking that."


    The Skeletal Mage grabbed Ley''s sword and took it away from him. Helpless, Ley couldn''t do anything but watch in disbelief.


    He had never felt so helpless. He was so close to the portal, but he couldn''t even touch it.


    He felt like he was drowning in an endless hell. He had lost the border city. He had lost the barrier. He even lost his friends and subordinates. And after all that, he couldn''t even have his revenge.


    The Skeletal Mage tossed the sword aside which was no more than useless for him.


    He ced a finger on Ley''s forehead. His bone was so sharp that just with a little touch, Ley''s forehead started bleeding.


    The blood didn''t trickle down to fall on the ground. Instead, it started forming a magic circle around his forehead.


    The Skeletal Mage used Ley''s own blood to make a formation circle. A dark sphere appeared around Ley when the magic circle waspleted.


    Ley waspletely surrounded by the dark sphere which hid him from the world''s view. With each passing second, the dark sphere kept getting smaller and smaller until it was as small as a golf ball.


    The Necromancer picked up the small dark sphere, and kept it in his pocket.


    He turned to the portal after having spared no life in the city.


    "Kek, let''s find more materials now."


    He was a catastrophe that struck this town, and now his destination had changed.


    "I am quite curious. What kind of material would you be? How much entertainment would you give me?"


    His cold and chilling cackles were left behind as he entered the portal.

 Chapter 175: Chapter 175: Are they trolling me?

    Eren wasn''t sure what happened, but the timer had gone down by a lot ever since he stepped out of the portal.


    Did he actually spend longer inside the portal than he had thought? He wasn''t certain. Only one thing was clear. There were only a few minutes left for him to select an option now.


    The Spirit Queenposed herself after the embarrassing ident involving Eren.


    She couldn''t me Eren entirely either. It was also partially her fault that she had lost herposure and was about to fall.


    She silently looked at her fingers, which were still ck with the poison. And it was when she hadn''t even touched the pendant.


    She created a spirit dagger in her left hand.


    Eren was distracted by the timer, thinking hard about the decision to make. However, he soon came out of his daze as he saw the scene unfold in the corner of his eyes.


    He saw the Spirit Queen swing her dagger. In its wake, the dagger left behind a broken space. Eren watched the attack, momentarily taken aback.


    It was an attack that even sliced through the space. Could he protect himself against this attack? He wondered.


    Fortunately, the attack wasn''t targeting him. Instead, the Spirit Queen sliced her own fingers before the poison could spread through her entire body.


    "You..." Eren didn''t know how to even respond. This woman sliced her own fingers without a change in her reaction.


    With her reaction, Eren was able to realize that the woman truly wasn''t as simple as she appeared. If she could hurt herself without hesitation, then what could she do to other people?


    Her sliced fingers fell on the ground and turned into specks of light which merged with the grass below, turning into nourishment.


    "Mother!" Estelina called out, only now realizing that her mother''s fingers had been poisoned.


    She red at Eren, who had harmed her mother.


    She brought him here so they could uncover his secrets that could affect the Spirits in the other world. But he harmed her mother? She couldn''t stay calm anymore.


    "You! How dare you harm my mother?!"


    Without a second thought, she attacked Eren.


    "Wait, I didn''t..." Eren quickly reacted, using the Sea Dragon''s bloodline. His body floated in the air, bing more agile and allowing him to dodge the attack.


    A powerful de of spirit essence came straight for him. Eren dodged the de, not letting it touch him.


    "What? How?"


    Eren was certain that he had cleanly dodged the attack. In fact, there was about a meter of width between him and the attack when he dodged it.


    There was no chance for the attack to even touch him. But to his surprise, it managed to hurt him! A de sound appeared on his shoulder, blood trickling down his arm.


    Even the robe that he received from the Great Demon Sect was torn from the corner.


    Eren wasn''t sure how he was even hurt in the first ce. Did his eyes y an illusion on him? Was the attack closer to him than it had appeared?


    [Time left for selection: 00:00:39]


    [00:00:38]


    With each passing second, the timer was drawing near an end. He had less than a minute left to make a selection, and the situation was far from ideal.


    He hadn''t even been able to analyze the Spirit Queen properly to make up his mind. But it was a woman who could hurt herself within flinching. Was it really possible to make that woman love him?


    "Die!" Estelina attacked again.


    "Urgh, fine! I select the first option!" Eren eximed as he made a choice.


    To survive, he had to fight. He might even kill Estelina if he couldn''t control the power of the pendant. It was impossible to make the mother fall in love with him after beating her daughter.


    At this moment, only one option made sense. If he was fighting in any case, he might as well put it to a good use.


    He had two attacks left from the Pendant of Poison.


    If he could instill fear in the hearts of these people with a single attack, then it was better than putting his life on the line. Though he knew as well that it was easier said than done.


    His pendant started rising in a bright green light which started filling his body. He felt the same he did when he was fighting the Sea Dragon Prince.


    He took a deep breath and prepared topletely spend one use of the pendant in his attack.


    "Huh?" Just as Eren was about to use the pendant to the fullest, he saw the Spirit Queen appear behind Estelina.


    She ced her hand on Estelina''s shoulder and pulled her back to the ground.


    "That''s enough. It wasn''t his fault. I tried to touch that thing without knowing better," Spirit Queen said, stopping her daughter from attacking.


    Eren remained silent in the sky, his lips twitching in frustration. He had selected the first option, thinking that they were going to fight. He thought there was no other better choice at that moment.


    Now that he was prepared, the fight just... stopped?


    ''Are they trolling me?'' he thought, finding himself at a loss of words. What was he supposed to do? Still attack them? How else could he conquer this ce now?


    The selection was made and all other options had disappeared. He couldn''t even try anything else. Once again, he found himself in an ufortable position.


    "Identify."


    He used his identification skill on the Spirit Queen.


    [Name: Felona]


    [Identity: Spirit Queen]


    [Bloodline: None]


    [Age: 961]


    [Contracted Human: None]


    [Additional Information: The Spirit Queen known to be the strongest in the history of Spirit Realm]


    "I would like to apologize for my daughter''s thoughtless behavior."


    As if Eren already wasn''t in disbelief, the Spirit Queen even apologized to him with grace. Eren felt like facepalming himself at this moment. How did he find himself in a situation like this?

 Chapter 176: Chapter 176: Birth of a Spirit

    Eren was truly at a loss of words. Did he make a wrong choice in haste? Or did the system intentionally reduce the selection time to have him make this mistake? He wasn''t sure.


    He immediately stopped the activation of the attack, not wanting to waste a use before having a proper n.


    Fortunately, since he hadn''t attacked, it didn''t count as a use of the Pendant of Poison.


    [Pendant of Poison]


    [Uses Left: 2/3]


    The only time he had used that pendant was when he killed the Sea Dragon Prince. And he knew how precious this pendant and every attack filled with its power was.


    He didn''t have a pendant of protection or the pendant of strength anymore. Amongst the Pendant Series rewards, he only had Pendant of Poison left.


    If possible, he wanted to use it only when he was absolutely certain that it would help himplete this option.


    Although he had gained quite a lot of skills, they couldn''t be counted as a hidden card powerful enough to turn the tide of any battle, especially against an Overlord Level threat.


    When it came to that, he could only count a few things that fit the criteria of being his trump card in that Scenario. One of them was this Pendant of Poison and the other was a Temporary Unsealing Talisman.


    He also knew the limitations of relying on external items for survival. That''s why he wanted to go to the Hero Academy to find the thing that could permanently unseal his cultivation. But things kept happening one after another.


    Eren''s mind was filled with a lot of thoughts as he considered his next action. Was it right to be hasty and attack right now? Or was that another mistake without knowing much about this ce?


    For the time being, he decided to observe this ce a little longer. Now that he already selected an option, there was no need to rush.


    A mistake in this situation could be more deadly than anything else.


    He didn''t want to be a victim of his own mistakes. He had already made a hasty decision after all.


    Eren retracted his aura. His pendant also stopped shining as he descended.


    During his descent, he didn''t take his eyes off the Spirit Queen, particrly paying attention to her hand.


    She had sliced her own fingers off to prevent the poison from spreading in the rest of her body. But new fingers had started growing in their ce.


    Her healing even surprised Eren to some extent. She didn''t use any healing potion or spell like people did in the human world. Instead, it was as if this was perfectly natural for the Spirit Queen.


    The Spirit Queen, assumed to be cold and ruthless, had apologized to him. Meanwhile, he had selected an option that was no different than making the Spirits his enemy.


    Just thinking about it gave him a headache.


    ''Maybe... Just maybe second option was possible.''


    Eren wondered if his assumptions about the Spirit Queen were a little exaggerated. He had based his assumption on Estelina''s words and behavior, forgetting that they werepletely different people.


    He was also suspicious about the system''s options. Most of the time, he was given hell level difficulty hidden behind the most normal looking options. He had thought that the second option was the same.


    Unfortunately, he had a feeling that this time, he might have been trolled by his system. This time, the hell level difficulty was hidden behind an option that appeared to be the most difficult at first nce.


    ''This system... Is it truly sentient?'' Eren thought.


    Every time he was made to select an option, he felt like he had to y four dimensional chess with something that was far beyondprehension.


    Soon, Spirit Queen''s fingers hadpletely healed. Looking at her hand, no one could have guessed that just a few minutes ago, there were no fingers there.


    While Eren was paying attention to Spirit Queen''s healing, he noticed that something felt wrong. He just couldn''t put his finger on it. He felt like he was missing something obvious.


    He thought about it for quite some time, before finally realizing what it was.


    ''Ah, right. It''s too silent. What happened to that bbering grass?''


    He turned to the ce where the Spirit Grass was scolding him in the past. There, the spirit grass was still present, but it had started shining.


    Every passing second, the grass shone brighter as it kept getting bigger in size.


    Eren didn''t know what was happening, but he had a feeling that it had something to do with the Spirit Queen''s fingers.


    When her fingers fell on the ground, they dispersed into a form of spirit essence. It was absorbed by the ground and went to the Spirit Grass in the form of nourishment.


    "What is happening to her?" he asked out loud.


    "She is evolving," Spirit Queen answered. "Just like Estelina did once upon a time."


    "I see." Eren nodded, but the moment he processed those words, his eyes snapped open. "Wait a minute, just like Estelina did?"


    "Are you saying that this is how Spirits are born?" he asked, not expecting toe across a secret like that. Did that mean he was actually talking with an infant spirit and not just bbering grass?


    "That is right. Let me introduce you again." She gestured towards the evolving grass. "She is Resphi, my second daughter."


    Eren didn''t know how the Spirits were born. But he truly hadn''t expected something like this. He could only rub his forehead, thinking about how he threatened to stomp Resphi in front of her mother.


    ''I keep forgetting that I can''t judge this world with mymon sense. Does that mean she''s also going to evolve into a loli or something like every cliche out there?''


    He shook his head and dropped that thought, finding it to be impossible. The Spirit Queen looked like a mature adult woman. Estelina also looked decent. Hence, it seemed unlikely.


    After what felt like an eternity, the evolution process ended. The bright light disappeared and Resphi was revealed.

 Chapter 177: Chapter 177: A daughter or not?

    Resphi finished her evolution, and to Eren''s satisfaction, she hadn''t evolved into a loli.


    Despite her childish behavior when she was talking to him, she had evolved into a proper girl who looked to be just above twenty.


    "Hmm? Is she supposed to have those green marks?" Eren noticed something off about Resphi.


    On her shoulders, there was a light green mark. And that wasn''t the only ce. A simr mark could be found at many more ces.


    The only reason he even found those marks odd was because Spirit Queen Felona and Estelina didn''t have those marks.


    If anything, those marks reminded him of his Pendant of Poison instead. His pendant had a simr shade of green.


    He couldn''t help but wonder if she was poisoned. Although she had absorbed the Spirit Queen''s discarded essence, it was still something mixed with his poison to some extent.


    He thought the Spirit Queen would have an exnation for him, but she appeared to be just as confused.


    She had thought that when her fingers dispersed into Spirit Essence, only the essence was going to enter the earth and not the poison.


    That''s why she didn''t consider the possibility of something going wrong with Resphi''s evolution. But she could see that something had definitely gone wrong.


    The strange poison had also merged with her Essence and became a part of Resphi''s evolution.


    She checked her daughter to see if the poison was harmful for her. But even after a thorough check, she couldn''t find anything wrong with her. Her essence had a trace of the poison, but it didn''t appear to harm her.


    Instead, the poison essence had be a part of her. It wasn''t as dense or potent as it was within Eren''s pendant.


    It definitely was nowhere close to what Eren could draw from the Pendant when attacking. But it was still there nheless.


    When the Spirit Queen exined what might have happened, Eren could only rub his forehead, thinking about the absurd.


    ''Does that mean Resphi is the daughter of Felona and this pendant?''


    The pendant belonged to him. Or rather, it had be a part of him the moment it appeared around his neck. He had tried taking it off, but he couldn''t even do that.


    If the pendant helped with the evolution of Resphi, it meant indirectly he helped Resphi evolve into this.


    In the world of Spirits, evolution was their true birth. And essence was what made it possible. With Resphi, he had be a part of the process.


    "You pervert, stop dirtying me with your shameless gaze!" Resphi scolded Eren who was simply observing her.


    Her words brought him out of his thoughts.


    ''And, she''s still the same. What was I even thinking? It''s just the essence and I''m not a Spirit. What an absurd thought even...''


    Eren rejected the absurd thought he initially had.


    Just as he finished clearing his mind, he felt his surroundings brighten suddenly, following an explosion. He raised his head and looked at the sky, which was covered in a bright magic circle.


    "Hmm? Do Spirits also use Magic Circles?" he thought out loud.


    Before he could even wait for a response, he saw a terrifying firestorm descend from the Magic Circle in the sky, targeting the ind right above this garden.


    ....


    The Royal City of Spirit Realm had multiple inds, each creating a differentyer.


    Normally, every person who came from the Border City was supposed toe to the Second Ind as the first ind was the personal garden of the Spirit Queen.


    Only because of Estelina''s maniption, Eren came directly to the Garden from the portal. The others were different, especially the one who forced his way through the portal.


    The Necromancer from the Necromancer Tower stepped out of the portal on the second floor, ying with a small ck orb in his hand.


    The Guards who were stationed right outside the portal saw the strangere through the portal.


    If it was a normal looking person, the Guards might have questioned him. But when they saw his grotesque face and felt his disgusting aura, they were certain that he was not a guest.


    They didn''t question this person and directly attacked him.


    Unfortunately for them, as they attacked the person, an explosion sent them all flying, their limbs flying all around the ce, apanied by fresh blood.


    "Now this is a good wee." The Skeletal Mageughed heartily as he raised his hand. "I am so pleased, let me fulfill the role of a good guest as well!"


    "Inferno!"


    Following his words, a Magic Circle appeared in the sky, filled withplicated magic. However, he didn''t stop with just one magic circle.


    On top of one, he stacked two more magic circles to further boost the strength.


    "Even at the border city, there was a good material who survived two. I have even higher expectations for the Capital."


    "I will make it even more special for you! Survive three and you would be worthy enough to be materials for our great cause!"


    Once the three magic circles werepleted, a firestorm descended over the second ind, swallowing everything within.


    Triple stacked Inferno broke the protective barrier above the second ind with great ease. Seeing the scene, the Necromancer sighed in disappointment.


    He expected at least some level of improvement from the barrier at the border city.


    "Did I really overestimate them?" he thought out loud.


    "Hmm? What might this be?"


    His disappointment soon turned into interest as he felt something bright appearing in the depths of his me.


    When the mes disappeared, he was able to see more clearly. A woman had appeared in the depths of the Inferno and with just a simple gesture, she extinguished the mes surrounding her.


    Even with triple stacked Inferno, the destruction of this city was insignificant, as it was protected by that woman.


    "Kekekek, I see. So the best material has finally decided to show up... The Queen of Spirits."


    On one side of the Spirit Queen, Estelina stood. On the other side, there was Resphi.


    As for Eren, he hadnded on the third ind, looking down at the second ind with great interest.

 Chapter 178: Chapter 178: Three Conditions of Luck

    "Is that a Necromancer?"


    Simply looking at the magic, it was impossible to call that person a Necromancer. He was using the me magic, which used to be the speciality of the me Tower.


    On the other hand, looking at the face of the Mage and his entire persona, Eren had a feeling that this person was definitely a Necromancer. He looked closer to a walking skeleton than an actual human.


    The Necromancer Mage didn''t feel weak either. If he was a member of the Necromancer Tower, Eren was certain he definitely held a high enough position.


    If that was the case, then the Inferno spell he used wasn''t even his speciality. He was simply toying with this ce by using Inferno.


    It was as if he was telling the Spirits that they weren''t worth him using his true Necromancy spells yet.


    "Why is the Necromancer Tower attacking the Spirit Realm? No, how did they even get here in the first ce?"


    He had thought that the Spirit Realm was a special ce that could only be entered and left with the help of a Spirit.


    Did a Spirit betray them and bring this person? Or did the Necromancer find a method of their own?


    "They did say that they made the border city to stop the Intruders. Did they mean the Necromancer Tower when they said Intruders?"


    Eren sat on the edge of the third ind, having a clear view of the entire second ind. From here, he could see everything that was taking ce, without being swept in the battle.


    "That is strange. If the Necromancer Tower actually wanted to destroy this ce, could it reallyst so long?"


    Necromancer Tower was a terrifying existence even in the human world. It was especially the case for their Tower Master.


    It was said that the Necromancer Tower was the worst enemy to go to war with, as their death magic and powerful undead army made them quite annoying to deal with.


    Not only were they strong themselves, but they could also turn their enemies into their own forces after killing them. Therger the forces of the enemy, the more Necromancer Tower excelled in the battle.


    That''s why, it was said that the best tactic to deal with the Necromancer Tower was to take as little forces as possible in the battle. But even then, it was impossible.


    What could a small force do against millions of undead? And even if they somehow managed to reach the Tower Master, could they even defeat that monster?


    Initially, Eren didn''t know much about the Tower Master. There was not much mentioned of that person in the chapters he read.


    That is why he tried to gather as much information as possible, even if it was in the form of rumors.


    One such rumor was that the Tower Master of Necromancer Tower was an existence that was truly undying. No matter how many times he was killed, he always returned to life.


    If that kind of existence wanted to destroy the Spirit Realm, it was impossible for the Spirits to survive. Then why? Something wasn''t adding up.


    "Does that mean the Tower Master wille here as well?" he wondered.


    He was the Heir of the Necromancer Tower, but also their enemy at the same time. If the Tower Master came here, he wasn''t confident enough in dealing with that situation.


    Even worse was the fact that his system was still stuck at the current task.


    If the Necromancer Tower took over this ce, he would have to take control from them. That was an even bigger headache than dealing with the Spirits.


    In this situation, he knew that a lot of things depended on his luck.


    First, the tower master had to be absent. Second, this Skeletal Mage had to be the only enemy from Necromancer Tower. And third, the Spirits had to be at the losing end to the point that they had to beg him for help.


    Only if those conditions were satisfied could he enact his n and snatch the control of Spirit Realm for himself.


    For now, he adopted a wait and watch approach to make sure that all three conditions were satisfied. He was no more than a spectator for now.


    High in the sky of the second ind, Estelina was filled with shock.


    She couldn''t believe that an Intruder had managed to reach the Royal City with such ease. It hadn''t been long since she came from the border city after all. Did that mean Ley and everyone else was already dead?


    "That was definitely entertaining. Let''s do it once more!" The Necromancerughed as another Magic Circle appeared in the sky. However, this time it didn''t stop with just one magic circle.


    The Spirit Queen didn''t allow him to evenplete stacking as she attacked him.


    However, the figure of the Mage simply dispersed, being reced by another citizen of this city.


    "Kekeke, no cheating allowed." Theughter echoed from behind the Spirit Queen.


    The Spirit Queen turned around and attacked again, but the same thing happened. Her attack only sliced through another ordinary spirit who lived on the ind.


    This time, the Necromancer appeared in the middle of Estelina and Resphi, hisughter getting louder.


    One after another, the same magic circle was replicated until it waspleted with seven reinforced magic circles of the same spell.


    "That is quite impressive. Even I''m not sure if I can take that attack."


    In another ce, Eren observed the magic circles on the sky, feeling immense magic power brimming within them.


    He wasn''t sure why, but looking at the magic circles, he was getting a sense of familiarity. It was just a strange feeling that he couldn''t understand either.


    The seven spells activated at the same time, and an even denser ming storm descended from the sky, like heaven was issuing a punishment for the Spirits.


    Spirit Queen Felona was at a loss. Everything she attacked this person, she only killed one of her men.


    She didn''t even understand how he was doing this. But she didn''t have time to think about it. She first had to save her people.


    She gathered the Spirit Essence from her surroundings as she flew straight into the eye of the storm.


    "Mother!" Estelina called out, watching her mother disappear in the ming storm.


    "Kek, mother?"


    The Necromancer''s voice was filled with more amusement as he abruptly turned to Estelina, his skull turning an entire 270 degrees.

 Chapter 179: Chapter 179: Erens greed

    "Mother, mother, mother," he chanted mockingly, dark mes flickering within his empty eye sockets. "How amusing... Even spirits cling to the same emotions and futile rtionships that humans do.''


    His cold fingers brushed against Estelina''s face, as if he was appreciating a precious material.


    "You don''t know that in the beautiful embrace of death, there is no ce of such weakness."


    Estelina''s face twisted in anger. She created a spear of pure spirit essence andunched it at the Necromancer without hesitation.


    However, just before the spear could impale him, he vanished, leaving behind a swirl of dark energy. Instead, her spear struck another spirit in his ce.


    "Kekeke, you''re going to have to try harder than that, daughter of Spirit Queen," his voice echoed from all directions.


    Above, Eren watched the unfolding chaos. He could see a lot of things that others hadn''t noticed because of themotion.


    Firstly, the Necromancer appeared like he was simply toying with them, but that wasn''t the case entirely. He was able to avoid all attacks by recing his ce with someone nearby.


    Under normal conditions, Eren would not have noticed how that worked and the ws within his skill. But as an observer, he was able to see some trails.


    He thought that the Spirits were strong, but they were definitely having a hard time against the Necromancer, especially since the Spirit Queen was distracted by the spell, trying to protect her people.


    Although this was his first time actuallying across a Necromancer, he was able to see why the world was so scared of the Necromancer Tower.


    "So far, the Tower Master hasn''t revealed himself. If I''m not wrong, he didn''te here. With the kind of strength this one person possesses, it would make sense for him toe here alone."


    "That seems to satisfy the initial conditions. In that case, should I also start preparing?" he thought out loud while opening his inventory amidst the sound of explosions.


    "Let''s see how useful this thing can get."


    He brought only one thing from his inventory. It was a modern looking handgun that had been modified to use Mana Bullets.


    It was no ordinary gun anymore but a proper artifact, given to him by the system. He wanted to test the strength of this gun, but he didn''t get a proper opportunity to test it.


    He didn''t know how strong a bullet created from his mana was going to be, as it depended on the purity and density of the holder''s mana.


    Even if it wasn''t strong enough, he had a good use for it, especially against the Necromancer who had revealed quite a few ws during his toying session.


    In his right hand, he had the Mana Gun, and in his left, he held the sword he had taken from Asura Sect Master''s inventory. At the moment, this was the best sword he had.


    Normally, an Elder was supposed to select one weapon from the Sect''s treasury when they joined the sect, and when that person died, the weapon was said to return to the treasury.


    However, Ren joined the sect before Eren hade into this world.


    He didn''t know what Ren had selected, as he couldn''t find any proper weapon anywhere in his house. He had even asked Xiu Ying if she remembered what he had selected, but even she didn''t know.


    ording to her, even the Sect Master didn''t know what one selected inside the treasury, nor did she know everything that was kept inside the treasury.


    The Sect treasury had been inherited from the previous generation and it had been passed on from one generation to the other.


    It was filled with a powerful restriction that made it impossible for anyone to see what happened within it.


    It also made it impossible for anyone to take more than one thing, that''s why there was no checking done to make sure someone didn''t take more than one.


    Normally, those who received a good weapon bragged about it, which was the only way for others to know what one received. There was no such thing in Ren''s case.


    Eren was really curious if Ren had even selected anything in the first ce. And if he did, what was it and where did it even go?


    Did it return to the treasury, considering Ren to be dead with his arrival? He wasn''t certain. He just knew that he had to arrange for his weapons himself.


    Estelina and Resphi were fighting the Necromancer, who was simply toying with them.


    Both of them knew that it was almost impossible for them to win against this person. They were just waiting for the Royal Guards to arrive from the higher inds.


    Looking at the battle, it was normal for people to lose morale. But Eren simply looked at the Necromancer with greed in his eyes.


    "I wonder how many levels I would gain if I kill him. As for his heart..." Slowly, a smile crept up the corner of his lips.


    A skeleton wasn''t supposed to have a heart, but it was a Necromancer who could conjure powerful spells.


    It was impossible for him to not have a heart. And if he had a heart, it meant Eren could steal his skills with Devourer Skills.


    "I hope he won''t disappoint me."


    ....


    As the ming storm intensified, Spirit Queen Felona used an immense amount of her Spirit Essence to contain it.


    It was said that protecting someone was often harder than killing someone, and this held true for the Spirit Queen.


    "Hmm? It seems thest condition might not be as easy to satisfy as I thought. Did I underestimate Felona?"


    High in the sky, Eren sighed to see Felona doing better than he had thought.


    He had been prepared to intervene, but he could see that it wasn''t the right time yet. They weren''t desperate enough. Their hopes weren''t crushed yet.


    "It''s only a matter of time though," Eren focused on the Necromancer, who appeared to be getting serious, especially now that the Royal Spirit Warriors had started arriving in the number of thousands.


    "Kek, this is better. I shall end this once and for all," the Necromancerughed as he opened a spatial portal as well.

 Chapter 180: Chapter 180: A hero, or rather a villain

    ....


    As Felona tried to protect her people, she kept exhausting her spirit essence, which had already been weakened by Eren''s poison. This poison had forced her to waste a significant amount of her spirit essence.


    If she had been solely focused on fighting, disregarding her surroundings, she may have been able to fight back effectively. However, in this situation, she found herself on the backfoot.


    Her body was surrounded by a protective aura of spirit essence. She managed to absorb a great deal of the fire''s destructive energy, containing the mes within a small sphere that was shielded by her spirit essence.


    She realized how unstable it was. It was only a matter of time before the me was going to break free if she didn''t do anything.


    After condensing the sphere to its limit, she absorbed it into her body,  even though it was no different than poison for her.


    "Hmm?" The Necromancer was also taken aback by the Spirit Queen''s sessful defense. He pped slowly. "Impressive. But how long can you keep it up?"


    "Huh?" He suddenly raised his head and looked around him. The entire ind was surrounded by Spirit Warriors, each of them being stronger than Ley.


    "I wanted to y with you a little more. But I am very disappointed in you. Since this is the case, let''s end this. I am in no mood to y anymore."


    The Necromancer''s yful expressions disappeared as soon as he saw the Royal Warriors gather all around him, forming a circle to entrap him.


    The citizens on the second ind had also been evacuated while the Necromancer was busy with others. With that, Felona''s trap waspleted.


    Now that she didn''t need to protect anyone here, she could fight properly. And even with the impure me essence ravaging inside her body like a poison, she was more dangerous than ever.


    "You think I would let you end this so easily? Since you wanted to y, let me y with you a little."


    Felona''s voice was extremely cold, without a shred of emotions. The same Felona who was talking to Eren was nowhere to be seen. She was like apletely different person.


    "Oh? Is that the real her that was kept hidden? Interesting. But I think she is making a mistake." Eren, still on the third ind, shook his head in disappointment.


    "In every cliche novel, the good guys love to waste time with words, giving the enemy an opportunity to use their trump cards. What a rookie mistake from her."


    He didn''t even try to warn her. He just watched as things progressed, as it was beneficial for him if the two sides hurt each other.


    Only then could a hero... Or rather a viin like him make an entrance and take everything for himself.


    The Necromancer opened a spatial portal which connected to his storage. He ced his hand inside the portal and brought something from within.


    It was an old crystal jar which even had some cracks within. It looked like it was barely being kept together with some cheap glue.


    "Identify."


    Eren used Identification right away, to make sure it wasn''t a big enough threat to even obstruct himter.


    "Hmm? That is... It seems the spirits are truly screwed with this one."


    As he went through the description, his expressions turned serious.


    ....


    Back in the Necromancer Tower, heavy breathing sounds filled the dark and empty hallway as a hooded figure ran with all his might.


    He soon reached near a room which was surrounded by the aura of death. Even he felt like he lost a few years of his life as he reached near the room, just from the aura alone.


    He didn''t dare go closer to the room. Right from the hallway, he yelled, "M-Master! I have something to report to you!"


    "Is the Tower Master back?" A creaky voice came from within the room, with each word the aura of death around the room getting stronger.


    The hooded man stepped back in fear, creating more distance.


    "I-it is not that. It''s about the Jar of Spirits! It is missing!"


    The aura of death intensified, covering the entire section of the tower. Every person within the range felt suffocated as they dropped to their knees.


    Even the hooded informer dropped to his knees, holding his throat as he struggled for each breath.


    ck lines spread across his skin as his life was being drawn with each passing second. Within a few seconds, he appeared to have aged considerably.


    "Who was thest person to enter that room?" The voice came again, lowering the pressure on the informer.


    "Lord Lich... He went there just a few hours ago. And after him, I went there to check like I do every day."


    He was the person responsible to check the treasury every day to make sure that all treasures were counted for and none of them was misbehaving.


    The treasures at the Necromancer Tower all had a life of their own after all. Even the Necromancer Tower didn''t leave them alone without precautions.


    Other than the person responsible for checking the cursed treasures, only a Lord level tower member or higher could enter that ce. But even they weren''t allowed to take anything without the Tower Master''s Permission.


    "That annoying skeleton!" The voice within the room turned colder. "I warned him against going for the Spirit Queen without Master''s orders. But he didn''t listen!"


    "How long has it been since he left?" the person asked.


    "It''s been an hour already."


    "If that''s the case, that fool probably already used it."


    For quite some time, there was only silence which was broken by the person inside the room.


    "Fine, let him y around. It might be for the best. With that thing, he would most probably return with the Spirit Queen and some decent materials."


    "Once he returns, I will personally get rid of him for trying to ignore my words."


    The aura of death retracted to the room and the hooded figure finally dropped to his knees, his wrinkled face slowly returning to normal as if his life was being returned


    "T-thank you master."

 Chapter 181: Chapter 181: Return of the Sins of Spirits

    The Necromancer brought out an old jar that looked like it could shatter at any moment. It appeared as if it could shatter with the slightest of force, with nothing remarkable to note.


    However, in the description of the item, Eren saw something else entirely. It was not a cheap item.


    If anything, it was an item that was in the same tier as his pendant series reward. It was a unique tier item, which meant there was only one of these in existence at a time.


    Unlike his unique items, the Jar was not something that was bound to someone. Anyone could use the Jar of Spirits as it actually had no owner.


    ***************************


    Item Name: Jar of Abandoned Spirit


    Rank: Unique Tier


    Durability: 10/100


    Description: An item created by the first spirit queen to protect her human lover from the wrath of her own people after her death.


    Once activated, all the Spirit Essence up to a hundred thousand kilometers is suppressed, and made unable to be used.


    Cooldown: 0/656 Days


    ***************************


    In the real world, the Jar of Abandoned Spirit was mostly useless.


    The Spirit Essence was not used by anyone other than the Spirits, so suppressing it was useless unless the Spirits were targeting someone in the real world.


    The item that seemed mostly useless in the real world was the most terrifying weapon in the Spirit Realm, as the Spirit Essence was everything for the Spirits.


    Meanwhile, the Necromancer didn''t need it in the least. All he cared about were his mana reserve which was unaffected by the artifact.


    "Since it doesn''t affect mana, that should be quite beneficial for me as well."


    Eren was more rxed when he read the description of the Jar. With that, he was certain the third condition was going to be fulfilled soon as well.


    "You!" The Spirit Queen recognised the Jar.


    Although she had not seen it personally in the past, there was no way for her to not recognise something made by the first Spirit Queen, who was the originator of them all.


    This jar was a relic of their shameful past, that she could not forget. It had been lost for a long time, but she didn''t expect to see this once again.


    "Why would you...?"


    As soon as the Jar was brought out, the surrounding spirit essence was greedily being absorbed by its shell.


    The Spirit Queen attacked the Jar to stop it frompletely activating. A barrage of attack flew towards the Necromancer. The other Spirit Warriors did the same.


    Thebined attack looked powerful enough to destroy multiple kingdoms in the blink of an eye. The surroundings turned brighter with all the attacks, making it impossible to properly see anything.


    "Kek." Seeing the attacksing from every side, the Necromancer didn''t appear intimidated. He didn''t switch his body this time. He simply removed the old lid from the Jar.


    With that, the Jar of Abandoned Spirits waspletely activated, and the absorption of Spirit Essence increased to an unbelievable extent, as if the Jar was devouring everything in its surroundings and keeping it in the infinite space within.


    The attacks of the Spirits were also made from the Spirit Essence, which was the building block of their power. The Jar didn''t differentiate between ordinary spirit essence and the one used for attacks.


    The attacks changed direction, influenced by the Jar which started turning them back to pure spirit essence.


    One after another, the attacks missed the Necromancer and entered the Jar of Abandoned Spirits.


    The bright light soon disappeared, and the Necromancer still stoodpletely fine. Instead, it was the Spirit Warriors that started falling from the sky, one after another.


    The Spirit Queen was able to resist for a light longer, but even she felt suffocated. Even the Spirit Essence she had gathered to fight was being devoured by the Jar from her body.


    "Isn''t it beautiful?" The Necromancerughed, watching the Spirit Warriors fall like shooting stars. "It is as if your sins from the past have returned to haunt you."


    It was a beautiful sight to see for him.


    "Because the Spirits looked down on humans, they didn''t appreciate the fact that a human was selected by the Spirit Queen as her husband."


    He looked at the cracked jar, which hid a long forgotten past of the Spirits, his fingers caressing it gently.


    "They betrayed their own Queen, who brought them into this world, all because they didn''t agree with her decision. It was all for such a futile thing..."


    For the first time, he looked a little out of ce, as if he was observing his cherished possession.


    "Even at the moment of her death, she had enough strength to turn this world to hell. But she didn''t. She used this thing instead, to protect her lover."


    "She forcefully sent her lover to the human world with this jar. Even when she died, she didn''t hate anyone..."


    Felona''s flight also became unstable as she fell from the sky like a shooting star. Fortunately, she managed tond on her feet.


    "How do you know all that?" she asked the Necromancer, with the world turning void of the spirit essence.


    "Do you really need to ask that?" A figure softlynded behind Felona, surprising her. "It is because..."


    With the three conditions finally being satisfied, Eren descended from the third ind, holding Resphi and Estelina in his arms.


    They weren''t as capable as their mother. Then if they wouldn''t have died during their fall, they could still get hurt without the protection of Spirit Essence.


    Fortunately, he protected them during his descent.


    "Huh? It''s impossible!" Felona eximed in disbelief to Eren''s words.


    .....


    Back in the Necromancer Tower, there existed a room surrounded by death. A person sat inside the room, lost in thoughts.


    "To think that he took the Jar of Abandoned Spirits... And his obsession with going there personally... It seems he remembered everything."


    The scary silence was soon broken as a few words were spoken. "What a pity¡­"

 Chapter 182: Chapter 182: A Demons Whisper

    .....


    With the spirit essence of the world being devoured by the Jar, all three conditions of Eren''s n were fulfilled. At this moment, he hadplete control over the situation.


    The Spirits were rendered powerless and could do nothing but rely on him. He couldmand them to do anything, and they would have to listen if they wanted to survive.


    As for the Necromancer, it was strong but still just one person.


    "My dear system, I am sure you tried to screw me over. But watch how I turn things in my favor," Eren muttered with a smirk.


    With everything in ce, he leaped off the third ind. However, he had barely descended halfway when he noticed Estelina and Resphi plummeting, unable to control their flight.


    He could have let them fall, knowing they would survive. But in the end, he decided to save them.


    Temporarily keeping his gun and Sword back, he flew towards the two of them. His arms wrapped around their wrists, slowing their fall.


    "Kyaa, the pervert is back!" Resphi screamed.


    If Eren''s hands weren''t upied, he would have already flicked her forehead.


    "If you don''t shut that mouth, I might send you to the bigger pervert up there," he retorted.


    Resphi''s face grew pale, and she immediately closed her mouth.


    "I thought you ran away. Why are you back?" Estelina asked, being carried like baggage.


    She wasn''t foolish enough to think that this was because of some fleeting sense of morality. She was certain Eren had his own reason.


    "I am back to take something that''s mine," Eren answered vaguely.


    "And that would be?" asked Estelina.


    "You will find out soon enough. After all, it''s more or less confirmed already."


    Erennded behind Felona, carrying Estelina and Resphi who were no stronger than an ordinary person at the moment. If he wanted, he could easily knock both of them out.


    Along the way, he managed to hear the story that the Necromancer was telling. However, he already knew the context better than anyone.


    He knew the moment he had used the identification skill on the Necromancer, as well as the Jar. Both status screens had one thing inmon.


    "How do you know all that?" Felona asked, not realizing that Eren hadnded behind her. Without the Spirit Essence, even her senses had be dull.


    "Do you really need to ask that? It''s because he is the human lover of the First Spirit Queen, and the person that was given the Jar of Abandoned Spirits in the first ce."


    Eren also found it somewhat hard to believe when he read that in the Necromancer''s status screen.


    The Necromancer was the original owner of the Jar, but when he checked the item''s description, the Necromancer wasn''t considered an owner.


    It was because he wasn''t the human anymore.


    He was the same person, but he had turned into an entirely different existence after being brought to life as an undead by the Tower Master.


    "It''s impossible! How can he...?!" Felona eximed in disbelief to Eren''s words.


    The spirits were sinners. They had betrayed the first Spirit Queen, and for centuries after that, many spirits regretted their decision.


    They had killed their own mother while also taking everything from the human mortal.


    It was only when the Spirit Queen was gone, and the Spirit Realm began to weaken that they realized the gravity of their actions.


    In response, the spirits began entering into contracts with humans to atone for their past mistakes. This was also a way for them to strengthen the Spirit Realm by drawing life from humans with every summon.


    Though the spirits knew they had been wrong, some things remained unchanged. Future Spirit Queens had never fallen in love with a human again, determined not to repeat the same mistake.


    The Spirit Queen was no longer even allowed to be contracted with a human, or to leave the Spirit Realm.


    "That is right... I am the person who sold his humanity for this moment!" The Necromancer stated, his voice echoing in all seven inds.


    "She was the one who brought you into existence. She cherished you so much. Even during her death, she couldn''t get herself to hate you! But I am not her!"


    "You took her from me! You took my everything! I have burned in the mes of hatred for as far as I can remember. Even in death, I only wanted one thing... The destruction of you all!"


    "Unfortunately, I couldn''t find a way to enter this ce. I died with this hatred in my heart, cursing myself for this weakness. Until one day, I returned from the embrace of death!"


    "Thanks to the Tower Master, I was back. But I could not remember anything about my life. It wasn''t until I touched this Jar that I remembered everything."


    "I feel foolish... To think that death made me forget about her... Death made me forget about you all. But once again, she showed me the light in the eternal darkness and made me remember..."


    His fingers caressed the Jar, which was the most precious thing to him, as well as the only possession he could call his own.


    The moment he remembered his past, he wanted toe here and rain down hell on the Spirits, but he wasn''t allowed. It was only now that he was permitted for material gathering.


    "I will be med if I don''t bring enough materials. But I will ept all the me, as long as I get to eradicate you all!"


    "Even if I truly return to death''s embrace after that, I will be happy. I will drag you all with me, so you could beg for her forgiveness!"


    He raised his right hand, and once again the Inferno Magic Circle appeared in the sky, but this time, something was different about it.


    This time, the circle looked moreplex, along with the addition of spells rted to death.


    Felona''s expressions turned darker at the sight of the magic circle. Without her strength, she couldn''t even protect her people.


    "Do you realize that all Spirits are about to be killed?" Eren ced his hand on the Spirit Queen''s head while whispering in her ears like a demon, trying to lure her.


    "But it doesn''t have to be that way... As long as you want it¡­"

 Chapter 183: Chapter 183: Like a Villain

    Felona wasn''t a fool to not understand what Eren was implying.


    In this situation, all the Spirits were useless. The only person other than the Necromancer who could still fight was Eren.


    She didn''t know if Eren could actually defeat the Necromancer, especially one who was this strong. Even she could barely stop his spells while protecting her people.


    Despite that, he was their only hope at this moment.


    She didn''t ce her hopes on Eren beating the Necromancer, but she didn''t need that in the first ce. All she needed was for the Jar in his hand to break.


    "Break that Jar. If that happens, we should be able to stop him."


    Once the Jar was broken, she believed that they could take their fate in their own hands, instead of relying on others.


    Unfortunately, it was impossible for the Spirits to break that jar as all their attacks on it were useless in the first ce, and it was even worse in the absence of spirit essence.


    Only an outsider could do something like that, and fortunately they had just the outsider.


    Eren rubbed his ears, as if he heard something wrong. He didn''t react and simply looked at the Spirit Queen.


    "Why are you not doing anything?" Estelina stated sternly. "Go and break that thing!"


    Eren only sighed in response, while flicking her forehead, making her fall on her back. Even though he didn''t use much force, Estelina still lost her bnce as she was weak currently.


    "You! Are you looking to die?!" Estelina rubbed her forehead. However, before she could even stand up, Eren approached her, his eyes looking at her as if he was looking at something beneath him.


    Since he had decided to rob everything from that, he couldn''t do that while being a hero. He had to be a viin, and he was ready to y that part.


    Under his sharp gaze, Estelina genuinely felt fear rising from the depths of her heart. She didn''t feel like it was a human looking at her, but an ancient beast in human skin.


    "Youngdy, aren''t you misunderstanding something?" he asked, his Sword returning to his hand.


    He aimed his sword at Estelina''s heart, showing her that he could take her life at any moment he wanted.


    "First, you kidnapped me from my home. Then you dragged me to this ce and tried to trick me into fighting your people at the border city. And now, you want me to fight for you?"


    He went down on one knee, bringing her lips closer to her ears. "Didn''t I tell you that I would kill you if there''s a third time? Should we see if I can actually do that or not?"


    Estelina turned pale. She had forgotten that Eren was a person who hadn''t listened to him even once since she brought him here.


    Even when she could use the Spirit Essence, he was still willing to fight back. Even when he was surrounded by Spirit Warriors in the Border City, he still threatened to kill her.


    When she could fight, he wasn''t scared of her. On the other hand, she couldn''t even fight back now. She didn''t even know who was a bigger threat for them? The Necromancer, or this seemingly ordinary man?


    She had brought Eren here, thinking that they were the wolves and he was a treasured sheep. But was it the other way around? Were they the sheep instead? Did she bring a wolf into her home?


    She didn''t think that Eren would be evil or dangerous, just because he was with Xiu Ying. She didn''t know that he was apletely different person from Xiu Ying.


    Eren was truly immersed in his act as a viin, learning from all the antagonist main characters he had read about. Although he didn''t actually n to kill any of them, it was truly fun to scare them.


    Moreover, scaring them was absolutely necessary for submission. He didn''t want to leave any ws in hispletion of the conquering option he had chosen.


    He didn''t have to beg for the realm to be handed over to him. He didn''t have to be rewarded for it. The answer was simple... He absolutely had to conquer this ce.


    "You pervert, step away from my sister!" Resphi called out, but the moment Eren''s gaze turned to her, she also froze in ce.


    "As for you..." Eren stood up and walked back to Resphi. "Didn''t I warn youst time? Shall we see if newborn Spirits bleed?"


    He raised a sword, licking his de like a maniac.


    It was another thing he had read a main character do which sounded cool, but in reality, he felt really weirded out while doing it.


    Felona stepped between Eren and her daughter, hiding Resphi behind her.


    "What do you want in exchange for your help?" she asked, bringing the topic back to the Necromancer.


    "Help? I''m afraid I''m not nning to help protect outsiders. But if it was something that was mine... I would definitely protect it. I don''t like anyone taking my things after all."


    Eren lowered his sword, while ncing at the Necromancer who himself appeared confused to see what was happening on the ground.


    He thought the people were either going to be scared, or begging him for forgiveness. He even expected them to try to fight him. But he didn''t expect the Spirit Queen topletely ignore him.


    Instead, all her attention was on the human.


    "It seems I gave you too much time to y around. Let''s finish it then," he said whilepleting another seven stacked Magic Circle of Inferno.


    Felona understood the implications hidden behind Eren''s words. He wasn''t just asking for a reward from them. Instead, he was asking for everything they had.


    He was asking to be an absolute ruler of the Spirit Realm. If she had heard it in the past, she would haveughed at it. A human wanted to rule over the Spirits and their home? It was an absurd thought in itself.


    Not only would she haveughed at his request, but she might have even killed him for having such thoughts in the first ce. But now... Things had be a lot moreplicated.

 Chapter 184: Chapter 184: Summoning the Legendary Tier!

    "Do you have any other choice but to help us in the first ce?" Spirit Queen Felona did not agree with Eren''s unspoken demand. "If you don''t help us, you will also die here. Isn''t that correct?"


    She only needed his help with breaking the Jar. After that, it was her fight. She didn''t believe that he could defeat the Necromancer without their help. He couldn''t leave this ce without their help either.


    He was stuck here with them. If they died, he was going to die as well. And if he died, they were going to die. Both of them needed each other to survive. It wasn''t a situation where one had the upper hand.


    The Necromancer had lived for a long time. He wasn''t just a Necromancer but an Undead Necromancer, with magic strength beyond any ordinary necromancer.


    Eren was surprised that even in this situation, Felona could think so calmly.


    "He might be strong, but he''s not the one to defeat me," he answered. "If it was another Necromancer, it might have been different, but with him... I am more than capable of taking him down myself."


    "If you don''t like this, then I can simply return to being a spectator. He hates you people the most, so I''m sure he would take his sweet time tormenting you all."


    "You are lying. How can you defeat him?" Felona asked in disbelief. Even if Eren had a few unknown treasures, it should have been impossible for him to kill that Lich.


    There was quite a lot of difference in their strength, especially since the Lich could switch his body with others to survive any attack. Even her own attack didn''tnd on him.


    "Even if you don''t believe me, does that change anything? I might die, and I might not." Eren shrugged in response. "But you will definitely die."


    Felona clenched her fist, feeling as if her back was against a wall.


    Even if she might survive this attack, how many Spirits were going to be killed? Was she going to be the Spirit Queen under whom her entire race was going to disappear?


    Felona looked at the Spirit Warriors who had fallen on the ground. The Spirits who had escaped couldn''t go too far either. One after another, they were all going to be killed if she didn''t do anything.


    "I can''t hand over the fate of my entire species in your hands. I... I can''t make decisions for them." The Spirit Queen said with clenched teeth.


    "In that case, I will-"


    Eren slowly started stepping back, but he froze in ce when he saw the Spirit Queen fall on her knees instead.


    The Queen of Spirits... The strongest Spirit was on her knees in front of a man. To save her people, she was even willing to swallow her pride and go down on her knees in front of a mere human.


    For a Spirit, their pride was everything. But the Spirit Queen was sacrificing that pride instead of giving Eren control of the entire realm and the lives of her people.


    Under normal conditions, Eren would have listened to her. Even he wasn''t so heartless to ignore this. Unfortunately, he also had no choice in the matter.


    If he helped her now, there was no chance toplete the system option. Could he really give up on his future just for the sake of a stranger?


    His hands were behind his back so the Spirit Queen couldn''t see her clenched fists.


    He simply kept stepping back, his body soon rising in the air as he prepared to leave.


    "Even if you are going so far, I can''t do anything about this."


    He started rising in the air, going farther and farther from her. The Spirit Queen sat on the ground, her hand on the soil as she watched Eren leave.


    She wasn''t crying, but her eyes were still filled with helplessness over her weakness. She raised her head, watching the Magic Circle beingpleted already.


    She looked at her daughters and the face of other spirits, who were about to pay for the sin of the first generation spirits.


    "Fine! It all belongs to you! We all belong to you! Our life and death, it''s all in your hands! Please help my people!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.


    Eren just needed her to say the words toplete the option. He didn''t even know if she was going to stick to her words in the future. The Spirits were said to be unable to lie, but he couldn''t trust that.


    Still, he only cared about his system and not the authenticity of her words.


    However, to her surprise, something strange happened in the next moment.


    A blood red screen appeared in front of his eyes, flickering with traces of ck.


    [You havepleted the first option]


    [The Words of Spirit Queen have been verified. Consent has been taken, which can''t be retrieved]


    "Consent can''t be retrieved?" Looking at the words, Eren remembered the night when he first entered the shady site of Celestial Novels.


    It all started with this one sentence, to which he had given consent, not thinking much. After so long, these words appeared again, but not for him.


    Blood red shackles came out from the system screen, that only Eren could see. The shackles flew straight to the Spirit Queen and the other spirits, entering their bodies and entrapping their hearts.


    Not just the Spirits on the second ind, but the Spirits in every ind in the entire realm were tied to these shackles without even realizing.


    The Spirit Queen''s words were taken as consent for her entire species.


    [Congrattions onpleting the first subjugation]


    [You have been rewarded with one random summon]


    [You have been rewarded with a guardian spirit. You can summon her at any moment]


    "My legendary tier reward," Eren looked at the system screen, his lips curving up to form a smile.


    He was shocked to see the chainse out of his system screen, but the rewardpletely changed his thoughts.


    He had finally received what he wanted the most... His first Legendary Tier Reward.


    Although he didn''t need anyone''s help to stop the Necromancer, because he already knew that person''s weakness, but this was just the perfect time to test his new reward.


    "Come out..." He raised his left hand, behind which a contracted mark had appeared.

 Chapter 185: Chapter 185: Legendary Tier Guardian

    The Inferno Magic Circle waspleted, reinforced seven times. However, it was tainted with death as well, which made the magic even more dangerous.


    Unlike the bright orange me from before, a deep ck me fell from the Magic Circles, swallowing everything in its path.


    The mes passed through the Necromancer''s body, leaving himpletely unaffected. But it was different from everyone else.


    The Necromancer watched the mes fall down from the sky.


    He didn''t even pay any more attention to the me and gazed towards the first ind where ''she'' had lost her life.


    "I know you did not want this. But just this once... let me be selfish. Or else, the fire of vengeance in my heart will swallow me whole."


    The Necromancer knew that he was going against the wishes of the person he loved more than his life. But at this moment, he didn''t care about that.


    He wanted to punish the descendants of the traitors in the worst way possible.


    To kill the weakened Spirits, a normal Inferno was enough. However, he turned it into an Inferno of death, so that he could destroy every being of their existence while still leaving their conscience to be tormented by him for eternity.


    As for the Materials that he came here for, he could still gather that from other cities.


    "Hmm?"


    He thought that it was all over and was preparing to leave, but suddenly he came to a stop. He looked down, noticing that the ck mes had suddenly stopped.


    The Jar in his hand had also started trembling, as if he was losing control for some reason. It didn''t make sense to him. Why was this jar suddenly so restless?


    He tried to hold onto the Jar firmly, but the Jar suddenly flew off his hand, flying straight into the dark mes.


    The Necromancer followed after the Jar, going under the cloud of dark mes, where he saw that the Spirits werepletely unharmed. The ck mes were actually stopped by an invisible force.


    The Jar alsonded in the hands of a person.


    The Necromancer looked in disbelief. After returning from death, this was the first time that he felt like this. It was as if his entire world view had turned upside down.


    ....


    A few moments ago, a ck me storm descended from the sky.


    The Spirit Queen and the other Spirits watched the mes of death fall over them. Many closed their eyes, as if epting their deaths.


    Even the Spirit Queen realized that maybe she thought too much. It was impossible for them to survive. If anything, Eren was dying with them as well.


    Right then, she saw Eren raided his left hand. Only now, she noticed that there was a mark on the back of his hand. It was none other than a Spirit Contract Mark.


    She knew that it was a Spirit Mark, but this was the first time she had seen something like this. Usually, a Spirit Mark was different based on the strength of the Spirit who was contracted.


    The stronger the spirit, the darker the Spirit Mark. If it was a weak spirit, the spirit mark a human received was pure white when activated.


    Although she had never contracted a human, she knew that the best she could give a human was a dark gray spirit contract mark. With Estelina, it was a lighter shade of gray.


    But the mark she saw in front of her eyes was pure ck. It was even darker than the ck mes descending from the sky. She didn''t understand how it was possible.


    Was she misunderstanding something? Was it not a Spirit Mark but just something that looked like it? She had many questions.


    The Spirit Mark activated, and Eren felt as if his heart had stopped beating for a small second. He felt a torrent of spirit essence gathering around him, even though all of it had been sucked by the Jar previously.


    At the same time, the torrent of spirit essence flew towards the sky, stopping the dark mes in its ce. Even Spirit Queen Felona could not do it easily.


    Eren saw a figure appear before him. He could only see the back of the person, but she was wearing a light dress that wrapped around her figure, highlighting her curves.


    Her long hair was tied into a ponytail, and came down to her ankles.


    After stopping the dark mes, the woman looked at the back of her hand.


    "I see... I am..." Her voice sounded a little mncholic as she realized something.


    She didn''t speak loudly, but Eren was able to hear her voice clearly. It was soft and soothing, like a gentle breeze on a warm summer day.


    The Spirit Queen looked at the person''s back, curious about her identity. She was sure that this woman was also a spirit, but how?


    How was it possible that when she looked at the woman, she felt as if she was looking at a towering existence.


    Spirits didn''t have something like a bloodline suppression. And even if they had it, Spirit Queen Felona would have had the purest bloodline.


    So why? Why was there a subconscious urge inside her body to immediately fall to her knees, as if the queen had descended?


    The woman in front of Eren slowly turned around, revealing her face to Eren.


    As Eren looked at the woman, he could see that she was truly beautiful, like a fairy descending from heaven. Not other than that, he didn''t have any extreme reaction to the look of that woman.


    On the other hand, Spirit Queen Felona''s face grew pale. Without a second thought, she dropped to her knees, cing her hand on her chest.


    "Twenty Seventh Generation Spirit Queen Felona greets the First Spirit Queen, the origin of the realm!"


    Most people would not have recognised the person that Eren had summoned. Even he didn''t know who this Guardian was that he summoned. All he knew was that it was a Legendary Tier Reward.


    "Huh...? Huhhh...?" Eren finally had an extreme reaction.

 Chapter 186: Chapter 186: The Buried Past

    Eren hadn''t recognised the Guardian he had summoned, but the Spirit Queen Felona was different.


    In the Royal Pce, there were portraits of all previous spirit queens. And one of them was the most special out of all, which was hidden from public sight.


    It was the portrait of the first spirit queen, who was also the first spirit toe into existence.


    Even Felona found it hard to believe. It was impossible for a dead Spirit toe back to life.


    Just the thought of it alone was absurd. But now this absurd possibility had be her reality as the First Spirit Queen was standing right before her eyes.


    Her face lookedpletely identical to the first spirit queen depicted in the portrait. But that alone wasn''t enough to prove her identity.


    What confirmed Felona''s suspicions was the fact that this Spirit could use her abilities even in the absence of the Spirit Essence. It was as if the entire realm listened to her as she was its true creator.


    All the Spirits that came after her were just guests in this realm. They never became the true owner of this ce. Even the future spirit queens never received the same eptance from this realm that the First Spirit Queen had.


    "Twenty Seventh... So much time has passed..." The Spirit Queen mumbled under her breath.


    Sighing, she turned to Eren, her eyes revealing a semnce of recognition.


    "I never believed those words. But to think that this was actually possible..." She said vaguely, confusing Eren even more.


    What words was this woman talking about? What was actually possible? Was she talking about her return from death? That would have made sense. But for some reason, he had a nagging feeling that it wasn''t the case.


    She didn''t speak further, instead turning towards the ming storm that was stopped by her barrier. It was as if she was able to see through the storm and look at the Necromancer who was standing on the other side.


    There was sadness in her eyes as she looked at the person.


    She just wanted him to live safe after her death, not thinking about vengeance. She never expected something like this to happen.


    The man that she wanted to live happy and safe, couldn''t even find peace in death. He was forced to return, still having the same vengeance.


    As for the Jar, it was given to him for his safety. And now this same thing had almost shoved all the spirits to hell.


    "Are you sure you don''t want to take my offer? If you don''t, you might regret it a lot in the future..." The words she had heard a long time ago resurfaced in her mind.


    She closes her eyes, reliving the buried past. It was as if all that happened just yesterday, when she was on the verge of death.


    "Mother, is that person really...?" Estelina approached her mother, still scared of Eren after hisst threat.


    "That is right... She is the first spirit queen," Felona confirmed. There was no other possibility.


    Somehow, that human had managed to bring the first spirit queen back to life. Not only that, he even had a contract with her.


    It all sounded so absurd. She couldn''t help but look at Eren, the person who had turned the impossible into possible.


    There was one more thing that she didn''t understand. If he could summon the first spirit queen, did he really need to go that far for them to submit to him?


    If he had summoned the Spirit Queen before, it was a given conclusion that all Spirits would have submitted. Then why? Why did he not reveal that? Just what was his goal?


    The more she tried to understand Eren, the more iprehensible he became.


    She didn''t know that Eren was even more surprised than her about the identity of his guardian.


    He had summoned the lover of that Lich? Was she going to betray him? Could a Guardian even betray him in the first ce? He had so many questions in his mind.


    Eren was at a loss of words. He was prepared for any eventualities, even if his guardian was somehow to betray him.


    The first Spirit Queen raised her hand, establishing contact with the Jar which was made with her spirit essence. Even though so much time had passed, it was still a part of him.


    The Jar became unstable and forcefully freed itself from the Necromancer, flying through the cloud of mes tond in his hand.


    The Necromancer came flying down, chasing after the Jar. But his bodypletely froze when he saw the person that was holding  the Jar.


    "Impossible! It is impossible!" He eximed in disbelief, the mes in his empty eye socket bing even stronger.


    "How dare you?! How dare you use her face to fool me?!" He roared, for the first time appearing as if he had lost hisposure.


    He didn''t believe that she was actually back. In his eyes, it was a trick of the spirits. Even after her death, they were still using her face to trick him! These spirits had gone too far!


    "All of you must die!" The Necromancer coldly stated. It was as if he had actually lost his mind at that moment.


    He mindlessly rushed to attack the First Spirit Queen, who was a fake in his eyes. However, the moment he neared her, the spirit queen crushed the Jar in her hand.


    A single tear streamed down her cheeks as she watched the Liche to a sudden halt.


    Eren silently watched the Spirit Essence of this realm be freed of the Jar, which was broken by its creator.


    ''Not bad. Not only did she not betray me, but she also noticed ''it'' without any help.''


    This was the reason that he was confident about his ability to defeat the Lich.


    If it was any other Necromancer, he would have been more hesitant. But thanks to the identification, he had noticed the weakness of the Necromancer.


    It was a weakness that he brought with him after all.

 Chapter 187: Chapter 187: New Identity

    Even amongst the undead, Lich was a superior existence. It was said that a Lich could master any magic with ease, especially those rted to death.


    A lich was also the hardest to kill, as no matter how many times it was killed, it could always return to life. A lich was the hardest existence to kill, because it was a creature whose life was tied to another object.


    As long as that object was not destroyed, a lich could not be killed. And mostly, that object was hidden safely, almost impossible to hide.


    For a lich, exposing that object was like exposing his life. However, the lich in front of him had made the same mistake.


    The object he needed to defeat the Spirits was his own life vessel. Before his death, it was the most precious object to him. But after his return from death, this object had be his life itself.


    When the Lich came here, he only cared about destroying the Spirits. He didn''t care about his life vessel, especially since he didn''t believe that any Spirits could threaten him.


    The moment the Jar flew off his hand, he felt fear for the first time. But it wasn''t fear for his own death. It was the fear of dying before killing all Spirits.


    He chased after the Jar with all his might, only to watch it be crushed by the person that had the same face as the woman he loved more than his life.


    The moment the jar shattered, his body froze in ce. He watched the pieces of the jar fall at the feet of the first spirit queen.


    His strength left his body, and he felt the cold grip of death creeping up on him. Despite this, he struggled to focus on the woman who dared to wear the face of his lover.


    With trembling hands, he reached for her throat, but his grip was weak. A single tear from the woman fell on the back of his hand.


    "If I had known this would happen, I never would have entered your life..." the first spirit queen said, not even attempting to remove the Lich''s hand.


    It was because she entered his life that he had to go through all this. If she hadn''t met him, or maintained her distance... If she hadn''t gotten greedy, this would not have happened.


    "You''re not... I see..." the Lich murmured, falling silent.


    He released her throat, his trembling fingers brushing against her cheeks.


    "I... am... d..."


    His body began to disintegrate, turning into dust that drifted away on the wind, disappearing into the horizon.


    ....


    The biggest threat to the Spirit Realm had died. The Spirit Essence had also returned to this world with the destruction of the Jar.


    Spirit Queen Felona and the others also felt their strength returning. The magic circle that was cast by the Lich also started disappearing with no source left in existence.


    The dark mes also dispersed, and the clear sky was again revealed.


    All the Spirits and Warriors of the realm started cheering loudly, not realizing that the hero of this battle was in no mood to cheer herself.


    The Spirit Queen watched the remnants of the Jar, lying at her feet. For quite some time, she didn''t speak a single word.


    Felona and the others did not interfere either. They just silently watched the woman, who was known to be their ancestor.


    Even Eren did not interfere. It wasn''t only because he wanted to give the first spirit queen some time to mourn. Instead, it was also because he had received something interesting.


    He was more interested in the status screen.


    [Your Guardian has killed a Lich]


    [You have been rewarded with experience]


    [As your guardian killed it, the experience points have been reduced]


    [You have leveled up]


    [You have leveled up]


    [You have leveled up]


    One after another, notifications started appearing in front of him.


    ****************************


    [Name: Eren (Ren Necroline)]


    [Level: 19]


    [Identity: Elder at the Great Demon Sect, Spy of Mythical Hero Academy, Owner of Devourer Bloodline, Heir of the Necromancer Tower, Ruler of Spirit Realm]


    [Bloodline: Unknown, Devourer, Royal Sea Dragon, Sea Serpentine]


    [Guardian: First Spirit Queen Yelen]


    [Age: 21]


    [Traits: Calm]


    [Stats]


    [Strength: 29]


    [Agility: 31]


    [Stamina: 30]


    [Intelligence :45]


    [Mana: 195]


    [Cultivation: Unknown (Sealed)]


    [Hero Grade: SSS]


    [Goddess Protection: None]


    [Unique items in possession: Pendant of Poison, Modified Desert Eagle, Overlord Killing Dagger (Iplete)]


    [Skills: Sword Emperor''s Aura, Aura Control Method, Identification, Devouring, Aquatic Mastery, Flight, Dragon Language, Dragon Transformation, Skill Unification]


    ******************************


    He observed his status screen and noticed a few changes. The first and most obvious change was that his level and stats had increased.


    Another significant change was that another identity had been added to him. Amongst his identities, now it also mentioned that he was the Ruler of Spirit Realm.


    He hadn''t received any new skills, but he received something more significant. He received a guardian which was also mentioned in his status screen.


    This was the first time he had seen the name of the First Spirit Queen.


    When Eren was dragged here forcefully, he thought he ended up in an unnecessary mess. But this ce had only proven beneficial to him. The reward he received was iparable to anything before.


    Now, he was the Ruler of this entire ce.


    Just like the four Overlords and the Dragon Queen, he also had a force of his own. And to top it all off, the First Spirit Queen was his protector.


    Still, there was one more thing that he needed before he could even think about returning. It was the thing for which he wanted toe here in the first ce.


    The main character had tried to kill him. With each passing moment, the Main Character was bing an ufortable variable for him.


    The moment he attempted to Poison him, Eren had made up his mind to kill him. The thing that he needed to make it possible was in the Spirit Realm.

 Chapter 188: Chapter 188: Rens Past?

    To kill the main character, he needed something that could make his life saving treasure useless. He needed something that could prevent the main character''s escape when he was on the verge of death.


    Even in his wildest dreams, he didn''t want to give the main character an opportunity to escape as he knew it was a recipe for disaster.


    In almost every fantasy novel he read, there was always a viin who was too strong for the Main Character. But they allowed him an opportunity to escape, only for the main character to return stronger and kill them.


    This was thest thing Eren wanted, hence he had been dying his n. But if he could make sure that the Main Character wasn''t able to escape, he could finally take thest step.


    ording to the Author, there was no Transmigrator in the Eastern Continent except him. Once the Main Character was gone, this was more or less a safe space for him, as long as he was cautious.


    He wasn''t sure how true it was, but ording to Celeste, the answer he was looking for was in the Spirit Realm.


    "Hmm? Now that I think about it, where is Celeste?"


    Thinking about Celeste, he noticed that the little girl had been missing. She was not in his pocket and he didn''t even know when she left.


    "Yelen?" he called out the first spirit queen by her name.


    Yelen turned around. She wasn''t just Eren''s contracted spirit. She was also his guardian. She could neither betray him, nor go against hismands. She was tied to him.


    Yelen went down on one knee, properly greeting Eren for the first time like a guardian.


    Felona and the other spirits who had found out Yelen''s identity were shocked to see their first spirit queen on her knees before a human.


    "Ancestor, you don''t have to-" Resphi tried speaking, but her back turned cold when she saw Yelen''s re.


    "Little child, I would advise you to think about your next words carefully."


    Resphi closed her mouth and didn''t utter a single word. Eren didn''t have to guess hard to understand what Resphi was about to say next.


    "I wanted to ask you something with just the two of us," Eren told Yelen, ignoring Resphi and others.


    He was curious about Celeste''s whereabouts, but he couldn''t ask the Spirits to search for her when they couldn''t even see her. He could only wait for her to return on her own while taking care of his own matters.


    Yelen stood up, understanding Eren''s meaning. She waved her hand, a barrage of spirit energy circling Eren.


    Eren found his surroundings changing, and the next moment, he was in a closed space. His surroundings looked like some grand hall inside a Royal Pce.


    The only ce in the Spirit Realm that could have this grandeur was the Spirit Queen''s Pce. Eren could even see the throne behind him.


    Usually, the Spirit Queen was supposed to sit here, but as a ruler, this throne belonged to him.


    Eren looked back at the grand throne, realizing why Yelen brought him here. She wanted him to take the throne.


    He found it somewhat strange. Why was Yelen so epting? She didn''t even reveal anyints or confusion with her sudden return. It was as if she already knew that something like this was going to happen.


    Eren observed Yelen as he sat on the throne, his palm resting on the golden armrest.


    [Path of Conqueror Completion: 16.5]


    "I want to ask you a few questions," Eren stated.


    Yelen silently listened, as if waiting to see what questions he was going to ask.


    "Did you know about me before we met today?" Eren asked.


    Following his question, there was absolute silence in the hall. Yelen didn''t say anything.


    "I asked you a question. Did you know about me before we met today?" Eren repeated the question, a trace of lightning flickering around the spirit mark on the back of his hand.


    Yelen clenched her chest, feeling pain rising within her heart. She almost dropped to her knees but controlled herself at thest moment.


    She broke the silence.


    "Yes."


    "I thought so." Eren nodded, expecting that answer.


    It was too obvious. The moment she was summoned, she appeared to have been prepared for it.


    "My next question... Have we met before today?" Eren asked the first spirit queen.


    The Spirit Queen looked back at Eren. "I don''t understand why you are asking me these questions."


    "The more hesitant you are, the more I can see that I am on the right track. So answer me, did we meet before today?"


    Eren had only seen a glimpse of Ren''s past. A lot of that was still a mystery. With the first spirit queen, he had a feeling that he was close to uncovering something.


    If she already knew about him before today, that meant there was a high chance that she knew a lot more that she was not telling.


    With Yelen''s hesitation, Eren repeated the question. The spirit mark once again activated as Yelen hadn''t followed his wishes by answering.


    This time, Yelen couldn''t control herself and fell to her knees, holding her chest tightly, feeling a throbbing pain.


    Normally, a Spirit Contract wasn''t able to inflict pain on a Spirit. But the Guardian Spirit was different.


    "Even I don''t want to hurt you after you helped me, especially when you had to kill your lover with your own hands to save me," he said, not liking the feeling of hurting his own guardian.


    Still, he could not ignore these questions, as this might be another link to the past that he wanted to find out.


    He further stated, "These answers are important for me. So please tell me... did we meet before today? Or rather, how did we meet?"


    With her hesitation, he already guessed that the answer was yes. Ren had met Yelen before, but how and when? That was the question.


    Yelen raised her head. Her lips opened as she finally said something. Her lips moved, and with each passing second, Eren''s expressions darkened.

 Chapter 189: Chapter 189: Was it me?

    Yelen''s lips moved as she started speaking.


    "Yo... Ther... H..."


    Eren watched Yelen speak, but his expressions only became darker with each passing second.


    It was not because of what she was saying, but because he couldn''t even understand what she was saying.


    Yelen''s words kept breaking apart, as if the world around Eren itself had started glitching the moment she started speaking.


    It felt as if something or someone was trying to stop her. And only one person came to Eren''s mind who was capable of doing something like that.


    "The damn author..."


    Eren opened his inventory and brought out an empty notebook with a pen. He tossed the two things at Yelen.


    "That''s enough. I can''t hear a single thing that you are saying. It''s better for you to write instead."


    Yelen looked at the notebook near her before looking up at Eren.


    "I think you should stop. I am under an oath. Even if I tell you everything, the oath itself will stop anyone from knowing about it."


    "Even if I am to write about it, nothing will change." She opened a notebook and wrote something about it.


    As she finished, she handed the notebook back to Eren.


    Eren opened the notebook and read what was written within. However, the same thing happened again.


    The words in the notebook were unreadable. It was as if Yelen had written in some nonsensicalnguage.


    Eren wasn''t sure if this was actually because of an oath or if Yelen was acting and making an excuse.


    "Fine. If you can''t tell me or write it, then just answer in gestures." Eren kept the notebook back, not nning to give up.


    "Did we meet before today?" he asked.


    After a brief period of silence, Yelen nodded.


    "The person who made you take this oath... Was it the author?" Eren asked. "I mean, a man whose face is blurry and..."


    He tried describing the author of this world that he had met. Even though the man said he wasn''t one, for Eren, he was definitely the author.


    Eren expected Yelen to nod. Who else but the creator of this system could have made Yelen take an oath like this? No one else was capable of bringing a dead spirit back to life.


    Unfortunately, to his surprise, Yelen shook her head.


    "It wasn''t him?" Eren found it hard to believe. If it wasn''t the author, then who was it?


    In this world, was there truly someone who was as capable as the author, able to bring a dead spirit back to life?


    It would still be understandable if the dead spirit was an ordinary spirit. But the spirit in question was the original spirit and the first spirit queen.


    "No, wait. Maybe he changed his looks when he met her? That would exin why he doesn''t match the description I gave her," Eren thought out loud.


    Nothing else made sense. This was the only possibility. Just because she didn''t recognise him doesn''t mean it wasn''t that person.


    Although he was convinced about the identity of that person, there was also an absurd thought in his mind. He didn''t even take that thought seriously, but it kept annoying him.


    In the end, just for his peace of mind, he asked, "The person who made you take that oath... Was it me?"


    Yelen went absolutely silent. She didn''t react anymore. She simply watched Eren nkly.


    "I will ask it again. Was the person who made you take the oath me?!" he asked again, a bad feeling rising in his heart as he saw her hesitation. He didn''t want to believe it, but was it really true?


    A sudden pain rose in Yelen''s heart as lightning flickered around Eren''s contracted mark.


    Yelen clenched her fist as she nodded, her face growing pale from the pain.


    "Another question... For you to be so sure that you met me before... Is your basis for that my current look?" Eren asked, changing his question.


    His current look was fake. It was just an illusion caused by the ring of disguise that Devourer had given him.


    If her basis was his looks, then it could only mean that she was talking about someone other than Ren, as Ren didn''t look like his current disguise.


    Yelen shook her head in response.


    "Your illusion doesn''t work on me. I can see who you are behind that illusion..."


    This time, Eren went silent. So she could see through the real looks of Eren from the moment she came out. That meant she was indeed talking about Ren Necroline and no other person.


    "The person who brought you back to life... Was that person also... me?" Eren asked, as he tossed his head back, looking at the ceiling.


    At this point, he was able to guess what she was going to answer.


    Ren Necroline... The person who had made this entire world his enemy was a more special existence than he could ever have expected.


    "You can leave. I want to be alone for some time."


    Eren didn''t even wait for her answer, telling her to leave. For now, he had a lot to think about. The information he had gathered was already too much and caused him a headache.


    Yelen stood up and turned around after ncing at Eren onest time.


    She left the hall and returned to the second ind, where the battle had just ended. She appeared back where the remnants of the Jar were lying.


    She carefully picked up the broken pieces of the Jar, her thoughts impossible to understand.


    ....


    Eren sat in the grand hall, looking at the decorated ceiling. However, he wasn''t in any mood to appreciate the art on the ceiling.


    His fingers kept tapping on the armrest of the throne as he kept thinking about what he had just found out.


    "Ren Necroline... Just what kind of existence were you? Why does it feel like you expected and prepared for my arrival?"


    In the absolute silence of the throne room, only his words echoed in the silence. Unfortunately, no one was there to answer him now.

 Chapter 190: Chapter 190: Greatest hero or biggest disaster

    Eren''s mind was filled with questions. He had a feeling that what he had learned so far was just a small piece of aplex puzzle.


    Was he a piece of the puzzle or the one who was going to destroy this puzzle with his presence, he didn''t know yet.


    In the novel, he looked down on Ren Necroline.


    For him, Ren was just a minor viin who was the first to die at the hands of the Main Character after messing with him. But the more he came to learn about Ren, the less it made sense.


    Did the novel he read manipted? Was the content rted to Ren changed? Or was something else going on? If possible, he wanted to talk with the author just one more time.


    Unfortunately, he didn''t have any more question vouchers left. And the chances of the third one dropping were very low.


    He stood up and walked away from the throne, his long robe getting dragged across the marble floor behind him. As he left the grand hall, he couldn''t shake off the lingering feeling of unease.


    He walked across the empty hallway, only the sound of his footsteps apanying him across the silent hallway.


    Along the way, he didn''t see any guards or servants. All of them had already left the pce to help the Spirit Queen clean up on the third ind, leaving the grand pcepletely empty.


    "Hmm?"


    He had only taken a few steps when he heard the sound of wind rushing from behind him, apanied by a familiar feeling.


    He stopped and turned around.


    "So there you are."


    He saw Celeste, just as small as ever, flying towards him. However, she wasn''t empty handed anymore. She was carrying a cup that looked like it was made from gold.


    The cup itself appearedrger than Celeste, almost twice her size. Still, she flew towards Eren while carrying it.


    Eren reached out his hand. Celeste dropped the golden cup whilending on his shoulders, wiping her sweat.


    "Did you go looking for it?" Eren asked while using the Identification Skill on the golden cup.


    .........


    Name: Cursed Grail of Restriction


    Grade: Unique


    Description: A masterpiece of an unknown artisan which was brought back from the human world by the third spirit queen.


    Trait: Makes all Spatial Treasures within a hundred feet radius useless for five minutes.


    Uses left: 1/3


    .........


    "This is... Perfect!" Eren eximed, forgetting all his troubles for a moment. This was just the thing he needed.


    He didn''t quite believe Celeste when she said that what he needed was in the Spirit Realm, but he didn''t think she was lying either. That''s why he wanted toe here.


    Now that he finally had it in his hands, it was clear that Celeste was right. Not only did she know about this thing, but she also knew where to find it.


    With the Grail in hand, he had everything he needed to finally deal with the Main Character that wanted him dead.


    "Did you steal it?" Eren asked the little girl who was sitting on his shoulders, but Celeste simply looked at him innocently.


    For her, the concept of theft was still not properly established. She simply wondered if she had done something wrong.


    Eren kept the grail in his inventory. He didn''t scold Celeste.


    Instead, he smiled as he patted her head. "Good work, little one."


    Firstly, the entire realm now belonged to him. Hence, this grail now belonged to him in the first ce. So how could he even steal something from himself?


    Moreover, even if he hadn''t been the ruler of this ce, so what? Stealing wasn''t a bad thing in his eyes, as long as they were the ones doing it.


    In a war with the Main Character, he couldn''t be righteous. He couldn''t y with his life. Everything was fair for survival, even if he had to steal from the others.


    Eren brought another cake from his inventory, which was the favorite of Celeste. He returned to the throne room and ced the cake on the throne, letting Celeste eat it to her heart''s content.


    If the other spirits were to see that their Queen''s throne was being used as a dining table, their reactions could only be a sight to behold.


    ....


    At the moment, all the Spirits were taking care of the aftermath of the battle against the Necromancer.


    The ones who were affected the most by this were the Spirits in the Border City which waspletely destroyed. Everyone in that city was killed, and all buildings destroyed.


    Spirit Queen Felona personally went to the border city, looking at the carnage that was caused by the Necromancer.


    She assigned even stronger Warriors in this ce. Their job was to protect this ce while a new city was created with the help of Spirits from Royal City.


    She was also more concerned about the future of the Spirit Realm.


    On one hand, she was worried that someone even stronger than the Lich mighte next to attack them. She wanted to be prepared when that happened, so that no more Spirits had to lose their lives.


    On the other hand, she was worried about Eren. But only did she ept him as the true ruler of the Spirit Realm, but he also had the first spirit queen working for him.


    If he wanted, he could be a bigger disaster for them than any Necromancer ever.


    "Are you worried about him?" The first spirit queen appeared behind Felona who was lost in thoughts.


    Felona was surprised to hear her words, wondering if she could hear her thoughts.


    "It would be a lie to say that I''m not worried. Under me, the Spirits lost their home to a human. I might as well be the biggest criminal in our history," Felona answered.


    Yelen ced her hand on Felona''s head. Even she appeared to be uncertain about what the future held.


    "He might bring the Spirit Realm to greater heights, or he might be the worst disaster that anyone has ever experienced. Only time can tell¡­"

 Chapter 191: Chapter 191: The Unlikely Meeting

    ....


    Even though quite some time had passed in the Spirit Realm, only a short time had passed in the human world.


    Xiu Ying reached the Sect Master''s Pce, unaware about Eren''s disappearance. However, as she was about to enter the pce, she was stopped by the Guards.


    "Great Elder, please wait. The Sect Master is in a meeting currently."


    "A meeting? Who is she meeting?"


    Xiu Ying wasn''t in any hurry so she didn''t rush in. But she was still curious about who Feng Yu was meeting. It wasn''t often that she met with people personally.


    "Sect Master is in a meeting with Elder Li Yunfeng and Elder Zhang Wei currently," the Guard answered, however he subconsciously took a step back.


    It was fine when he talked about Li Yunfeng, but the moment he mentioned Zhang Wei, he felt a little killing intent radiating from Xiu Ying.


    "Great Elder, are you... alright...?"


    For a moment, he had an absurd thought. Was that killing intent directed towards Zhang Wei? However, he quickly shook that thought off. It was impossible.


    "I will wait in that case," Xiu Ying didn''t respond. She just stepped aside and with her back resting against the wall, she started waiting. However, her mind was in a mess.


    She still hadn''t forgotten the words of the girls she heard along the way. The girls were happily talking about Zhang Wei and Eren looking good together, and about their potential marriage in the future.


    She knew that it was most probably just the rambling of some ignorant youngsters, but she still couldn''t shake that thought off. Her heart felt uneasy at just the thought of it.


    ....


    "Meet up with Elder Ren and take care of all the preparations. You three will be departing with your disciples next week," Feng Yu told the two Elders in front of her.


    She could still be seen asionally rubbing her wrist for some unknown reason.


    "We will." Zhang Wei nodded and turned around to leave.


    Li Yunfeng also turned to leave, lost in deep thought.


    Instead of feeling upset that he had to go to a bothersome ce, he was feeling happy.


    He still hadn''t forgotten the disrespect he felt when Eren forced his disciple to be a Servant, as well as when he was beaten by a grand elder, thanks to Eren.


    This was his opportunity to get back at Eren.


    Zhang Wei stepped out of the pce, but as she was about to fly away, she stopped. She felt as if someone was looking at her, and this gaze was making her feel ufortable.


    She turned around and saw that it was none other than the Great Elder herself.


    "Do you have something to say to me, Great Elder?" Zhang Wei asked.


    Normally, most Elders avoided interacting with Great Elders, not wanting to offend any. But Zhang Wei was different. She didn''t care.


    On the other hand, Li Yunfeng had already been beaten by a Great Elder. Thest thing he wanted to do was to get dragged into another mess rted to a great elder.


    He simply flew away, not even looking back.


    "What do you think about Elder Ren?" Xiu Ying asked. She was direct while also being vague.


    "I don''t understand the question. Great Elder would have to be clearer," Zhang Wei frowned, not understanding why Xiu Ying was asking her about her opinions of Eren.


    No matter what she thought about Eren, what did that have to do with the Great Elder? Did she have some hostility towards Eren? She wondered.


    "Do you lik-"


    Xiu Ying tried to be as clear as possible, but before she could evenplete her question, a voice came from inside the Pce.


    "Since you are already here, why don''t you get inside?"


    The voice belonged to the Sect Master who appeared to have already noticed her presence.


    Xiu Ying gazed at Zhang Wei, but she didn''t finish her question. She simply turned around and entered the pce.


    Zhang Wei remained confused, wondering what she was about to ask. In the end, she simply shook this weird encounter off her mind and left as well.


    ....


    "Strange. Why do I suddenly have this restless feeling?"


    Eren was standing in the Throne Room, watching Celeste eat when he felt a chill run down his back. Just to be sure, he checked his surroundings to make sure that there were no dangers around.


    He couldn''t find anything wrong with his ce, but that strange feeling was still there. It made him feel like something was definitely going wrong somewhere.


    "I don''t know what''s happening, but I think we should return. Finish the cake and then I will tell Yelen to take us back," he told Celeste who had only finished half the cake.


    There was nothing much left for him to do at this ce. He had already taken what he needed. Moreover, he didn''t want to stay here, slightly concerned about the Necromancer Tower Master.


    They had killed a powerful member of the Necromancer Tower. And if that person could get here, that meant the Necromancer Tower Master could also do the same.


    Even if he was the ruler of this ce, he didn''t want to take any unnecessary risk. He couldn''t defeat the Necromancer Tower Master yet. He still had to finish something before he could do that.


    After Celeste finished the cake, Eren cleaned the throne and sat there while calling for Yelen to return.


    Yelen returned, appearing right in front of him like she had used teleportation magic. However, she wasn''t alone this time.


    Spirit Queen Felona and her two daughters were also apanying her.


    "Do you have something to say?" Eren rested one leg over the other, as he looked at Resphi.


    That girl hadn''t stopped calling him a pervert, annoying him quite a lot throughout the day. But this time, she was looking down and somewhat hesitant.


    Eren found it quite amusing. He wanted to see if she still had the courage to do the same.

 Chapter 192: Chapter 192: The Second Contract

    "Tsk."


    Resphi clicked her tongue but didn''t say anything. Although unwillingly, she kept her mouth closed.


    Estelina also looked awkward. She had brought Eren here, thinking she was helping her mother uncover some secrets of the human world.


    She never expected for Eren to be the absolute ruler of the Spirit Realm. However, she didn''t regret this choice.


    If Eren wasn''t here, she was sure that all the Spirits would have been dead.


    They had chosen the lesser evil based on their understanding. If it was actually a lesser evil or a bigger evil, only time could tell.


    If she was given another chance, she was sure that she would have made the same decision, albeit for different reasons this time.


    If she could go back in the past, she would have been more respectful to Eren, trying to turn him into a friend so he would have helped them without wanting anything in return.


    Unfortunately, it was all just a wish at this point. It was toote for any regrets.


    "I want to return. Can you open a path for me to return?" Eren asked Yelen, not bullying Resphi anymore.


    Felona revealed a surprise. She thought Eren was going to stay here and act like an absolute Overlord, maybe even using their strength for his advantage.


    To her surprise, the only thing he said after all that was that he wanted to return.


    Eren understood why Felona was surprised. If anything, he didn''t want to leave either. As a ruler, he didn''t have to constantly worry about being killed here.


    In this world, he could bezy and live his life surrounded by beauties. However, he hadn''t forgotten that this ce was a ticking time bomb.


    He wasn''t sure if this time bomb was ever going to explode with the arrival of the Tower Master, but he didn''t want to take that risk.


    If that day ever came, he could help the Spirits more by being in the human world than in the Spirit Realm.


    If the Tower Master actually came here with his entire force, that meant the Necromancer Tower was going to be left defenseless, granting him an opportunity to take a trip there.


    "It''s very easy to open a passage."


    Yelen opened a passage back to the Great Demon Sect, finding it to be quite easy.


    Although she called it easy, only she was able to open something like that directly at the heart of the Royal Pce. Even Felona couldn''t do something like that.


    A Spatial Portal opened right next to the throne, being simr to the one opened by Estelina but slightly bigger and much more stable.


    "That''s good." Eren stood up and Celeste flew over,nding on his shoulders.


    He paid quite a bit of attention to Yelen''s face to see if there was even the slightest change at the sight of Celeste, but she didn''t even seem to notice her.


    This confirmed her suspicions. Even the first spirit queen couldn''t see Celeste. Just what was this little fairy-like creature? He wondered.


    "You can keep managing the ce like you have always been doing. I won''t interfere in your matters unless I absolutely need to," Eren told Felona while turning towards the Portal.


    "Before leaving, shouldn''t you establish a contract with the current spirit queen?" Eren was about to step inside the Portal when Yelen called out to him.


    Eren stopped, his foot only a few inches away from the Portal.


    "What do you mean? Don''t I already have a contract with you, the original spirit queen?" he asked.


    "Moreover, I think the entire realm is already tied to me. Even if they wanted to, they can''t reject mymands. So what''s even the point?"


    "That is correct. You canmand them, but isn''t thatplicated? You can onlymand them if you are in front of them. Every time you want tomand them, you would have to return," Yelen exined.


    Eren only frowned in response, not understanding what Yelen was nning. Was she truly trying to help him?


    "A Spirit Contract isn''t just to Summon a spirit to help you. It can also help youmunicate with them, no matter where you are."


    "If you need tomand them, you can just issue yourmand with the spirit contract."


    She kept exining, point by point to make Eren understand why she was asking him to make another contract.


    "With a normal spirit contract, the Spirit needs to agree as well. You can''t force a spirit toplete a task. And that also consumes a lot of life essence. But you are different."


    "You also have absolute rule over them. You can use the contract without spending any life essence."


    Hearing her exnation, Eren was able to understand what she was saying. Although he was a ruler, he needed a method to issuemands.


    The easiest method was to establishmunication with the highest authority in the spirit realm after him.


    That person was Yelen, but she was going toe with him. She couldn''t stay behind. The only person left was Felona, hence a second spirit contract made sense.


    "Fine. I will establish a spirit contract with Felona," he agreed, even though he didn''t know how a contract was made in the first ce.


    Did he need to speak some spell? Did he need to create a magic circle or sacrifice his blood?


    "You don''t have to do anything. Once the Spirit agrees with the Spirit Contract, she can handle everything. You just have to tell her that you want a spirit contract," Yelen said, as if reading Eren''s facial expressions to understand what he was thinking.


    Eren didn''t like the thought of someone guessing his thoughts, but it was indeed helpful.


    "I want a spirit contract with you," he told Felona, whose face turned slightly red for some reason.


    He was confused. Why was she showing such a bashful reaction as if he had asked her to do something wrong?


    Felona stepped closer to him until there was barely any distance between them.


    Before Eren could react, Felona went on her toes, and ced her lips on Eren''s lips.


    Her warm breath mixed with Eren''s. At the same time, a spirit mark started appearing on the back of Eren''s other hand.


    He was the first person to have a spirit contract with the Spirit Queen and not just one at that.

 Chapter 193: Chapter 193: Reason for hate

    Eren didn''t expect something like this for a spirit contract. He was taken aback, feeling the unexpected warmth of Felona''s lips.


    The spirit mark on his hand glowed softly, binding their fates in a spirit contract which was more favorable for Eren as he didn''t have to spend any life span, unlike others.


    As Felona pulled away, her face was still flushed, and she avoided Eren''s gaze. This was the first time she had a spirit contract, and also the first time she did something so embarrassing.


    "Is that it?" Eren asked, still bewildered by the sudden kiss. He looked at the back of his hand and noticed that another spirit mark had appeared.


    The mark appeared quite simr to the one he received from Yelen.


    Felona nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. "Yes, the contract isplete."


    Yelen, observing the scene, couldn''t help but smile slightly.


    "Now you canmunicate with Felona from anywhere, and she will ry yourmands to the entire realm. This way, you won''t need to return every time."


    Eren flexed his hand, feeling the spirit essence coursing through the spirit mark. He felt like he was truly connected to Felona.


    Although he couldn''t read her thoughts, he was able to feel her emotions through the spirit contract.


    "Wait a minute!" Eren suddenly thought of something and suspiciously looked at Yelen. "If a kiss is needed for a spirit contract, then how..."


    He raised the hand which had Yelen''s Spirit Contract Mark. She didn''t kiss him, so how was he able to get her spirit contract?


    Was it also thanks to the system? Or was it a contract that she established in the past which only now resurfaced thanks to the system?


    He looked at Yelen, who was still perfectly calm, not phased in the slightest.


    ''I suppose I might be overthinking. It''s not as if the system follows the logic of this world with the rewards.''


    He hadn''t seen any Spirit Contract in his hands in the memories he received from the memory fragment. That meant even before his arrival into this body, he didn''t have the Spirit Contract.


    The spirit contract only came as a reward and nothing else. At least that''s what hismon sense was telling him.


    He stopped thinking about the first spirit contract, and instead shifted his attention to another question that had been guing his kind.


    "Before I left, there was onest thing I wanted to ask."


    His focus was on Estelina, who was standing in the back.


    Estelina wondered if he was going to me her for everything she did to him? Was he going to ask her to apologize? Or was he going to have the Spirit Queen punish her?


    She was ready for anything, although a little scared about the punishment.


    "I remember you saying that Xiu Ying hated the Spirits? Can you tell me why that is the case?" Eren asked, remembering Estelina''s words.


    He wasn''t sure when he was going to meet Estelina next. He couldn''t even take her back with him as he didn''t want her to be seen by Xiu Ying, hence he could only ask that question here.


    "It''s because of her wish," Estelina answered. "It was a wish that became her biggest regret."


    If it was before, she would not have told him anything. But what could she even do now? Even her mother and the first spirit queen worked under Eren now. She couldn''t ignore hismands either.


    "Contracting a Spirit is hard, but it''s also very rewarding," she added. "At the cost of lifespan, you can make any appropriate request, and we are obliged toplete them if epted. That''s all I did."


    "And what was her request?" Eren asked, confused. Why did her request getting fulfilled made her hate the spirits?


    "It was because of a little misunderstanding..." Estelina answered. "She told me that she wanted everyone there to die."


    "Her words were so vague that I thought she was talking about everyone in the city when she was just talking about everyone in front of her."


    "Themand was epted as per my understanding, and the request consumed half her lifespan, regardless of her future cultivation or lifespan," Estelina answered.


    "So she is upset because you stole half her lifespan, based on your own misunderstanding?" Eren scratched the back of his head, realizing why she would be so upset.


    Anyone could be upset if half their lifespan was stolen over a misunderstanding. Moreover, it wasn''t even half her lifespan of her current self, but her total life span no matter her strength or cultivation in the future.


    If she had six hundred years of life span, three hundred of that was stolen. A normal summon only cost ten years of lifespan, but she lost much more than that.


    It was as if she was affected with a curse for life, a curse that kept taking her lifespan as much as she increased it.


    "She wasn''t upset because of the cost of the lifespan. She was upset with the results. As I said, themand is epted based on the understanding of the spirit and once epted, it can''t be changed."


    Estelina told Eren, feeling as if it happened just yesterday when a little girl had managed to summon her and establish a contract.


    Even she was surprised at that time, not understanding how a little girl who had no cultivation was able to summon her and also satisfy the contract conditions.


    "She is upset because that day I did as he assumed she wanted. I killed everyone... Not just everyone in front of her, but also everyone else in the city. Even I could not go against the deal that was made."


    "That day, I killed the young, the old, the strong and the weak, turning that ce into a ghost city where only she was alive."


    Hearing Estelina, Eren rubbed his forehead. The more he heard, the worse it became. Unfortunately, that was just the beginning. What he heard next truly took it a little too far.


    "I didn''t realize that amongst the people that I killed, her family was also included..." she stated.

 Chapter 194: Chapter 194: I love him

    ....


    "Do you have something to say to me?"


    Sect Master Fang Yu was sitting on the higher throne, her head tilted to the side as she observed Xiu Ying with eyes that were filled with coldness like always.


    "I have a lot of things to say to you. It depends on your desire to listen," Xiu Yingzily said as she flew closer to Feng Yu, leaving only a short distance between them.


    She walked behind Feng Yu and wrapped her arms around the sect master.


    If it was someone else, they would have thought twice before touching the Sect Master. However, Xiu Ying was quite close to the Sect Master.


    Although Feng Yu had sometimes threatened to kill Xiu Ying when she ignored her instructions, she never actually hurt her. The most she did was force her to stay at home for a few months.


    The Sect Master didn''t have many friends, especially because of her personality. Although she didn''t show it, Xiu Ying knew Feng Yu the longest.


    She always treated Feng Yu like a friend, at least when they were alone. Still, she also knew Feng Yu''s personality and tried to be careful around her, always knowing her red line and remembering to never cross it.


    "You seem to be in a good mood," Feng Yu said, removing Xiu Ying''s arms from her shoulder. "Did you find the author of those annoying books that you love so much?"


    "Even better..." Xiu Ying smiled. Although she was somewhat irritated because of the appearance of Zhang Wei, she was still happy every time she thought about Eren.


    "Does this have something to do with your secret trip with Ren?" Feng Yu asked, already guessing a few things.


    Just like Xiu Ying knew her the longest, she also knew the Great Elder well enough. She was also the only person in the sect who knew the past of Xiu Ying, as well as her link with the spirits.


    Feng Yu''s father was the previous sect master of the Great Demon Sect. It was her father who found Xiu Ying left in a destroyed city ming herself.


    He brought the little girl to the Sect, and allowed her to be a member of the sect after realizing that she had quite a talent for cultivation.


    That''s also when Feng Yu met Xiu Ying. Both of them had known each other since childhood.


    It wasn''t wrong to say that Xiu Ying was one of the few people in the sect who remembered what Feng Yu used to be like before losing her emotions or before bing an Overlord.


    "That is right." Xiu Ying smiled brightly. "I am in love with him."


    Her smile was hidden behind the veil that she often wore, but even the veil also couldn''t hide her charm when she smiled.


    She didn''t hide the fact that she loved Eren. Although she didn''t tell her how it happened.


    Feng Yu grew silent.


    She hadn''t thought that someone like Xiu Ying would actually fall in love with someone. Because of her looks and charming physique, it was often the men falling for her.


    "What about him?" she asked after quite some time.


    "Of course he loves me too. Why won''t he?!" Xiu Ying asked, but for a moment, her eyes revealed a strange obsession that went unnoticed.


    "And it has nothing to do with your charm?" Feng Yu asked.


    This was the mostplicated thing with Xiu Ying. It was hard for her to find a person who truly loved her, and wasn''t just affected by her charm.


    "He is unaffected by my charm," Xiu Ying answered.


    "He is?" Feng Yu revealed a slight surprise.


    This was also one of the reasons she went to see Eren the moment he had returned. She wanted to see if he was affected by Xiu Ying''s charm because he was away for so long with her.


    She made it seem like she simply went there to assign him another mission, but she simply could have assigned this mission to anyone. She just used that as an excuse to test Eren.


    When she met Eren, she was able to see that he had clear eyes and his mind also appeared to be unaffected.


    She had seen many people who were affected by Xiu Ying''s charm, but Eren didn''t look like them.


    That''s when she thought that it might be because Xiu Ying was careful and followed her advice to never reveal her veil in presence of another men.


    "That''s right. He saw me without Veil. But he was unaffected. Don''t you think that it means we are made for each other?" Xiu Ying smiled as she talked about her lover with Feng Yu.


    She didn''t break her promise with Eren either, and didn''t tell her anything about them entering the Southern Continent or fighting the Sea Dragons.


    She also didn''t tell her about Eren being a spy as she believed him when he said that he didn''t mean any harm to the Great Demon Sect.


    If anything, he killed people from the Academy for her! Why would she even doubt him? Between the Academy and the Sect, he had proven his loyalty when he killed Aster.


    "I see. In that case, I won''t intervene in your matters." Feng Yu kept her words short and didn''t pry much into Xiu Ying''s matters.


    There were also a few things about Eren that she didn''t tell Xiu Ying after all.


    "Anyways, I called you here to tell you something." She changed the topic, and stopped talking about Eren.


    Xiu Ying pouted, as if she was upset. She wanted to talk more about Eren and tell Feng Yu how amazing he was.


    "The person who killed my father... I believe ''he'' has returned," Feng Yu said.


    Xiu Ying who had been in a yful mood until now turned absolutely serious.


    "The person who killed Uncle?" Heavy killing intent shed in her eyes.


    Feng Yu''s father had saved her. He had also treated her like a family. He was the reason she was even alive, otherwise she might have long killed herself over the guild of her family''s death being due to her wish.


    She was as hurt as Feng Yu when she had heard that he was killed. Unfortunately, no matter how hard they tried, they failed to find that person.


    After all this time, that person was back?

 Chapter 195: Chapter 195: Would you believe me?

    The Beast Master that Xiu Ying brought with her was sitting in Eren''s house, filled with disbelief.


    He had been appreciating Eren''s Phoenix, one of the rarest mythical beasts to find in the current era. However, suddenly, the Phoenix rushed back.


    Her wings struck the Beast Master, sending him flying into a corner. By the time he looked back, he noticed that neither the Phoenix nor Eren were in the room anymore.


    A small portal near the bed closed within seconds. He didn''t know what to do. Should he tell someone about this? It didn''t seem normal.


    In the end, he decided to wait for Eren to return.


    Quite some time passed, but no one returned. As he pondered his next move, he heard a knock on the door and stood up in excitement, thinking Eren was back.


    "Wait, if it was him, why would he need to knock? Is it someone else?"


    He didn''t think that it was Xiu Ying either. The time she came here with him, she hadn''t knocked. She just barged in like it was her house. The person who came this time was someone else, it was evident.


    To not be misunderstood, he thought long and hard. He was the suspicious person here after all. Only Xiu Ying and Eren knew that he was supposed to be here and none of them were here.


    He had heard quite a lot about the brutality of people in the Great Demon Sect. He didn''t want to be confused as an intruder and killed.


    Cautiously, he approached the door and opened it.


    As soon as he opened the door, he dropped to his knees.


    "Please don''t hurt me! I''m a guest!"


    Not wanting any misunderstanding to rise, he quickly exined that he wasn''t an intruder but a guest. It was only after telling everything, he raised his head to see the person who was outside.


    The person was none other than Zhang Wei, who was known as the most ruthless person or the Great Demon Sect until Eren surpassed her thanks to all the rumors about him.


    "A guest?"


    Zhang Wei looked at the Beast Master, who felt a chill run down his spine. Her cold gaze made him feel like he was looking at his own death.


    He was cursing his luck for getting involved with the Great Demon Sect.


    Fortunately, despite the fear rising in his heart, he wasn''t even touched. Zhang Wei simply flew inside the house andnded on the wooden floor.


    She didn''t think that the man was an intruder either. Which intruder would dare to enter the Great Demon Sect, and in Elder Ren''s house on top. That person would have to be a fool.


    "Where is Elder Ren?" Zhang Wei asked, noticing that not a single person was here other than the Beast Master.


    "He..."


    The man didn''t even know how to exin. He hadn''t seen where Eren went, but he did see a portal swallow the Phoenix. Did the same happen to Eren?


    How could he say that an Elder was swallowed by an unknown portal without looking like a crazy person?


    "I''m asking you a question. Where did Elder Ren go?" Zhang Wei asked again.


    The Beast Master gulped heavily as he raised his hand. No matter what, he decided to tell her what he saw.


    However, the moment he raised his head, his jaw almost dropped to the floor.


    "A-above you..."


    He pointed above Zhang Wei, finding a simr portal that had swallowed the Phoenix. The only difference was that this portal appeared above, instead of appearing on the floor.


    "Above me?" Zhang Wei frowned as she raised her head. However, by then it was already toote.


    A person came out of the Portal. Or rather, it was more urate to say that a person fell from the ceiling.


    Thud~


    The person fell on top of Zhang Wei, making her fall as well.


    Zhang Wei was momentarily frozen as she felt a man right on him.


    The man''s right hand was on his head as he was rubbing the back of his head. However, his left hand was the problem as it was holding something soft and squishy that it shouldn''t have.


    ....


    After hearing the past of Xiu Ying and the reason she hated spirits, Eren didn''t have anything else to do in the Spirit Realm.


    He stepped inside the door shaped portal that was opened by the Spirit Queen, expecting it to be an easy trip back. However, the exit waspletely unexpected as the portal appeared near the ceiling.


    The moment he stepped out of the portal, he felt like there was no floor beneath him. Before he could react, he fell down. Fortunately, something soft was there to soften his fall.


    He was looking at the Portal above him while rubbing the back of his head, wondering when the floor in his room became so soft. And what was this squishy thing in his hand?


    The moment he looked down, his face went almost nk. There she was... The woman known as the Blood Demon in the Eastern Continent.


    His reputation in the continent was thanks to some rumors, but her ruthless reputation had a solid foundation.


    He had met her before and even had a friendly rtionship with her, but in this moment, he felt like he had truly stepped on andmine.


    Not far from Eren, the Beast Master also saw the scene,pletely freezing in ce. Just what had he seen?


    He quickly closed his eyes and covered them with his hands, eximing, "I didn''t see anything."


    "What the hell are you..." Eren''s lips twitched at his words. Just what did he think they were doing? It was all an ident!


    Unfortunately, Eren didn''t know how to react to this ident. He could see that Zhang Wei''s face waspletely nk as if her mind had short circuited in this moment.


    He knew that it was only a matter of time before she came to her senses and tried to blow him to.


    "Would you believe me if I said that this was an ident?" he said, smiling wryly, not realizing that his left hand was still holding on to her.

 Chapter 196: Chapter 196: Death Flag

    "Would you believe me if I said that this was an ident?" That was the first thing that came out of Eren''s mouth.


    Zhang Wei''s eyes slowly regained focus, her expression shifting from shock to embarrassment. Her eyes narrowed as she looked down in the direction of her chest.


    Eren followed her gaze and realized what she was looking at. His expression quickly changed as he retracted his hand and leapt back to create some distance.


    "I was testing a portal skill, but something went wrong and I fell down. I didn''t expect you to be in my room when I fell," he exined while Zhang Wei stood up, holding her arms around her chest.


    Her face was slightly red as she red at Eren. It wasn''t clear if her face was red from embarrassment or in anger.


    Eren did, however, notice her fists clenched as a mist of blood rose around her.


    Fortunately, Zhang Wei controlled her bloodlust at the right moment. The Blood Mist disappeared from around her, though it didn''t mean she had forgotten what happened.


    She realized there was some truth in Eren''s words. When she came here, he wasn''t here. For him to suddenly appear, it meant he came through a portal and something had gone wrong.


    Although she was embarrassed, she couldn''t just attack him over an ident. She didn''t have a bad impression of him after all. If anything, their first meeting had given her a favorable impression.


    Moreover, she wasn''t even sure if she could actually hurt him if she attacked. She had felt his Sword Emperor''s Aura during the entrance exam, which wasparable to the sect master if not stronger.


    His recent reputation also didn''t do him any injustice. He had killed the Asura Sect Master alone while also leading the weakest disciples of the sect to destroy the remaining sects.


    Within thest few months, his achievements had made him appear like a towering existence. She didn''t see any point in fighting him, especially if what he did wasn''t intentional.


    Eren could see her hesitation in attacking him. Inwardly, he sighed in relief. However, he didn''t want to give her any opportunity either.


    He quickly changed the topic and asked, "What brought you here though?"


    "What else? The Sect Master told me to meet up with you, as we will be leaving for the Western Continent together."


    "Ah, right. There was that."


    Eren remembered that he was also nning to go meet her before he was kidnapped by Estelina. He wasn''t the only one who had to go to the Western Continent after all.


    As this was something that outsiders weren''t supposed to know, Eren told the Beast Master to leave and return where he came from.


    The Beast Master looked hesitant. He hadn''t even finished appreciating Eren''s Phoenix properly.


    He wanted to say something, but when he saw Zhang Wei ring at him, he quickly flew out of the house. He left the sect as fast as possible, getting away.


    While leaving, he kept reminding himself to never mess with the people of the Great Demon Sect. These people were too crazy.


    He was also slightly jealous of Eren. On one hand, Eren had a lover like Xiu Ying. On the other hand, he was messing around with Zhang Wei, who was a beauty as well.


    "If only I could see the Phoenix once more..." This was his biggest regret as he flew away, wondering if he was ever going to have a simr opportunity.


    While the kidnapped Beast Master left, Eren stayed with Zhang Wei in his house. Yelen and Celeste were also in the room. Just as Yelen couldn''t see Celeste, Zhang Wei couldn''t see Yelen.


    Eren and Zhang Wei discussed their uing trip to the Western Continent and all the preparations they needed to finish. Zhang Wei knew more about the Western Continent at this point in time after all.


    It was almost evening when they finished talking.


    "I will tell Elder Li what we discussed," Zhang Wei said as she stood up and started leaving.


    However, just as she was about to step out, Eren called out to her.


    "Do you think this is a trap?" he stood up and approached Zhang Wei who was standing near the door.


    A sudden invitation from the Western Continent... In the novel, it didn''t happen. At least it didn''t happen at this point in time.


    Even if he had changed the future, that was only in regards with the Southern, Eastern and Northern Continent. He hadn''t done anything rted to the Western Continent.


    Nothing rted to them should have changed due to him. He was certain that someone else had changed the future of the Western Continent, making it appear quite a lot like a trap.


    "I don''t think the Western Continent has any reason to mess with us. They should be busy dealing with the Necromancer Tower. They would have to be a fool to try to mess with us," Zhang Wei smiled, not taking the talk about traps seriously.


    "And even if it is a trap, all we have to do is break their traps. It shouldn''t be that hard," she confidently stated. "Before we know it, we should be back safely."


    Hearing her words, Eren rubbed his forehead.


    ''Did she just raise a death g?''


    Zhang Wei didn''t understand why Eren was talking about this as if he already knew that something was going to go wrong.


    Wasn''t he being a bit too cautious for someone who was known as the strongest Elder at the moment? Or was he just worried about her safety? She wondered.


    She didn''t think Eren would be scared of death. It made her believe that she was most probably worried about her as she was weaker than him.


    "I think you are being too cautious. It''s a good thing for the weak, but for us, it''spletely unnecessary," Zhang Wei smiled in response, trying tofort her.


    She ced her hand on Eren''s shoulder as she repeated, "As I said, we will all return safely."


    Unfortunately, Eren only felt a sharp pain rise in his chest, thinking about the same death g being raised again as if one time wasn''t enough.


    ''Is this a fortress where you keep raising gs?!'' he thought inwardly.


    Not far from them, Xiu Ying was looking at them, having returned from a meeting with the Sect Master.


    Zhang Wei had her hand on Eren''s shoulder while Eren was looking at her in a gaze, mainly because he was cursing her inwardly.


    However, from a distance, it looked like something else entirely.

 Chapter 197: Chapter 197: All Negative

    "Hmm?"


    Once again, Zhang Wei felt as if someone was looking at her with malicious intentions.


    Frowning, she retracted her hand and looked back. She noticed Xiu Ying outside, standing mid-air.


    This was the second time she had seen Xiu Ying paying such attention to her, as if she hated her. She didn''t even understand why that was the case.


    She couldn''t think of anything she might have done to upset Xiu Ying. She barely had any interaction with Xiu Ying in the past, let alone doing something to offend her.


    "Were you following me?" Zhang Wei asked, as it wasn''t normal toe across the Great Elder twice in such a short time. It felt more as if she had followed him here.


    "You are the one who doesn''t belong here," Xiu Ying softlynded on the wooden floor, walking past Zhang Wei.


    Her steps were silent, making no noise as if her feet weren''t even touching the floor properly.


    As she moved, her shoulder collided with Zhang Wei''s, pushing her aside with an unexpected force. There was no attempt to restrain her strength.


    Zhang Wei''s expression darkened as she regained her bnce, rubbing her aching shoulder. She cast a re at Xiu Ying, who continued her approach towards Eren, stopping just inches from him.


    Eren observed Xiu Ying closely. Her eyes had an emptiness to them, a hollow look that was unsettling. It was as if she wasn''t entirely present at the moment.


    "Are you alright?" Eren asked, a hint of concern in his voice. There was something different about her that he couldn''t quite ce. It was a feeling he didn''t fully understand.


    In her eyes, he detected a strange obsession, one he hadn''t noticed before, at least not to this extent.


    "I am fine. What could happen to me?" Xiu Ying replied with a smile that didn''t reach her eyes. "But what were you two doing here, alone?"


    The moon had already begun its ascent into the sky, casting a cold glow over the surroundings. It waste, and the two of them were alone in this ce.


    "And where is the Beast Master I brought?" she asked, her gaze sweeping the area and noting his absence. This meant Eren had beenpletely alone with that witch.


    [You have received new options]


    Eren was about to exin that they were discussing their next mission when suddenly, a screen popped up in front of him, interrupting his thoughts.


    ....


    A few hours ago~


    Eren heard the story rted to Xiu Ying''s childhood and the reason she hated the Spirits. He felt that her hate was justified.


    Having received the answers, he turned around to return through the portal. But just as he was about to return, he heard Estelina''s onest sentence.


    It was less of a sentence and more of a warning though.


    "Be careful around Xiu Ying."


    He wanted to ask what she meant but he had already stepped inside the portal, falling on Zhang Wei.


    ....


    Eren didn''t understand why, but at this moment, he remembered the words of Estelina. What did she mean by that? What did she know that she hadn''t told him?


    Eren didn''t have time to think about it as he focused on the four options in front of him.


    [Option One: "I was discussing a mission with her that the Sect Master gave us. There was nothing else going on."


    Reward: Luck -1]


    [Option Two: "What does it have to do with you? I am not your servant to tell you everything!"


    Reward: Level +2]


    [Option Three: "I was just spending some quality time with her, it''s not often I get to talk to such a pretty woman."


    Reward: Escape Talisman, Zhang Wei''s favorability +5]


    [Option Four: "I missed you so much. What took you so long?"


    Reward: Life Healing Potion, Zhang Wei''s Favorability -1]


    "Huh?"


    Eren was taken aback by the options. The first option made the most sense, but could it even be called a reward?


    The reward for the first option was having his luck reduced by one? Why? He already had such bad luck, could he afford to have it even lowered?


    He really didn''t understand why this was the first option. It was as if the System was explicitly implying that the first option was the worst for him.


    Why would that be the case? Why would telling her about his mission with Zhang Wei be the worst?


    He noticed that all the options were just as bad. The first option came with the worst reward. The second and third options were the shortcut of offending Xiu Ying.


    As for thest option, it reduced the favorability with Zhang Wei. No matter what he selected, he was at a loss.


    ''Heck, so be it.''


    He selected an option out of the four bad options. He could always raise his favorability with Zhang Wei, but he couldn''t offend Xiu Ying who had helped him so much.


    "Where were you? I missed you so much. Why are you only returning now?" Eren ced his hands on Xiu Ying''s waist, looking deep into her eyes.


    Xiu Ying''s nk expression softened as embarrassment spread across her face, realizing that others were watching them.


    However, she also felt a sense of pride. Eren had no hesitation in showing his affection towards her, even in front of Zhang Wei. Her heart felt a little more at ease.


    "I will be taking my leave," Zhang Wei said, turning around and silently leaving without saying anything else.


    She hadn''t expected Eren and Xiu Ying to be this close.


    Even though Xiu Ying appeared calm, deep down, she still harbored hostility towards Zhang Wei as she watched her leave.


    Eren also observed Zhang Wei leaving, realizing that things had be a littleplicated with her for some reason.


    Now Zhang Wei knew the nature of his rtionship with Xiu Ying. However, he had plenty of opportunities to improve their familiarity during the mission.


    For now, he focused on Xiu Ying, pulling her into his embrace.

 Chapter 198: Chapter 198: Precious Guest

    ....


    Feng Yu sat in silence with her eyes closed. She couldn''t help but think about the things that Xiu Ying had told her.


    "She fell in love..." she mumbled under her breath. "I hope this won''t create any unnecessary troubles."


    She still remembered the day when Xiu Ying was brought to the Sect for the first time.


    It was a time when the Great Demon Sect was still an ordinary sect in the upper tier and the Sect Master was Feng Yu''s father.


    "This is Xiu Ying. From today onwards, she will live with us. You two should get along."


    That was what her father said when he introduced Xiu Ying to her.


    The girl hadpletely nk eyes as she hid behind Feng Yu''s father. She looked like she was dead inside as she didn''t even say a single word.


    Feng Yu listened to her father and tried to get along with Xiu Ying, but the little girl didn''t react much. No matter what Feng Yu did, there was no response from her.


    A few years passed and nothing changed. During the years, her father trained both of them.


    Feng Yu was talented and was able to learn skills quite fast.


    Meanwhile, Xiu Ying was talented in her own ways. She wasn''t much behind when it came toprehending the skills. In some ways, herprehension was even better than Feng Yu.


    As time passed, it felt as if Xiu Ying was slowlying out of the trauma and adjusting to her new life in the sect. She started talking more as well.


    However, Feng Yu knew that she was just trying to hide how broken she was on the inside by smiling on the outside.


    As they grew up together, they became best friends despite all the oddities. If anything, they treated each other as sisters, despite their different positions in the sect.


    The Sect Master also treated them equally. Throughout this time, there was one thing that Feng Yu noticed.


    During the years, Feng Yu didn''t treat any martial skills or treasures as precious to her. The only time she appeared to care about was a ring that she had brought with herself.


    The ring was not her size and she couldn''t even wear it properly. There was nothing special about the ring either as it was just a cheap iron ring that could be made anywhere.


    Still, no matter how ordinary that ring was, Xiu Ying was obsessed with it. It was her most precious belonging as it was thest remnant of her family that died because of her.


    She already carried that being with her, no matter where she went. It was always in her pocket, and sometimes around her neck, being used as a pendant after being tied to a thread.


    Feng Yu didn''t find it odd. Everyone had a thing or two that they loved. However, Xiu Ying''s love wasn''t any ordinary love.


    Feng Yu stood up and walked out of the Pce, thinking back to the day when a servant in the sect was brutally killed by Xiu Ying who was just sixteen years old at that time.


    She still remembered Xiu Ying hitting the servant again and again, all because he had identally touched her ring.


    That was the first time Feng Yu had seen how possessive Xiu Ying could be. The things she loved, she didn''t like them being taken by others. That was also the biggest w of Xiu Ying.


    Fortunately, there weren''t many things that Xiu Ying loved, so it was easy to handle her. As Xiu Ying grew up, she also became distant from others because of her charming physique blossoming.


    She didn''t leave the core region. Most of her time was spent with Feng Yu, or reading books by some unknown writer. So much time had passed that Feng Yu had almost forgotten the past.


    However, after all this time, Xiu Ying again had a thing she loved. Moreover, that thing wasn''t an object but a person.


    Thinking about it, Feng Yu didn''t know how to react. It was already toote. If she killed Eren, then Xiu Ying was going to be upset at her.


    She could make Eren disappear during one of the missions, but that was even more problematic. In an instant, Eren''s position had risen, albeit identally.


    "Should I not send him to the Western Continent?" she wondered as she finally stepped out of the pce, ignoring the greetings of the Guards.


    She hadn''t told Xiu Ying about the mission Eren was being sent to. However, she was certain that she might find out from Eren.


    She had even made up half her mind to not send Zhang Wei if Xiu Ying raised her objections due to her jealousy. However, at the same time, she also thought that maybe Xiu Ying had changed as she had grown up now.


    She didn''t realize that Xiu Ying didn''t even know that Eren was going on a mission with Zhang Wei, as Eren had selected a different option.


    ....


    Elder Li returned to his mansion after meeting with the Sect Master, only to find the main character Ye Liang standing in front of the house.


    Ye Liang waspletely safe, which proved that Eren hadn''t hurt him. However, that didn''t lower Elder Li''s anger. If anything, seeing Ye Liang reminded him of that insulting day.


    His resolve to kill Eren had only be stronger, and this trip was a perfect opportunity. He didn''t know that Ye Liang also had the same goal.


    Ye Liang was wondering how he could kill Eren as he had failed thest opportunity. Was he ever going to receive a simr opportunity? He wasn''t sure.


    At least that was the case until Elder Li brought him inside the house and told him that they were going to the Western Continent with Eren and Zhang Wei.


    In another ce, Zhang Wei still remembered the cold gaze of Xiu Ying. For some reason, she had a really bad feeling about it.


    ....


    In the Western Continent, a Priestess was sitting near the feet of the statue of the goddess.


    "We have received a response. The guests wille..." A voice came from out the door.


    The Holy Priestess opened her eyes, the corner of her lips creeping up.


    "Shouldn''t you start preparing to wee our precious guest then?" she said, her melodious voice echoing in the prayer room.

 Chapter 199: Chapter 199: Teasing Yelen

    "Shouldn''t you start preparing to wee our precious guests then?"


    The priestess''s voice was like a gentle breeze, but it also carried a trace of malice that was hidden within.


    "Make sure that nothing goes wrong. The Hell''s Gate should be almost prepared. This borrowed knife... You can''t lose it..."


    "It shall be done as per the will of her holiness." The Priest who had approached, bowed deeply and retreated, leaving the priestess alone with her thoughts.


    "It is not my wish. It is the wish of the Goddess," the Holy Priestess said, but her expressions looked slightly different. "It is all for the divine!"


    There was a smirk on the corner of her lips, but no one was here to see it.


    She stood up, her white robes flowing around her like waves. The statue of the goddess loomed above her, its expression unchanged by the centuries.


    The Holy Priestess ced her hand on the Statue, looking above. "Isn''t that right?"


    The Western Continent was her domain, and she had made sure that it remained that way for an eternity toe.


    In this ce, she was the god. Her will was the word of the goddess that no one could question.


    ....


    The next morning, Eren woke up early.


    The moment he opened his eyes, he saw the peacefully sleeping face of Xiu Ying in front of him. Her bare body was covered by only a thin bedsheet.


    Eren got out of the bed, noticing that Yelen was standing near the window, looking outside.


    Eren got out of the bed while Yelen turned around, noticing his movements.


    As she turned, she noticed Eren who was without any clothes, standingpletely bare.


    "Do you have to look here?" he asked as he noticed Yelen''s gaze which was focused on him, asionally going below his waist.


    "It''s not as if I haven''t seen everything that you didst night," Yelen responded, exining that she had already seen him naked. Not only that, she had seen much morest night than that.


    "Whose fault is that?" Eren asked in return. "I told you to go and take a walk outside, but you refused."


    He also foundst night a little weird. He told Yelen to go out but she refused. She said that she was his Guardian and she couldn''t leave him alone, especially when he was in the dangerous human realm.


    That''s why she stayed there all night, watching him work hard.


    Eren didn''t know why, but it was definitely a strange feeling to do it while another woman was watching him.


    However, he also couldn''t do anything about it as Xiu Ying was slightly overwhelmingst night and refused to just leave.


    [Option One: "Did you like what you saw?"


    Reward:  Strength +1]


    [Option Two: "What''s the fun in watching? You should have joined as well."


    Reward: Intuition +1]


    [Option Three: "It seemed like you were enjoying watching usst night. How about you being at the receiving end of it tonight?"


    Reward: Luck +1]


    [Option Four: "It''s fine. I like to have people watch."


    Reward: Agility +1]


    Eren didn''t even have the strength to curse at the system anymore. All these options were absurd and made him feel like he was just ruining his impression in the eyes of the Spirit Queen.


    Still, for the sake of the rewards, he chose an option. And as he selected an option, instead of appearing like an embarrassing idiot, he wanted to make it sound more believable.


    Instead of looking like a pervert thanks to these options, it was much better to appear like a bad guy.


    Rubbing his forehead, he walked closer to her. Yelen was momentarily taken aback to see Eren so close to her, especially as he was wearing nothing.


    Eren ced both his arms on the wall, catching Yelen in between them.


    He brought his lips closer to her ears, gently whispering, "It looked like you were enjoying watching usst night. How about you being at the receiving end of it tonight?"


    His warm breath brushed against Yelen''s ears, making her face turn red.


    Although it was said that she was in love with a human, which led her to death, it was also true that she hadn''t done anything with that human.


    It was love that rose from the heart and not from physical needs. She hadn''t even touched his hands until she died.


    A current rushed through her body as Eren gently bit her earlobe. Yelen felt her body freeze in ce, feeling something strange. She also felt something touching her lower abdomen.


    Yelen was the Spirit Queen, but as her Guardian, he could touch her as if she was an ordinary human, even when she was in the human realm.


    Eren also realized that he might have gone too far. But even he didn''t expect to rise up when he was ying with her. Her sweet scent assaulted all his senses.


    Yelen''s face turned as red as a tomato, the dignity of the first Spirit Queen to be nowhere to find.


    Stunned, she even lost control of her abilities and passed through the wooden walls, freeing herself from Eren''s grasp.


    She found herself outside the house, looking at the wooden wall. Her breathing was still rushed and her heart was beating fast.


    She rubbed her earlobe that was still a little wet, being able to feel that warmth even here.


    "Did I go a little too far?" Eren rubbed his forehead as he looked down.


    He was nning to take a shower, but in this situation, he had to change his n.


    [Your luck has increased by one]


    A notification appeared before him, but he didn''t pay attention to it. He returned to the bed, approaching Xiu Ying who was still sleeping.


    Yelen stood outside, hearing soft moans rise from within the house. Her heart was still beating fast, that feeling of touch still lingering in her mind.


    Subconsciously, she flew forward and returned to the house, noticing Eren who was on top of Xiu Ying.

 Chapter 200: Chapter 200: Offer

    ....


    A few hourster~


    Eren stepped out of the shower, water dripping off his wet hair. He wrapped a towel around his waist, but he had only taken a single step out when someone grabbed his hand.


    He was pulled back inside the shower room, the towel falling on the wooden floor outside.


    "Are they animals? Even after all that, how can he still have the energy to..." Yelen eximed, ring at the semi opened bathroom door from where strange sounds starteding again.


    After another hour, Eren stepped out, seemingly tired. Water droplets trickled down his well chiseled body, making it unclear if it was actually water or sweat because he had worked especially hard.


    Not long after, Xiu Ying also came out of the same ce, having a towel around her body that was having a hard time hiding her curves.


    Xiu Ying started dressing in front of Eren''s eyes, her charm being as strong as ever if not more. Eren didn''t even try to take his eyes off as he also started getting dressed.


    "I might not be here for a few weeks," Xiu Ying told Eren, who was slightly surprised that she was leaving for so long.


    Usually, she would have at least asked him if he was going toe with her or not. He wondered if it was because she already knew that he was going to be busy, or there was some other reason.


    "Where are you going?" Eren asked. "Is everything alright?"


    "There''s nothing wrong." Xiu Ying smiled, but she didn''t exin where she was actually going.


    Looking at her, Eren could only wonder if she had also received a mission from the sect. What kind of mission would need a Great Elder? It couldn''t be an easy mission if that was the case.


    Xiu Ying noticed the concern that was etched on Eren''s face. "I''m not going to do anything dangerous. I''m just visiting my family."


    "Visiting your family?" Eren remembered the story he had heard. Wasn''t her family already dead? How was she going to meet them?


    "Their death anniversary ising up. So I thought I would go and... Just spent some time in my town. There isn''t much left there anyway, so you might get bored there. It''s really nothing."


    Xiu Ying smiled at Eren, but behind that smile, she was hiding quite a lot of her past.


    However, Eren also understood why that was the case. She med herself for what happened. She couldn''t just tell him as she was worried that he might also start disliking her for her mistake.


    As for meeting her family, it was most probably her visiting their graves.


    "I understand."


    He didn''t reveal that he already knew everything and kept up the act, to not make her ufortable.


    After getting dressed, Xiu Ying prepared to leave. However, before leaving, she approached Eren and kissed him.


    "Miss me a lot. Also, about Zhang Wei... No, it''s nothing." She didn''t finish her sentence and simply left like a shadow, disappearing in thin air.


    Eren was confused as to what she was talking about. What about Zhang Wei? Was something wrong?


    "Sometimes it''s really hard to understand a woman," he rubbed his forehead. "It''s like she''s expecting me to read her mind."


    Yelen didn''t understand theplicated thoughts that went inside a human''s mind. She didn''t know the concept of jealousy.


    She didn''t think much about Xiu Ying, although she was curious why she revealed killing intent towards Zhang Wei when she first saw him.


    Although Eren had failed to see it, but that killing intent didn''t avoid Yelen''s perception, no matter how small.


    As the killing intent wasn''t targeted towards Eren, she didn''t do anything about it. She didn''t tell Eren either, as it didn''t concern them.


    "Are you finally done satisfying those beastly urges?" she asked, casting a cold re. However, her face was still a little red.


    "Why? Are you looking forward to something?'' Eren jokingly asked while drying his hair with a towel.


    He draped the Elder''s robe around his shoulder, gettingpletely dressed.


    "Hmph, as if!" Yelen rolled her eyes. "I''m just d that finally there is some peace."


    "Shall we end this peace then?" Eren asked, once again approaching Yelen, taking advantage of his improved speed and stats.


    He didn''t use his spirit mark any more, as he didn''t want to hurt Yelen. Moreover, it was more fun to tease Yelen.


    She was the first spirit queen, from an era that was long forgotten. Despite that, she could be really cute at times, especially when she was teased.


    "W-what do you mean?" Yelen stuttered, as Eren appeared behind her while she was still sitting on the chair.


    "I said, my previous offer still stands," Eren whispered in Yelen''s ears.


    "What offer?" Yelen asked, her voice getting weaker.


    Eren whispered in her ears something that made Yelen''s face go as red as a tomato.


    "You!"


    Before she could continue, Eren had already left the room, only his words still echoing in Yelen''s mind.


    "Hmph." Eventually, she stood up as well, and followed Eren as his guardian.


    She watched Erennd before a house that was on the mountain that belonged to him. It was a decent looking courtyard, and a house that appeared like it was made by a professional.


    "Did she make another one?" Eren also appeared surprised to see that there was a second house there.


    He remembered that he had onceplimented his first disciple Yu Lin''s house that she made herself. She had told him that he could use that house.


    When he asked how he could use a disciple''s house, she had said that she could make another one for herself.


    At that time, he had refused while thinking that she was just joking. He didn''t expect her to actually make one.


    Still, he didn''t understand how he hadn''t noticed it before. He was sure he went past this area whening back after meeting the Sect Master.


    He was sure that there was nothing like this here before. Was that just his misconception because he subconsciously ignored it? He wasn''t sure.

 Chapter 201: Chapter 201: Guiding a wise student

    The ce created by Yu Lin did look good. It looked at least better than the ce he lived. It was also very spacious, making Eren feel like living here.


    As he could fly now, he didn''t have to worry about falling off the cliff when he left his house. But still, that old ancient hut always made him annoyed.


    He still hadn''t understood why Ren had decided to stay there when he owned the entire mountain.


    "Master," Yu Lin''s voice called out softly, catching Eren''s attention.


    He turned to see her standing there, a gentle smile on her face.


    "I see you''ve noticed the new addition," she said, a hint of pride in her tone. "Now you can also stay here."


    "Is she your disciple?" Yelen asked while circling around Yu Lin, observing her with great curiosity.


    "She seems to be quite talented, but at the same time, she feels a little familiar," she said, trying to think long and hard.


    Eren pondered about her words. Was there a reason for her to find Yu Lin familiar? There shouldn''t be such a thing. Was it just her misconception?


    ''Familiar in what way?''.Eren asked, using his thoughts.


    "I''m not sure. Maybe I''m just overthinking. But she reminds me of someone. However, that person was much older. Maybe she''s a descendant of that person?" Yelen pondered, shaking the thought off.


    ''It would make sense if you''re thinking about some ancestor. After all, her mother''s lineage is quite extraordinary that even I don''t want to approach it yet,'' Eren responded, not thinking much about her words.


    Yelen lived in an era that had long passed away. Even if she came back to life, it felt impossible for her to meet Yu Lin in the past.


    So her assumption made sense. It was just a familiar feeling and notpletely identical after all. He was still quite curious about which ancestor of Yu Lin Yelen had met in the past.


    "Master, did you not like the ce?" Yu Lin asked, slightly concerned about Eren''s silence.


    "It looks good." Eren shifted his attention back to Yu Lin, not having much time to be distracted. He already had quite a few problems to solve in his life. He didn''t have time to go on a wild goose chase.


    "Did you learn the skill that I left to you?" he got back to the reason he came here.


    He hadn''t given Yu Lin any personal training. All he gave her were a few skill books because he himself couldn''t understand them.


    He was curious to see if Yu Lin had managed to master the book that even the daughter of Mist was after.


    "The book..." Yu Lin turned serious.


    Looking at her serious expressions, Eren was sure that she had failed. He was about to console her, almost reaching out his hand to pat her when Yu Lin continued.


    "It was incredible!" Yu Lin said, surprising Eren. "The more I immerse myself in the Elemental Art, the more I realize how incredible that book is!"


    "Even after all this time, I only managed to learn the first part only." She lowered her head, as if she was disappointed in herself.


    Despite receiving such a precious gift, she had only managed to master the first part. She felt like she had disappointed Eren with her weakprehension.


    Meanwhile, Eren was looking at her in disbelief. How was it possible for her to learn the first part in such a short time?


    In the novel, she had a powerful master as well as the help of the main character and a lot of battle experience.


    Despite that, she had taken a few months to master the first part of the Elemental Art. And now she was saying that she learned it already?


    "Master, there is one thing about the next part that I don''t quite understand. Can you..." she slightly hesitated as she tried to ask for his help.


    She pulled out the book that looked just as worn out as before. She carefully opened one particr page in the book, that was the beginning of the second chapter of the Elemental Art.


    "Can Master enlighten this foolish disciple?" she asked while approaching Eren.


    She gave Eren the book, pointing at the passage that she didn''t understand. Meanwhile Eren just nkly looked at the page.


    Was this a test for him? How was he supposed to know what it meant? He was aplete newbie when it came to cultivation. That''s why he didn''t even try to learn cultivation from the beginning as he didn''t even have the most basic knowledge.


    If he was to start learning cultivation after he came to this world, it would have taken him at least ten years to reach the same level as the servants in the Demon Sect.


    That''s why, the only option for him was to recover his own cultivation, which didn''t need him to know the basics.


    The other option was to uncover more memories about how Ren had learned cultivation despite being from the Necromancer Tower. But that looked just as unlikely as he hadn''t received any more memory fragments.


    "Master?" Yu Lin asked, looking at Eren''s narrowed gaze. She felt like he was angry at her for not even understanding such a basic thing.


    Her hands were behind her back as she silently waited for Eren''s response, her fingers fidgeting.


    She didn''t know that Eren wasn''t upset at her. He was just trying to understand what the heck the first line even meant?


    What did it mean by connecting the neb to the second pressure point and umting the frost essence from the mind realm while guiding the essence to the seventh spiritual point?


    When he was reading such nonsense in the Novels, he didn''t think much about it as the Main Character was always able to understand such nonsense one way or another. He mostly even skipped this boring part.


    "Ah, this..." He nodded, his back covered in cold sweat. "I see."

 Chapter 202: Chapter 202: Meeting the Second

    As Eren finally broke silence, Yu Lin looked up.


    She waited for his exnation while repeatedly thinking about the fact that she had disappointed Eren by failing to understand such a basic thing.


    "I can understand why you had a hard time understanding it. It''s not something that a disciple can understand easily," he said, trying to think of a way to get off this ramp that he was pushed on.


    Yu Lin''s eyes lit up as she heard Eren saying that it wasn''t her fault entirely. He also looked forward to hearing his exnation, this being the first time she was going to get Eren''s guidance.


    "To think that she can''t even understand such a simple passage. I suppose I truly overestimated her because of her lineage."


    While Eren was thinking of a solution, he heard Yelen''s voice.


    ''What? Don''t tell me you can understand this?'' Eren asked in disbelief.


    How was it possible that even someone from the Spirit Realm who had nothing to do with cultivation could understand this but he as a reader couldn''t?


    "Of course. What''s hard about it? If anything, the exnation can''t get any simpler. It just means that one has to..."


    Yelen told Eren the meaning behind the passage. Even she didn''t realize that Eren didn''t understand the meaning himself.


    She simply thought he was testing him, and like a good and proud person, she answered as urately as possible.


    Eren heard her detailed answer, growing quite surprised to see that Yelen was so knowledgeable. Was it because he was the first Spirit Queen who came into this world?


    She was born with the essence of the world after all, and lived much longer. It was understandable for her to take interest in humans when she lived for such a long time.


    Thanks to her exnation, Eren''s understanding also improved.


    ....


    ....


    He told the same exnation to Yu Lin who was looking at him with great expectations. He didn''t miss a single word that Yelen had said, sounding as knowledgeable as her in front of Yu Lin.


    Yu Lin heard his exnation, growing even more surprised with each passing second, realizing theplexities that were contained in such a small passage.


    Hearing Eren''s words, she immediately sat down, as if she gained enlightenment. She started using the Elemental Art to use right there, following everything that Eren had said.


    The temperature around the surroundings started decreasing, making Eren rub his shoulders to warm himself up.


    "I suppose she isn''t that big of an idiot either. If she can gain enlightenment from a single exnation, she might actually be worth teaching." Yelen wrapped her arms around her chest, nodding in satisfaction.


    Eren also silently observed Yu Lin. There was a frown on his face as he wondered what changed? He didn''t think he had changed much with Yu Lin.


    She had a worse teacher, but still she learned it so much faster than in the novel. He didn''t understand why, but something felt out of ce here.


    "She isn''t going to wake up before a few days. Are you going to stay here until then?" Yelen asked Eren, who was lost in his own thoughts.


    Eren didn''t answer her. In silence, he observed the freezing aura that was the most dense around Yu Lin. Despite that, her body was still warm. It didn''t look even a little pale, as if she was quite warm.


    If anything, her freezing aura felt even colder than Elder Li Yunfeng, who was known as the Frost Demon.


    After observing Yu Lin for quite some time and seeing no change, Eren decided to leave. It was going to take her a very long time before she could wake up after all.


    He called out his Phoenix, which appeared in the sky, circling the mountain. He told the Phoenix to keep an eye on the mountain and to protect Yu Lin who was not able to protect herself if something went wrong.


    After leaving the Phoenix to protect Yu Lin, he left for his next destination. It was a ce where he went once before, only to almost end up dying.


    If he didn''t have the Pendant of Protection, he was sure that he would have died in the library. After that point, he hadn''t gone to the library even once, even though he was curious about the knowledge contained in the library.


    Hended in front of the library, his ck robe catching the attention of the disciples that moved aside, clearing the path for him.


    One had to be an idiot to stand in the way of Eren, who was considered even more ruthless than Zhang Wei.


    Previously, he was mainly unknown. The disciple could only recognise him when he came on his Phoenix as having a mythical beast was what made him famous.


    This time, even without his phoenix, there was not a single person who didn''t recognise him. Even some of the Elders were cautious around him now.


    Eren entered the Library and went straight for the stairs to enter the floor that only the Elders and Higher were able to enter.


    He had only taken the first step into the stairs when he heard the footsteps of someoneing down the stairs.


    He raised his head and observed the person whose footsteps came to a halt when the person saw him.


    "You? How did you enter the sect?" The person in front of Eren was a girl, who was only an inner Disciple of the Sect. However, it was only a fake identity.


    The girl was named Zhou Yanmei, who was the disciple of Sect Master Feng Yu. That wasn''t all as she was also Eren''s second disciple.


    She still didn''t know that her second master who always wore a mask was the person standing in front of him.


    She still believed that the person was Feng Yu''s father. Without the mask, she couldn''t even recognise him.


    For her, Eren was the weak man that she came across in one of the cities, who couldn''t even protect himself. She had even looked down on him, calling him weak at that time.


    She didn''t understand. How did that weak man enter the Great Demon Sect?


    She was so surprised by seeing him here that she didn''t even notice the ck robe that was draping off his shoulder, a robe that was only given to the Elders of the Sect.

 Chapter 203: Chapter 203: Kill the Overlord

    Zhou Yanmei didn''t know Eren''s identity, as she wasn''t in the sect for a long time. Although she had heard about the name of the new Elder, she didn''t know what that person looked like.


    It took her a moment to even register the ck robe that was draping down Eren''s shoulder, which brought her even more at disbelief.


    "T-that robe... How?" She subconsciously stepped back, only to fall on her butt as she forgot that she was standing on the stairs.


    The person that she had mocked for being weak was an Elder in the Sect? How was that possible? Didn''t this mean that she was an idiot who couldn''t even judge a person properly?


    She has bragged about her strength in front of an Elder? She didn''t need to think long to guess who this Elder was.


    The only elder that she hadn''t seen was Elder Ren. That meant this person could only be him! It made things even worse. Her mind was in a mess.


    This also made sense as she had heard that not long after she left, Elder Ren had destroyed the city where she was attacked.


    She thought it was just a coincidence because the Elder somehow heard from someone about what happened. However, now it all made sense.


    Eren was already in the city in the first ce when she was leaving. She couldn''t even defeat the City Lord properly, meanwhile Eren had killed his way into the city, even taking out the Asura Sect Master in the process.


    The more she thought about it, the more messy her thoughts because. She was even looking forward to being punished for the disrespect that she had shown in the city.


    The only way to protect herself was to expose her identity. Which Elder would dare to attack the Sect Master''s Disciple? Unfortunately, she couldn''t do that.


    "You appear to have grown stronger," Eren said as he took a nce at Zhou Yanmei''s status screen.


    Her stats had almost doubled. Her growth was just as fast as Yu Lin, but she was stronger as her starting point was higher.


    He could also see a new section that mentioned the inheritance she had received from him. She was putting that to good use.


    "Not bad."


    He didn''tment any further as they were supposed to be strangers at this moment. He could only act as her master when he was wearing the mask.


    He walked past Zhou Yanmei who was still sitting on the stairs, nkly staring at Eren''s distant back. She felt a little embarrassed but even more curious about Eren.


    ....


    Eren went up to the higher section of the Library where only Elders were allowed to enter, still surprised that he hade across his second disciple.


    He found it quite pitiful that he couldn''t even call her his disciple openly. If only she wasn''t also a disciple of the Sect Master, he wouldn''t have to worry about that.


    Unfortunately, her identity just had to be thisplicated. The only good thing was that she didn''t appear to have told the Sect Master about her second master.


    He could only imagine the rage Feng Yu would have if she heard that someone was pretending to be her father. She would have gone crazy to kill that ''father'' with her own hands.


    His rtionship with Feng Yu was already veryplicated thanks to the various identities of Ren Necroline that made people want to kill him.


    He was a spy that would have been killed by Feng Yu once exposed. He was also the heir of your Necromancer Tower that Feng Yu wanted to kill. And now, he was also Feng Yu''s father.


    Fortunately for Eren, he had already taken precautions. Thanks to the thread of Marriage, Feng Yu could not kill him personally without hurting her in the process.


    However, he knew that he couldn''t just rely on that. Feng Yu was the person who might actually try to kill him even at the cost of her own life if his identity was exposed.


    He rubbed his forehead, thinking about theplicated future. Fortunately, he was preparing for that inevitable future. Even though slowly, he was getting stronger.


    He wasn''t growing stronger only to protect himself, but also to retrieve the thing that could remove his seal.


    Eren walked through the long isles, lost in thought. He observed the books on the shelves while waiting for the Librarian to approach him.


    Soon, as if expecting someone''s arrival, the Librarian appeared in front of him.


    "How may I help you today, Elder Ren?"


    The Librarian still remembered Eren, who hade herest time, only to be greeted by Xiu Ying instead. She was still regretful about what he had to go through that day.


    "Elder Ren?" she asked again, noticing Eren looking nkly in her direction.


    She looked behind her, but there was no one there, which made her believe that he was looking at her.


    She touched her face. "Is there something on my face?"


    "Ah, it''s nothing. Can you get me the books about the Western Continent?" Eren asked, momentarily taking his eyes off a blood red screen that had opened before him.


    The options in front of his eyes still had him in shock.


    Once again, a pendant series reward had made an appearance, but the options this time were confusing.


    [Option One: Kill Elder Li Yunfeng before departure for the Western Continent.


    Reward: Pendant of Prediction]


    [Option Two: Kill Elder Li Yunfeng during the journey to the Western Continent.


    Reward: Grade Seven Formation Master Knowledge]


    [Option Three: Kill Elder Li Yunfeng in the Western Continent.


    Reward: Escape Talisman]


    [Option Four: Kill the Saintess of Western Continent.


    Reward: First Clearance Reward]


    [Selection Time Limit: 24 Hours]


    All the options that appeared for him this time had something to do with killing. The first three were about killing Elder Li, while thest one was even more shocking.


    It was asking him to kill one of the Overlord, and that too in her Domain. Was that even possible? Just what was this system thinking?

 Chapter 204: Chapter 204: Knife to aim

    Eren looked at the four options, three of which were about killing Li Yunfeng.


    Although he had messed a little with the Frost Demon, he hadn''t thought about killing him. He had nothing to do with him.


    The only reason he even got involved with him was because he was the master of the Main Character, which shouldn''t have been the case as per the original story.


    As for the fourth and thest option, it was about killing one of the four Overlords. It asked him to kill the Saintess of the Western Empire, who was none other than the Holy Priestess.


    He didn''t know how strong that woman actually was. But as she was able to stand against the Necromancer Tower Master on her own, it was enough to prove how dangerous she could actually be.


    ''First Clearance Reward.''


    He also couldn''t take his eyes off the fourth reward.


    There were only two rewards that made him interested. One was the pendant series reward, which required him to kill Li Yunfeng before they had to leave.


    The risks associated with it were also high. If Li Yunfeng went missing from the sect before their trip, it could spiral into a muchrger problem.


    It was much easier to kill him in the Western Continent, making him disappear forever.


    He had experienced the might of the pendant series reward, and he had been looking forward to receiving the next one in the first ce.


    Unfortunately, now that it finally came, he still couldn''t make up his mind, thanks to another option.


    The fourth reward which came with killing the Holy Priestess was something that caught his attention, especially due to the terminology it used.


    The First Clearance Reward made him think of the games, where the yer who first achieved the milestone was rewarded.


    For him, the choice came down between the Pendant of Prediction and the First Clearance Reward.


    "Can''t you give me more hints?" he asked the system while the Librarian left to bring the books rted to the Western Continent.


    To his question, there was absolutely no answer.


    Feeling a headache, he stood with his back resting against the shelves, lost in thought. Even with the help of Yelen, it wasn''t easy to kill the Holy Priestess who could use the powers of a goddess.


    It was even said that everything that happened in the Western Continent could be seen by the Saintess, especially if it had something to do with her.


    He didn''t quite believe that rumor as someone had already managed to steal something from the Holy Priestess.


    The Overlord Killing Weapon that the Saintess was trying toplete was stolen. If she could see everything as it was rumored, stealing from her would have been impossible.


    ''Even if the rumor is true, there must be limitations to it,'' he thought.


    In the back of his mind, he did tilt a little towards thest option. Although it was dangerous, he could inherently feel that this was something that had to be done sooner orter.


    ''But if the Saintess is dead, then the Necromancer Tower might start spreading in the Western Continent. Do I really want them to have more power?''


    If it was just about killing, he would have already selected thest option. Although dangerous, it was something that he had to do eventually. But he also couldn''t ignore the consequences.


    The Necromancer Tower was a bigger threat for now.


    "I can''t have her die yet. She is the knife that I need to be aimed at the Necromancer Tower."


    He made up his mind. He didn''t want to get his system stuck again. For now, he had to select the option that he could finish the fastest.


    As for the option rted to the Holy Priestess, he could only hope that he would get a simr option when he actually entered the Western Continent.


    He raised his finger, and pressed on an option.


    [You have selected the first option]


    [Please kill Li Yunfeng before the day of departure]


    Although Eren didn''t know why Li Yunfeng had to be killed, if he didn''t want to get his system stuck for a long time, it had to be done.


    Selection the fourth option was a long termmitment after all.


    He also didn''t want to miss another Pendant Series reward.


    The screen disappeared after he selected an option, making Eren wonder when the next time he was going to see that familiar screen.


    He waited for the Librarian to return with the Books rted to the Western Continent.


    "Can I take them with me?" he asked, looking at the tower of books that she was carrying. There were around twenty books in her hand, stacked on top of each other.


    "I''m afraid that''s impossible. As an Elder, you are only to read them here," the librarian told Eren while pointing him towards the section where tables and chairs were arranged for Elders to read.


    Although he didn''t like it, there was nothing he could do about it. If anything, this was for the best.


    He knew how easily he was distracted when he was outside. He still hadn''t gotten to testing the gun he had receiving as he kept forgetting about it until an opportunity arrived in the Spirit Realm.


    Even then, Yelen came and took away the need.


    He went towards the reading section and ced the books on the table.


    To maintain that an Elder had absolute peace of mind, there were even formations around the table that created curtains that not only hid the person inside but also made it impossible for outside noise to travel through.


    Even the Librarian wasn''t allowed to check through the curtains so as to not disturb the Elder.


    "Yelen, can you create a portal for me to leave this library if I give you the coordinates?" Eren asked Yelen while sitting on the chair.


    "It should be possible. I just need to connect the portal to the Spirit Realm and then to the new destination in the human realm," Yelen affirmed while also growing curious as to where he wanted to go.


    Moreover, why did he need to use the portal? Couldn''t he just leave the library in a normal manner? Unless he wanted to make sure that everyone thought that he was still in the library?

 Chapter 205: Chapter 205: Double Portal

    Eren nodded thoughtfully, his fingers tracing the edges of one of the books. "Good. I need you to do that for me once I finish reading."


    He didn''t exin any further, only telling Yelen all that she needed to know. Yelen was curious, but she also refrained from asking further questions.


    Eren started flipping through the pages, absorbing the information about the Western Continent.


    He learned the geography, political structure, and more importantly, the profiles of key figures, including the Holy Priestess, the Crusaders, the Cardinal and even their King.


    Even he was surprised at how fast he was able to read the books. If he had this speed back on earth, he was sure he would have finished reading all four thousand chapters of the novel, instead of just two hundred.


    He wasn''t sure if it was an ability that Ren already had, or if he received this thanks to the system and leveling up. For now, he didn''t care about the source of this skill.


    He simply kept flipping through the pages, not spending more than a few seconds on a page. Within a few minutes, he finished reading the first book and moved over to the next, still not feeling tired in the slightest.


    The more he read, the more he realized how intricate the political web of the Western Continent was. It was more or less like he had expected with the King being subservient to the Holy Priestess who was the true ruler in the shadow.


    Hours passed as he immersed himself in the books, barely noticing the passage of time. Each piece of information was helpful as he needed to be prepared for everything.


    The trip to the Western Continent was a scenario that hadn''t happened in the novel upto the point he had read. It was something entirely new from this point onwards, and he couldn''t afford to make a mistake.


    Fortunately, it didn''t happen sooner. Currently, he wasn''t as weak as he used to be. His level was increasing. He wasn''t as strong as a Great Elder, but he was strong enough to use his other abilities without being overburdened.


    He had the Pendant of Poison which had two attacks left. He also had the First Spirit Queen as well as the forces of the Spirit Realm. Andstly, he had the Dragon Lineage.


    This much preparation seemed more than enough to keep him safe, but he wasn''t satisfied. As he had already made a selection, he was going to take another Pendant series reward with him.


    When he finally closed thest book, he leaned back in his chair, processing everything he had learned.


    His decision to kill Li Yunfeng wasn''t just aboutpleting a task. It was about ensuring that every step he took was calcted and beneficial in the long run.


    "Yelen, are you ready?" Eren asked, standing up and stretching his stiff muscles.


    "I am. I just need the destination," Yelen told Eren. If anything, she had been waiting for the moment where she had something to do. She was growing bored just watching Eren read.


    Eren handed her a small slip of paper with coordinates scribbled on the rough map of the sect.


    "Create the portal here."


    Even as he was done reading, the Librarian didn''t know. She walked past the section and all she saw were the magical curtains. She didn''t expect Eren to finish reading all these books within a few days at least.


    Yelen nodded and started opening a portal. The air around her trembled as space started opening up, connecting their current location to the Spirit Realm and then to their final destination in the human realm.


    "It''s the double portal, so it might be harder than before," she reminded Eren who was prepared to enter the portal, putting thest book on the table.


    "Will I also fall from the sky this time?"


    Eren still remembered what happened thest time Yelen opened the portal. If that was going to be the case, he wanted to be prepared to fly right as he left the portal.


    Yelen rolled her eyes, appearing a little embarrassed to have her skills doubted because of one mistake.


    "That happened because you took so long to enter the portal. It became a little unstable," she exined, reminding Eren that she had opened the portal before he entered a spirit contract with Felona and heard the past of Xiu Ying.


    As the portal was open for such a long time, it waspletely normal for the destination to change by a few feet.


    "I made sure that doesn''t happen this time," she added. "However, there is a different problem. It''s fine for me, but you are human."


    "Entering two portals one after another that take you to different realms will be hard for you. The spatial tunnel won''t be stable, and you might actually end up in the wrong ce again."


    "Is there a solution for that problem?" Eren asked.


    If there was no other solution, he was about to tell her that they could take a short break in the Spirit Realm before entering the second portal to their destination.


    Fortunately for him, Yelen dide up with a solution.


    "I will guide you to the destination so you don''t get lost within. So you should have physical contact with me," she said, reaching out her hand for Eren to hold.


    To her surprise, Eren didn''t hold her hand. Instead, he wrapped his arm around her waist.


    "If it''s just about that, then it''s fine," he said while stepping towards the Portal. Yelen didn''t even have time to react before his warm hand was wrapped around her slender waist.


    She cast a re at Eren but didn''t say anything. She entered the portal, apanied by Eren. The portal led them straight to the Spirit Realm, which made Eren feel a little dizzy.


    It became even worse as he was connected to another portal right away, which led him back to the human realm. He finally understood why Yelen said that it was hard to travel through two portals one after another.


    Without Yelen, he was sure that he would have lost his way as the second spatial tunnel was even moreplex with multiple paths splitting into branches.

 Chapter 206: Chapter 206: Flex

    Eren''s head was throbbing, as the burden ced over his body was much higher than he had experienced before.


    "Hold on tight," Yelen whispered, her voice steady, as if it waspletely normal for her.


    Eren tightened his grip around her waist, focusing on the task at hand rather than the difort.


    Yelen felt his fingers brush against her slender belly, which sent a strange sensation down her entire body.


    After what felt like an eternity, they finally emerged from the portal into a dimly lit cavern. Eren took a deep breath, feeling the solid ground beneath his feet.


    The air was damp and cool which was in clear contrast to the chaotic vortex they had just traveled through.


    Eren removed his hand from around Yelen, his fingers brushing against her skin as they were pulled back.


    Yelen made a weird noise, but Eren didn''t notice. He simply sat down on the ground, resting his back against the cave wall.


    He was still feeling a little dizzy. He felt as if the entire world was spinning around him. It was the feeling of sickness that he had never felt ever sinceing into this world.


    While Eren sat on the ground, taking some rest to recover, Yelen looked at him from the corner of her eyes.


    She touched her belly with her fingers, but she didn''t feel that same sensation that she felt when Eren was touching her. She herself didn''t understand what happened to her?


    Why was it that every time Eren touched her, she felt this strange feeling rising within her heart. She became too sensitive around him for some reason.


    ''Is it because of the past?'' she thought, her gaze filled with many questions.


    Eren pulled out a water bottle from his inventory and took a few sips while pouring the rest of the cold water over his head.


    The anxious feeling in his heart was growing better with time, and the world around him also stopped spinning. He felt as if his body had sent a warning signal to him that he shouldn''t travel like this.


    "Are you feeling better?" Yelen asked Eren as water dripped down his long hair, reaching his clothes.


    "Dry," Eren ced a finger on his clothes, saying a single word.


    To Yelen''s surprise, his clothes that had gotten a little wet dried in an instant. Although cultivators could also use their aura to do something like this, but she was sure that Eren didn''t do that.


    "Is that the Dragon Tongue?" she asked, thinking of a different kind of magic.


    Dragon Tongue was something that only the Dragons could use. It was their way of using magic. It was also said that at the peak, the Dragon Tongue was the highest tier of magic that had descended down from the Celestial Dragon.


    Unfortunately, after the Celestial Dragon''s death, the Dragon Tongue also lost its glory.


    The Sea Dragons and a few other Dragon Species could still use the Dragon Tongue Magic, but it was verycklusterpared to what the Tower Master of Necromancer Tower could use.


    "That''s right," Eren looked at his dried up clothes. He had been practicing the Dragon Tongue Magic in smaller things for quite some time, using the knowledge of the human world.


    Even in the Novels that he had read, the Dragon Tongue was very famous when it came to the Dragon Species.


    It was a magic that didn''t need aplex spell and could be used with a single word as long as the Dragon understood the concept behind that magic.


    He hadn''t been trained inside the Sea Dragon Empire, unlike the real dragons. He didn''t have a reference point to learn Dragon Tongue Magic.


    He could only rely on himself to use the Dragon Tongue Magic, and that''s what he had been doing.


    Unfortunately, he still hadn''t managed to performplex magic yet. Still, he was sure that it was only a matter of time before he could. It hadn''t been long since he received the Dragon Bloodline after all.


    "Although Estelina told me that you have the Royal Dragon Bloodline, it''s still surprising to see it with my own eyes. How fascinating," Yelen said, growing even more intrigued by Eren.


    "Are you starting to fall for me now?" Eren asked, gazing up at the first spirit queen. "Don''t tell me you''re taking that offer?"


    Now that his head was feeling better, he was back to his normal self. He pushed his body up and stretched his arms that were feeling a little tired.


    "As if," Yelen rolled her eyes, not even looking at him anymore.


    Eren smiled in response, wondering why it was so fun to tease the Spirits.


    He walked to the mouth of the cave and looked outside, realizing that he had actuallye to the right destination.


    He was on the Mountain that was assigned to Elder Li Yunfeng, and this cave was a part of it.


    It wasn''t hard to recognise this ce either as this was one of the few mountains that was covered in snow all year round.


    It was as if Li Yunfeng was worried that people might not know that this mountain belonged to him, the one known as the Frost Demon.


    Eren looked at the sky from where snow was falling constantly. The entire mountain was under arge-scale spell, where snow was constantly created.


    He had even heard that Li Yunfeng had paid quite a lot of money to have thisrge scale formation created, but it looked like it was just for show.


    "Rich people and their obsession with flexing," he mumbled under his breath, remembering that it was the same on earth.


    No matter which world he went into, there were always wealthy people who always spent arge amount of money on things, that were all for show.


    Eren reached out his hand.


    "While I''m at it, should I also end the myth of the Main Character?" he wondered as a snowke fell in his hand.

 Chapter 207: Chapter 207: Eternal Goals

    Eren stared at the delicate snowke melting on his warm palm, lost in contemtion. Both his targets were here, and he had an opportunity to take out both of them.


    "That seems like a better option. I can''t judge how Ye Liang will react when his master disappears. Giving him an opportunity to do something would be foolish," he mumbled under his breath, making up his mind.


    The utmost priority for him right now was toplete the option. He rose in the air and flew towards the peak of the mountain.


    Yelen flew beside him, apanying him like a silent follower.


    While flying, Eren made sure that he didn''t use the Sword Emperor''s Aura. Even the slightest trace of it was enough to give away his identity.


    To further reinforce his stealth, he used the Dragon Tongue.


    "Erase Presence."


    Once the Dragon Tongue was used, his presencepletely disappeared. It was to the point that one couldn''t even notice him until he was standing right before them.


    "This thing is quite useful. It lowers my dependencies on talismans," he said, quite satisfied with the effectiveness of the spell.


    The Dragon Language was slowly bing one of his favorite skills as it wasn''t just useful for battles. It was also quite versatile.


    ....


    At the peak of the mountain, there was a frozen pce that appeared like it was made from snow crystals.


    It wasn''t as big as the Sect Master''s Pce, butpared to Eren''s small house, the difference wasn''t even heaven and earth but heaven and hell.


    The walls shared the beautiful blue shade of the snow crystal, but as they were thick, it was impossible to see through the walls.


    Unlike Eren, Li Yunfeng had quite a few disciples. Some of them had even be the Core Disciples of the Sect, growing at a rate that even he was impressed about.


    Despite that, Li Yunfeng was most impressed by Ye Liang. He walked inside the Pce while snowkes trickled down his ck robe.


    "What a frightening talent. I just had to tell him once and hepletely mastered the skill. It''s as if heaven is personally looking out for him."


    There was a satisfied smile on Li Yunfeng''s lips as he walked through the frozen corridors of the Pce.


    He was still thinking about Ye Liang who had mastered his most precious skill. Although he only mastered it to the beginner level, it was still enough to shock the Frost Demon.


    Even his disciples that became core disciples of the sect took a few months to master the skill to the beginner level.


    As for him, even with his special physique that made ice skills most suitable for him, he still took a few weeks to master that skill to the beginner level.


    "If it''s him, he would truly reach the peak of this world with enough time. He might even be the Fifth Overlord of this world. And then, I would be the master of an Overlord!"


    His smile kept getting wider as he thought about the future. The dignity that came with being the master of an Overlord was not something to scoff at.


    He was going to be the person that trained an Overlord. Even the Sect Master would have to treat him with respect when that happened.


    "A measly alchemist beat me up just because she was a Great Elder? Just wait! Once my disciple bes an Overlord, I will make you lick my shoes!"


    His eyes narrowed as he looked forward to having his revenge on Great Elder Zia. For now, he couldn''t have his revenge, but it was only a matter of time.


    He was like a poisonous snake who was never going to forget that disrespect. Even the guards who dropped him in front of the Alchemy Hall had to die for him to be satisfied.


    "There is one more person who needs to die. But I won''t need my disciple to make that happen! This trip to the Western Continent... It shall be yourst, Ren!''


    He entered the main hall where he had made a throne which looked simr to the Sect Master''s throne. No one knew that he had made a simr throne in the main hall as no one was allowed to enter here.


    Only he could enter here, and every time he looked at the throne, he was even more determined to reach that ce in the future.


    He walked over to the throne, which was only a replica made with snow.


    "Only a few more decades, and I will have the real thing. Everything in this world would be at my feet..."


    His fingers brushed against the smooth armrest as he closed his eyes, losing himself in a beautiful dream of the future.


    As he closed his eyes, he didn''t notice that behind a pir, a young man was standing, hiding from view.


    Eren had worn a mark over his face, just as a precaution to make sure that even if someone saw himing here or leaving, Ren Necroline wasn''t going to be linked to it. He was in the library reading the history books after all.


    "He has closed his eyes. Are you going to use the goblet to seal the space?" Yelen asked Eren as she kept looking back at the Frost Demon.


    Eren shook his head. The goblet could only be used once. That''s all the durability it had. And that one time was reserved for the Main Character.


    The goblet was only to make Ye Liang''s trump card useless and nothing else.


    ''Get in position. And make sure you don''t release any killing intent,'' he told Yelen using his thoughts.


    Yelen nodded. It was hard for someone the level of an ordinary Elder to even sense her presence. It might have been different if it was Feng Yu in front of her, but before Li Yunfeng, she was sure nothing could go wrong.


    Yelen appeared behind Li Yunfeng while Eren also finished his preparation. An item appeared in his hand, being drawn from the inventory.

 Chapter 208: Chapter 208: Just how many of you are there?!

    A gun materialized in Eren''s hand, a reward for surviving the Sea Dragon Queen.


    This gun, though modeled after those from Earth, was different. It didn''t use normal bullets like the guns from earth. Instead, it generated bullets using the mana of its owner.


    Eren began supplying his mana, something that held little use for him otherwise. The mana flowed through his hands into the gun, which absorbed it greedily.


    The mana was condensed inside the bullet, taking the shape of the bullet.


    Still, he was taken aback when the gun continued to absorb his mana even after several moments had passed.


    In less than a minute, his mana reserves were nearly depleted, and only then did the gun stop taking more mana.


    Eren felt that the gun stopped only because he had almost run out of mana. It felt as if the gun possessed safety mechanisms and knew the limits, depending on the user.


    As it was a bound item, no one other than him could use it. So he could be the only user of the gun in the first ce, at least as per his expectations.


    He was certain that he could have supplied more mana if necessary, as long as he didn''t run out of it.


    On the other hand, he could have forcefully cut off the supply whenever he wanted, something which could create weaker bullets. The more and the purer mana the gun received, the stronger an attack it could produce.


    ''I hope you are worth this,'' he thought as his finger tested on its trigger.


    "Do you really need to hide?" Li Yunfeng slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sharply looking at the pir behind which Eren was standing.


    "Did you find me with the trace of mana?" Eren stepped into the light, his face covered with a mask.


    As he had also changed his clothes, it was impossible to recognise him as the Elder from the Sect as long as he didn''t release his aura.


    He was certain that Li Yunfeng couldn''t sense him before. However, the trace of mana flowing from his body to the gun made his presence known.


    Li Yunfeng didn''t even frown at the sight of a stranger who appeared like an assassin.


    "Are you from the Northern Continent?" he asked, changing his voice a little.


    There were also a few rare exceptions in the other continents who could use mana, but it was mostly associated with the Mages from the Northern Continent.


    "Didn''t I tell you people to note here? What if someone saw you?" Li Yunfeng frowned as he waved his hand, creating a snow wall to close the opening into the hall.


    He closed the entire hall to make sure that someone couldn''te here even from an ident, as if he didn''t want to be seen with the guest.


    "Hmm?" Eren''s mask hid his expressions or his shock would have been clearly visible on his face.


    He didn''t understand. If Li Yunfeng thought that he was from the Necromancer Tower, shouldn''t he be shocked?


    Why did it feel like this wasn''t the first time Li Yunfeng was meeting someone from the Necromancer Tower?


    Eren had quite a few questions in his mind, but there was only one possibility that made sense for him. Li Yunfeng, also known as the Frost Demon, was quite deeply rted to the Necromancer Tower.


    The way he closed the hall, it also became clear that he didn''t want anyone to know about it.


    ''Is he a spy of the Necromancer Tower?'' Eren thought, almost mming his face in his palms.


    Just what kind of sect did Feng Yu create? One famous Elder was a spy from the Necromancer Tower and another famous Elder was the spy from the Hero Academy?


    At this rate, was there also a spy from the Holy Empire? he wondered.


    "Why aren''t you saying anything?" Li Yunfeng asked, frowning at the strange silence.


    "Does the Master need your permission to have something done?" Eren asked in return, answering the first question of Li Yunfeng.


    "Know your ce!" he added.


    Although Li Yunfeng''s expressions became darker after being scolded, he didn''t retort.


    "I-i know he must have sent you here for a purpose. I didn''t mean to question him. I just meant that it was dangerous," he rified.


    He didn''t care what the person in front of him thought, but if this reached the ears of ''that person'' , then it could only be a disaster for him.


    Eren came here to kill Li Yunfeng, but he had found a link between Li Yunfeng and the Necromancer Tower.


    There were quite a lot of things that he wanted to know about the Necromancer Tower and what better person than Li Yunfeng to interrogate.


    Unfortunately, he didn''t have time to waste interrogating the Frost Demon. It was only a matter of time before he realized that he wasn''t from the Necromancer Tower.


    Eren walked closer to Li Yunfeng, his body surrounded in a ck cloak, a gun hidden within.


    "You know about hell?" he asked as he approached Li Yunfeng, remembering the Hell''s Pass he had received from the system.


    He also heard from the Lich about the materials for the Hell''s Door opening. He was quite curious about the hell that was supposed to be opened as even Yelen didn''t seem to know anything about it.


    "Hell?" Li Yunfeng looked in confusion. "What are you even talking about?"


    Eren sighed in disappointment.


    "I see. So you are just an insignificant pawn. I guess I overestimated you."


    He stopped with only half a meter of distance between him and Li Yunfeng who was still sitting on the throne, not realizing how close death had approached him.


    He expected to receive some answers from Li Yunfeng, especially about Hell''s Door and things rted to it. Unfortunately, he didn''t seem to know anything about it.


    He was just a pawn, just like he was supposed to be for the Hero Academy. For the useless pawn, he only had one fate in mind.


    His hand came out from the cloak, holding a strange shaped metal object which aimed at Li Yunfeng''s head.


    Li Yunfeng couldn''t feel any magic or even aura from this metal object at the moment.


    "What are yo-"


    He opened his lips to ask, but before he could finish, a loud bang resounded in the Frost Pce.

 Chapter 209: Chapter 209: The Forbidden Fruit

    Eren stood in disbelief, staring at the fist-sized hole on the right side of Li Yunfeng''s chest.


    What shocked him wasn''t just the wound in the Frost Demon''s chest, inflicted by his mana bullet. It was the fact that the wall behind Yunfeng was also inflicted by a simrly sized hole.


    The mana bullet hadn''t merely passed through the Frost Demon''s chest, but it had also prated the Qi-reinforced frost walls as well.


    The bullet continued its relentless path, carving through one wall after another before finally vanishing as the mana finally dispersed at the range of a few hundred meters.


    Even Eren was taken aback by the strength of the mana bullet. Why did it feel less like a gun and more like a frightening artifact?


    He was fortunate that the pce was muchrger, otherwise he was sure that the bullet might have left a hole in the outer wall of the pce as well.


    Inside the Pce, the number of guards were negligible, but outside, there were many more.


    If there was a hole in the outer wall which allowed someone to peek straight into this ce, it could definitely alert the guards and create unnecessary noise.


    Blood stained the clothes of Li Yunfeng who lowered his head in disbelief. He looked at the home in his chest which was bleeding profusely. A trail of blood trickled down the corner of his lips.


    He raised his head, having a lot of questions. Unfortunately, no words came out of his lips. His vision started getting blurry as he looked at the masked figure in front of his eyes that was slowly turning dark.


    "It''s nothing personal. So I hope you don''t me me for this," Eren told the Frost Demon who saw the blurry figure taking off his mask.


    He couldn''t see the face of the person as his vision waspletely lost. However, the blurry silhouette did feel familiar. When Eren spoke without modifying his voice, he didn''t have any questions left anymore. He knew the person who killed him.


    The corner of his lips crept up, as if he was trying tough at his own foolishness. He was nning to kill Eren, never expecting that he was going to be killed.


    Still, he was notpletely disappointed.


    "H...eh..." heughed mockingly, only to cough out a mouthful of blood, even moving being extremely painful for him.


    "You areughing because you think I will be following after you?" Eren asked, going down on one knee.


    It didn''t take him much to guess why the Frost Demon was smiling even in his death. It was only because he knew that Eren was going to die soon as well.


    The moment he died, it was only a matter of time before the tracks were going to lead to Eren.


    He was the only one in the sect who had any conflict with him after all. He was also the only one who was strong enough to do something like this.


    Feng Yu was going to kill Eren. Even if Eren tried to justify himself by saying that he was a spy, but with him dead, how was Eren going to prove that?


    For him, Eren was as good as dead. By killing him, Eren had signed his own death warrant.


    Even if Feng Yu didn''t kill him and he somehow survived, he was going to be the target of Necromancer Tower for taking out their spy and spoiling their ns.


    "Heh..." Even as he was covered in blood, Li Yunfeng keptughing, blood gushing out of his mouth.


    "I am d that you are leaving happily." Eren ced his hand on the Frost Demon''s head, not caring about his happiness.


    "Though I am curious. You don''t have a Bloodline, but will Devourer''s ability give me something if I..." he thought as he looked at his right hand that slowly started transforming into a human sized dragon''s w.


    Frost Demon felt his life slipping away slowly even as heughed.


    "Urgh!" Hisughter disappeared as his body suddenly trembled. Eren stabbed his w on the right side of Li Yunfeng''s chest that he intentionally hadn''t attacked with his bullet.


    His ws grabbed a hold of the Frost Demon''s heart that was already struggling to keep him alive.


    More blood gushed out as Eren pulled out his w, while still firmly holding onto Li Yunfeng''s heart.


    "Hmm? Why did you stopughing suddenly?"


    Eren tossed Li Yunfeng''s heart from one hand to the other as if it was a ball.


    Li Yunfeng''sughter had disappeared and his teeth were clenched. He didn''t want to scream and give Eren the satisfaction of watching him struggle.


    "You... will... d...di..." he said with great struggle, but his body lost thest of its strength before he could evenplete his sentence.


    Eren ced his hand on Li Yunfeng''s face, closing his nk eyes.


    The person was gone. All that was left was the body with a missing heart that slowly slipped off the throne, falling on the ground at Eren''s feet.


    "If you open a portal here, will Feng Yu sense it when shees to investigate the disappearance?" Eren asked, looking at the lifeless body at his feet.


    He looked a little disgusted at the heart in his hand. He had only taken the hearts of monsters before this. It was the first time he was trying his abilities on a human heart.


    Although he was disgusted, there was also something inside him that was urging him to take a bite, as if this was the most delicious fruit in his hand.


    "If I open it here, some traces might be left. If shees to this exact room in the future, she might sense that and link the disappearance to the spirits," Yelen answered, realizing what Eren was thinking about.


    He was most probably nning to dump the body in the Spirit Realm to be destroyed there by the Spirits. That way, he could erase all the evidence without much effort.


    "Fine. Since I''m going to the Western Region anyway, I''ll find a way to toss it somewhere." Eren kept the body in his inventory, which couldn''t be sensed even by Feng Yu.


    He used the Dragon Tongue Magic to clean the floor before turning to leave.


    While walking away, he finally took a bite of the forbidden fruit.

 Chapter 210: Chapter 210: Beyond Expectations

    Blood stained Eren''s lips as he sank his teeth into Li Yunfeng''s heart. With each bite, he felt like his body was changing.


    His body was absorbing something from the heart that was consumed by him. What his body absorbed wasn''t merely the heart but the life essence of Li Yunfeng.


    Eren swallowed the bite, feeling a strange chill spread throughout his body. His eyes glowed a frosty blue for an instant before reverting to their usual hue.


    The taste was somewhat metallic, bitter, yet oddly addicting. He soon consumed the heart in its entirety, leaving only the blood stains in his hand.


    For a brief moment, he felt cold when he consumed the heart. However, after that there was no such thing. If anything, he felt as if his surroundings had grown warmer.


    He was walking on the frosty hallway of the frozen pce, but even then, he couldn''t feel the slightest bit of cold. It was akin to his body being ustomed to bear the cold for some reason.


    "Cleanse."


    He used the Dragon Tongue, cleaning his body of all the blood stains. His hands and lips that were stained with blood until a few moments ago became cleaner as if they had never touched any blood at all.


    "Identify..."


    Next, he used Identification on himself to see how his body had changed. He wasn''t even sure if there was anything worth stealing from Li Yunfeng.


    From what he had known, Devourer could only steal the heroic bloodlines from the ones he devoured. People in the Eastern Continent didn''t have the bloodlines so he wasn''t sure if he even received anything worth his effort.


    The only change he was certain about was that his level had increased when he killed Li Yunfeng.


    Soon, the status screen opened before him and he started paying attention.


    ****************************


    [Name: Eren (Ren Necroline)]


    [Level: 25]


    [Identity: Elder at the Great Demon Sect, Spy of Mythical Hero Academy, Owner of Devourer Bloodline, Heir of the Necromancer Tower, Ruler of Spirit Realm]


    [Bloodline: Unknown, Devourer, Royal Sea Dragon, Sea Serpentine]


    [Guardian: First Spirit Queen Yelen]


    [Age: 21]


    [Traits: Calm]


    [Stats]


    [Strength: 185]


    [Agility: 199]


    [Stamina: 198]


    [Intelligence :69]


    [Mana: 848]


    [Cultivation: Unknown (Sealed)]


    [Hero Grade: SSS]


    [Goddess Protection: None]


    [Physique: Lunar Frost Physique]


    [Unique items in possession: Pendant of Poison, Modified Desert Eagle, Overlord Killing Dagger (Iplete), Cursed Grail of Restriction]


    [Skills: Sword Emperor''s Aura, Aura Control Method, Identification, Devouring, Aquatic Mastery, Flight, Dragon Language, Dragon Transformation, Skill Unification, Frost Domain]


    ******************************


    "Hmm?"


    Eren went through his status screen, receiving one surprise after the other.


    He didn''t hold much expectations, which was why he was even more surprised when he saw the changes. Just as he expected, he didn''t receive any bloodline, but he received a physique.


    "Lunar Frost Physique... If I''m not wrong, this is what Li Yunfeng had. I see. So Devourer can''t just steal Bloodlines but also special physiques?"


    He also noticed another peculiar thing. He had received a skill as well. It wasn''t any skill that Li Yunfeng had learned in the first ce.


    It was a skill that Li Yunfeng was born with, along with his physique. It was more like apanion skill to his physique.


    Another thing that he couldn''t ignore were his stats. Almost all his stats had increased by six to seven times.


    This was something he already expected, but not to this extent. Whenpared to cultivation, every ten levels were considered a major realm.


    The gain one received from passing through a major realm was more than going from one minor stage to another minor stage.


    Previously, he was only level 19, but now he was level 25. He had crossed the wall of 20th level. Just five more levels to gain and he could cross another major stage, multiplying his stats again.


    ''Strange... At this rate, won''t my stats surpass Xiu Ying if I just gain five more levels?''


    He was quite intrigued by his stats. Even with sealed cultivation, his growth was quite fast.


    As per his system''s interpretation, Xiu Ying was equivalent to a level fifty yer. Which means she had crossed the fifth wall.


    Meanwhile, he had only crossed the second wall. One more wall and he could beparable to her. It meant when he was Level 31, just based on his stats alone, he could face a Level 50 person like Xiu Ying?


    If he was to add his artifacts in the mix, he could be even more confident.


    ''At that rate, what if I reach Level 50?'' He wondered, his expressions looking somewhat uncertain.


    There was one more thing he was looking forward to. It was the Pendant of Prediction.


    He hadpleted the option, but he hadn''t received the reward yet. Just like the Pendant of Poison, this reward was also a little slower to arrive.


    After a while, he sighed as he controlled his excitement. For now, he had other things to focus on.


    Eren left the Pce of the Frost Demon. Not even the guards of Li Yunfeng knew that he had been killed already. They were protecting the pce, unaware that they had already failed.


    Not only did Eren enter, but he left with just as much stealth as ever, all thanks to the Dragon Tongue.


    Eren soon reached his next destination, which was the courtyard of the Main Character.


    As Li Yunfeng favored Ye Liang, he gave him a courtyard in a separate area of the mountain where no one could disturb his most precious disciple''s training.


    He also assigned a few guards along the way to keep his disciples safe.


    Strangely enough, none of those guards could be seen anywhere at the moment.


    There were ces where it looked like the snow was dug up and something big buried in that ce.


    Only one pair of footsteps could be seen walking away from that ce in the direction of Ye Liang''s courtyard.


    Eren gazed at the courtyard, which again made him realize how poor he was as a master.


    The courtyard where Ye Liang lived looked extremely luxurious, and more importantly Ye Liang didn''t have to make it himself.


    "My dear system, I''m about to finish the lore of the main character. It is a significant point in the history of the Eastern Continent. Isn''t it about time you have some nice options with rewards?"


    For a moment, he waited outside the courtyard, waiting for the options to appear. Strangely enough, no options appeared.


    In the end, he gave up on trying to get rewards for something he was about to do in any case. He stepped forward and entered the courtyard.


    The moment his foot firstnded in Ye Liang''s courtyard, a red screen appeared in front of him.


    "See? You can be quite good when you want to be." Seeing the screen, Eren''s lips crept up.

 Chapter 211: Chapter 211: It didnt know?

    [You havepleted the selected option]


    [You have been rewarded with the Pendant of Prediction]


    [You have received new options]


    One after another, notifications started arriving which soon resulted in the appearance of an option screen.


    ....¡­.......


    [Option One: Ye Liang tried to kill you. An Overlord shall not let that go. Kill Ye Liang and show the world what happens to your enemies.


    Reward: Level +3]


    [Option Two: You are merciful and want to give Ye Liang one more chance to change. Return without doing anything.


    Reward: A random skill (High Tier)]


    [Option Three: You have killed Ye Liang''s master. You appreciate his talents and think that he will flourish more under you. Make Ye Liang your disciple.


    Reward: Strength +50]


    [Option Four: Ye Liang didn''t just try to hurt you but also your disciple. You know what your disciple needs an enemy and a goal to strive towards. Have your disciple kill Ye Liang within the next 30 days.


    Reward: Mana +100]


    Looking at the rewards, Eren was slightly surprised. The increase in stats offered was quite high.


    Previously, he only received option rewards that could increase his stats by less than ten. But with his increased level and stats, the base reward had also increased.


    Although some of those stats looked lucrative, he had already made up his mind on what he was going to do.


    Moreover, although the stats were appealing, it was nothingpared to the increase in levels at this point.


    He only needed five more levels to cross the next great wall, and three of those levels could be gained from the reward itself.


    Normally, he expected it to be easier to level up, but even after killing Li Yunfeng, he only gained six levels. Each level was bing more valuable with time. How could he say no to three free level ups?


    Eren''s gaze lingered on the option screen for a moment longer before he made his decision. His finger hovered over the first option, and with a tap, he selected it.


    [You have selected Option One: Kill Ye Liang]


    [Reward oncepleted: Level +3]


    ....


    Ye Liang was lying in a bathtub which was made from snow crystals.


    Despite that, he didn''t feel cold as he kept running the new skill that he had learned from the Frost Demon. If anything, the water was just the perfect temperature for him.


    "The old man had quite a nice skill. However, his face when I learned that skill instantly was worth seeing."


    There was a proud smile on his lips as he thought back to the moment when Li Yunfeng was constantly praising him, calling him a genius that''s born once every thousand years.


    "He didn''t know that it''s not a talent but my system that lets me earn any martial skill right away. All I need is to spend some contribution points."


    "As for being a genius that''s born once every thousand years? No! I''m someone who was born once in eternity! I am the one fated for greatness. With the help of my system, I will soon be the one above all!"


    Even the freezing water shouldn''t calm his ming thoughts about his future desires. He believed that no one could understand him. No one was as special as him!


    He was selected by this system which didn''t make sense. Only heaven could make something like this! Hence, he was selected by the heavens! He was not something that could be understood by mortals.


    He even looked down on everyone else, including his master. For him, Li Yunfeng was only a master in name. Why would he take those useless people as his Master? They were only stepping stones for him.


    They were ced in this world so a heaven''s chosen like him could use them as stepping stones to climb higher. It was only a matter of time before he was going to leave this ''master'' in dust and reach a higher stage.


    "For now, he is still useful, especially since he seems to hate Elder Ren. If I use him well in the trip to the Western Continent, I might be able toplete the main scenario quest."


    "With the help of Li Yunfeng, I will soon kill Elder Ren. I''m already looking forward to the reward forpleting the first main scenario."


    He kept talking to himself as he was the only one who could understand him. There was only one person in this world who was as talented as him, and it was he himself. At least that''s what he thought.


    Whenever he thought about Eren, he was always reminded about how he was used as a servant.


    "Elder Ren, I hope you had fun using me as a servant. Because next time we travel together, you won''t be left breathing..." Ye Liang smirked as he closed his eyes, feeling thefortable feeling of the freezing water.


    He didn''t realize that right on the other side of the wall, there was a person standing.


    Eren''s arms were folded around his chest as he stood with his back resting against the wall, hearing Ye Liang talk to himself.


    ''Killing me? Main Scenario? It seems my appearance in this world had already changed the future of this main character before I even left the bed for the first time.''


    Quite a lot of things started making sense for Eren, especially the reason Ye Liang tried to kill his disciple. He already expected something like this, but this had confirmed it. It was a quest for him and nothing more.


    In the novel, the main character didn''t seem to have any special quest to kill Elder Ren or Yu Lin. But this time, it was changed. His quest had changed.


    He wondered if it was because Ye Liang''s system considered the present of him, who already knew the future, as a threat for the growth of the main character.


    Hence, the first main scenario became the annihtion of the variable.


    Eren stood in silence, frowning.


    ''How strange... Something still doesn''t add up. It''s as if his system didn''t know that Ye Liang wasn''t capable of killing me. As if... it didn''t know that I had a system as well?''

 Chapter 212: Chapter 212: Even a God cant stop me!

    Eren remained silent, lost in his own thoughts. He felt as if he had a few puzzle pieces but the entire puzzle was toorge to be solved with just the few pieces that he had.


    What was the system that Ye Liang had? Was it actually a gift from heaven to the Main Character? In that case, why didn''t it know about his system when setting the quest for him?


    If Ye Liang''s system was the gift from heaven then what was his system which even the Main Character''s system didn''t notice when creating quests.


    ''The author... Just what did he do?'' he thought, looking at the ceiling in silence.


    ....


    Ye Liang came out of the water after spending a few more minutes in the peaceful silence alone with his own thoughts.


    He picked up a towel and started drying his body and hair as water droplets fell on the freezing floor. After drying his hair, he wore his clothes and returned to the main hall.


    In the middle of the hall, there was a table set near the window, giving a view of the snowfall scenery outside


    Next to the table, there was a chair. He walked over to the table and sat on the chair next to the ss window.


    In the middle of the table, there was tea that had already gone cold. However, he didn''t mind. He wanted the cold tea to practice his skill more.


    "Just a little longer and I would be able to leave this hell," he mumbled under his breath as he picked up the cup, bringing it to his lips.


    His lips touched the cold exterior of the cup while the cold tea poured down his throat, giving a soothing sensation to his throat.


    With a few sips, Ye Liangpletely emptied the cup and ced it back. The corner of his lips curved to form a pleased smile.


    "The Main Scenario Reward... I really look forward to it."


    Although there were a few hups in hispletion of the previous quests, he could feet everything returning to ce.


    "Hmm?"


    Ye Liang was in the best mood when his smile suddenly disappeared. He felt his throat suddenly dry up even though he had just finished drinking something.


    The cirction of his Qi also came to a sudden stop. His body was starting to reject his Qi, making him unable to use it at all.


    He couldn''t even use the skill taught by Li Yunfeng. Without it, he was again able to feel how cold his surroundings were, especially after a cold shower.


    He tried to stand up to get away from the window, only to realize that his legs refused to move. He fell on the ground with a thud, his body refusing to listen to him.


    "Poison!" His expressions turned dark as he realized what had happened. He was even more clear as this was a poison he had used once before.


    He used that poison on Eren and the envoy of the Holy Empire. Both of them were strong, so they were able to recover quickly. But for him, that wasn''t the case.


    As long as the Poison was in his body, he couldn''t use any skills.


    He also couldn''t move his body properly. It felt as if he was heavily drunk, trying to move his left hand, only to move his right hand''s finger instead. His body had lost coordination with his mind.


    He quickly thought of something, fear starting to rise in his heart. For the same poison to be used on him, only one person came to his mind.


    "E-Elder Ren! Are you trying to kill a disciple?" he asked.


    Although he couldn''t use his Qi, he still had the item that his master had rewarded him to contact him when his life was in danger.


    The item was connected to his consciousness so it could be used without any essence.


    As long as he desired it, he could contact his master. And in case he passed out, the item could activate on its own, letting his master know his location.


    "He will not respond," a voice came as the sound of footsteps resounded in the hall. "As good as that item is, it can''t connect to the afterlife."


    "What are you trying to say?!" Ye Liang''s lips twitched as he raised his head, struggling to stand up.


    He barely managed to stand up, only to fall back again,his back mming against the wall.


    He ended up in the sitting position with his back against the fall, being able to see the person who had walked inside.


    "I think you are wise enough to know what I mean. Isn''t that right?" Eren approached Ye Liang, going down on one knee to look straight into his eyes.


    "Impossible. How can you kill him? I just met him!"


    Ye Liang refused to believe it. How could an elder be killed with such ease? If two elders fought, themotion should have beenrge enough to alert the entire mountain and maybe even the entire sect.


    "Is there a reason for me to lie to someone who''s about to die?" Eren asked.


    "I-i don''t know why you are doing it. We have no enmity. I even apologized to you for myst mistake. Don''t kill me!"


    Ye Liang didn''t know if he could believe Eren, but it was true that there was no reason for him to lie about it. He also hadn''t received any response from his master.


    "It''s funny. You tell me to not kill you, but I still don''t see any fear in your eyes." Eren smiled. "Is it because of that system and thest life saving measure that you had been saving?"


    "You!" For the first time, Ye Liang''s face grew pale. How did this person know about his system and even the treasure he had been saving?


    He didn''t have time to think about anything. For now, all his senses were telling him to run away!


    ''Use it!'' hemanded his system without hesitation. ''Take me away!''


    [Activating]


    Notification appeared in front of Ye Liang which finally brought a smile to his face.


    "So what if you know? You think you can stop me?" he asked Eren, his tone filled with arrogance. "Even a god can''t kill me here! Just wait until I return for your head!"


    [Error... Restriction detected...]


    [Activation has been forcefully blocked]


    "Huh? What?" All his arrogance suddenly disappeared when new sets of notifications appeared before him.

 Chapter 213: Chapter 213: If its to survive

    [Error detected. Unable to Proceed with Escape Protocols.]


    Ye Liang''s eyes widened in disbelief. Hisst hope was now crumbling before him, and he could feel the grip of fear tightening around his heart.


    "How...?" His voice trembled, and sweat formed on his forehead despite the cold. "How did you...?"


    All his confidence had disappeared and he was starting to freak out. The reason he was confident before was because he knew that he could not be killed. It was no different than having an extra life.


    In this moment, he saw that extra life suddenly disappear. He could not escape even if he was to be killed.


    "I am the one chosen by heaven!" He screamed as Eren only smiled at him instead of answering. His face was distorted in anger and panic. "You can''t kill me! I am destined to be great! I can''t die here!"


    "Don''t worry. I know all too well about the plot armor of the Main Characters..." Eren finally said with an amused smile on his lips. It was fun to see fear in the eyes of the arrogant character who had tried to kill him.


    "Why did you think I let you live for so long, despite being poisoned by you?" he asked. "I''m not the main character like you. So it took me some time to prepare."


    Ye Liang had already realized that Eren knew he was the one who poisoned the wine. But hearing it from his mouth confirmed it.


    "I didn''t want to kill you! I was forced by the system! It was a quest!" he eximed, trying every possible thing to survive.


    "I will change! I will abandon that quest if you let me live! With my help, you will also be stronger! Together, the two of us will be the strongest beings in the world!


    "Forced by the system?" Erenughed so loud that it echoed in the entire hall. "What a coincidence? Me too."


    As soon as he finished speaking, he stabbed a dagger in Ye Liang''s thighs before Ye Liang could evenprehend or respond to his words.


    As the dagger stabbed in his leg, Ye Liang felt a sharp pain shoot up his leg. He roared in pain, tears unintentionallying out of his eyes.


    His roar was loud, but in the frozen mountain and deste ce, no one was here to listen to his painful cries except Eren who was the cause of it all in the first ce.


    "I will kill you!" Ye Liang appeared to have gone crazy in pain. It was clear that Eren didn''t intend to let him live.


    "Arghhh!"


    He roared again as the dagger pulled out of his right foot and stabbed in his left foot. Even when he couldn''t use his strength, he could feel all the pain. If anything, the pain felt even stronger.


    Ye Liang''s body shuddered with pain. He tried to muster any remaining strength to move, but his limbs felt like rock, and his mind was clouded by the poison and pain.


    The realization that he was utterly powerless had already sunk in. He couldn''t even open the system screen or his inventory.


    "You... You can''t do this," he stammered, desperately clinging to any semnce of hope. "You can''t kill me!"


    "Even a god can''t kill me here! Just wait until I return for your head..." Eren repeated the sentence that Ye Liang had said when he thought he could escape, as if moving the main character.


    "I don''t know about any gods, but this viin who couldn''t even survive for more than fifty chapters will definitely be the one killing you today."


    He wasn''t a fool to let the Main Character live. It was enough tormenting the Main Character. It was time for him to end this, not wanting to give any more time for the Main Character''s plot armor to activate.


    The entire space here was sealed. No old man in the ring or any extraordinary master could enter this ce. Still, Eren didn''t want to drag things.


    Ye Liang watched Eren''s right hand transform into a Dragon''s w.


    "Don''t kill m-" Tears streamed down Ye Liang''s cheeks as he pleaded with Eren onest time, trying to gain some sympathy.


    Although he put on a begging front, deep down he was filled with hate. He had already swore on his life that if he was going to survive today, he was going to make Eren''s life a living hell.


    While Ye Liang was still in the middle of his sentence, Eren''s ws stabbed his chest, gripping onto his heart.


    "No... No, please..." His voice faded into a whimper as his consciousness began to slip away.


    Ye Liang coughed out a mouthful of blood as he watched Eren pull out his w which was holding on to his heart.


    Arge sound of thunder responded in the surroundings as dark clouds appeared above the Great Demon Sect. It started raining heavily, many people asionally noticing lightning sh in the sky.


    "How cute. It seems you truly are a child of heaven. Even heaven seems to be crying for you." Eren gazed out the window while holding Ye Liang''s heart in his hand.


    Life drained from Ye Liang''s eyes. The room grew silent once more as his unsteady breathing came to a sudden stop.


    He was supposed to be the greatest person to ever live. He even had the help of the system, yet he was killed so easily without even being able to resist.


    Even as he closed his eyes in death, a self deprecating smile remained on his lips as if he wasughing at himself. Was he really the main character of this world? Or was he just a stepping stone for the real main character¡­ he wondered in his death.


    Eren checked once again to make sure that Ye Liang was actually dead. He was still uncertain as the Main Characters had a habit of not staying dead.


    He was soon able to confirm that he had died, but still Eren didn''t want to take any risks. He kept Ye Liang''s body in his inventory, nning to never let it leave his inventory.


    Inside his inventory, the time waspletely stopped. Even if the Main Character had plot armor after his death, but when the time for the body had stopped, there was not much the plot armor could do.


    After taking care of the body, he stood up and walked over to the window, looking at the lightning in the sky.


    "I don''t care why I was brought to this world. But if it''s to survive, I will do anything... including killing the ones favored by you¡­"

 Chapter 214: Chapter 214: Unknown Bloodline Awakening

    Eren''s eyes reflected the storm raging outside, which created quite the contrast with the silence in the room.


    He took a bite of the Main Character''s heart, wondering what he was going to receive. He didn''t think the Main Character had a physique. What made him special was the system that he had received.


    Could he steal the Main Character''s System with devouring? He wasn''t certain. The chances were so low that it was on the verge of unlikely.


    As he finished consuming the forbidden fruit, his devouring bloodline started working on its own. Eren didn''t feel much change within him even as quite some time passed.


    "Just as I expected, there isn''t much change. Devouring can''t steal systems."


    He was somewhat disappointed at the revtion. Still, as he had taken out an enemy, it was still over-all a positive for him.


    [You havepleted the selected option]


    [Level +3]


    ****************************


    [Name: Eren (Ren Necroline)]


    [Level: 28]


    [Identity: Elder at the Great Demon Sect, Spy of Mythical Hero Academy, Owner of Devourer Bloodline, Heir of the Necromancer Tower, Ruler of Spirit Realm]


    [Bloodline: Unknown (25%), Devourer, Royal Sea Dragon, Sea Serpentine]


    [Guardian: First Spirit Queen Yelen]


    [Age: 21]


    [Traits: Calm]


    [Stats]


    [Strength: 199]


    [Agility: 210]


    [Stamina: 238]


    [Intelligence :71]


    [Mana: 948]


    [Cultivation: Unknown (Sealed)]


    [Hero Grade: SSS]


    [Goddess Protection: Unknown]


    [Physique: Lunar Frost Physique, Destiny Physique]


    [Unique items in possession: Pendant of Poison, Modified Desert Eagle, Overlord Killing Dagger (Iplete), Cursed Grail of Restriction, Pendant of Prediction]


    [Skills: Sword Emperor''s Aura, Aura Control Method, Identification, Devouring, Aquatic Mastery, Flight, Dragon Language, Dragon Transformation, Skill Unification, Frost Domain]


    ******************************


    Eren didn''t expect much except his stats to change, but what appeared in his status screen was enough to pleasantly surprise him.


    First of all, his stats had increased as per his expectations. There wasn''t much change in them with just three levels, but he needed only three more levels to cross the third great wall.


    That alone was enough to make him satisfied but he noticed a few more changes that made him even more happy.


    He thought he wasn''t going to get anything from consuming Ye Liang''s heart, but something appeared in the physique section.


    He had received a second physique, which was called the Destiny Physique. It was his first time seeing his name. Even in the book, it wasn''t mentioned that Ye Liang had a special physique.


    Was it something that Ye Liang received because the future changed, or was it with him when he was born, just not mentioned in the novel?


    He wasn''t sure which of the two was the case, but it was good news for him. It truly wasn''t a waste to consume that thing.


    Moreover, although he didn''t want to ept it, the taste also appeared as good as the Royal Sea Dragon''s heart if not better.


    He had a feeling that the taste was because of his Devourer Bloodline. Otherwise, there was no way he was going to like something like that.


    He wasn''t sure what the Destiny Physique did as there was no description about it. With the Frost Physique, he at least knew what it was supposed to be.


    He could only roughly guess that this was something that increased a person''s luck. Was it because of this physique that the main characters were able to find all the hidden treasures and routes?


    There was another change which surprised him. In the Bloodline section, there was an unknown bloodline for as long as he remembered.


    There was no name for that bloodline and no description. He didn''t even feel anything rted to that bloodline before. He had even wondered if that was just the persistent error in his status screen that did nothing.


    After so long, he finally saw a change in the unknown bloodline. Although there was still no name for that bloodline, a percentage had appeared in front of it.


    In front of the unknown bloodline in the status screen, it now mentioned twenty five percent. What did this twenty five percent imply? He wasn''t sure. Was it an awakening rate? Or was it something more?


    The only thing he could confirm was that it appeared after he killed the main character.


    He knew that there were four main characters in this world. Each of them were in a different continent with Ye Liang being the main character of the Eastern Continent.


    "If one main character gives me twenty-five percent, then what about four? Wouldn''t that bring me to apletion?" He thought out loud.


    Although he wasn''t sure if his line of thoughts was correct, this was the only thing that made sense for now.


    ''A bloodline that needs the death of four main characters to fully awaken? If my assumption is correct, then what kind of bloodline could it be?''


    There was another change in his status screen. Previously, in the goddess protection section, it mentioned none. But that had also been reced with unknown.


    There were a lot of questions in his mind as he watched the water droplets fall on the frozen mountain.


    Before the water droplets evennded, they also turned to snow, only making theter snow over the mountain thicker.


    Meanwhile, there was another mountain that belonged to Eren which didn''t have any snow.


    The heavy rainfall affected the entire sect, but Eren''s mountain was affected especially as the support of his poorly made house at the edge of the cliff broke.


    With the support breaking, his small hut-like residence fell off the cliff. With a thud, itnded on the ground, breaking into pieces.


    Unaware about the destruction of his house, Eren prepared to leave in this heavy rain. He still had to return to the library. That ce was his alibi that he had nothing to do with this incident after all.


    He turned to leave, noticing the pieces of the Cursed Grail that had sealed this space. It was only a one time use item and now that it had been used, the grail broke.


    The space was again freed from the restriction but the person who wanted to use the space was no more.


    Eren kept the remnants of the grail with him and used the Dragon Tongue Magic to clean the entire ce.


    After finishing, he left the ce, the snowkes falling over his body, unable to even hurt him.

 Chapter 215: Chapter 215: Passive Protection

    ....


    A portal opened in the Royal Pce of the Spirit Realm. Eren stepped out of the portal, catching a breather.


    This time, he didn''t go through two portals directly, and decided to take a breather in between. He didn''t want to go through the same experience again.


    As he came through the Portal, he noticed Felona sitting on the throne, discussing something with the other Spirits.


    Seeing him suddenly appear, the entire ce went silent. Other than Felona and a few more people, not many knew about Eren''s identity and that he was a ruler.


    Felona wanted to tell others, but she knew that it was aplicated matter to let everyone know that a human ruled over them. She still hadn''t managed to find the right time to let everyone know.


    In any case, she didn''t think there was a need for that in the first ce. As long as the important people in the Spirit Realm knew, that was enough. They were enough to handle everything that was required of them.


    Seeing Eren appear in the heart of the Royal Pce amidst the meeting, the Spirit Warriors who didn''t know about him were shocked. They thought that an intruder had arrived to hurt the Princess.


    This time, they didn''t want to make the same mistake asst time. They didn''t waste a single second and attacked Eren.


    "Wait!" Felona called out, but she was toote. The Spirit Warriors had already rushed to attack Eren who was confused as to what was happening. Was this a rebellion? He wandered.


    He didn''t worry about being attacked as Yelen was right behind him, but still it was disappointing to see a rebellion when it hadn''t even been that long.


    "Hmm?" Felona was prepared to stop them without hurting the ignorant Spirit Warriors.


    She understood that they didn''t know any better. They were only attacking to protect Felona because of a misunderstanding.


    Felona raised her hand to stop them, but even she was taken aback when she saw what happened before she could even stop them.


    Illusory shackles appeared around the throat of the Spirit Warriors who had attacked. The shackles not only stopped them, but even hurt them in the process.


    Painful cries of the Spirit Warriors echoed through the silent hall as the Spirit Warriors fell on their knees before they could even get close to Eren to harm him.


    Eren was also intrigued by what had happened. These shackles appeared to be the same that he had seen when hepleted the option of the system rted to conquering this realm.


    A horrifying scene took ce before everyone as the Spirit Warriors dispersed,pletely destroyed by the mysterious shackles.


    The other Spirit Warriors who saw it were also horrified. Felona wasn''t much different either as her face grew pale.


    The moment she saw those shackles, even she felt a chill run down her spine. Fear rose from the depths of her heart that felt innate.


    Despite being the Spirit Queen, she felt as if she would have been dead as well if these shackles appeared around her. Every fiber of her being was telling her that she didn''t want to be in that situation.


    Just what were these shackles that horrified her as well? She was not sure.


    "Is that the passive protection? This is not bad," Eren mumbled, looking at the remnants of the attacking Spirit Warriors disperse.


    With this kind of protection, he didn''t have to worry about being betrayed. It was like a protection mechanism that had activated the moment the system heard Felona agree to surrender the realm to him.


    Even the Spirit Warriors couldn''t resist the restrictions that were applied on them by his system, which made him even more curious about the kind of system he had received.


    Sometimes, his system was quite annoying as if it truly wanted to mess with him. But over-all, he was quite impressed with everything he had seen so far.


    He wasn''t forced to do much. In every situation, he was given multiple options. As long as he was willing to sacrifice on the rewards, he could select any option.


    Most of the time, his options covered all the paths he had avable to him, not forcing him to take a particr path.


    He was certain that he would have been long dead if it wasn''t for his system. Not just once, he would have died at least ten times already without the help of the rewards and his system.


    The other Spirit Warriors were also frozen after seeing what happened to their friends. Their hands were trembling in fear, still they raised their weapons.


    The only difference was that they didn''t attack Eren this time. They simply created a wall before Felona to protect her.


    Eren raised his gaze and looked at Felona on the throne. He truly didn''t understand what just happened. She was his second contracted spirit, and she was also the queen of this ce.


    Why did she let her people attack him? Did she think she could get rid of him like that? He knew that his guardian could never betray him, but was it possible for Felona to betray him as she wasn''t a guardian?


    "Do you have something to say?" he asked Felona.


    Felona was silent. Even she didn''t understand how to exin it. It was her fault for not exining to everyone about the recent changes. However, she also hadn''t expected Eren to arrive when she was in a meeting.


    As silence wasn''t the answer, she made the Spirit Warriors clear a path for her. In front of their eyes, she walked towards Eren.


    "Twenty Seventh Spirit Queen greets Lord Eren, the true Ruler of Spirit Realm, and the first spirit queen, the creator!"


    Shocking everyone, she went down on one knee before Eren. This was the first step to apologize and let everyone know.


    The Guards in the back were in disbelief at her actions, but more shocking were her words. She called Yelen the first spirit queen and Eren as the Ruler of Spirit Realm?

 Chapter 216: Chapter 216: If fear was needed

    Eren waited for her exnation, but looking at the surprised expressions of the other Spirits, he already had a rough understanding of the situation. It was clear that these people didn''t know his identity yet.


    It was because these people thought that he was an intruder. Because of a misunderstanding, three Spirit Warriors were dead.


    He rubbed his forehead, sighing. The Spirit Realm belonged to him. And the death of three spirit warriors was a loss for him as they indirectly served him.


    He walked towards the throne. The Spirit Warriors that were standing in his way stepped aside, still in shock.


    They were inherently scared of the magic Eren used to kill the three spirit warriors in an instant, but more than that they were shocked that Felona called him the ruler of this realm.


    She talked to him as if she was his Servant, which was hard to digest.


    "Y-your Majesty, what is happening?" One of the guards gathered the courage to ask while Eren went past them.


    He stepped before the throne. Ignoring everything that was happening, he sat on the throne as if it was natural for him. He came here to rest after all.


    He closed his eyes and left Felona to exin. In this ce, he could truly lower his guard and rx.


    With the passive protection, as long as the Necromancer Tower didn''t invade this world and came straight into the pce, no one could hurt him here.


    It wasn''t often that he could feel rxed. Every time he had to be alert and cautious, not sure when something could go wrong for him to be hurt. But here, he was somewhat rxed.


    "What do you mean he is the Ruler? How can you make a weak human rule over us?" A General eximed, hearing Felona''s exnation.


    "Even if he saved us, so what? We could have paid him for that! But to surrender everything? Isn''t that going too far?"


    "If our departed ancestors were alive, they would have been disgusted at us for serving a human!"


    Just as Felona had expected, the response wasn''t good. Most of the Spirit Warriors were silent but there were a few who were too loud. They expressed their dissatisfaction openly.


    Even though the Spirits were allowed to contract humans, it didn''t mean they didn''t look down on the humans anymore. Deeply rooted conviction was hard to change.


    For them, humans were weak and pathetic. Even if one of them was somehow strong, could they really serve a lowly species? Just because he saved them, they couldn''t give him everything.


    Was serving him any different than surrendering to the invaders? Instead of letting one side of humanity gain control over their life, they handed it over to another side of humanity?


    The majority of the Spirit Warriors were not saying anything at all, but that didn''t mean that they agreed with the Spirit Queen. Dissatisfaction was also evident on their faces.


    "Didn''t you see how brutally he killed those three? Do you think he really cares about our life? I am sorry but I can''t agree to serve the humans!"


    This was the first time that the Spirits were going against the Spirit Queen words. At least this was the first time that this happened under Felona.


    The only other time it happened was under a different spirit queen who was also in this hall. Thest time it happened was also because of a human and the victim at that time was Yelen.


    She looked at the Spirit Warriors expressing their disagreement with Felona. It reminded her of the past where she was at the receiving end.


    "I thought they had changed, but some things never change," she mumbled, shaking her head in disappointment.


    She knew that Felona did everything she could to protect them. She handed her own life to Eren, including the lives of her daughter.


    If she wanted, she could have escaped alone by abandoning the Spirit Realm. Instead, she chose to surrender her life and everything she owned to Eren to protect her people.


    Now those same people she protected were questioning her decision.


    Eren was sitting on the throne, his eyes closed as if he was trying to rest. However, his fingers kept tapping on the armrest as he heard all themotion taking ce.


    He slowly opened his eyes, gazing at the chaos in the hall.


    "If you don''t like the fact that she saved your life, you are wee to return that life."


    He released his Sword Emperor''s Aura. At that moment, it was as if a true Emperor had descended on the ce.


    His control over the Sword Emperor''s Aura had improved even more and he could target people as per his will. Only those he wanted could feel his aura while others remained free.


    The Spirit Warriors that were talking against Felona, froze in ce. Their bodies couldn''t resist the Sword Emperor''s Aura as they were forced down on their knees.


    Eren''s skill was supposed to be effective, but it was even more effective against the Spirits as he was the Ruler of this ce. All his skills were many times more effective against the Spirits than they were supposed to be.


    Blood trickled down from the eyes, ears and nose of the Spirit Warriors. They found it hard to breathe. The only people who weren''t hurt were Felona and Yelen. Everyone else was on their knees.


    Felona had tried to talk to them withpassion and calmness, but he knew that it was ineffective. Ifpassion and love worked on these spirits, then Yelen would never have been betrayed. The only thing that worked on them was fear.


    As the Spirit Warriors were brave and fought till their death against the invaders, it wasn''t easy to break their courage.


    It was challenging and he didn''t want to have to do this if possible, but with a situation like this, he epted that challenge.


    If fear was needed, he was willing to instill a fear that these people couldn''t forget for as long as they lived.


    He stood up and walked down the steps. Only the sound of his footsteps could be heard in the hall that had gone ghastly silent.

 Chapter 217: Chapter 217: To protect Felona?

    The Spirit Warriors struggled to even raise their heads under this pressure. It was as if something within their bodies was forcing them to not resist this pressure.


    They felt helpless as if they were just the puppets of this person. There were also a few who forced their bodies beyond limits to try and stand up but they also failed.


    All the Spirit Warriors could see with their head down were the feet of Eren.


    "You said I don''t care about your lives. You''re right, I don''t. As I''m a person like that, do you think I would care if I kill all of you here?" he asked, his eyes looking down on the person who was talking the most.


    Looking at his cold eyes, the Spirit Warrior felt as if he was being stared at by a demon.


    He wasn''t scared even when he faced the Necromancer, but when he looked in Eren''s eyes, there was fear that came from the depths of his heart. His hands had started trembling beyond his control.


    "Those who don''t like serving me... Those who are too proud... They can tell me right now. Let me free you from this misery."


    The body of the Spirit Warrior trembled as he watched a Sword appear in Eren''s hand. He didn''t aim the sword at anyone, but his meaning was clear.


    The Spirit Warriors had only two choices. They could follow his will, or they could ept death right now.


    Some of the Spirit Warriors who were more willing to die than to serve a human were now frozen in ce, unable to even raise a finger. All their courage had disappeared at the sight of the looming death.


    "No one?" Eren asked, seeing that no one was willing to oppose him here. "How disappointing..."


    He turned around, intentionally revealing his back to the Spirit Warriors. He also retracted his aura, as if giving them another opportunity to make a choice for themselves.


    With his passive protection, he didn''t have to worry about being stabbed in the back, but it was still a good test to weed out the potential threats.


    The Spirit Warriors sighed in relief as the pressure was removed. They were finally able to move their bodies, but the fear that they had felt in their soul was still present firmly in their heart.


    It was as if that fear had be a part of them. They didn''t even think about attacking Eren, finally understanding why Felona agreed to surrender to this person.


    He was even more scary than the Necromancer who had almost wiped the city clean.


    Eren returned to the throne and sat down like a King. The spirit warriors still remained on their knees even though they could stand up now.


    For quite some time, there was absolute silence in the ce as even Felona didn''t say anything. She just watched Eren who was sitting with his eyes closed.


    Felona was quite curious about Eren, the person who was served by the first spirit queen. He had solved this situation in a manner that she hadn''t thought about.


    She thought he was going to kill a few, but he didn''t even harm a single person but still managed to subdue them all.


    She realized that he acted ruthless, but in reality, he was very considerate.


    He didn''t just subdue the people to prevent them from talking against him. If he just wanted that, he could havemanded her to do it instead. Why did he do it himself? The answer was clear.


    ''He did it for me...'' she thought, lowering her head as her mind was filled with various thoughts.


    She realized that Eren noticed that she was bing the viin for her people. It didn''t affect him and he could have let her use force but he did it himself. Because he wanted to protect her.


    If he wanted her subordinates to not think of her as an enemy, they needed to find another viin for them to me. Eren took that role to protect Felona. Or at least that''s what she thought.


    She looked at Eren''s face. He was sitting on the throne, his eyes closed as if he was trying to rest. As she thought about how he tried to protect her, she felt something in her heart, a strange feeling.


    Yelen also watched Eren''s face silently. She was very disappointed at the actions of the Spirit Warriors. Once again they were willing to go against their Queen. It was as if the past was repeating itself.


    She wondered if she had been as ruthless as Eren, would she have managed to change her past as well? She didn''t realize but she started thinking even higher of Eren.


    Over ten minutes passed but no one in the hall moved even an inch. It was only when Eren opened his eyes that the Spirit Warriors flinched in fear.


    "I have rested enough. It''s time to return."


    He stood up and told Yelen that he was prepared to take the second portal back to the library.


    Yelen created a portal next to the throne for him to leave, connecting it to the spirit mark she had left in the exact part of the library from where they had left.


    As only a small part was covered by the curtain of the table in the library, she couldn''t afford to connect to the wrong location even if it''s by a few meters.


    Felona approached him with some hesitation as she watched the portal open.


    "Are you leaving?" she asked him just as he was about to enter.


    Eren nced back at her face which appeared to have some hesitation.


    "Why? Do you not want me to leave?" he asked, slightly intrigued. Shouldn''t she be happy that he was leaving? She could run the spirit realm as she pleased in his absence. So why did she appear hesitant?


    He thought Felona was going to outright deny, but to his surprise he was silent. It was as if she was agreeing to his words but couldn''t get her to say it herself.

 Chapter 218: Chapter 218: Treat you like an adult

    "It is nothing," Felona hesitated, not understanding why she thought about stopping him in the first ce.


    "I was just confirming." With an excuse, she stepped back, her fists clenched behind her back.


    Eren grew even more intrigued. As she was contracted with him, he could feel that he wasn''t telling the truth. Still, he didn''t expose her.


    "I should return when I have time. You can handle the rest in the meantime," he saidzily, waving his hand.


    He stepped inside the Portal, not realizing that when he talked about his return, for a brief moment, a strange emotion shed in Felona''s eyes.


    It felt like excitement, but at the same time some uncertainty. Those emotions disappeared as soon as they appeared.


    As Eren''s back was in his direction, he didn''t notice her momentary reaction, but it didn''t escape Yelen''s observations.


    "This girl..." She shook her head lightly as she stepped inside the portal as well.


    The portal closed when the two guests had left. The Spirit Warriors finally felt relieved. Some of them held their chest, still feeling their heart racing.


    Others fell on their back as if their body had no strength left. They could still see those cold eyes.


    There were a few who forced their bodies up, their legs still trembling a little. It was embarrassing that they had ended up in this situation despite saying that they weren''t even scared of death, all because of humans.


    Still, this interaction made them understand their Queen''s concerns. She wasn''t a traitor that had sold the realm. Instead, she did all she could to protect them, even putting her self respect aside.


    They could only imagine how much of a burden she felt when she surrendered to Eren. If they felt so embarrassed when they ended up in this situation, then what about the Queen?


    They realized that she was also a victim in all this, someone they had misunderstood a lot. The only one they could me was Eren and not her.


    They even thought that the only reason she didn''t tell them was because she wanted to carry all the burden on her shoulders.


    "We were wrong..." The person who had been talking the most against her, lowered his head, ashamed of his stupidity. The others also joined in apologizing to Felona for their actions.


    Felona looked in the direction of the portal that had already closed. The real person who took the me for her had already gone. He had left this realm, but her mind was only filled with his thoughts.


    ....


    Eren stepped out of the portal and observed his surroundings. He was quite relieved to see that they had ended up at the right location.


    The curtains were still around their table. Even though the location had to be so specific, Yelen hadn''t failed him.


    Not long after him, Yelen stepped out of the portal. The portal closed behind her.


    "Good work," Eren ced his hand on Yelen''s head, who was much shorter than him, despite being much older.


    Yelen pushed his hand aside. "Don''t treat me like a child!"


    Eren stepped closer to her, his hand wrapping around her waist. Yelen was stunned at that moment, unable to react.


    He brought his lips next to her ears. She could feel his warm breath brushing against her ears.


    "W-what are you doing?" Yelen flustered, her face turned red. She tried to push him back, but as his guardian, she couldn''t use any strength against him.


    She was no different than an ordinary girl in front of him, her abilities being useless on him when they were not ording to his will.


    "Didn''t you tell me to not treat you like a child?" Eren whispered in her ears.


    "S-so?" Yelen felt the same strange sensation in her body when his hands touched her.


    "So I''m treating you like a woman," Eren said, biting her earlobes lightly.


    Yelen made a sharp whimpering noise as she felt Eren''s bite that wasn''t painful, but still made her feel something ufortable.


    She could feel his hand sliding down behind her back.


    "Are you sure you don''t want me to treat you like a child?" he asked, his hands kept sliding down her back.


    "Y-you..." Yelen didn''t know how to react. She had lived for so long, but she waspletely inexperienced about such things.


    In this moment, it was as if her mind had gonepletely nk. She couldn''t think of anything, only able to feel his warmth around her.


    On one side, she wanted to push him away and stop him. On the other hand, she didn''t want to push him away at all. It was a conflicted feeling.


    In the end, she closes her eyes, letting his hand own her body in that moment.


    "Elder Ren, are you there?"


    A voice suddenly came from the other side of the curtain.


    "Hmm?" Eren turned to the source of the voice, retracting his hand. In the brief moment that his attention was shifted,


    Yelen also came to her senses. Like a frightened rabbit, she jumped back. Her face was as red as a tomato. She was embarrassed, unable to even believe her own actions.


    "Where else would I be?" Eren asked the person on the other side.


    Although he couldn''t see the person, just the voice alone was able to confirm that it was the Librarian. He couldn''t stay silent and let her think even for a moment that he wasn''t here.


    Eren adjusted his clothes, changing them to his Elder''s attire. He also kept the old assassination clothes back in his inventory.


    He made sure that nothing was wrong in this ce to raise even the slightest of suspicion when he removed the curtain.


    "Can you remove the curtain for a moment?" The Librarian asked.


    Eren took his seat and opened a random page in one of the books before stopping the curtain formation. He was finally able to see the face of the Librarian who was alone in this ce.


    "I hope you realize that it''s not good manners to interrupt someone''s reading time."


    "I would like to apologize for the disturbance," the Librarian apologetically stated. "It''s just that someone is here to meet you."


    "Someone wants to meet me?" Eren asked. "Is it the sect master?"


    "Ah, no. The person ims to be your best friend. I just received a message from the Guards outside the sect entrance."


    ''My friends? Do I even have friends?'' Hearing her words, Eren was quite confused.


    He suddenly had a bad feeling about this.

 Chapter 219: Chapter 219: Safe trip to hell

    Eren was informed that a friend was waiting outside the sect who came here to meet him. As he didn''t have permission or authority to enter, the guards didn''t allow that person inside.


    The guards only sent a message to Eren to confirm if the person was indeed someone who he imed to be.


    "Did he give you a name?" Eren asked the Librarian.


    Eren was sure that Ren Necroline had no friends in this world. At least that was his assumption. The only person who was even close to Ren Necroline was Devourer but that person was already dead.


    "He said his name is Qien. He said you would remember him if you''re informed about the ring or something like that? Does that hold any significance?" the Librarian stated.


    "The ring?" Eren looked at his hand. There was only the storage ring on his finger, but he didn''t receive this ring from anyone. The only other ring that was invisible and allowed him to disguise was given to him by Devourer.


    ''Is it Devourer? Is he still alive?''


    Lost in thought, Eren stood up. If it was Devourer, then it was for the best. As long as it was him, a lot of his problems could be solved.


    "I will meet that person." He told the Librarian. "Can you keep the books here? I should return after I am done with the meeting."


    Although it was bad timing, he couldn''t refuse if it was actually Devourer. Although he wanted to stay here to keep an alibi, he had no choice but to leave for a short moment.


    As for a witness, he could still keep one.


    He walked past the Librarian and went down the stairs to leave the library. Outside the library, there was the Guard who hade here to inform Eren.


    As the Guard wasn''t allowed to enter the library, the message was delivered through the Librarian.


    This guard was also a witness to prove that the only time he wasn''t in the library, he was apanied by someone to the main entrance which was on the opposite side of the Frost Demon''s mountain.


    The Guard greeted Eren respectfully and led him towards the main entrance of the Sect, outside the mountainous region.


    Eren soon reached the destination and saw a group of guards standing before a middle aged man, blocking his path.


    The middle aged man wasn''t recognisable by Eren, which wasn''t surprising for him. Most of Eren''s memory was a mystery to him after all.


    The only thing he was certain about was that the middle aged man wasn''t strong. He was like an ordinary person without any cultivation.


    As soon as Erennded, the Guards stepped back, leaving Eren to deal with the person. If that person was lying, they were sure that Eren could deal with him in the proper manner.


    Eren observed the person while the Guards moved back to their positions, giving the two of them ample privacy.


    ''Identify.''


    Eren used the identification skill to learn more about the person. Even he wasn''t sure if this person was actually Devourer in disguise.


    ..........


    [Name: Trisen]


    [Level: 35]


    [Identity: Professor from the Hero Academy]


    [Bloodline Ability: Disguise]


    [Age: 43]


    [Traits: Hypocrite]


    [Hero Grade:  A Rank]


    [Goddess Protection: None]


    [Unique items in possession: None]


    .........


    ''Hero Academy?'' Eren frowned as he went through the status screen that wasn''t as detailed as it was when describing himself.


    Still, he was able to gain a lot of information about him. He finally understood what ring he was talking about. It wasn''t the ring given by Devourer but the ring given by the Dean of Hero Academy.


    ''This is annoying... I thought only Mist was supposed to know that I was a spy. But even Professors are being informed about this? This is getting moreplicated than I thought.''


    ''If even one of them identally leaks the identity, it would be even moreplicated. The less people know the better, so why?''


    Eren rubbed his forehead, quite frustrated at how things were progressing. He was even cursing Mist in his mind, who was making his life so much harder.


    It was as if Mist was worried that not enough people knew about his identity that she kept telling everyone else? Did she think he was a little too safe?


    "What do you want?" Eren asked the person while casting a silencing spell around them. Although guards were too far to hear, he didn''t want to take any more risks in thisplicated situation.


    "You little brat, did you forget your ce?" The man known as Trisen red at Eren.


    Even in this ce, the man was looking down on Eren. It was the case when he was just a level 35 person.


    Although his level was higher, but that didn''t mean his stats were higher as well. Eren''s stats had already surpassed that person.


    Looking at his reaction, Eren even wondered how Ren was treated in the Hero Academy while he was staying silent there.


    "Why are you not contacting the Dean every month? Did you forget the reason you were sent here? Or do you think you are beyond our reach now?" the man said, filled with malice.


    He ced his hand on Eren''s shoulder, as if talking to someone beneath him.


    "Don''t forget that if we can send you here, we can also have you crushed! So don''t try your luck!"


    Eren''s lips twitched in frustration. He was already annoyed that a mere professor was being informed about his identity but now these people were trying to reach for his neck?


    "I am just here to remind you. Don''t neglect your duties, or the next time Ie... It might be yourst." He patted Eren''s cheeks as if talking to a child, his voiceced with threat.


    As he finished conveying a message, he turned around to leave. However, just as he turned, he felt Eren''s hand on his shoulder.


    "Since you delivered me a message, there''s also one message I wanted to deliver," Eren said, his thoughts impossible to grasp.


    "What was it?" The man turned around, wondering if Eren hadpleted the task he was given. However, the moment he turned around, his face grew pale.


    He looked down, seeing his chest bleeding. Eren''s hand had already stabbed through his chest, taking a hold of his heart.


    "Have a safe trip to hell... Brat." Eren pulled out the heart, the man''s body falling to his knees without strength.

 Chapter 220: Chapter 220: Ability Theft

    Eren watched as life drained from Trisen''s eyes, his body copsing onto the ground.


    He kept the heart of the hero in his inventory, saving it forter. He couldn''t let go of the ability to disguise as it was something that was quite useful.


    He wanted to devour the ability right now, but he didn''t want to let the guards see him eating someone''s heart.


    There were already too many rumors floating around about him being a true demon. He didn''t want to me your rumors.


    With the man dead, it was only a matter of time before his body was going to lose the disguise. He couldn''t let that happen. The Guards had already started approaching them after seeing him kill the person.


    Right before Eren''s eyes, the man''s disguise was removing itself. His face and physique was slowly changing to his real self.


    To protect this secret, Eren ced a talisman on the man''s body. In an instant, his body lit in fierce mes that hid him from the view. The mes acted as a shroud, hiding the lifeless hero''s body from the Guards.


    He could use the mes to get rid of Li Yunfeng''s body as well, but that would have been too obvious. Once it was investigated, the people were going to know that the talisman from the sect was used.


    On the other hand, he didn''t have to care about that here. He could kill this person without worries, even if it was in front of everyone''s eyes.


    Trisen was dead, unable to protect his body from the mes. Within seconds, his body turned to ashes that flew away with the wind. Only the scorching mark on the ground was left behind.


    "I knew that person was lying. There''s no way someone like him would know Elder Ren." One of the Guards said, stopping a few meters away from Eren.


    Eren didn''t even have to offer an exnation. The Guards made a justification themselves. Since the person was a liar and wasted Elder Ren''s time, he was killed. There was nothing more to it.


    Eren turned around, quite pleased with the actions of the Guards. He didn''t show it on his face though. His face was still emotionless. If anything, his cold gaze made the guards hesitate, making them wonder if they made a mistake.


    "You failed your duties, not verifying his lies. Because of you, my time was wasted. The next time this happens, your ashes will be the one flying in the air..."


    Eren walked past the guards who gulped heavily. It was true that if Eren wanted, he could kill them. The sect wasn''t even going to punish him. That was how high the authority of the Core Elder was.


    Eren wasn''t sure if another hero was going toe meet the so-called spy from the Hero Academy. If that happened, he had to be more careful.


    For that, he needed to turn the guards at the sect entrance to his side. And what better way to ensure obedience than fear mixed with a few lies.


    "One of you, apany me back and exin why you failed in your duties," he said, rising in the air.


    Both of the guards were scared to apany him, looking at each other''s faces. But in the end, one of them clenched his fist and decided to follow Eren.


    If they wasted Eren''s time, both of them were going to die. In the end, one had to take the risk.


    The guard followed Eren back to the library, not realizing that the exnation was just an excuse. He was mainly a witness of his whereabouts.


    Still, Eren didn''t waste this opportunity. He let the man exin what had happened and why they decided to inform Eren.


    "Although we didn''t believe him, we thought that there was still a small chance of him telling the truth. Next time something like that happens, we will be more thorough."


    Eren heard the guard patiently, not interrupting him. For an Elder, silence was important at times as it was also a tactic.


    Eren''s silence scared the guard who thought Eren still hadn''t forgiven them. With each passing second of silence, he grew more restless.


    "Some people are truly courageous. The man thought that just because he begged me, I would let his son enter the sect. Pathetic fool."


    After a long time, Eren broke the silence. He gave the hero a fake identity as someone who lied about knowing him because he wanted to meet him and beg for his son''s future.


    The guard also realized that it made sense. They had truly failed in understanding the man''s intentions. They were fooled by that middle aged man just because he made up stories about some ring with such confidence.


    "Next time there are people who im to know me or want to meet me, I want you to inform me directly. You don''t have to go through the extra steps of letting others know."


    Eren handed over amunication token that allowed the guard to deliver a message to him. If another hero actually came, he wanted to be the first to know it so he could handle it stealthily.


    From now on, these guards were his informant, and after that they were the guards of the sect.


    The guard epted themunication token, realizing the responsibility that came with it. At the same time, he also knew what a great opportunity it was to get close to an Elder.


    "I will not disappoint you!" he eximed, brimming devotion,


    Eren arrived at the library. Only after he entered the library, the guard returned. He hadpleted his responsibility as a witness without even realizing.


    ....


    Another day passed. Eren didn''t leave the library, wondering how long it was going to take before someone discovered that Li Yunfeng and his disciple had gone missing.


    He wanted to return to his disciple to see her progress. He was also getting somewhat impatient.


    ''How foolish are the people of the sect? More than a day had passed and no one noticed it? Did I overestimate them?'' Eren thought, sitting before an opened book that he had already finished reading.


    He was wondering if he should send Yelen to check. Amidst his thought, he heard the sound of rushed footsteps on the other side of the curtain.


    "Elder Ren! Something big has happened!" The Librarian''s voice came while Eren smiled behind the curtain. Finally he could leave this boring ce.

 Chapter 221: Chapter 221: The Sect Master is...

    "What could happen to make you so anxious?" Eren removed the curtain, putting on a calm exterior.


    He already guessed the answer. Although it took longer than he expected, in the end, they finally found the disappearance of Li Yunfeng.


    "The Sect Master... She has gone missing!" The Librarian eximed.


    "Hmm?" Eren stood up, taken aback. Wasn''t she supposed to say that Li Yunfeng had disappeared? How could the sect master go missing?


    "Did she go out of the Sect without informing others?" he asked as that was the only thing that made sense. If the Sect Master went missing, it could only mean she had left without telling others.


    "There were signs of battle at the Sect Master''s Pce. All the guards around the Pce were also found dead today." The Librarian eximed, appearing restless.


    For a continent, an Overlord''s presence was a factor that brought stability. If something happened to Feng Yu, who could stop the other Overlords if they decided to invade?


    It wasn''t just a matter of one person going missing. It was the pir of the Eastern Continent that had gone missing. As there were signs of battle, it was clear that she hadn''t left for sightseeing.


    At this moment, it was clear that someone had managed to breach the Royal Pce, and leave without being detected.


    Eren also realized the implications. Just as he had finished dealing with the main character and brought stability in his life in the eastern continent, something like this happened?


    Was it just a coincidence that this happened around the same time he killed Li Yunfeng and the main character? Or was something more at y here. He wasn''t sure.


    "I will go to the core region and check myself." His expressions were quite grim as he left the library in a hurry. Along the way, his mind was filled with many thoughts.


    Someone who was able to enter the core region and even hurt or kill an Overlord? It could only be one of the three other Overlords.


    "Was it Mist?" he wondered as he stepped out of the library. Only the Southern Overlord hated Feng Yu to that extent.


    He flew without rest, apanied by Yelen. Every second, his mind thought of hundreds of possibilities.


    Although he thought about Mist, he also understood that it was unlikely. If Mist was here, she would havee for him. Why would she even send an envoy to contact him when she wasing here personally?


    "The Holy Priestess invited us. It also doesn''t make sense for her to do something like this so suddenly. Moreover, she''s the only Overlord who grows weak in another continent where the Goddess isn''t believed."


    "Then could it be the Necromancer Tower Master?'' He wondered.


    Even though he killed the Main Character, it happened only a day ago. It shouldn''t have changed the future this much in such a short time.


    His appearance itself changed the story in more ways than one, but was it enough to change this much?


    He soon reached the entrance of the Core Region which was surrounded by a barrier.


    Usually, the guards couldn''t be seen when one came here. Only when an intruder was detected, the core guards made an appearance.


    This time, however, he could see that the entire core region was surrounded by the Guards. Their powerful aura even made him feel somewhat intimidated.


    Seeing him approach, a few core guards blocked his path.


    "Elder Ren, you can''t go further. Please visit some other day," the guard said.


    Even under normal conditions, ordinary Elders weren''t allowed to enter without permission from the Sect Master. At the moment, the situation was even more extraordinary, so no elders were allowed inside.


    Eren expected a response like this. It wasn''t easy to pass through the guards. Only if he was apanied by Xiu Ying, it would have been possible. Unfortunately, she had left a few days ago.


    Xiu Ying probably didn''t even know that her best friend had gone missing.


    Even then, Eren was too curious about the situation to let out go.


    His eyes narrowed. "Are you trying to-"


    "He is with me." Before Eren couldplete his sentence, a woman''s voice came from behind.


    "This voice...?" Eren turned around, noticing a girl who appeared to be very young. However, that was just the exterior as the woman was much older than even Xiu Ying.


    She was Great Elder Zia, and Eren''s third disciple. In the sect, she was considered the best alchemist.


    Most people didn''t know that Eren had already surpassed her level in Alchemy, thanks to the award he received by turning her into his disciple.


    With a great elder of Zia''s stature siding with Eren, the Guards couldn''t stop Eren either. If he was apanying her, they could only step aside.


    The path for Eren was cleared and he was allowed to go forth.


    "Did you also hear about the Sect Master going missing?" Zia asked.


    Usually, she would have asked him to teach Alchemy or questions about the blood of the dragon that she found in his house, but currently her mind was upied by a more serious matter.


    "I still find it hard to believe. I guess I''ll see it with my own eyes," Eren answered. "Oh, and one more thing."


    Eren brought a pill out of his inventory. He tossed the pill at Zia.


    Zia caught the pill, taken aback. This was the pill made from crystalline herb that she traded with Eren before. She still hadn''t finished making the pill as she didn''t think she was good enough for that yet.


    She was waiting for the right time before making one, afraid of failure. This pill was also a necessaryponent for an Alchemist to raise their rank. All she had to do was consume it.


    "Why are you giving this to me? Didn''t the trade end with the herb?" she asked in confusion.


    "What trade? You are my disciple. Does a master need to trade with his disciple to help them grow?" Erenzily answered.

 Chapter 222: Chapter 222: Secondary Options

    He had been thinking about it for quite some time. There were only two alchemists in the sect who could use that pill to grow as only they had reached a sufficient enough level.


    One was Zia and the other was him. He already had one for himself. The remaining, he gave to Zia who was still his disciple.


    Even though he used suspicious means to make her a disciple, it didn''t change the fact that in the eyes of the system, she was one.


    He knew that he was already caught up in a lot of mess and didn''t have time to pay attention to them, but with the constantly changing scenario, he could feel that it was getting moreplicated.


    Although only a few months had passed since he epted a disciple, which was no different than a few days for a cultivator with a long life span, he realized that he couldn''t let it keep happening.


    He needed them to be stronger, at least someone like Zia. He was already nning to make his first disciple grow during this trip to the Western Continent.


    Zia looked at the pill in her hand. She felt quite surprised that Eren was actually willing to hand her the pill for free when it could easily be sold to the Alchemist Association for sky high price.


    She gazed at him, feeling grateful. However, she didn''t let it show on her face. Subconsciously, she had already started epting herself as his disciple.


    His skills were definitely much higher than her. He was also more considerate than she had thought before, treating her actually like a good master would.


    "Is there something on my face?" Eren asked, noticing the strange gaze of Zia.


    It wasn''t the first time he had seen a gaze like this, which really made him wonder why so many women were looking at him with a simr gaze recently.


    Zia turned her face to the other side and stopped looking at him, whispering something under her breath.


    "Thank you, Master."


    Even as she thanked Eren, her voice was so low that it was impossible to hear what she was saying. It was as if she was mumbling to herself.


    ....


    The Core Region of the Sect wasrger than an ordinary city of this world. Still, it didn''t take long for Eren to reach the center of the area, catching a glimpse of the Sect Master''s Pce.


    The closer he came to the Pce, the more suppressed he felt.


    In the end, he had no choice but to release his own aura to surround his body and protect himself. He only kept the aura limited to himself to counter the powerful auras that were spread near the pce.


    "It seems the other Great Elders are also here," he said, guessing the source of these strong suppressive auras.


    "The Sect Master has gone missing. It makes sense for them toe and check themselves," Zia replied. She herself came here to check.


    If it was actually true that Feng Yu was killed, then this was truly a disastrous development for the sect. Not only did it leave them vulnerable to foreign attacks, but it could also ignite a brutal conflict for the position of the next sect master.


    Even without an overload, the sect was still the strongest existence in the Eastern Continent. Even in this situation, it wasn''t unlikely for Great Elders within the sect to think of their own benefits.


    Erennded in front of the Pce, which was just as heavily guarded.


    The Leader of Core Guards was already standing outside, hisplexion pale. There was a wound on the right side of his face, which was still bleeding.


    Eren looked at the Captain of the Guards who didn''t try to stop him, noticing the presence of Elder Zia next to him.


    "Why don''t you take a healing pill for that wound?" Eren asked the man. "Though it''s quite impressive that you survived facing the person that even the Sect Master failed."


    "I would advise you to watch your words carefully, Elder Ren. Don''t talk about the Sect Master if you don''t know anything!" The man''s expression darkened.


    He didn''t like the fact that Eren had alreadye to the conclusion that the Sect Master had failed and died.


    "He didn''t face the culprit. Do you really think he would have survived if that happened?" Ziazily responded, looking down on the Captain of the Guards.


    "He didn''t? Then this wound on his face?" Eren was taken aback. If it wasn''t done by the person who managed to sneak into the core region, then there was only one exnation left for him.


    "Is this the work of the Great Elders?" Eren asked, but the Captain of the Guards didn''t reply.


    "I see." The silence of this man was the answer Eren needed to confirm his assumption.


    As the Guards had failed to protect the sect master or even notice the intruders, it wasn''t surprising that he ended up in this situation. It wasn''t easy to face the Great Elder''s wrath.


    What was more surprising was that he was left alive with only this much punishment for his failure?


    Eren tossed a healing pill towards the Captain of the Guards which could allow him to heal.


    The Captain of the Guards tossed the healing pill back at Eren, not even thinking about consuming it.


    "He doesn''t want to heal. If you healed him, it would be worse for him as seeing him unharmed while the sect master is missing might re up their anger again," Zia reminded Eren, who had underestimated the Great Elders that had gathered inside the Pce.


    Eren didn''t respond, but he realized that there was some truth to her words. He kept the healing pill back and went past the man, taking his first step inside the Sect Master''s Pce.


    [You have triggered secondary options]


    [Please select the options carefully]


    As his feet touched the floor inside the pce, notifications appeared in his head. This was the first time he had seen a warning under the notification.


    He also didn''t understand why this was called the secondary option? It felt out of ce.


    His thoughts were already in a mess when he saw the changes in the notification, but the moment he read the first option, his pupils trembled.

 Chapter 223: Chapter 223: Secondary Branch

    [Option One: Be the next Sect Master of Great Demon Sect within one month.


    Reward: Question Voucher]


    [Option Two: Be the Tower Lord of the Necromancer Tower within one month.


    Reward: Hell''s Pass Upgrade]


    [Option Three: Be the Dean of the Mythical Hero Academy within one month.


    Reward: Second Memory Fragment]


    [Option Four: Be the Cardinal of the Holy Church within one month.


    Reward: Level +10]


    Four options appeared in front of Eren''s eyes, following the notifications. The moment he went through these options, his expressions darkened.


    His pupils momentarily contracted in shock. These were secondary options? Why did it look like a shortcut to death?


    All these options were a bit too extraordinary. They were also rewarding. Just the reward mentioned on the screen alone was lucrative.


    The first reward allowed him to meet the author again and ask him a question. Now that he had more information about this world, he already knew what question he was going to force that person to answer.


    Not only that, but if he became the Sect Master of the Great Demon Sect, he could gain control over the entire sect and the forces of the eastern continent in turn.


    In the absence of an overlord, he could be the next Overlord of the region without needing the same level of strength.


    He also knew that it was easier said than done. In the absence of a real Overlord, was there a point in bing the captain of the ship that was doomed to sink?


    The second reward was the upgrade of the Hell''s Pass which he already possessed.


    He didn''t even know what was the proper use of Hell''s Pass, but it was definitely a very important thing. And upgrading it also sounded rewarding. It was like an opportunity to upgrade a Mythical Tier item.


    If he became the Tower Master of the Necromancer Tower, he could own the most frightening force in the four continents, but he was also going to inherit the enmity with the Holy Empire.


    Even if he was willing to select that option, it was also easier said than done. In his current condition, could he really defeat the Tower Master?


    The third reward was a memory fragment, something he really wanted. The first memory fragment gave him an important clue, but a second could only help him more.


    The best reward for the second option wasn''t the memory fragment though. It was what came with bing the Dean of the Hero Academy. If he was able to do that, he could easily retrieve the item that unsealed his cultivation.


    As for thest option, it looked a littleckluster but it was also useful. An increase of ten levels was useful for someone like him whose strength increased more than the others with level up.


    To be the Cardinal of the Holy Church, he had to kill the Holy Priestess. That alone was enough experience points for him to cross the next great wall.


    On top, if he was rewarded with ten levels, he could cross the fifth great wall as well, crossing level 50.


    When it came to levels, he could be even higher than Xiu Ying and the Great Elders when that time came, but his stats were going to be even higher.


    If that happened, wasn''t it no different than bing invincible in this world?


    All four options were important in their own rights, but three of those four options forced him to go against the Overlords and take their position.


    It was still possible if there was no time limit, but the time limit was one month only. For now, only one of these options appeared feasible.


    The easiest of the four was to be the Ruler of the ce where the Overlord had gone missing, but was it really possible? He might have to go against the entire sect to win that position.


    He stood in silence, going through the options again and again. There was another strange thing that he had noticed.


    There was a small line that was present under the options.


    [Tap for more Information]


    He tapped the screen, curious about this new change. Usually, the system never gave any more information than the options.


    As soon as Eren tapped, a second screen appeared next to the option screen.


    .............


    * Congrattions onpleting twenty percent of the path of Conqueror.


    * You have reached a milestone.


    * You have been rewarded with secondary options.


    * The time limit toplete the options is one month.


    * The Secondary Options do not affect the primary options.


    * There is no punishment of life for failing the secondary options.


    * You must select one of the four options within the next ten minutes.


    * If you fail toplete the selected option, all future options of the conqueror path milestones will be disconnected.


    * Even if the secondary options are iplete, the primary options will keep appearing in a normal manner.


    .............


    As Eren went through the new screen, he realized what had actually happened. He finally understood what secondary options meant.


    The secondary options were just a different lineage of his optional system that worked parallel to the primary options.


    If he didn''tplete a primary option, his system was stuck at that option. He couldn''t get another option, which was why he was forced toplete the ones he selected.


    The secondary options didn''t have that problem as they werepletely detached from his main options.


    The main options were given to him when he came to this world with the system, but the secondary options were rewarded when he reached a milestone in his path.


    He remembered that he had selected two paths. The option to select paths was also detached from his primary options.


    ''I see. So this system is like a tree that keeps branching. As long as the main branch exists, the primary options aren''t lost, the tree will keep branching.''


    This revtion put his mind to release. Even if he failed these options, he was only going to lose the secondary branch that coulde up with more secondary options for him in the future.


    ''But if twenty percent in Path of Conqueror gave me a secondary branch... What if I reach twenty percent in Path of Lover as well?'' he wondered.

 Chapter 224: Chapter 224: Great Elders wrath

    "What is a mere elder doing here?"


    Eren was suddenly pulled out of his thoughts as he heard an arrogant voice. He didn''t have to think much about who that voice was directed towards as soon after an aura descended on him.


    If he was an ordinary person, that aura would have been enough to internally injure him in the least. Fortunately, he hadn''t removed theyer of the Sword Emperor''s Aura that was surrounding his body.


    His aura was enough to counter any suppressive aura. As long as he wasn''t directly attacked, it was useless on him.


    He turned towards the source of the voice, seemingly upset. Even if it was a Great Elder, how could they be so foolish? Were they trying to kill him just because they thought that he didn''t belong here?


    Not far from him, he saw an old man standing with his hands behind his back, looking at Eren as if he was going to devour him whole.


    The old man wasn''t alone, but there were a few other Great Elders behind him as well.


    Hearing themotion, more and more great elders had stepped into the wide passage.


    "Heh, old Liang. It seems that age has started taking a toll on you. Even a mere elder can resist your aura?" A mocking voice came, but the target of the voice appeared to be the elder who had scolded Eren.


    The old man could hear a few snickers behind him. The other people wereughing at him, which made him even more angry at Eren.


    "How dare you resist?!" He strengthened his aura even more. Now, he truly didn''t care if his aura killed Eren from suppression.


    If previously his suppression was only enough to injure an ordinary Elder, then now it was enough to kill them by making them bleed through all their orifices.


    To his surprise, Eren still stood perfectly calm. He didn''t even fall on his knees, appearing as if he couldn''t even feel that weak aura.


    "You!" The Great Elder fumed. How was it possible for an ordinary Elder to resist his aura?


    "That''s right! It must be a defensive treasure! That must be the case!" The old man said, trying to justify the strange phenomenon. It wasn''t him who was weak but this shameless young man who was using a treasure to cheat.


    "Should I kill him?" Yelen asked Eren,  her eyes narrowing. As his guardian, it was her responsibility to protect him.


    ''It''s fine. It''s just a narrow minded old man. It would be annoying to kill him here.'' Eren replied with his thoughts.


    He was less concerned about the old man as he couldn''t harm him. He had Yelen, who was a powerful spirit. Even if she couldn''t resist an overlord, an ordinary Elder could easily be handled by her.


    He also had his own treasures. He had more than one way to kill a Great Elder.


    Lastly, he also had a hidden card that could even make him go against an Overlord Level being. It was the Unsealing Talisman which allowed him to use the sealed cultivation.


    He had so many cards that he didn''t even feel like wasting any on a great elder level character.


    He was more concerned about the secondary options which had a timer running out. He could select an option or he could let all four options go by letting the timer run out.


    There was no difference between selecting an open and falling or not selecting an option at all. Both resulted in the disappearance of the second branch.


    He could easily y safe by letting the timer run out, but he had a feeling that it was going to be the worst choice. It was better to select one and fail than to fail without even trying.


    With the disappearance of Feng Yu, the only option that was rtively safer to him was to gain control over the ce which didn''t have an Overlord.


    It was also because the reward was a question voucher and a meeting with the author. Although he didn''t know how he was going to achieve it, it was better to try.


    With the timer constantly running towards the end, he made a selection.


    [Congrattions on selecting the first option]


    [You have been rewarded with a hint for selected option]


    [You can check the hint present in the inventory]


    ''A hint? Is that a free reward? Why is the system so kind suddenly? Or is it just the second branch that''s kind? The first branch had never been this helpful.''


    Every time Options from the first branch came, he never received any guidance or even the rules. But this time, he received everything he could have asked for.


    At this point, Eren wondered why the second branch wasn''t the primary branch instead. However, he soon shook his head, realizing that it was a bad idea.


    If it was the first branch, then he would have lost the system in the first batch of options itself. The options were a bit too hard toplete.


    Even though he had selected the safest amongst them, even that felt almost impossible toplete.


    ....


    Even though Great Elder Liang ''exposed'' that Eren had a protective treasure, he could still hear people snickering behind him.


    So what if a mere elder had a treasure? It couldn''t be a high grade treasure. It sounded more like an excuse to hide his weakness.


    "You! Not only did youe where you don''t belong but you also used a treasure against me to try to embarass me?!" Great Elder Liang said with clenched teeth. "Good! Very good! The young generation will definitely surpass the old!"


    "Let me see how well that treasure can protect you then!" Great Elder Liang was embarrassed which made him even more angry. And the target of this anger became none other than Eren.


    The great elder rushed forward, in the blink of an eye appearing before Eren. He pushed out his palm that was brimming with strength that could destroy an entire mountain.

 Chapter 225: Chapter 225: New Guest

    Eren''s expression remained indifferent as he watched the Great Elder Liang approach.


    The old man''s face was twisted with rage, and his palm came towards Eren''s chest with great strength.


    Without a moment''s hesitation, Eren''s guardian spirit, Yelen, stepped forward, her eyes gleaming with a cold light. The old man had gone too far. It was time for him to learn that there were some people he couldn''t touch.


    As Great Elder Liang''s palm strike neared, Eren raised his hand ever so slightly, not to defend but as a signal to Yelen.


    Yelen didn''t understand. Why was Eren trying to stop her even now? Was he trying to get hurt?


    She couldn''t risk his life, even if it was to follow hismand. However, looking at his confident eyes, she thought that maybe he had a reason. He also wasn''t someone who was going to put his life on the line for something like that.


    Eren didn''t even flinch as the old man appeared right before him. He simply looked down at the old man''s palm which was only a few inches away from his chest when it stopped.


    Although the attack didn''t touch him, the momentum that apanied it was enough to send a gust, making his robe and hair fly with the wind.


    As for the realm that the attack didn''t connect with him, it wasn''t because the old man was considerate. Inside, it was because someone had grabbed the old man''s wrist.


    "Urgh!" Soon after, it was the old man who was groaning in pain as the person who grabbed his wrist almost crushed them with their strength.


    He tried to pull his hand back, but he wasn''t able to.


    "You! Let me go!" The old man eximed, looking at the petite figure of the woman that was standing next to Eren. It was the same woman who stopped him, being none other than Zia.


    When the Sect Master was present, most of these a Great Elders didn''t even show themselves. With the disappearance, almost all of them had starteding out, including some old fossils who were extremely strong.


    Fortunately, Great Elder wasn''t amongst them. He was old but he wasn''t strong like the secluded Great Elders. If anything, his strength was near the bottom of the Great Elders, which was why he loved to bully those weaker.


    As he couldn''t do anything to other great elders to make a name for himself, he went for those who were weaker. It was also him who had attacked the Leader of the Core Guards without even giving him a chance to exin.


    The old man thought that Eren was also an easy prey to suppress, but only now he realized that he might have actually struck an iron wall instead.


    "Are you really trying to hurt me for a mere elder?" he asked Zia, feeling like his wrist bone was about to get crushed. "Are you trying to rebel by weakening the Sect''s forces in the absence of the sect master?"


    If Zia didn''t leave him, he could only shift an usation on her, hoping that the other Elders were going to intervene. Unfortunately, most of the Great Elders behind him were simply enjoying the show.


    It wasn''t often that they got to see two Great Elders fight.


    "Are you sure you want to annoy me as well?" Zia asked, her grip only tightening. The great elder almost fell on his knees, trying to keep his arm straight so it didn''t break.


    He didn''t understand why Zia was so strong, despite appearing so weak. He had worked so hard, all his life. Still he couldn''t evenpare to a Great Elder who looked like a little girl?


    He couldn''t take it. In his left hand that was behind his back, a dagger appeared which was his most precious Artefact. The other great elders saw it, but none of them said anything. They simply smirked.


    Thanks to Yelen, the dagger wasn''t hidden from Eren. Although he was pleased that his disciple was trying to protect him, but it also couldn''t let her get hurt.


    "Yelen, that''s enough holding back. You can take care of i-" he said, but before he couldplete his sentence, another aura descended.


    This time, it wasing from behind him, apanied by the sound of footsteps. This aura was strongest he had sensed in the Sect except the Sect Master''s aura.


    To some extent, he felt that it was even closing in on the purity of the sect master''s aura. Surprised and curious, he turned around and saw a woman.


    Her eyes were pitch ck, no difference between her pupils and the rest of the eye which was supposed to be white. It was all ck, as if she was a true demoness.


    The woman was as tall as him. Amongst the woman he came across, she could be considered the tallest. Even though she didn''t feel as strong as the Sect Master, she wasn''t too far behind either.


    Eren didn''t understand. Who was this person? Even he felt a danger in her presence. In the novel, there was no person with such physical traits.


    Even Zia was taken aback when she saw that person. She released the old man''s wrist as the mysterious woman approached them.


    In the Sect, it was easy to recognise a disciple based on their clothes. Simrly, Elders and Great Elders could be recognised with the color of their robes.


    Although the mysterious woman was also wearing a robe, it was neither the color of an Elder or the color of the Great Elder.


    Despite the suppressive feeling that came from this woman and the face that he was seeing for the first time, he had a familiar feelinging from this woman.


    The woman didn''t stop for even a second. She walked past Eren and the others, not even sparing a second nce to any of them. Soon, she disappeared from the hallway, entering the main hall where the Sect Master disappeared from.


    A few minutes had passed when another person stepped inside the Pce. It was a man who looked very kind from his facial features but beneath that exterior, some signs of treachery could be seen in his eyes.


    He was wearing a simr color robe to the woman who had just entered, but he appeared much weaker. Still, even when weak, he was stronger than any Great Elder present here.


    Unlike the woman before him, the man stopped next to Eren.

 Chapter 226: Chapter 226: The ones who were suppressed

    The dark haired man smiled, gazing at the old man who was on his knees in front of Eren.


    It wasn''t often that he got to see a Great Elder on their knees in front of an Elder. He paid quite a lot of attention to Eren, as if he was able to see the thinyer of a powerful aura around the young man''s body.


    "How interesting..." he said, his eyes gazing at Eren as if trying to look in the depths of his soul.


    Eren felt as if a poisonous snake was looking at him.


    "He is strong," Yelen told Eren, who was slightly surprised.


    Even when facing the Great Elders, Yelen hadn''t called anyone dangerous. This was the first time he heard her say something like that.


    ''I can see that,'' Eren told Yelen, using his thoughts.


    He wasn''t here to fight anyone in the first ce, but the identity of this man and the woman who came before him made Eren have a headache.


    He didn''t know who these people were. Were they the Ancestral Elders of the Great Demon Sect? If that was the case, then it was quite problematic for his goal.


    The Ancestral Elders of the Sect were the Great Elders of the previous batch who worked with Feng Yu''s father. There were only a few lines mentioning them in the novel, but none of them were ever introduced.


    When her father was killed, Feng Yu started developing distrust towards everyone as many Great Elders who had worked for her father started showing how selfish they were.


    There were many great elders at that time who tried to suppress Feng Yu, trying to take the throne of the sect master. They believed that the throne belonged to them.


    It was the most chaotic time for the Great Demon Sect, with a lot of turbulence. There were even a few attempts to kill Feng Yu, who managed to survive.


    It was also the time when Feng Yu changed. She disappeared for a few months. No one knew where she had gone, but when she returned, rivers of blood flew through the Great Demon Sect.


    The walls of the Royal Pce were painted red with the blood of the traitors.


    Feng Yu killed all the Great Elders who had shown hostility openly. As for the Great Elders who didn''t openly try to harm her, she forced them to enter seclusion.


    Those Elders became known as the Ancestral Elders who never showed their face in the open. They weren''t allowed to teach anyone or ept any disciples.


    Every year, they were given resources for their cultivation, but that was all. They weren''t even allowed to leave the specific region assigned to them.


    That was when a new era of the Great Demon Sect began... The era of the Overlord of the Eastern Continent.


    The two people who appeared here were stronger than the Great Elders that he had seen before.


    He had a feeling that even if Zia and Xiu Ying worked together, they couldn''t defeat this dark haired man. As for the woman who left before... She was even stronger than this man.


    With that strength, they could only be the Ancestral Elders. It seemed as if the news of Feng Yu''s disappearance had also reached these sleeping dragons.


    For the first time since that bloody night, they had left the seclusion to check themselves.


    Eren didn''t know how many of them there were, but these people were the biggest obstruction in his path of taking the Sect''s throne.


    "That little girl really recruited some interesting people," the dark haired man casually said as he walked past Eren.


    Soon enough, he also disappeared from the hallway, entering the battle scene.


    "To think that even those old fossils will start showing themselves," Zia released the old man''s wrist. Now that these people had shown up, it wasn''t good to create too muchmotion.


    The old man also realized it. He kept the knife back and stood up. Although he red at Eren, he didn''t attack him. He walked back, his expressions grim.


    Eren could see that all the Great Elders had gone silent. Silently, they returned to the main hall as well. With the appearance of those two people, order had returned to the ce.


    "Were they the Ancestral Elders?" Eren asked Zia when only they were left in the long hallway.


    "You know about them? Did Ying tell you?" Zia asked. Not many people other than the Great Elders knew about their existence after all.


    Even she had forgotten about their existence as they hadn''t shown themselves in a long time.


    "It seems I was right." Eren didn''t reply to her question. Instead, her question was enough to answer him. He was right.


    The thing that was only mentioned in a few fleeting lines in the web novel hade to life in front of his eyes.


    Eren didn''t know how many Ancestral Elders were in the sect. He was sure the number was more than two at least. However, only two of them had shown up.


    He didn''t know if the others really had no interest ining out of seclusion or if they were scared, worried that it might be a trapid by Feng Yu to see if they would break her rules.


    His mind was filled with questions as he walked towards the grant hall where the battle is said to have taken ce. Zia apanied him, walking right next to him.


    She truly looked concerned for his safety, hence maintaining a close proximity with him.


    "I didn''t know my disciple cared so much for me," Eren smiled, realizing her concerns.


    Zia appeared to have started opening her to her position. It was as if she was slowly forgetting the age difference with time, epting him as her master.


    "You still have to teach me a lot of things," Zia rolled her eyes.


    She said an entire sentence properly, but there was only one word that she whispered at the end of the sentence, making it inaudible.


    "Master."

 Chapter 227: Chapter 227: Favor Token

    Eren entered the Grand Hall, where he hadst seen Feng Yu. Unfortunately, the sect master was nowhere to be seen now.


    As soon as he entered the ce, he was able to see the two Ancestral Elders. They were standing in front of the throne, a corner of which was broken.


    The two could be seen talking to each other, but Eren wasn''t able to hear what they were saying.


    ''Do you think this is the work of the Necromancer Tower?'' Eren asked Yelen, walking towards the wall where a sword mark could be seen.


    The walls of the pce were made with extreme reinforced materials. Not only were these walls strong but they were also thick. Still, the sword mark left on the wall was at least five inches deep.


    "It doesn''t seem to be his work. I don''t feel any essence of death at this ce. Even if it was erased, there should have been some signs," Yelen responded, confirming Eren''s guess.


    ''I thought so. The Tower Master won''t use a sword. At the same time, Mist also doesn''t use swords. Is it the Holy Empire? No, they are even weaker in other continents without the blessing of the goddess.''


    Eren couldn''t understand what happened here. Only the Overlords could defeat Feng Yu, but none of them appeared to have been involved. But if it wasn''t them, then who?


    There was only one more person he knew who was strong enough. It was the author, but that person also didn''t intervene.


    Other than answering his question, he hadn''t done anything, as if he was afraid of getting too involved for some reason.


    ''Another Transmigrator?'' he thought of a possibility, his expressions darkening. If there was a Transmigrator who was strong enough to take Feng Yu, then he was definitely a threat.


    If he also had a conversation with the author and knew that he had to kill other Transmigrators and Main Characters, then it was only a matter of time before he was going toe for him.


    "What a mess..." Eren scratched the back of his head, letting out his frustration. However, the moment he raised his hand, he noticed a trade of an illusory thread that was tied to his wrist.


    ''Ah right, how could I forget this? It''s the Thread of Marriage. I only used it to make sure she couldn''t hurt me, but it can also help me locate her. As long as she is alive, the thread won''t disappear.''


    If it was the work of another continent''s Transmigrator, then he was a big threat to him. He couldn''t let that person escape. It was more important than anything.


    Eren turned around and walked away from the Grand Hall. Zia watched him leave, slightly confused. She felt as if he had noticed something, but what could he notice from a single sword mark?


    She also left the grand hall, but by the time she stepped out of the Pce, Eren was nowhere to be found.


    ....


    Far away from the Pce, a Mythical Phoenix could be seen flying through the sky. A person stood in the back of the phoenix, his robe flying with the rushing winds that the phoenix sliced through.


    He kept looking at the direction this thread was leading him,manding the Phoenix ordingly. With each passing minute, he felt as if he was getting closer.


    Within a few hours, he reached his destination, telling his Phoenix to slow down. In the distance, he could see a mountain range that the thread was guiding him towards.


    "Isn''t that the Mountain of Loss?" he thought out loud, frowning. This was the ce which kept one of the four items that Mist''s daughter was after. He also wanted that item, not expecting that girl to take it from him.


    In the original timeline, Ye Liang was supposed to be the one who took the Sword of Severance from this mountain, increasing his strength by leaps and bounds.


    Eren was waiting for the time the main character could bring the Sword from the Mountain so he could take it, but things didn''t go ordingly.


    It was all because of the unknown person who guided Mist''s daughter, telling her the whereabouts of the Sword and changing the future.


    Eren could feel that the world was changing fast, and it wasn''t simply because of him. Things were happening beyond his control.


    Even Eren felt hesitant about entering the Mountain of Loss. It was a mountain that was easy to enter but difficult to exit.


    Unless one was the main character with heavenly luck or had some secret trick, it was impossible to find a way back. In the novel, even the Main Character had almost lost his life in the Mountain of Loss, barely leaving with the sword of Severance.


    "Can you open a portal to the Spirit Realm inside that mountain?" he asked Yelen. Even if he was to get lost, there was still a way to escape if portals could be opened.


    "I can feel that the mountain range creates a lot of disturbance. I can open a portal, but it might be dangerous and not worth it."


    Eren thought about Yelen''s response. If she couldn''t open the portal, then he could only find his own way to leave that ce. Was it worth the risk? He wondered.


    [You have received primary options]


    [Option One: Save Feng Yu.


    Reward: Favor Token (Unique Tier)]


    [Option Two: Abandon Feng Yu and return to the sect.


    Reward: Level +3]


    [Option Three: Inform the Ancestral Elders about the whereabouts of Feng Yu and have them help her.


    Reward: Continental Escape Talisman]


    [Option Four: Wait for Xiu Ying to return and take her help in saving Feng Yu.


    Reward: Intelligence +10]


    "Truly a mess..." Eren rubbed his forehead, looking at the options. In reality, only one of these options made sense.


    He couldn''t take the help of Ancestral Elders as they were most probably going to kill him instead. Who could want Feng Yu dead more than them? That''s why the reward was an escape talisman to save his life.


    As for waiting or returning, both these options resulted in the escape of the culprit who was most likely someone like him. Also, Feng Yu was most probably going to be dead by then.


    He didn''t know what Favor Token meant, but it was also a unique tier reward, which was higher than rare.


    "Fine. If it''s to remove a future threat, I will do it myself."  Hemanded the Phoenix, which entered the Mountain Range.

 Chapter 228: Chapter 228: Meeting on the wrong side

    The phoenix flew inside the mountain range, but before she could cross the first mountain, Eren stopped her.


    "This should be enough. From this point onwards, there will be a flying restriction," he told the Phoenix, talking to her like a sentient being who could understand him.


    The Phoenix could also feel danger as she was about to cross the first mountain in the range, but for Eren, she was willing to go through any danger.


    "Are you concerned about me?" Eren asked, feeling a trace of her emotion. Although she couldn''t say anything; as her master, he was able to sense her feelings.


    "I will be back before you even know it," he said as he prepared to jump. "My life is the most precious thing. I won''t let anyone take it from me."


    He didn''t say anything else, not wanting to raise a death g for himself.


    "Don''t worry, little bird. I am with him. What could even go wrong?" Yelen chimed in, pretty confident in her abilities.


    Even if she couldn''t defeat the opponent that took down an Overlord, she could at least protect Eren.


    Even if the Portal of escape was unstable, it didn''t mean it was entirely impossible if she used her life to stabilize it.


    Eren facepalmed himself, hearing her words. "And herees the death g."


    "Death g? Is that some artifact of the Necromancer Tower?" Yelen asked, hearing the word for the guest time.


    She looked all around, wondering why Eren said that the Death g came. Even as she observed her surroundings, she couldn''t find it.


    "It''s nothing. Now that it came, I can only carry it." Eren scratched the back of his head.


    He sent the Phoenix back in his inventory, the safest ce for her. After sending her back, hended on the first mountain. From here on, he could only travel on foot.


    He walked down the mountain, going towards the central mountain which was also the tallest mountain in the mountain range. Looking at the direction of the thread, he was sure that it was the destination.


    "And here ites..." As soon as he stepped forward, he entered the zone which was officially considered the mountain of loss that spread across ny percent of this entire mountain range.


    He could feel the naturalws of this mountain range that kept his body suppressed, making him unable to fly.


    The loss of flight was one of the natural abilities of the mountain of loss, but it wasn''t the reason this mountain was considered a forbidden zone.


    In this mountain, a person could lose all of his senses. It started with the loss of their sense of direction from the moment they stepped here.


    All direction sensing treasures were useless in this mountain range, including the magicalpass. If that was all there was to this mountain, Eren wouldn''t have cared.


    He had the thread of Marriage, which was like a proper thread and not a directional treasure. It was like tying a thread in someone''s hand and letting them walk in the mountain. The thread couldn''t disappear.


    Unfortunately, that wasn''t everything to this mountain. The longer one stayed in the mountain range, the more they were going to be affected by the loss. Every day that a person spent inside the mountain of loss, they were going to lose one of their senses temporarily.


    After a week in this mountain range, one could neither see nor hear anything. It was akin to getting lost in the mountain range with nothing to help you. Even the sense of smell was lost within the week.


    The order of loss was random for everyone. A person could lose their sense of sight after twenty four hours while another could lose their sense of smell only. However, after seven days, all were on the same ending point, with their seven senses gone.


    "I need to find her, kill that bastard and leave this ce within a few days. The longer I stay, the more disadvantage I will be at."


    Now that he was here, retreat wasn''t an option. No matter which Transmigrator it was, he had to kill it. If anything, saving the sect master was his secondary reason.


    This time that person came for the Sect Master but what if the next time he came for him? The risk was too much.


    The more time he was given, the more dangerous he could be. It was going to be even harder to find him if he failed now.


    ....


    Eren had just entered the Mountain of Loss, one of the worst forbidden regions in the Eastern Continent. However, he wasn''t the only person here.


    Amidst the corpses of the ones who died here through the centuries, two other people were still alive.


    Atop the tallest mountain range, a young man was sitting with his back resting against a wall.


    He was making strange gestures with his fingers, as if he was touching something in the air. Looking at his actions, many would have called him mad who had lost his mind.


    "Here it is..." He tapped on something in the air, pulling out an item.


    If Eren was here, he would have been surprised to see the item. It was an item that he would have easily recognisable as he craved to collect as many as he possibly could.


    It was the question voucher, that was also the reward Eren had selected for his secondary path.


    "Activate the toss system," the young man said.


    An illusory coin appeared in front of the man. However, the coin didn''t have only one face. It had four faces.


    "Select the second face, attack it to the Question Voucher and toss it," he said.


    The four faced coin flew in the air, going thousands of feet high before falling to the ground in front of the man.


    [You have failed. The preserve effect will not be applied on the Question Voucher]


    [The Question Voucher has been activated without preservation effect. You will lose the question voucher once used]


    "Fck!" The young man cursed. "If only I had the correct face, I would have been able to use the question voucher while still preserving it, just likest time."


    The Question Voucher was used, and a summoning invitation was sent to an unknown being.


    Time appeared to have stopped as a low rise mist appeared in the surrounding area. Time seemed to have stopped for everyone in the world.


    At least it stopped for the normal people. Not too far from the mountain, Eren was walking freely when he noticed that Yelen had stopped.


    Celeste had also stopped moving, as if they had been paused in time.


    "The author?" Eren frowned, looking in the direction of the highest peak.

 Chapter 229: Chapter 229: You might need it

    Eren could see that it wasn''t just Yelen or Celeste who had stopped. The winds were also stopped abruptly.


    The dry leaves from the tree that were falling towards the ground were levitating mid air now. The world itself hade to a halt.


    There were only two times he had seen a phenomenon like this, and both times, it was because of the arrival of the author.


    He observed his surroundings, but the author didn''t make an appearance.


    "I see... So he isn''t here for me." Eren gazed towards the distant peak, where the thread was leading him.


    He had already expected a possibility of this happening, but this time, he was able to confirm it. He wasn''t the only person who had received question vouchers and the meeting opportunity. He was only the first one.


    There was still something that didn''t make sense for him though. Why was he able to move if the author didn''te for him? Was it because he was a transmigrator?


    "If that''s the case, Aster should have been able to move as well."


    He remembered the second time he had called forth the Author, right when Aster had found him. At that time, even Aster was stuck in time, unable to move.


    "Why am I free of his restrictions?" He wondered.


    He turned to Yelen and picked her up in his arms. He couldn''t waste time here. Carrying Yelen, he continued on his journey towards the distant peak.


    ....


    "It seems you have seeded..." A mysterious being appeared atop the mountain, his face being impossible to see.


    He gazed at the young man who was holding onto the question voucher. The young man was yet to use the forceful question effect of the question voucher.


    The unknown being turned to the other side and saw a young woman, seemingly in deep sleep. Her hands were tied behind her back using handcuffs that looked simr to the ones used on earth.


    "Did you think I would fail?" The young man scoffed in response. "This is just the beginning."


    "Interesting..." The mysterious being turned back to the young man, who appeared as if he had a clear goal.


    "Most people who meet me ask me about the reason they were brought to this world, or about the mysteries of this world. But you asked me a very interesting question..."


    The mysterious being waved his hand, making a throne appear behind him. Like a divine being, he sat on the throne in front of the mortal who had summoned him.


    "Why would I care about the mysteries of this world? With the system I have, I only need to conquer this world," the young man said. "Did you think I would be asking you how to return to that godforsaken world and abandon this exciting life,"


    "That is an interesting approach indeed. Is that why you used the question voucher to force me to tell you how to defeat an Overlord without getting hurt?" The unknown being smirked, finding the young man mildly interesting.


    His approach was entirely different from Eren, but that was also because of the system he had. While Eren only wanted to survive in this world at first, this man had much bigger ambitions.


    He didn''t ask him for methods to return to this world, or if there were other people like him in this world. He didn''t even ask him about the reasons he was brought here.


    He directly used a question voucher to ask a simple question that even he hadn''t expected.


    The unknown being knew a lot of secrets of this World, so it wasn''t hard for him to tell the young man a few tips and tricks to defeat an Overlord without getting hurt.


    "That''s correct. My system allows me to turn anyone into my ve with enough time. With four Overlords as my ve, why would I need to know about anything else?" the young man asked, his intention being clear.


    He didn''t mind taking a shortcut. He didn''t mind being weaker or ignorant about this world. With the help of his system, he could rise to the top instantly.


    "Is that so..." the Unknown Being smirked, gazing in a particr direction, as if being able to sense someone.


    "Do you remember my advice before I disappearedst time?" he asked.


    "Of course I do. You said that after you told me how to use Feng Yu''s desire to find her father''s killer against her and sneakily defeat her. You said that although I can defeat Feng Yu, but I shouldn''t try to do it if I care about my safety."


    "Honestly, did you think that scaremongering would work on me? You were just worried that within a few months, I would be the absolute ruler of this world!"


    He didn''t take his warnings seriously, as if already realizing that the man wasn''t a friend.


    He believed that the man just wanted him to be weak so he could be manipted easier. But now, he was able to achieve everything in a single step.


    "It that''s what you believe." The mysterious being didn''t say anything else. The man had already gone ahead and done it. Whatever happened next had nothing to do with him.


    "That''s enough nonsense. I didn''t call you here to reminisce about the past," the young man calmly said. He activated the forced question effect of the question voucher.


    "My question is still the same. Tell me how to defeat the next Overlord without getting hurt!" hemanded.


    The question voucher disappeared into thin air, as the effects were applied to the unknown being. Being forced by the effect, he couldn''t resist the answer.


    "The next Overlord you can defeat is the Holy Priestess. As for the method to defeat her without getting hurt, all you have to do is..."


    "..."


    "..."


    The mysterious being told the young man the answer that he was looking for. With that, the purpose of his arrival waspleted and he was freed of the effect.


    He stood up, preparing to return. Slowly, his body started disappearing. Just like before, he left onest sentence before disappearing.


    "It seems no one can change fate. I still wish you best of luck... You might need it."


    His figurepletely disappeared, leaving the young man confused. What did he mean by that? He didn''t understand.

 Chapter 230: Chapter 230: Erens Touch

    With the departure of the unknown being, the world again resumed. The river of time began flowing again. Those who were excluded from the river of time were brought back inside.


    Yelen came to her senses, extremely confused. One moment she was seeing Eren''s back, and the next moment, she felt like she was being carried by someone on their shoulder like a sack of rice.


    As if being carried like this wasn''t embarrassing enough, she felt something more. To carry her properly, Eren''s arms were on her back. But they weren''t on her waist or anywhere good.


    "Did you have to hold me there?" she asked Eren.


    "You can''t me me. It offered me the best grip," Eren responded. "I couldn''t have you fall and hit your head somewhere."


    "Hmph, let me down now."


    Yelen didn''t know what happened to her. How did she end up over his shoulders when she was walking behind him? It was as if a part of her memory was missing.


    The first thing she tried was to get down on her own feet, feeling embarrassed at being carried like this.


    Eren was about to put her down when she started living to free herself.


    As Yelen kept moving to free herself while Eren was already nning to put her down, he was also taken aback, feeling as if she was going to fall.


    "Eek!" Yelen''s body suddenly trembled as she let out an unwilling noise. Due to her fierce movement and Eren''s attempt to prevent her fall, his finger ended up resting over something it shouldn''t have.


    She felt a current run down her body. Although no smoke wasing out of her ears, it was as if her brain had stopped working.


    Her resistance came to a sudden stop as if she lost all her strength. As Eren was still walking forward, the movements were making her body feel even more.


    "Can you..." she tried saying weakly, her hands losing all their strength. In front of Eren, she was no different than an ordinary girl.


    Eren acted ignorant and asked, "Can I what?"


    "Your finger..." Yelen said, her face turningpletely red.


    "What about my finger?" Eren asked. Although it was an unintentional ident from him, but at the end of day, he was still a man. He wasn''t a fool to not realize where his finger was.


    "It is on..." Yelen bit her lower lips, not being able toplete her sentence.


    "You will have to be clear," Eren stated, still acting ignorant.


    It was as if he found it fun to tease the woman who loved to peep on him when he was being intimate with someone. Now that it was her turn, she was like a robot who was frozen.


    Eren was just teasing Yelen, hence he didn''t remove his finger that was gently brushing against her with each step he took on this uneven ground.


    "Hmm? Why does this feel a little..." he suddenly thought, taken aback. There was still ayer of cloth between them, but still he was able to feel as if his finger was on something wet.


    "You!" Yelen covered her face with her palm, feeling as embarrassed as she never felt before.


    While Eren was still taken aback, she pushed herself back and freed her from his grasp. Still, she didn''t have the strength to face him.


    With the corner of her eyes, she gazed at Eren who had an intrigued smile on his lips.


    "Don''t say a single word!" She rolled her eyes, almost as if she was scolding him.


    Eren scratched the back of his head. "I didn''t say anything."


    "I know what you were going to say!" Yelen said, keeping her head lowered. She still didn''t look him in the eyes.


    Eren found Yelen''s behavior quite cute. She was also a really pretty person. Unfortunately, this wasn''t a good ce. The longer they stayed here, the more dangerous this ce was going to be for them.


    Every day, they were going to lose a sense here, making every second precious.


    "Where do we have to go?" Yelen asked, changing the topic right away. It was more embarrassing for her in any case.


    Eren also noticed her tactics but he didn''t expose her. They came here for a more important reason after all. However, he could still feel her sweet scent lingering around him.


    ''No wonder main characters always say that cringe lines like a woman only affect the speed at which they draw their sword.'' He thought, shaking his head lightly.


    He regained hisposure and focused on the thread. With the appearance of the author, he realized that things had truly be more dangerous.


    With this, he also managed to confirm that the person he was going to face was someone like him and Aster. The two of them came from earth and possessed a person from this world.


    He was curious about the identity of the person he possessed. How was that person able to defeat Feng Yu? Did he use some trick or was he really that strong?


    He couldn''t ignore either of the possibilities. If he defeated Feng Yu properly, that meant he was extremely strong which made him dangerous.


    On the other hand, if he used a trick, that made him even more dangerous as it showed how clever he was.


    Even Eren hadn''t found a way to defeat someone like Feng Yu yet, as even poison was useless on her. Feng Yu could sense poison, so it couldn''t work on her.


    He wondered if it was because of the author. It also made him wonder why this person called the author again. How did he even get two question vouchers? Had he also progressed as much as him?


    He was quite curious about the question that was aimed at the author this time. Was it something rted to other Transmigrators? Or was it something that could expose his presence in this mountain range?


    There were a lot of questions in his mind and only one destination for an answer.

 Chapter 231: Chapter 231: Seventh Sense

    Eren walked through the Mountain Range, unable to fly here. Fortunately, his level had grown up quite a lot in the recent months, which also increased his stamina.


    Even as he ran through multiple mountains, he wasn''t easily exhausted. Moreover, even if he was exhausted, he could use the Dragon Tongue to remove his exhaustion at a minor cost.


    Still, even as he traveled as fast as he could, it still took him around a day to reach the Central Mountain. He stood below at the foot of the mountain, looking at the sky that had started to darken.


    It had been almost twenty four hours since he entered the Mountain Range, and the time for the second curse of loss to fall upon him.


    He wasn''t sure what he was going to lose. As long as it wasn''t his sight, it didn''t obstruct him much. But if it was vision on the first try, then he could only curse his luck.


    Looking at his past and the kind of luck he had throughout his life in this world, he had a feeling it couldn''t be anything good. He wasn''t the son of destiny after all.


    Fortunately, he wasn''t alone here. He had Yelen with him. Even though she was also affected by the curse of this mountain range, it was almost impossible for two people to lose the same sense. The odds were quite unlikely.


    Hence, she could be the guide. Even if that wasn''t the case, he had prepared quite a lot of things for that kind of situation.


    "Ten..."


    Eren started counting as he finally stepped foot on the core mountain, climbing up.


    "Nine..."


    "Eight...


    With each step, he counted the time before the new curse was going to fall upon them.


    As long as they were in the mountain range, they could not remove that curse. Only if they left the Mountain of Loss was the curse going to disappear.


    "Seven."


    "Six."


    "Five."


    "Four."


    "Three."


    "Two."


    "One."


    Finally, hepleted twenty four hours inside the mountain of loss. As the countdown ended, Eren rubbed his eyes, something he was just concerned about.


    His expressions dropped as his face darkened. He realized what he had lost. It was something he was worried about the most. He had lost his sense of sight as the first curse itself.


    His pupils turned silver, blocking everything from his vision. He wasn''t able to see a single thing, as if the world itself had turned stark white in front of his eyes.


    "What did you lose?" he asked Yelen, unable to see her either. He could only feel her rough location based on his guardian link.


    Yelen answered, "The Sense of Taste..."


    Eren facepalmed himself. "I know I''m not the main character, but isn''t it too much bullying?"


    He lost the worst thing that he possibly could, while Yelen lost something so insignificant that it didn''t even matter in the least.


    The probability of losing sight on the first day was only a little more than ten percent, and he had achieved that sessfully.


    "Why is it that rare probabilities only work when it''s something that could screw me over?" he rubbed his forehead. However, he also realized that there was no point in being upset.


    With the track record of his luck, he had already expected something like this.


    That''s why, he had been practicing a new spell of Dragon Tongue, which merged his sixth sense, sense of smell and hearing to create a map of his surroundings in his mind.


    He ced a finger on his forehead and said, "Seventh Sense."


    As he finished, there were minor fluctuations of essence within his body that only he could feel. It was a strange sensation as a map of his surroundings appeared in his mind.


    It was strange. He could feel that he wasn''t looking with his eyes but an entire new organ. Without being restricted by his eyesight, he was even able to look behind him without having to turn.


    There were no colors in the scenery he saw in his mind. It was as if someone had drawn the world in a drawing that didn''t hold any color.


    He had tried this Dragon Magic Spell before as well, but it was never as urate. Every time he tried it in the past, his primary urge was to use his eyes which created an interference in this spell.


    Now that he couldn''t see anything, the uracy of the spell only increased. It also removed the handicap he received from the first curse.


    He was about to tell Yelen to not worry and that he could still observe his surroundings. However, before he could say anything, he felt Yelen wrapping her arm around his arm.


    She didn''tugh and make fun of his inability to see. Instead her first thought was to help him in any way possible.


    "I can share my vision with you. Even though you can''t see yourself, by sharing my vision, you will be able to see everything that I can see," she told Eren, for the first time appearing to be concerned about him.


    Even Eren was taken aback by hearing the worry in her tone. At the end of the day, she truly wanted to help him, and not just as a guardian.


    Moreover, sharing her vision was also an interesting skill. If he did that, it would be like seeing the world around him from a third person perspective.


    It was no different than seeing a character from a different camera angle when ying a game. If he didn''t have his mind map skill, then he really would have loved to try that skill.


    "I am touched by your concern, but I will be fine," Eren answered as he ced his finger under her chin.


    His eyes were silver, appearingpletely nk. Still he was able to touch her chin and raise her head.


    "You can see?" Yelen was stunned.


    "How can I afford to lose my ability to see when I have someone so beautiful around to keep my eyes on?" he asked, making Yelen go red again.

 Chapter 232: Chapter 232: Absolute Obedience

    "Can you ever be serious?" Yelen rolled her eyes, but she still didn''t take his fingers off her chin.


    "Who said I''m not serious?" Eren asked in response, taking his hands off. "I am always serious."


    "As if." Yelen didn''t believe a single word he was saying. She knew him better than he thought she did.


    Eren didn''t argue back even though there was truth to his words. He was serious, although he didn''t show it on his face to make others worry. He knew how dangerous this situation was.


    "I''m going to increase my speed. Can you keep up with me or should I carry you like before?" he asked, activating the Dragon Tongue again.


    He ced his finger on his chest, where the dragon bloodline had gathered at the moment.


    "Strength."


    "Agility."


    He cast two simultaneous spells over his body. They were minor and insignificant spells that didn''t take much effort toprehend. Still, when they applied to his body, they supplemented his stats, bing even more effective.


    "You don''t have to worry about me. I am not weak, even though I am not in the Spirit Realm."


    "Good." Eren nodded, closing his eyes, relyingpletely on his Seventh Sense.


    "Wind''s Blessing," he used one more spell in Dragon Tongue. Once prepared, he started running up the mountain.


    Along the way, there were many obstructions in his path. There were strange shaped rocks that were a few meters tall. There were also multiple trees that appeared to have grown even in this barrennd.


    Even though he wasn''t able to see clearly, Eren kept running up the mountain. Whenever there were trees in his path, he simply changed his path. When there were rocks on his path, he jumped over them. However, he didn''t waste even a single second.


    With the thread of marriage as his guide, he didn''t have to worry about going in the wrong direction.


    ....


    "That bastard... He just loves fear mongering. Did he really think I would be scared of his warning?"


    The young man atop the mountain didn''t pay any heed to the words of the mysterious being who was summoned with a question voucher. For him, everything was going as per his n.


    All he had to do was wait for seven days, letting Feng Yu lose all her senses. The moment it was all over, he could use his Binding Ability to turn her weakened self into a ve.


    With the loss of all her senses and a broken mentality, she couldn''t even offer any resistance.


    He stood up and walked closer to the young woman who was lying on the ground, her hands tied behind her back with cuffs.


    Just like Eren''s gun was a modified earthly item that was changed to suit this world, the handcuffs were also simr.


    The handcuffs paralyzed the person once they were ced on them. As it wasn''t poison, even the poison immunity of a person couldn''t stop it.


    Even more useful thing about these cuffs was that only the owner could remove them. No matter what magic or skill a person used, they couldn''t remove these cuffs.


    "Even if you are an Overlord in this world, but in front of me, you are as frail as a normal girl. So just wait for your time to run out."


    The young man went down on his knees, looking at the sleeping face of Feng Yu.


    He reached out his hand, his fingers brushing against her cheeks. "Just a few more days, and I will have an Overlord Level Servant. It is even better that the Servant would be such a beautiful person."


    "To think that someone could be so pretty. Although it''s hard to resist, I will wait. The more I wait to taste this delicacy, the better it will taste when the timees. Just a few more days, and you would willingly go down on your knees to serve me."


    The young man retracted his hand. He walked back, looking at the dark sky. "Holy Priestess of the Western Continent... I wonder how good the second ve will be. I will definitely pay you a visit when I finish conquering my first ve."


    "This is just the beginning. At most, it will take one month and I shall be the absolute ruler of this world, having all four Overlords serving me."


    His lips crept up as his smile widened at the thought of the future that was toe. From the moment he came into this world, this was all he had been thinking about.


    He hadn''t even tried to find out more about this world, to the point that he didn''t even know that there were only Transmigrators in this world.


    All he knew was that there was one Main Character, but he didn''t care about that person. From the beginning, he targeted the peak of this world, but he didn''t know how to achieve that goal.


    Even though it felt impossible, he hadn''t given up on his goal. The opportunity he was waiting for came when he received a Question Voucher.


    With the guidance of the unknown being who was forced to answer the question, he had already taken the first step towards invincibility.


    Who needed to be strong when they could have the strongest beings serving under them? Why would he need to work hard to be stronger when he could have them do everything for him?


    Although he only had to wait for a few days, but he was still so eager. Every second felt like it was passing too slowly.


    "If only I had some item that could fast forward time by a week," he mumbled, shaking his head in disappointment.


    "Hmm?" The smile on his lips suddenly disappeared as he felt something. He looked in a particr direction.


    "Someone entered the intrusion threshold that I set? Someone actually came here? Could it be someone from the Great Demon Sect? No, that''s impossible. How could theye here so fast? I didn''t leave any trail behind."


    He shook his head, finding it absolutely impossible.


    "It must be someone who was already in this mountain range before I came. What a fool. You survived in the mountain range, only toe across me? In that case, let me wee you¡­"

 Chapter 233: Chapter 233: The one that couldnt be killed

    The young man''s face was now devoid of the smug grin he wore just moments ago. He opened his inventory and pulled out a ck, metallic orb.


    "Activate the toss. Attach the third face to the orb of shadows and toss the coin," he said.


    An illusory coin appeared before him, having four faces instead of just two like the ordinary coins. A mark appeared on the second face of the coin. A simr mark appeared on the orb.


    The coin flipped higher, eventuallynding on the ground to reveal the face facing up. It was the marked face which the young man had selected.


    [Congrattions on winning the toss]


    [A one time preservation effect has been applied to the one time use item ''Orb of Shadows'']


    With the effect applied, the item that could only be used once was preserved. Now it could be used once without affecting the one use that he was given initially.


    Holding it in his hand, he muttered an incantation that made the orb glow faintly.


    "Guardian of Shadows, awaken."


    The orb trembled before releasing a dark mist that coalesced into a humanoid figure d in armor made of shadows. The Guardian bowed slightly, awaiting orders.


    "Someone has entered the threshold. Find them and bring them to me¡ªalive," the young manmanded. "You just have to bring them alive. It doesn''t matter if they are missing a few limbs."


    The Guardian nodded and vanished into the darkness, leaving the young man alone with his thoughts once again.


    ....


    Meanwhile, Eren and Yelen continued their ascent. Yelen followed closely behind as she kept pace with Eren.


    The spells he had cast on himself made his movements much faster, but Yelen was not weak either.


    Her own abilities hadn''t fallen behind. Even though she couldn''t fly, but she was a spirit blessed by nature itself. Even without flying, she could move much faster than an ordinary human.


    "How much further?" she asked, her voice steady despite the grueling pace.


    "Not far," Eren replied, his Seventh Sense guiding him like apass, making theplete use of the thread. "I can feel it. We''re close."


    They had already traded halfway up the mountain. Only thest stretch was left. At this pace, he was sure that he could reach the top before losing his second sense.


    As they neared the summit, the air grew colder, and the atmosphere more oppressive. With the Frost Bloodline that Eren stole from the Frost Demon, the freezing atmosphere didn''t affect him, but he could see that Yelen had started shivering.


    "Aren''t you a spirit? How can you feel cold?" he asked, slightly confused. It was different in the Spirit Realm where she was in her physical form, but here she was in her spirit form. So how could cold affect her?


    "There is something strange about this mountain. Even in my spirit form, I can feel this cold. But that''s not surprising since it also affected my senses," Yelen replied, quite intrigued about the origins of this mountain.


    Even a spirit wasn''t unaffected by the curse. She was quite curious as to how this mountain came to be, especially with such strange characteristics.


    "Can you hold on until we-" Eren tried speaking but he suddenly stopped speaking beforepleting his sentence.


    He frowned as his heightened senses picked up on subtle shifts in the environment. If he was just looking with his eyes, he might not have noticed. However, his Seventh Sense made him feel the changes.


    Suddenly, a chilling presence washed over them. Eren stopped abruptly, and Yelen nearly collided with him.


    "What''s wrong?" she asked, her eyes scanning the surroundings.


    Eren''s eyes narrowed. "Something''sing."


    Without warning, the Guardian of Shadows materialized before them, its dark form contrasting starkly against the snowy backdrop of the mountain.


    "You are the intruders," the Guardian said, its voice echoing in the frozen surroundings. "My master has been expecting you."


    Eren''s stance shifted, a gun appearing in his left hand.


    "And who is your master?" he asked, already having a rough guess. He didn''t expect the Transmigrator to sense his presence so early.


    The Guardian calmly replied, "You will find out soon enough."


    Although he was told to bring the intruder alive, it didn''t mean he had to bring himpletely unharmed. He understood his master''s intentions in sending him.


    He was to bring him back, but in a condition where he couldn''t threaten his master. To make them incapable of fighting, the easiest way was to tear Eren''s hands off.


    The Guardian lunged forth, a shadow dagger appearing in both his hands. In an instant, he appeared in front of Eren, his daggers going straight for Eren''s shoulders.


    Eren called forth a sword. As if seeing the trajectory of this attack, he turned on his feet like a drunk man, avoiding the daggers of the shadow warrior.


    The shadow warrior was strong. He could easily defeat a person who had lost his senses in the mountain of loss, but the person he was fighting was mostly unaffected by loss of senses.


    When the disadvantage was removed, all that was left was Eren who had increased his stats even more with Dragon Tongue.


    He appeared behind the Shadow Warrior, his speed being even faster than the shadow. Putting some strength behind his attack, he swung his sword to slice the shadow warrior in two.


    "Hmm?" His Sword passed through the shadow warrior''s body but it didn''t harm him in the least. In the seventh sense, he saw that the person waspletely unharmed.


    It was like he was cutting through a shadow, which was impossible. A shadow wasn''t an existence that one could touch.


    While Eren''s sword passed through the shadow''s body, he didn''t even try to dodge. He also knew that it was useless. Instead, he simply turned around at the same time, thrusting his dagger.


    Eren jumped back, but he felt as if he was a step toote. The dagger had managed to prate his skin.


    Fortunately, it was only able to go an inch deep before he moved back. Only a trail of blood trickled out of his chest, staining his clothes.

 Chapter 234: Chapter 234: Bullying

    The Shadow didn''t give Eren a chance to breathe as he followed after him. All attacks were useless on him, so it was impossible to stop it.


    "What an absolute mess," Eren realized that physical attacks were useless on the Shadow Warrior.


    If it wasn''t for his seventh sense, making him observe hisplete surroundings, he was sure he would have been assassinated already.


    The Shadow appeared in front of Eren who tried to block the dagger. The shadow dagger passed through his sword,ing towards his shoulder again.


    He dodged the dagger, which still managed to slice through his shoulder. Fortunately, it only managed to leave a shallow wound.


    "If physical attacks don''t work, then let me shove something else in your mouth!"


    He made the Sword disappear, which waspletely ineffective against the shadow. He could surround the sword with the poison using his pendant, but that was like using a nuclear bomb to kill a chicken.


    He couldn''t waste the use of the pendant for such a minor thing when he had other methods.


    This time, he focused only on dodging when the shadow kept attacking him. Yelen wanted to help him, but right at the start of the battle, Eren told her to stay out of it.


    In this world, he hadn''t experienced a proper battle before. Although the shadow was dangerous, but he was confident he could deal with it.


    If it wasn''t for his seventh sense, he would have hesitated facing the shadow that was like an assassin. But when he could see his surroundings, his instincts were also improving.


    He had already noticed that the shadow wasn''t trying to kill him, as if it was instructed to keep him alive. What better enemy to train against than someone who wasn''t going to kill?


    Still, he didn''t take the battle lightly. Even if he wasn''t going to die, he didn''t want to lose any limbs. Even if they could be healedter, he would have to wait until he returned.


    In the Mountain of Loss, being without a limb when facing another Transmigrator was thest thing he wanted.


    His survival instincts became stronger, and so did his footwork. He had received many Bloodlines in the past, and slowly yet steadily his body was realizing the passive effects of those Bloodlines through those battles.


    There were also some fighting instincts that he appeared to have forgotten which were returning. The shadow attacked wildly but after the first few times, he hadn''t been able to wound Eren.


    After the first few moments of the battle, the shadow hadn''t been at a disadvantage to the point that the gap between the two of them was only increasing.


    Within ten minutes, it was clear that Eren couldn''t get anything more from the Shadow. His body had be more familiar with movements that led to his survival.


    Only ten minutes had passed when Erenmented, "I think that should be enough."


    He had already spent ten minutes, most of which were spent charging the gun that he called forth after returning the sword.


    In thest few moments, the gun had devoured all his mana to create a single bullet. His mana had increased with his levels, so it took even longer for it to create a bullet, but it also made the bullet stronger.


    There was around five feet of distance between Eren and shadow which made it appear as if they were ying tag with one chasing the other.


    The distance only kept increasing with each passing second until Eren suddenly stopped. Instead of moving back to avoid the shadow de, he rushed towards the Shadow Warrior.


    The knife came for his body again, only for Eren to show a new maneuver, rushing past the shadow de that missed his cheeks by a few millimeters.


    The shadow warrior turned his arm, trying to stab the dagger in Eren''s back who was right in front of him.


    Bang~


    A loud sound echoed through the surrounding area. The shadow dagger was only a few inches away from Eren''s back when it stopped. The dagger as well as the shadow warrior started disappearing.


    Eren''s gun was ced in the Shadow Warrior''s mouth, angling down. Most of the shadow along with his core had been destroyed, leaving only the shadow energy that had no ce to return to.


    The ground where the shadow was standing was also ruined. Theyer of snow had melted by the power of the mana bullet, along with a crater that had been created under them.


    Even Eren lost his bnce when the crater formed with the impact of the bullet, falling on his butt.


    Sitting in the middle of the crater, Eren observed the dispersing shadow energy with his Seventh Sense.


    With the naked eyes, it was impossible to see the dispersing energy, but he could see that it was still spread in the surroundings.


    He wondered if there was a way for him to absorb the shadow energy, but it felt impossible. The shadow warrior didn''t have a heart. Even if it had a core, that core had already been destroyed.


    "If you have had enough rest, shall we get going?" Yelen asked Eren, appearing behind him.


    "Geez,dy. I went through a life threatening battle. Aren''t you even going to ask if I am fine or not?" Eren rubbed the back of his head as he sent the gun back. He pushed his body up, letting his mana recover slowly.


    "A life threatening battle? Why did it look like you were toying with the poor shadow?" Yelen rolled her eyes.


    She had seen the entire battle. Other than the starting few seconds, she didn''t feel that Eren''s life was in danger even once. If it was, she would have ignored hismands to intervene.


    "I''m the only poor person here who has been bullied," Eren innocentlyined. Who could have been bullied more than him when he was shoved in the world where death was waiting for him at every corner?


    If it wasn''t for his system and his bluffing ability, he would have been long dead.


    It was only recently that he started bing stronger to the point that he could fight for his own life. And now that girl termed that as bullying others?


    He jumped out of the crater and pinched Yelen''s cheeks.


    "You won''t understand."

 Chapter 235: Chapter 235: Wind Tower

    .....


    Atop the mountain, a young man was sitting with an orb in his hand that was under the preservation effect. It meant he could summon the shadow warrior once again, as long as it wasn''t destroyed.


    As for the shadow warrior being destroyed, he didn''t even consider that possibility. He was expecting the shadow warrior to return with the intruders.


    Everything was going as per his expectations, and things that didn''t go as per his expectations were destroyed by him. However, this time, it was him who was in for a shock.


    The orb that he was carrying started developing cracks that spread through the orb within the span of a few seconds.


    It happened so fast that he didn''t even have the time to react. Before he coulde to his senses, the sphere had already been broken into thousands of small pieces.


    Even with the preservation effect, the sphere couldn''t be used again as the shadow itself had been destroyed.


    The small fragments of the orb fell out of his hand like sand trickling between a person''s fingers.


    "How is this possible?" His expressions darkened as he realized the meaning behind the destruction of the shadow warrior.


    He would have understood it if the shadow warrior had been destroyed in any other ce as it wasn''t the strongest being by any stretch, but this was the mountain of loss.


    Did it mean that there was a person who had been here, and even after losing his senses, he was still able to defeat a shadow warrior?


    "Interesting... There is still someone who can make me worry?" The man tossed away thest remaining fragments in his hand, his expressions turning from shock to amusement.


    If it was an Overlording, he still would have been worried. However, if it was an Overlord, he was sure that his shadow warrior would have been killed within a second.


    Although he didn''t know who his shadow warrior fought and how that fight went, he did know that the fightsted for over ten minutes.


    With so much time being taken, it was clear that the person who killed the shadow warrior wasn''t much stronger than it. It definitely wasn''t an Overlord or someone of that level.


    As long as the person was someone who was only slightly stronger than the shadow warrior, he had thousands of ways to make that person pay.


    "Since he destroyed the shadow warrior, I will have him take its ce."


    He opened his inventory, bringing out a coffin that was called a ve coffin.


    It was an artifact that he had received as a newbie gift package thanks to the kind of ability he had.


    Within the ve coffin, he was able to carry living beings. There was only one limitation, which was that only the ves he turned with his abilities were allowed to be kept there.


    After calling out the coffin, he opened it, revealing a Portal that was hidden within.


    "All of you,e out," Hemanded. Three specks of light shot out from the coffin.


    As they appeared outside the coffin, they revealed their human forms.


    Amongst the three ves that were mentally brainwashed, the first one was a woman who looked like she was in her mid thirties. The woman had a mage-like robe that came down from her shoulders.


    The mage robe wasn''t ck in color like the magical robes that the beings of the Necromancer Tower wore. Instead, it was a distinct green color.


    The young man walked closer to the woman.


    "Mother, how does it feel to be back?" he asked, revealing an amusing smile. This woman was the first person he had turned into his ve with his ability, and it was none other than the mother of the character he possessed.


    Originally, his character was the son of the Lord of Wind Tower.


    Just like the Necromancer Tower, the Wind Tower was also a tower in the Northern Continent where magic used to be studied. However, they only focused on the wind magic.


    When the Necromancer started waging war over the entire continent, many Magic Towers were destroyed. There were only a few who had survived that onught as they went into hiding, abandoning the tower.


    The woman was the Lord of the Wind Tower who had run away with her people and her son, abandoning the legacy of the ancestors.


    Since then, she had been hidden in the Northern Continent, starting the Wind Tower anew, without the grandeur to keep themselves hidden.


    "Mother, won''t you help your son onest time?" the young man asked, touching the woman''s cheeks.


    For a moment, emotions of sadness and anger flickered in the eyes of the woman but they were immediately suppressed by the mental seal cast on her.


    "Oh? To think that you are still capable of taking control of your expressions, even if it''s for a second. Not bad, mother." The young manughed. "You are quite good, but your expressions hurt me."


    "Are you still sad that I exposed our location to the Necromancer Tower?" he asked innocently.


    He wasn''t strong enough to use his abilities on the woman who used to rule over the Wind Tower. So he could only take external help.


    He was the one that brought ruins to the Wind Tower a second time by exposing its location to the Necromancer Tower.


    Just as he expected, the Necromancer Tower sent people to destroy the remnants. The Wind Mages fought back, but in front of the Mages of Death, they couldn''tst long.


    In the end, most of the Wind Mages were ughtered, and even his mother was heavily injured, barely managing to escape with him and a few other people.


    Because his mother was hurt, she was weak. On top, she had lost so many people, for which she med herself. Her mentality was also at the most unstable at that time, which was what the young man wanted.


    He took help of his mother''s weakened physical condition and mentality to use his abilities on her, turning her into his second ve.

 Chapter 236: Chapter 236: Are you going somewhere?

    The young man sacrificed the majority of Wind Mages, all to get a particr person under his control.


    Even though he would have eventually received the control of the remnant of the wind tower, he didn''t want to wait. Why would he wait when he could take it with his own hands?


    His impatience was his biggest trait but it also allowed him to achieve the things that should have been impossible.


    As for his first ve, it was the girl standing next to his mother. It was a young girl who looked to be the same age as him.


    She used to be the childhood friend of the person he possessed when he Transmigrated to this world. She was his first test subject for his ability.


    When he made her a ve and kept her in the coffin, she simply had to tell everyone that the girl had died at the hands of Necromancer Tower bastards, which absolved him of most of the inquiry as no one suspected him.


    As for the third andst ve, it was the most special out of all for him. It was a Necromancer Tower Mage, who was almost killed in the battle with the wind tower.


    The person was mostly insignificant in the Necromancer Tower, being an ordinary mage that was responsible for the clean up and gathering corpses for the future uses of the Necromancer Tower.


    He wasn''t the strongest of his ves as that was his mother. However, that man was still most important for him because he was his ticket to entering the Necromancer Tower in the future.


    Only those who were associated with the Necromancer Tower or had Necromancer Magic running through their veins could open the entrance to the Necromancer Tower.


    The young man was already nning to go to the Necromancer Tower after he gathered enough ves. In his quest to be the strongest controller of this world, the Necromancer Tower Master was another stepping stone.


    The only person that he was still hesitant about was Mist, who he was saving for thest, or at least until he received another question voucher and learned the trick to take her down.


    "My dear mother, it seems there is an uninvited guest who destroyed your child''s precious toy. I would have loved to destroy that person myself, but your dear son has to finish something more important."


    "In my ce, you shall go and ruin that person just like he ruined my toy," the young man told the mature woman, his fingers brushing against her cheeks.


    His mother had lifeless eyes, as her free will was suppressed by the ve seal. Her body could not resist hismands.


    She didn''t know why his son had changed so much, but she couldn''t change anything. It was as if she was caught in hell, where she could only watch her son walk down this cruel path.


    Her body moved on her own. She lowered her head before the young man like a subordinate greeting her master.


    Winds wrapped around her body, allowing her to move as if she was floating in the air. As it wasn''t a flight, the restriction didn''t affect her. It was akin to jumping and hovering with the help of the wind.


    She rushed down the mountain to find the target. If she had free will, she wouldn''t have done that. She needed someone to stop her son, and that person felt like he could be the one to make it possible.


    However, even though her heart wanted to ask the intruder for help, her body refused to follow suit.


    The young man watched his mother rush down the mountain, his lips curving to form a smirk.


    He didn''t feel any pity for that woman, who had not only lost her son to a Transmigrator but was also made a ve.


    He knew that she was probably wanting to betray him, but with the ve seal, she could only y the role of a loyal pawn.


    "No matter how much you want to escape my grasp, you will always be beneath my feet, Mother," he chuckled, not even trying to hide his words from his mother who hadn''t even gone far.


    He was also curious to see the identity of the person. He wanted to watch how brutally his mother killed that person, taking enjoyment from that moment.


    Unfortunately, his pocket clock was about to strike twelve. Twenty four hours in this mountain range was about to bepleted for him which would have made him weaker.


    Every time his first day was about to beplete, he left the mountain of loss and returned from outside to start the clock anew. That''s why, even though it was his second day here, he still hadn''t lost a single sense.


    If it wasn''t for an intruder arriving, he would have already left, not taking any risk with any senses.


    The other two ves were not sent after Eren, especially the Necromancer Tower ve. He was important, so he was only given one responsibility.


    His responsibility was to keep an eye on Feng Yu. It wasn''t something hard, especially since Feng Yu couldn''t do anything even if she woke up. Still, he left the man behind to observe her.


    "If she wakes up and makes too much noise, you are allowed to break a few fingers," he told his male ve, even leaving his childhood friend behind to keep guard on the parameter.


    "Mother should be able to end that bastard, but still I will leave behind a special gift for the guest in case she fails."


    He opened his inventory and brought something that looked like a toy maze, small enough to fit in his own hand.


    He ced the toy maze on the ground. It slowly started bingrger until the maze had spread for around hundred miles, taking everything in its grasp.


    Even if the intruder went past his mother, the maze could keep him busy until he returned. In any case, he didn''t n to lose Feng Yu, his first to be an Overlord ve.


    "Are you going somewhere?"


    The young man was just about to leave after casting the maze when he heard another man''s voice. He frowned, turning towards the source.

 Chapter 237: Chapter 237: Interesting NPC

    ....


    The Wind Mage kept rushing down the mountain, however even as she reached the ce where she felt the traces of the shadow, she hadn''t seen anyone.


    Along the way, there was not a single person that she had seen. She wasn''t sure if the person she was supposed to kill had already run away?


    She felt slightly d. Even if the person could help her, could she really ask for his help? She couldn''t even open her lips to ask a question without the permission of her son, all because of that otherworldly ve seal.


    Even though she had studied magic all her life, she had never heard about the existence of a seal like that. It was like some monstrous ability that had appeared out of thin air around the same time that her son had changed.


    Her eyes were still filled with many questions, but in this hell, she couldn''t do anything but watch her son ruin the lives of other people.


    She prepared to continue searching as there was no point in returning like this. The seal didn''t let her return without killing the person.


    She checked the traces that were left behind to check which direction those people had run in. However, strangely enough, the traces led towards the peak of the mountain.


    She didn''t understand how it was possible. If that was the case, she would havee across them. Did they use some ability to get past her? She wondered.


    As she was lost in thoughts, she suddenly felt killing intent directed towards her. She jumped around, barely dodging the attack that hade straight for her neck.


    She didn''t even see the attack. If it wasn''t for her winds, she was sure she would have been hit.


    She turned around, looking at the source of the attack but she couldn''t see anyone. The person was invisible, to the point that he couldn''t even see their footsteps on the snow beneath.


    "Are you the person who killed him?" she still asked, looking in a particr direction.


    Even though she couldn''t see that person, she was the mage of wind. In this mountain, even if one was a spirit, their bodies weren''t immune from being detected by the winds.


    "Oh? She can locate me?" The person on the other side said, revealing an interesting smile. However, the Wind Mages couldn''t hear her words. She could only feel her presence.


    Even if she was able to see the invisible person, she wouldn''t have recognised her. It was a girl that had never appeared in this world.


    This was the first time she had been summoned to this world as she had only gotten contracted just a short time ago.


    She was none other than the current spirit queen, Felona, brought forth by Eren to keep the annoying elements away from him when he dealt with the Transmigrator.


    Felona wasn''t alone either, as she hade with the Spirit Warriors that had already surrounded this ce. It was as if the personal army of Eren had descended upon this world.


    The Wind Mage felt that it wasn''t just one person who was here. There were many more in the surroundings. She couldn''t feel their strength, but their stealth alone was impressive.


    If possible she would have loved to take their help. Unfortunately, her body moved on its own to attack.


    ....


    "Are you going somewhere?" a voice came from behind while the young Transmigrator was about to leave the Mountain for a brief moment.


    The Transmigrator turned around, looking at the source of the voice.


    The moment he looked back, his expressions darkened. He saw a person standing behind the Necromancer Tower ve.


    The person wasn''t just present there, but his sword had already passed through the heart of the Necromancer.


    Even though they were his ves that couldn''t feel pain, it didn''t mean  that they couldn''t be killed.


    If their heads were sliced off or their hearts destroyed, they could easily be killed, especially someone as weak as his Necromancer whose only purpose was to be a key to the Necromancer Tower.


    "Do you know what you did?" The young Transmigrator frowned, his eyes brimming with killing intent.


    This person had made him lose his key. He was so angry that he wanted to kill this young man right away, but he controlled his anger.


    "Oh? Was he a friend? My apologies. I thought you were being kept hostage by him," Eren shrugged as he pulled his sword out, letting the lifeless body of the Necromancer fall on the ground.


    As his ve was killed, the master of the ve seal also felt pain. However, the Transmigrator didn''t reveal pain on his face. He only bit his lower lip.


    "You are quite a foolish NPC, aren''t you?" he asked. He was free, and not tied either. How could one think that he was being kept hostage.


    He raised his right hand, using a skill that was simr to the identification of Eren. A screen was supposed to open in front of him with the stats of the person he was facing.


    This ability was also what allowed him to survive through many life threatening situations. Unless it was someone on the level of an Overlord, the skill never failed him.


    The only other exception was if the other person was too weak for the status screen to work.


    "Hmm?" His expressions suddenly darkened as the screen opened in front of him.


    Unlike the normal status screens that showed in blue color, this one was pure ck. In the middle of the ck screen, there were only three words that were in blood red color.


    "Failed to detect? What an interesting NPC," the young manzily said. "Since you took a ve from me, I will make you fill his ce."


    "Young man, you should thank your stars that you would get to serve the next ruler of this world!"


    Eren didn''t pay attention to the words of the man. He simply looked at Feng Yu, who was lying on the ground, her eyes closed.


    He was slightly d that she wasn''t awake, because he was about to do something that he didn''t want her to see.

 Chapter 238: Chapter 238: Are you also?

    "What is your name?" The young man asked Eren, his voice filled with slight intrigue.


    He didn''t realize that Eren was actually trailing after him, here to save Feng Yu. He still thought that Eren had been in the Mountain of Loss before he arrived here.


    It was impossible for someone in the Great Demon Sect to detect their location and arrive here so soon after all.


    The fact that Eren wasn''t wearing the Elder''s attire further helped his misunderstanding.


    Eren didn''t answer. Instead, he used his own identification skill. Unlike the young man''s skill, Eren''s skill actually worked.


    ****************************


    [Name: Fey]


    [Level: 11]


    [Identity: Son of Wind Tower Master]


    [Bloodline: None]


    [Age: 19]


    [Traits: Impatience]


    [Stats]


    [Strength: 17]


    [Agility: 47]


    [Stamina: 38]


    [Intelligence :59]


    [Mana: 457]


    ******************************


    The Identification skill revealed the identity of the other person as Fey, who was the son of Wind Tower Master. As the Wind Tower had long been destroyed, this identity didn''t hold much significance anymore.


    What was even more surprising were the stats of this person which were so low that even Eren was surprised.


    He was onlyparable to a level eleven person. Most of his stats weren''t even ten percent of Eren''s stats.


    The only stat that was beyond normal range was his mana which had almost reached fifty percent of Eren''s stats despite such arge level difference.


    If this person had the same level as him, Eren could only imagine how high his mana would have been.


    With the Identification Skill, he was able to gain a rough understanding of the person.


    The only problem was that the identification skill didn''t reveal what kind of abilities this person had, or if he even had any system in the first ce.


    The person was physically weak. If he was still able to kidnap Feng Yu, then beyond trickery, he still needed something significant to help him. Eren was certain that this person had a significant ability, or at least a very peculiar system.


    Eren already had a rough estimate about what that ability could be. It definitely wasn''t anything close to his devouring ability. If that was the case, he would have already killed Feng Yu.


    He remembered that this person addressed the one he killed as a ve. Was that his ability? An ability to turn people into his ves? That was the only thing that could exin why he still kept Feng Yu alive.


    It was quite a terrifying ability if it even worked on an Overlord level character. He used his identification skill on Feng Yu to see if she had already been turned into a ve.


    The Status Screen didn''t show any abnormality for Feng Yu.


    ''I see. There must be some kind of requirement for him to use his abilities," he thought, realizing the kind of situation it was.


    The young man was quite intrigued about the reason Eren had gone silent. Was it because he was scared? It didn''t matter. He wasn''t looking for an answer either. He only wanted to distract Eren while his first ve moved behind Eren.


    The woman, although unwillingly, had to follow hismands. She pulled out a dagger, silently moving closer to Eren while he was distracted.


    The young man smirked. He had thought that Eren was quite something as the status screen didn''t show anything for him. However, looking at the current situation, he had already started looking down on him.


    As the woman reached within the striking distance of Eren, she jumped forth, thrusting her dagger towards Eren''s back


    The Necromancer Tower ve was weak, only to be used as a key. However, the girl wasn''t weak. Even if she wasn''t as strong as his mother, she was still much stronger than him.


    "Huh?" The young man frowned, watching the father of the woman stop merely a few inches away from Eren''s back.


    In front of his eyes, the markings of fingers appeared around the girl''s neck, but he couldn''t see any person there.


    "Did you really have to turn your back to the enemy?" Yelen asked Eren, growling.


    "Don''t I have you to protect me?" Eren smiled in response. With Yelen behind him, did he really have to worry about such weak attacks?


    "Glib tongue!" Yelen rolled her eyes as she raised the girl high before mming her on the ground.


    The young girl coughed out blood, still not able to see the person that had attacked her.


    ''This man... Something is really strange about him! I can''t take any risks.'' The young man clenched his fist.


    He didn''t know how Eren did it without even turning around, but he was sure that the situation could get dangerous for him if he didn''t do anything.


    He raised his hand, touching something in the air as he opened his inventory.


    "Looking into your inventory? Is there something good in there?" The young man had just opened his inventory when he heard Eren''s voice.


    "You!" The young man''s expression darkened. In this world, there should have been no concept of an inventory. How did this person know that he was using an inventory?


    "Who are you?" he asked, his tone carrying a lot of questions within. "How do you know about my inventory? Are you also..."


    The young man asked, but didn''t finish his sentence. He didn''t want to believe it.


    He was supposed to be the most special person in this world who had Transmigrated here. How could there be more people like him? No, it was impossible!


    "Don''t you already know who I am?" Eren appeared right behind the young man who was so shocked that he failed to focus on keeping his inventory which closed.


    "We should talk! I want to know more about you!" The young man''s lips twitched as he opened his inventory again while keeping Eren distracted, even though he could feel the gaze of deathnding on his back.


    He reached out his hand to bring something out of his inventory, only to see blood stter everywhere as his arm flew in the air before he could touch the inventory.


    "The time for talk is long over," Eren replied while blood trickled down the sharp de of his sword.


    There was nothing to talk, especially since Feng Yu could wake up at any time. Before that happened, he wanted to kill the Transmigrator and take his abilities.

 Chapter 239: Chapter 239: You are so dead

    It took some time for the pain to set in. When the pain and the realization of reality finally settled inside Fey, a painful cry escaped his lips.


    Amidst the painful cries of the man, Eren was silently observing him, thinking about something.


    Eren wasn''t sure if he could take the system from him. He was really hoping that the thing that gave Fey the ability to turn people into ves was an ability and not the effect of the system.


    If it was an ability, he had a good chance of taking it for himself with devouring. But if it was the effect of a system skill, then it could only be a waste.


    With Ye Liang, he had already confirmed that he couldn''t retrieve another person''s system, at least not with his devouring ability.


    "Ha... Hahaha... You are so dead!" Fey was crying in pain when he suddenly startedughing, even as his face had grown pale. It was all because he saw a person in the distance, arriving with slow steps.


    "My dear mother!" he said, gazing at the woman who had arrived. "Kill this bastard for me!"


    As he gave themand, he expected the woman to attack Eren without a second thought. As long as she used her winds, not only could she protect him but she could kill him as well.


    Eren tilted his head sideways, noticing someone that Fey couldn''t see. Next to his mother, Felona was standing. As Felona had let this womane here, Eren had a feeling that it was because something interesting was about to happen.


    "What are you staring at my face for? You bi*ch, hurry up and kill this bastard!"


    Fey had already issued amand, but his mother hadn''t moved. Instead, she just gazed at him. Her eyes weren''t as lifeless as before. Instead, in her eyes, there was only disgust that could be seen.


    "Don''t call me mother. My son died a long time ago," the woman eximed. She had already realized that the person in front of her was someone else in her son''s body.


    The person was not her son as her son could never do something like this. And if it was actually her son who was doing this, then it was even worse. She didn''t want to protect him anymore.


    "You..." the young man''s face grew pale. "How did you remove my seal?!"


    The young man was frozen in shock. His mother wasn''t following hismands, which could only mean that the seal was removed. Either that, or something was interfering with the effects of his seal.


    "What did you do to my mother?" he asked Eren. This was the only person here that he had seen. He was sure that it had something to do with him.


    Eren also didn''t know what happened, but he was sure that it was Felona being helpful. He was sure that the Transmigrator had some help.


    When he killed the shadow warrior, it was nothing more than a trick to poke the Transmigrator to have him send his strongest helpers for revenge.


    He left Felona behind to kill those helpers. Even if she couldn''t kill them, she was a spirit who could easily protect herself. All she had to do was keep them busy while he killed the Transmigrator.


    As Felona allowed the woman to return, it could only mean that she wasn''t a threat anymore. If anything, she was a helper.


    "You bi*ch, how dare you betray me?" He was furious that his ve was not helping him. Instead, she was helping the outsiders?


    She pulled out a dagger, aiming for the woman. He made it appear as if she was going to attack his mother, but at thest moment, he turned around to stab the dagger at Eren who was standing behind him.


    He gave Eren a false positive that he was mentally disturbed by the betrayal, all to make Eren lower his guard. In the end, the only target for him was Eren. Once this person was dead, he could again control his mother.


    "Huh?" he thrust the dagger after turning around, but he was stunned to see that Eren wasn''t there anymore.


    "That''s why you should have focused on leveling. You are too slow, young man," a man''s voice fell in Fey''s ears.


    With ten times the speed of Fey, Eren was too fast for this person. Even if he did a surprise attack, but in Eren''s eyes, the attack was very slow.


    Fey lowered his head, watching a swording out of his body. Eren had stabbed the Sword in his back.


    Blood trickled down his lips as he watched his clothes being stained in blood.


    His blood covered lips curved up as his eyes started losing their shine.


    "Maybe you are right. I will keep your advice in mind..."  Fey weakly stated as he dropped on his knees as soon as Eren pulled out his sword.


    Fey fell face first pic the group, a puddle of blood forming around him.


    Eren didn''t celebrate the death of another Transmigrator. Instead, he was only thinking about thest sentence of Fey.


    He had a bad feeling about this. Why did he need to keep this advice if he was dying? Something didn''t seem right.


    Eren rubbed his forehead, turning around. He faced Fey''s mother.


    "He is still alive, isn''t he?" That was the only thing that made sense in his mind.


    Either the man was pulling some psychological trick to make him annoyed even in death, or he was actually an annoying cockroach-like character who was still alive.


    He had a feeling that it was most likely thetter. Even if the man wasn''t a good son, she should''ve felt some sadness to watch her die, but she didn''t.


    Wind Tower Master looked at the bloody body of her son, not feeling a trace of pity. She nodded to Eren''s questions.


    ....


    In an unknown ce, a young man sat up abruptly, coughing blood. His soul was injured and his entire body was in pain, but his eyes were only filled with rage.

 Chapter 240: Chapter 240: Immense Experience

    "It is something he called the Preservation Effect," she told Eren. "It was something he prepared before we entered the Great Demon Sect as he was worried that things might go wrong and he might die there."


    "Preservation Effect?" Eren pondered out loud. "Is that another ability of his?"


    "I don''t know much about it, but it is definitely a very strange ability that even I don''t understand. From what I understand, it allows him to preserve things, especially items that could only be used once."


    The woman tried her best to exin that strange ability. As per her words, the man was her son. In the past, he wasn''t like this, but a few months ago, he suddenly changed.


    She still remembered how he started talking about some characters and novel. Ever since that day, he became more distant from her. She thought that it was just a phase, only to realize what a fool she was.


    As for his ability, she told Eren that he was able to turn people into his ves when they were mentally in their weakest state. It was also how she had fallen for his tricks.


    Another one of his abilities that he used more often was preservation which allowed him to use one time use items multiple times, as long as he was able to win some strange kind of toss.


    The probability of winning should have been only twenty five percent, but more than fifty percent of the time he had seeded.


    Although she was under the effect of the ve seal, but her mind was still able to understand things that he did.


    When he used the preservation effect on his own body, he hadmanded her to protect him during the process. That''s also why she knew what he did.


    ording to her, Fey had gathered another body. He was worried that his n about taking Feng Yu down might not work and he might die. Unfortunately, he had to be there for the n to work in the first ce.


    He used the preservation skill to protect his real body and transfer his soul to a second body. As the skills were connected to the soul, he was able to use the skills without putting his real body in danger.


    Only if he was to die in the second body or if he repeated the process could he return to his real body. Now that he was killed here, it didn''t mean he was gone forever. It just meant that he had returned to his real body.


    "A Preservation Effect, huh," Eren murmured to himself as he looked at the lifeless second body. "What an interesting skill."


    He even felt a little jealous as the skill felt like it was in the same tier as devouring. It even worked on the limited use items.


    He was sure that the items that he used this skill on were something he received from his system. Those unique things could onlye from here.


    The skill could even work on system items. It was what made Eren even more interested in it.


    His pendant series rewards were limited use items. If he could use the toss before each use, then couldn''t he increase the uses from just three to many times more? All he needed was good luck?


    It was definitely a skill that Eren craved for. Even if it was just for this skill, he had to kill Fey. However, even without this skill, he couldn''t let the Transmigrator survive.


    A Transmigrator was dangerous, especially someone who could even turn an Overlord if he was lucky. Fey was like an internal sickness. The longer he existed, the more dangerous he was going to be.


    "Do you know where his real body is?" Eren asked. So what if he had escaped? All they had to do was catch him.


    "I know the location, but it will be useless to go there. Even if you want to use teleportation, you will have to leave the mountain first. Even after that, it will be a long journey as he is in the Northern Continent," the Wind Tower Master said.


    "By now, he should have already started running away. Even if you reach the destination, you won''t find him. If you''re lucky, that ce will bepletely empty. If you are unlucky, the ce would be filled with traps and even Necromancer Tower Mages."


    She knew the person all too well, especially since she had been with him for so long. She knew what kind of person he was. He wasn''t strong, but he was cunning.


    He knew how to use others to his advantage as he had used the Necromancer Tower, all to mentally break and control her.


    "Northern Continent." Eren rubbed his forehead, frowning. It was definitely very far and her words made sense. It was impossible to reach there in a short time even if he was to leave right away.


    That man would definitely have left that ce already. Moreover, even if he wanted to, he couldn''t leave this ce. He still had to deal with Feng Yu.


    He was slightly frustrated that he had failed to kill the Transmigrator. However, he couldn''t me himself either. The person was just too sly, not even entering this continent with her real body.


    As for the n that he used, Eren was sure that it was something that came from the author. Otherwise there was no way for that person to know such things that could unfaze Feng Yu.


    He walked towards Feng Yu, who was lying on the snow. The strongest person in the Eastern Continent was in front of him, at her mercy. If he wanted, he could kill her right away.


    He could only imagine the kind of experience he was going to receive if he killed Feng Yu here. It was a free experience without having to work hard for it.


    She didn''t have a Bloodline and he couldn''t steal her stats with devouring, but just the leveling that came with experience alone was a worthy reward. Moreover, he could still take her physique.


    Even if the experience wasn''t too high because it took into consideration the method to defeat the opponent, it didn''t matter. Even at the lowest, it was going to be enough to make him cross the third wall.


    He reached out his hand towards Feng Yu,ing to a hard decision.

 Chapter 241: Chapter 241: Boss Level Character

    Fey wiped the blood off his lips and stepped out of the cave, supporting his weakened body with the wall. Even though he had returned to his real body, but his soul was still hurt.


    For some reason, the effect of preservation didn''t work properly in front of the attack that came from Eren. Even if he returned, he was hurt to the point that he could barely stand straight.


    With his hands on the wall, he supported himself as he walked out of the cave, his expressions dark. He still remembered how Eren told him about inventory.


    He couldn''t understand how Eren knew about his inventory. Was it because he also had one? Was he something like the main character of this world?


    "That is impossible. In the book that I read, the main character was someone else. If I''m not wrong, the Main Character hadn''t even made an appearance yet. He should appear when Hell opens. So how?"


    He wondered if there were more than one main character. He wondered if he was overconfident in assuming that he knew everything important there was to know about this world just because he read, "Necromancer who returned from Hell."


    If possible, he wanted to question the author again as his head was in a mess. However, he had no question voucher. He couldn''t even ask for a meeting again.


    If the effect of Preservation had worked on the question voucher a second time, he wouldn''t have to worry about anything.


    As he thought about the author, he remembered the person said something akin to the lines of a warning when he was returning. It was as if he knew that something wasing.


    "If he''s not the main character, then there is only one thing that exins his knowledge about inventory. He is just like me... An Otherworlder."


    His lips twitched as he thought out the possibility. He realized a lot of things, especially that he wasn''t alone in this world.


    "No wonder that bastard author kept warning me. He knew but never told me about this!" Fey punched the wall in anger, forgetting his body was extremely weak.


    The moment he took his hand off the wall, he fell on the ground, barely protecting his head from hitting the wall.


    With the realization that there were possibly more otherworlders here, he could understand why he had failed so miserably.


    The only problem was that he still didn''t know Eren''s identity yet, not realizing that he had actuallye to save Feng Yu. He thought that the Otherworlder came for him, knowing his location in advance.


    "He either knew about my location already, or that bastard author told him about me! It can''t be the former. If that was the case, he would havee to me before."


    He thought that Eren had used a question voucher as well. He wondered how many question vouchers Eren had.


    If he was like him who had exhausted all that he had, then it was fine. If not, then it was only a matter of time before Eren came again.


    He knew that he couldn''t stay at one ce for a long time with the threat constantly looming over his head. He had lost this time but he couldn''t afford to lose again.


    "I thought you were an NPC, but it turns out that you were a level boss character. Now that I know, I won''t make the same mistake again."


    Holding his chest, he forced his body up and started walking away from the cave. Even if Eren couldn''t find out his location anymore, he realized that his mother was with Eren now.


    It was only a matter of time before she told him about this location. Before that bastard came here, he had to move.


    "I was so close to winning over an Overlord level character, but because of you, it all went to the drain. The next time we meet, I will definitely make you pay."


    He had previously told Eren that he was going to turn him into a ve to take the ce of the ones he had killed. But now, he was more serious about it.


    For now, conquering the Otherworlder was a bigger priority than anything else.


    "I will find your identity. I will break your mind to the point that you would beg me to turn you into my ve to stop it all!" He clenched his fist as he walked away with staggering footsteps.


    As for his current destination, he was moving towards the West. The n to conquer an Overlord had failed, but he still knew the n to conquer the second.


    It was a n he learned with the use of his question voucher in the mountains of loss.


    He had to conquer the Holy Priestess, the Overlord of the west. But before that, he had to recover and make more ves to help him.


    He was looking forward to the next time he was going to meet Eren. And that time, he didn''t n to be taken in by surprise.


    Soon, he disappeared into the setting sun in the distance, leaving the long abandoned cave. However before leaving, he didn''t forget to activate a talisman in the cave.


    Within half a day, the talisman was going to send a signal to the Necromancer Tower. He prepared a trap for Eren in case he was going toe here to catch him.


    "I really hope hees. My dear mother, I hope you tell him the location. Don''t disappoint me this time..."


    ****


    "Are you going to kill her?" Yelen asked Eren, watching his hands slowly creeping towards Feng Yu.


    Eren didn''t answer, but he had already made up his mind about what he was going to do. It was going to be dangerous if it was discovered, but it was a risk he had to take for his goals.


    Yelen didn''t ask any more questions. She just wondered how it was going to unfold if an Overlord was going to disappear just like this. The world was truly in for a great shock.

 Chapter 242: Chapter 242: Knight in Shining Armor (I)

    Eren walked down the mountain, his hands were stained in blood that was still fresh. Next to him was Yelen who was looking at him strangely.


    Felona was sent back to the world of Spirits as she had already helped Eren enough. As for Fey''s mother, she was nowhere to be seen anymore.


    "Did you think this through?" Yelen asked Eren.


    Eren didn''t answer. He simply nodded, his gaze being firm.


    He had already changed his clothes to the clothes of the Great Demon Sect Elder but those clothes were also stained in blood that felt like his own blood.


    His entire body was filled with wounds, some of those wounds being fresh as he didn''t even try to heal them. There was even a scar on the right side of his face.


    With a healing pill, it could easily be healed but he didn''t do that either. He went through with the constant pain where it felt like thousands of ants were biting his face.


    It was the first time he had been hurt like this in the face, which made this experiencepletely new.


    Half an hour passed and Eren kept staggering down the mountain as if he was running from something but didn''t have the strength to properly run. asionally, he hit a few trees, as if he was actually blind.


    A few minutes passed since he hit thest tree ''helplessly'', when he heard a small noiseing from before him.


    He didn''t look down as he already knew who it was. The woman he had been carrying in his arms had started waking up.


    Feng Yu opened his eyes, feeling a little dizziness. The moment she looked ahead, she noticed that she was being carried by a person in his arms.


    She could clearly see the scars on his face and the stench of blood that wasing from him as if he had been through a really dangerous battle where he barely survived.


    She also noticed that her arms were wrapped around his neck while she was being carried like a princess. As she was cuffed, she couldn''t take her hands off from around his neck.


    She could only stay in his arms, feeling his scent that was mixed with the scent of his blood.


    She looked at her surroundings, noticing the mountain range. She could also feel that a few of her senses were missing.


    She tried opening her mouth but she wasn''t able to properly speak. Her sense of speech was gone along with her sense of taste. Fortunately, she still had the sense of sight.


    She realized where she was. It was the mountain of loss. It was a ce where she had entered before. It was at the time she thought that her father''s killer was hiding inside the Mountain of Loss.


    She had searched for him throughout the week, even at the cost of losing her senses every day.


    At the end, she couldn''t find that person and was preparing to leave when she was attacked by the people from the Mythical Hero Academy who also appeared to be looking here for someone.


    She still had a hazy memory of that battle and remembered seeing Mist there as well. She still didn''t remember how she returned home that day.


    Since she had been there for almost a week, she was weaker than Mist. She could vaguely remember that she was about to lose. However, everything after that was nk.


    For some reason, she found a sense of familiarity in Eren''s embrace as he was taking her down the mountain. She didn''t understand this feeling, but it was as if she had been in the same position once before.


    She wondered if it was just her overthinking because she was so weak currently.


    She wanted to tell Eren to let her down. He was already injured, and it wasn''t good for him to carry someone else. Unfortunately, even as she opened her lips, no words came out.


    She thought that he would have already known that she woke up, but when she saw his eyes, she realized that it was impossible. His eyes werepletely nk.


    It didn''t take long for her to realize which sense he had lost. He had lost his sense of sight which meant he had been in the Mountain of Loss for more than a day at the least, and maybe even more.


    She wondered which other senses he had lost. But why was she being carried by him? Why was he hurt? She was confused.


    As she thought about it, some memories started returning. She remembered that she was sitting in her pce, thinking about the Western Continent and what trick the Holy Priestess could have been nning.


    At that time, someone appeared in her pce. She didn''t know which treasure that person used to enter her pce without being detected by her guards.


    It didn''t matter how that person entered. Intrusion in her pce was forbidden, and anyone who tried it was only granted death.


    As she was about to kill him, the person told her that he was here to help her. He told her that he knew the whereabouts of the person who killed her father.


    He told her that the person was also his enemy so he wanted to help her kill him. Feng Yu was momentarily hesitant in killing the person.


    She had been looking for the killer of her father for a long time, and now an opportunity presented itself. She didn''t realize that it was all a trap. Before she realized the reality, everything had already happened.


    The next thing she remembered, she was here. She was in Eren''s arms. Everything in between was a mess.


    Even with his weakened body, Eren carried her as blood trickled down from his wounds.


    She thought about letting Eren know that she was already awake but before she could do that, heavy winds started ying.


    A woman appeared in the distance, surrounded by gusts of wind.


    "Did you think you could take her away?!" the woman, whose face was covered by a ck mask, said.


    Although Feng Yu couldn''t see that woman''s face, it was clear that she was from the Northern Continent. It was also the woman she had seen apanying the man who tricked her.


    "You are barely alive. Why are you going so far to protect her? Just return her to us and we might let you live!" the woman arrogantly said.

 Chapter 243: Chapter 243: Warmth in cold heart

    Eren stopped in his tracks, his body swaying slightly from exhaustion. He held Feng Yu tighter as if making sure she was secure in his arms. His eyes, though blind, seemed to be filled with an unyielding desire to protect someone.


    Looking at the woman appearing here, Feng Yu finally understood why Eren was hurt so badly. She looked at him, her thoughts impossible toprehend.


    She realized that Eren had gotten injured while trying to save her. If anything, he put his life on the line to save her.


    She was the strongest being in the Eastern Continent, so being saved by other people was something that she had never experienced before. It was a strange feeling to be so vulnerable that she needed others to help her.


    "There is no way for you to run. Master will soon arrive, and that will be your end. I will tell you onest time. Return that woman, and I might let you live!"


    As the woman spoke, multiple wind des aimed towards Eren. It was as if she was warning him that she could kill him at any moment.


    As for why she was still asking him to return Feng Yu without fighting, it appeared to be because she needed Feng Yu unharmed for whatever purpose they kidnapped her.


    "I didn''te here to give up," Eren said even as a drop of blood trickled down the corner of his lips. "I came here to take her with me."


    The woman''s eyes narrowed, her patience clearly wearing thin.


    "Then you''ve chosen death," she dered, her voice cold as steel. With a flick of her wrist, the wind des sped towards Eren.


    Eren braced himself. He could hear the faint whistling of the approaching wind des, and could feel the subtle shift in the air currents. With a swift motion, he shielded Feng Yu with his body, twisting to minimize the impact.


    The des sliced through his clothes and bit into his flesh, drawing more blood. Eren gritted his teeth against the pain, refusing to cry out. He would not give their enemy the satisfaction of seeing his pain.


    Feng Yu stared at him, a drop of his blood falling over her fair cheeks. She had seen the selfishness of this world a long time ago. She didn''t understand why someone like Eren was going so far to protect her.


    Was it simply because of his loyalty towards the Sect? Or was there something more?


    She had never felt so helpless, so utterly dependent on someone else. The strongest being in the Eastern Continent, and here she was, cradled in the arms of a blind man who was willing to sacrifice everything for her.


    As the wind des dissipated, the woman''s face twisted in frustration.


    "Stubborn fool," she hissed. "But it doesn''t matter. When my master arrives, even you won''t be able to protect her."


    Eren''s grip tightened around Feng Yu. "We''ll see about that," he replied, his voice unwavering. "I won''t let anyone take her from me."


    The woman''s eyes shed with anger, but before she couldunch another attack, a deep, resonant voice echoed through the clearing. "Enough."


    A figure emerged from the shadows, tall and imposing. He was none other than Fey. Or rather, it was Fey''s body that was being moved and controlled by Yn.


    She had closed the wounds on his body and changed his clothes so that not a single wound could be seen on his body.


    The wind tower mage immediately bowed, her demeanor changing to one of deference. "Master."


    Eren''s expressions darkened. Even though he couldn''t see, he recognised that voice. It was the master of this woman.


    Eren smiled in a self deprecating manner as he lowered his head. He couldn''t see anything, but he still faced Feng Yu.


    He slowly reached out his hand, his fingers brushing past her cheeks as if he couldn''t locate her face without eyes.


    After the initial struggle, his fingers rested on her cheeks as he caressed her like she was the love of his life, mncholy visible on his face.


    It was as if he was someone who had only admired her from a great distance all his life, only now getting an opportunity to even touch the distant star right before he was about to die.


    Even Feng Yu was taken aback by Eren''s strange behavior. However, for some strange reason, she could also feel the sadness he was feeling.


    He didn''t say a single word to her, but for some reason, she could feel what he wanted to say.


    She didn''t understand this feeling. It was as if the feelings were rushing inside her, appearing in manners they never appeared before. She didn''t realize that it was partially the effect of the Threads of Marriage.


    She was feeling what Eren wanted her to feel, the effects even strengthened by the thread. However, it still wasn''t enough to make her feel anything other than confusion about her own condition.


    "You don''t have to fight them," she coldly said. "Leave me here and run. You are too weak to fight them."


    "You are awake." Eren removed her arms from around his neck, and ced her on the ground behind him.


    "Now run." He hid her behind him while drawing out his sword. In his other hand, he also called forth a Talisman, which made even Feng Yu taken aback.


    This talisman was called the Talisman of death. It was something that could allow a person to show strength beyond what their physical body could bear, all at the cost of their vitality.


    In essence, it allowed people to exhaust their life to wield strength for a short time. It could definitely allow him to dy these two people, but when the effect of talisman ran out, Eren was going to die.


    There was no doubt in Feng Yu''s mind. He was being serious here. She could run away from here, and give it a try while he was keeping them busy. However, her dignity didn''t allow her to run even in the face of death.


    Moreover, she didn''t want Eren to die for her. For some reason, watching him shield her, even if it meant exhausting his entire life, her cold heart felt something after a long time.


    It was a strange warmth that appeared in the heart that had frozen with the death of her father.

 Chapter 244: Chapter 244: Because I

    Feng Yu looked at Eren''s back, his clothespletely stained with blood. Even the robe of the Elder was torn at ces, revealing deep flesh wounds on Eren''s body.


    Thest time someone shielded her like this, it was her father who was trying to protect her from ''that'' person.


    She clenched her fist, watching the visage of her father when she saw Eren''s cold and bloody back.


    "Did you not hear what I said? You are too weak to face them!" Feng Yu eximed, not understanding why Eren was still here instead of running away. "I don''t need protection from weaklings like you. Scram!"


    If it was another situation, she would have asked him to break the shackles so she could use her own strength. However, she knew that Eren couldn''t break it.


    She knew all too well what kind of shackles these were. No one under the strength of a Great Elder could break these shackles.


    She grabbed Eren''s hand, fresh blood still trickling down his arm. She pulled him closer. She took off her ring and ced it in Eren''s hand.


    "Take the sect master''s ring, and return," she told Eren. "I can protect myself even without you! You''ll just distract me if you are here!"


    Eren looked at the ring, taken aback. This was the ring that was authorized only for the Sect Master. It could also open the treasury in the sect as well as allow him to use the formations within the sect.


    This was the token that was passed from one sect master to another. He didn''t know if she just gave it to him because she didn''t want it to fall in the hands of others or if she was actually handing him the position.


    Did she think that she was going to die here so she was handing over the Sect Master position to him? As long as he returned to the sect with the ring, he was sure he could im the sect master''s position for himself.


    Even if that wasn''t Feng Yu''s intention when giving him the ring, who was to know? He could tell a number of stories as he imed the throne with this ring.


    That way, he could evenplete the options of the secondary path.


    As for her telling him that she could protect herself after he left, he knew that she was bluffing. She was no stronger than an ordinary person.


    As for the cuffs, he had already checked their effects. The cuffs were going tost for seven days. Once they were ced on someone, they could only be removed after seven days.


    If he left, she would have died. However, that was only the case if these people were actually trying to kill her. This was not a real attempt to kill her.


    If he wanted her dead, he would have done that already. The main reason he hadn''t done that was because of his secondary path.


    The path of Lover was closely linked with Feng Yu. Even though hispletion of the path of Lover increased with others, it didn''t increase to the extent it would have with Feng Yu''s help.


    He didn''t pay much attention to that before as he thought that it was impossible to get close to this emotionless Demoness.


    He was also worried that his real identity might be exposed. He was the one who killed her father after all. Or rather, it was Ren Necroline who he had possessed.


    He had always tried to stay away from Feng Yu, even when he used the thread of marriage, all to make sure he could survive longer. However, the opportunity that had presented before him wasn''t something he could ignore.


    Even though it was said to be cliche, who didn''t love a knight in shining armor protecting them? It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to get close to Feng Yu.


    For now, the progress in the path of Lover was more important than the ring. As for bing the sect master toplete the secondary path, he had already thought out a way. Everything had started falling in ce in his mind.


    It was all about how he managed things that were toe. If he yed his cards right, it was only a matter of time before he couldplete the secondary options while also reaching a milestone in his path of lover.


    Eren looked at the ring, but there was no greed on his face. When Feng Yu ced the ring in his hand, he grabbed his hand.


    As he was pretending to be blind, he couldn''t let her take her hands off. Else, how could he try to locate her hand as a blind person for what he was about to do next?


    "What are you doing?" Feng Yu asked, trying to take her hands back but Eren didn''t let her take it off.


    With his left hand, he grabbed her hand. He held the ring in his right hand and slowly ced the ring on her finger, as if it was an engagement.


    "The ring suits a beautifuldy like you more. As for protecting me... I appreciate your intentions. However, how can I hide behind a person that I lo-" He said, intentionally cutting off his sentence in the middle as if he was worried that he had spoken too much.


    Right in front of Feng Yu, he activated the Talisman of Death, overdrawing his vitality. With the activation of talisman, his strength also increased.


    It didn''t increase to the extent it had done when he used the Unseal Talisman. At most, it only increased to the level of a Great Elder, which was almost his original level in the first ce with his levels.


    Feng Yu watched Eren''s nerves bulge as his blood flow became chaotic with the use of the Talisman. On top, he used even more talismans to increase his divine sense as well as his strength and speed.

 Chapter 245: Chapter 245: Harder to act

    He also used a barrier talisman around Feng Yu, closing her in a sphere. It was as if he had seen that Feng Yu wasn''t going to run away. However, he also didn''t want to have to die or kill the Wind Tower Master for this performance.


    He had to send her away, which made him use the barrier. The barrier maintained Feng Yu''s bnce inside while also protecting her from impacts.


    The barrier wasn''t strong enough to block attacks of the Wind Tower Mage, but it was still strong enough to protect from other things. As it was like a transparent physical barrier, Eren was able to grab a hold of the barrier.


    He grabbed the barrier that was around Feng Yu. Using all his might, he tossed the sphere away. Inside the barrier, Feng Yu wasn''t going to be hurt even if the barrier fell from a mountain peak, making it the easiest way of sending her away without her will.


    If anything,it was his way to have her get as far away from here as possible.


    "You!" Feng Yu called out, but before she could continue, she was tossed high in the sky towards the edge of the mountain of loss.


    Fey appeared as if he had been looking with great interest, wondering what Eren was going to try to stop him. It was clear that he didn''t intervene as he thought that Eren couldn''t do anything against him.


    However, the moment he saw Eren toss Feng Yu away within the barrier, his pupils trembled. It was as if he couldn''t allow her to get away.


    "You''re not going anywhere!"  he rushed towards the sphere. As he couldn''t fly here, he used all his might to jump as high as possible.


    With each passing second, he closed the distance with the sphere to the point that his fingers were only half a meter away from the sphere and Feng Yu in return.


    "Your opponent is me!" A voice came from behind Fey.


    Feng Yu saw Eren grab Fey''s feet, pulling him back. Both of them fell from the height of over a thousand feet.


    Feng Yu tried to free herself from the barrier, but she couldn''t. Until the effect of talisman ran out, she couldn''t step out of the barrier. She didn''t even have the strength to break it from the inside.


    She could only see Eren''s bleeding figure falling from the sky with Fey, the distance between them increasing with each passing second until she could no longer see them.


    Around five minutester, the protective barrier with Feng Yu inside, fell on the ground, traveling quite a distance, almost reaching the edge of the mountain of loss.


    Feng Yu waspletely unharmed, sitting inside the barrier. She could still see Eren''s figure in front of her eyes as he pulled back Fey.


    She tried to break the barrier and rush back, but the barrier was unbreakable.


    She sat on the ground, her arms wrapped around her knees.


    "You fool... Why did you...." she mumbled.


    She was sure that Eren would have been able to escape if he had just run away alone.


    ....


    Meanwhile, in another ce, Erennded on the ground with Fey.


    As the barrier and Feng Yu had disappeared into the distance, he could rx slightly. As for the surging essence within his body, he didn''t have to mind that.


    What was the exhaustion of a little life essence now that he had a Bloodline of a Dragon? Life essence was thest thing hecked.


    If he was a human, he would have died or gotten seriously hurt by using that talisman, but he wasn''t just a human. This was also what made him want to use the talisman of death to give his actions more impact.


    Eren sat on the ground, tired. It was quite tiring to put in so much strength, especially when his body was bleeding all over.


    Fey alsonded next to him. Or rather, it was Yelen who was possessing the body of Fey.


    The Wind Tower Mage alsonded in front of Eren, not showing any hostility anymore. However, she was still curious. Why was Eren putting in so much effort for Feng Yu?


    She had a rough guess. After all, which man didn''t want to appear like a knight in shining armor in front of the woman they loved.


    She had already assumed that Eren was doing it all for love, and nothing more. Why else would he give up on controlling the great demon sect, instead saving Feng Yu.


    To some extent, she was even impressed with his conduct. To save his lover, he had entered the Mountain of Loss.


    Although he didn''t put his life on line for this battle, the battles that came before it were just as dangerous and real. The only difference was that Feng Yu wasn''t awake to see them.


    She was also starting to feel a little jealous of Feng Yu for having someone who cared so much about her.


    Eren still hadn''t cleared the blood from his face. He was so tired that he almost wanted to sleep.


    "It''s truly harder to put on an act than it is to actually fight," hemented as he rested his head on the pillow made from snow.


    He wasn''t sure what Feng Yu was going to do next. Although she had revealed some reaction, was it enough to sway the emotionless Demoness? He wasn''t sure.


    Was she even going to return in the future or just consider him dead and abandon him here? If it was thetter, he had to find an excuse and a proper story to return alive to the sect.


    As he had read many novels, he knew all the excuses he could make, from some mysterious expert saving him to more. However, he really hoped that it was the former as it was more effective for what he wanted to do.


    "Wait half an hour, then move on to the next step," he told the Wind Tower Mage and Yelen before closing his eyes, finally having some moments of peace.


    Soon, half an hour passed and it was time to put on the next part of the act.

 Chapter 246: Chapter 246: Feng Yus Embrace

    ....


    "Run away and don''t look back!"


    Feng Yu sat on the ground, her arms wrapped around her knees. She had her eyes closed, her expressions ufortable as if she was remembering the ufortable past again.


    "It is happening again..." She mumbled under her breath, remembering the day that her father died.


    It was the day where the sky had turned red, as if blood could start raining at any moment.


    A young man stood in front of her father, who looked like he was barely twenty years old. However, in front of his strength, even the world appeared to pale inparison.


    It was clear that her father couldn''t face that monster. His father could have tried to escape if he was to abandon the others.


    Instead, he chose to protect Feng Yu. She could still hear him yelling at her, telling him to run away.


    He told her that he was going to be fine and return safely. Even though she knew that it was a lie, but she still wanted to believe in it, even if it was a wed hope.


    She ran away with the others while her father stayed behind. She stayed in the Great Demon Sect, waiting for her father to return. However, he never returned.


    From that day on, she had closed her heart. She only wanted one thing. It was to be so strong that she didn''t have to run away in the future.


    She even received a godly opportunity and managed to be an Overlord of the Eastern Continent. She even chased after Devourer who was said to be close to that person.


    The official story was that four Overlords worked together to take down the Devourer who was devouring innocent beings. However, the reality was something that only the Overlords knew.


    Most of the people that the Devourer consumed were criminals or those people who were sent to kill him. He only killed those who wanted to kill him.


    As for the reason that the four Overlords wanted him, it was because they wanted to find the whereabouts of that person who had disappeared into thin air.


    She thought that she was never going to have a day where she was going to be protected by others. She was no longer the same girl who had to hide behind her father. She was strong and could protect herself.


    Once again, she ended up in a situation where she had to be protected by someone. She was protected by a person who put his life on the line for her, just like her father had done.


    She had steeled her heart, but whenever she thought about that man''s cold and bloody back, her heart momentarily returned to the time where she was just a child, hiding behind others.


    It was a feeling that she hadn''t felt in a really long time. She couldn''t even remember thest time she felt something like this. It even felt as if cracks were developing around the wall that she had created around herself to keep others away from her.


    She remembered what Eren was trying to say when sending her away. He stopped in the middle of his senses so she couldn''t hear what he was going to say.


    Soon, the effects of the barrier were over. She could finally move freely. She stood up, making her mind about what she had to do.


    She could leave this mountain range and free herself from these shackles to recover her strength. That was the best course of action. Even though she knew that any other choice was foolish, she had already made up her mind.


    Even though it was foolish, she wasn''t going to abandon Eren.


    Even if he was dead, she had to bring him back so he could get the proper burial that he deserved. And if he was alive, then even if she had to drag him on her shoulders, she was willing.


    Instead of running away, she started walking back in the direction she came from. She could hear the asional sound of explosionsing from the mountain, as if the battle was still ongoing.


    She walked for only ten minutes when the sound of battlepletely stopped. She heard the sound of footsteps extremely close to her. She even wondered if it was Eren.


    "Is he back?" Her eyes gazed up with optimism. However, when the person came closer, she saw that it was Fey. She quickly hid behind a tree, covering her figure.


    The Wind Tower Mage was missing, as if he had been killed by someone. Fey was all alone.


    Fey also had a bloody figure, not appearing as if he was in any good condition. He looked more like he was going after Feng Yu, even if he had lost a subordinate.


    He didn''t even stop to search through the mountain thoroughly, soon rushing past the area where Feng Yu was hiding.


    It was clear that Fey didn''t expect her to still be in the Mountain of Loss, hence she didn''t think much about it.


    He left the Mountain of Loss, and started searching the surroundings properly while flying in the direction of the Great Demon Sect.


    Meanwhile, Feng Yu also increased her pace, going towards the depths of the Mountain of Loss.


    After going far enough, Yelen abandoned Fey''s body, sending it to the realm of spirits and returned to the Mountain of Loss.


    ....


    At the heart of the Mountain of Loss, Ereny in the middle of a crater with a deeper wound on his chest that wasn''t there before. The wound was extremely close to his heart, as if the attack had barely missed him by a hair''s breadth.


    Half the mountain appeared to have been obliterated in the battle. His face was ghostly pale, as if he had lost almost all his vitality. It seemed a miracle that he was still alive.


    He remained on the ground, wondering when Feng Yu would return. He had already received a signal from Yelen that she wasing. His eyes were closed, giving the impression he had fainted, though he was still conscious.


    Soon, a sweet scent filled the air. He knew the person he was waiting for had arrived.


    Feng Yu approached, gently cing her head on his chest, listening for his heartbeat. If Eren hadn''t known better, he might have thought she was embracing him.

 Chapter 247: Chapter 247: Out of sight, out of mind

    Feng Yu felt the faint yet steady thump of Eren''s heart beneath her ear. She was certain that he was still alive, but she wasn''t relieved.


    Even though he was alive, he was heavily bleeding. If the bleeding wasn''t stopped, he could very easily die.


    If she could use her abilities, she could have brought some healing pills for him. However, she couldn''t even do that now, which made her feel a little helpless.


    She also noticed that Eren wasn''t wearing any storage rings. She wasn''t sure if it was because she had lost his storage ring during the battle or he identally left it back at his ce as he was in a rush to save her.


    In any case, the situation didn''t look favorable for him. She looked at Eren''s face, which was pale. The first priority was to stabilize his condition.


    Although Eren pretended to sleep, with his seventh sense, he could see everything that was happening around him without having to open his eyes.


    He already realized that Feng Yu was going to have a hard time healing him, but he couldn''t just give her a healing pill to feed him. It would''ve only led to questions about why he didn''t use it in the first ce.


    As he also didn''t want to die of blood loss, he couldn''t let himself be without healing either. He had already taken steps for that.


    ording to the script, in the battle he had killed the Wind Tower Mage while also almost dying, which led to this situation. As for Fey, he thought that Eren had died and ran to search for Feng Yu.


    Staying consistent with the script, Eren had properly created signs of battle and a body being destroyed in an attack which was supposed to belong to the wind tower mage.


    Right at the ce, he had dropped a storage ring which would have belonged to the wind tower mage as per his script. All Feng Yu needed was to notice that ring and bring out the healing pills that he kept within it.


    As long as she found that ring, she could easily heal him and free him from this pain. He even put the ring in in sight in Feng Yu''s path to make sure Feng Yu would have noticed it.


    ''Come on... The ring is right there. Just notice it!'' Eren thought, but not letting anything show on his face as he was supposed to be unconscious.


    The ring was only a few feet away from Feng Yu, but it was as if she hadn''t noticed it. She was more focused on Eren to care about her surroundings.


    At this point, even Eren was wondering if he had to break the act and regain consciousness to find the ring himself. He couldn''t just die here.


    After a brief period of silence, he prepared to open his eyes weakly. However, before he could even put his ns to action, his heart skipped a beat at what he saw with his seventh sense.


    ''Huh, wait, what is she...''


    She watched Feng Yu take off the topyer of her clothes. In a freezing ce like this, even she wasn''t safe from the cold with her abilities restricted.


    It was especially the case as she wasn''t wearing many clothes inside the outeryer.


    ''What is she trying to do?'' Eren was stunned. He didn''t dare open his eyes anymore. He was sure that if he opened his eyes now and saw Feng Yu in such a condition, even the emotionless Overlord was going to stab him to death.


    He could only stretch the act, wondering what she was even nning to do.


    In the next moment, he felt her soft yet cold hands resting on his bleeding chest.


    As her hands were cuffed, she didn''t have an easy time but she still took off his clothes, even tearing them more at ces where she couldn''t take them off.


    Eren was absolutely stunned. His mind even started thinking of some absurd things that she might have been nning.


    ''Is she nning to give me warmth like that? Does she not realize that my problem isn''t cold but blood loss?'' he wondered.


    He had already started overthinking, but soon he watched Feng Yu tear her clothes in strips. She used her torn clothes, wrapping them around Eren''s body to close the wounds.


    As there were no proper herbs nearby, this was the only thing that she could do for him at the moment to stop the bleeding.


    Feng Yu''s makeshift bandages were quickly soaked with Eren''s blood, but they managed to stem the flow enough to buy him some time.


    Eren''s breathing was shallow, and his skin had taken on a ghastly pallor.


    "If you dare die on me, I will kill you myself!" she told Eren in a low voice, however her expressions weren''t as cold as before. There was even some semnce of concern in her eyes.


    Eren didn''t respond, but he was surprised at her words. Although it appeared like a threat, even he could feel that it came from her concern.


    Just like that, she waited in front of Eren to see if there was any improvement. She could run out of the mountain, but she wasn''t sure what other kinds of threats were there in the mountain.


    She couldn''t leave Eren behind. And if he tried to take him with her, his wounds were only going to get worse. She could only hope that with his bleeding stopped, his wounds were going to stabilize enough for them to leave together.


    Waiting like that, she felt a lot colder as theyers of clothing around her body were too little. To that point she was even surprised that Eren was warmer than her in this ce.


    She was almost shivering, but she didn''t move from her ce and waited patiently.


    Eren wanted to wake up, not wanting her to struggle more. However, he had just finished a battle. If he woke up so soon, wasn''t it going to be suspicious?


    He could only wait for an hour to pass before he could even wake up. However, he didn''t expect something else to change.


    Feng Yu was so cold that even she felt like it was dangerous. She subconsciously moved closer to Eren, as if trying to warm herself. Eren was the only person in this ce who was still warm because of his physique.

 Chapter 248: Chapter 248: A New Milestone

    ....


    Feng Yu appeared somewhat hesitant as she looked at Eren. However, her hands had turned pale white from the cold. She couldn''t even move them properly.


    She subconsciously reached out his hand, cing them in his hand.


    "His hands are so warm," she said, wondering what kind of physique Eren had. She never expected him to have something that could protect him against the cold.


    Fortunately, this was also what protected him from the cold and kept him alive. Otherwise, in such a cold, he would have long been dead with those kinds of wounds.


    The bleeding had also started to stop now, hisplexion slowly appearing as if it was returning as natural healing appeared to have begun.


    It was clear that he couldn''t heal with just natural healing, but it also made her relieved as it meant that his condition wasn''t going to deteriorate anymore.


    There was clear conflict on her face as she thought about keeping warm. However, she had never embraced a man. Was it right to do that, especially when she was barely wearing anything?


    She took a deep breath and stopped thinking about it. For now, the priority was to stay warm until he woke up.


    Even though hesitant, she moved even closer to Eren, her body sticking close to his body. It was as if both of their bodies were warming each other, but in reality, it was Eren''s warm body that was keeping her warm.


    Eren didn''t react, but his mind was quite chaotic. He could feel so close to him that her breasts were brushed against his body and her hands resting over his belly over the only ce that wasn''t filled with wounds.


    It was as if even in this condition, she was being extremely careful to not touch his wounds, not wanting to make it worse for him.


    Feng Yu didn''t even realize when she fell asleep like that. For some reason, it felt just toofortable to be in his embrace.


    She wasn''t even sure if it was because she was cold and loved that warmth or something else was at y. The only certain thing was that she felt topfortable.


    It was as if she was back to her younger years, thest time she had slept so peacefully. Ever since her father had died, she never once had a peaceful sleep, always waking up with nightmares that only she knew about.


    She didn''t realize that the person whose embrace she was loving was the same person who had supposedly killed her father, albeit with a different soul.


    In his sleep, she moved even closer to Eren, there being only a few inches of distance between their faces.


    Only after Eren confirmed with his seventh sense that Feng Yu had fallen asleep, he gazed in her direction. He didn''t open his eyes as if it was the same weather he did or not. They didn''t work in this ce after all.


    Still, it was the first time he was regretting not being able to see properly. Although he could see with his Seventh Sense, it wasn''t perfect.


    Feng Yu was so close to him that he could even hear her breathing. Her warm breaths brushed against his face, her lips being so close that he could just move a few inches and kiss them.


    All he wanted was to win her favor, but even he hadn''t expected something like this to happen. He didn''t feel the same kind of seductive appeal from Feng Yu that he did from Xiu Ying, even though Feng Yu was also just as beautiful.


    Instead, he felt like there was an urge within him to protect her. He slowly reached out his hand, moving her bangs behind her ears as they had fallen in front of her face.


    For a moment, he even felt apologetic that he had to put on an act. Because of him, Feng Yu had to sleep at a ce like this, almost freezing herself. If it wasn''t for the progress of his second path, he never would have done something like this.


    He wanted to say that he was sorry, but he didn''t want to wake her up with his voice. He just remained like that. For a moment, he even felt as if he wanted the time to just stop in this moment for eternity.


    Even though his body was in pain and his wounds hadn''t healed, he didn''t even register the pain. He had already grown tolerant of the pain worse than this.


    His Dragon Bloodline also made him resist the pain to some extent.


    If he didn''t know any better; just looking at the youngdy sleeping in his embrace, he could never have imagined that this girl was one of the strongest four people across the four continents.


    For the world, she was the demoness that could kill without a shred of humanity. She was someone who had lost all her emotions.


    Even Eren felt like that in the past. But looking at her now, he realized that she was much more than that. She was just someone who wanted to protect herself and the people around her, even if she had to freeze herself.


    Was that the sign of someone who was a demoness or someone who had lost their emotions? It felt unlikely.


    Looking at her face, he also felt a lot of conflict. If he wanted toplete his second path, he had to make her love him. However, he also didn''t want that love to be fake.


    He had fooled people to be his disciples, just like Feng Yu''s daughter. However, he never took advantage of them. He didn''t snatch that girl from her master, just giving her an extra master.


    Even with the Great Elder Zia, it was a trade where he gave her something of importance and was also nning to teach her.


    As for his first disciple, he didn''t want to abandon her either. Her training was just starting after all. He had more confidence that he could help her more now that he was stronger.


    In a way, all of the people he had tried to fool thanks to the system had something that they could gain from him. The only exception was Feng Yu.


    Was it really right to fool her into loving him? He wasn''t sure. If he went by morals, it was a scummy thing to do. But if went by his survival instinct, he had to do it.


    For now, even he wasn''t sure if he was taking the right path or not. All he knew was that if he made her love him, he didn''t want to abandon her.


    He didn''t realize that as her thoughts went into depth about Feng Yu and his feelings of concern for her grew, the thread of marriage on his wrist only became thicker.


    While he was lost in thoughts, he heard a voice in his head.


    [Congrattions onpleting a milestone]


    [You havepleted 20 percent of Path of Lover]


    [Tertiary Options have been made avable]


    [Please select wisely]


    Multiple screens appeared in front of his eyes, in the same manner as his secondary options had appeared after the milestone in the path of Conqueror.


    Soon, a new screen appeared with four new options, rted to his second path.

 Chapter 249: Chapter 249: Were you an exhibitionist in the past?

    [Congrattions on reaching twenty percentpletion of the Path of Lover]


    [You have achieved a significant milestone and unlocked tertiary options]


    ......


    Reminder:


    - You have one month toplete the tertiary options.


    - Tertiary options do not influence primary options.


    - Failing tertiary options will not result in life-threatening punishments.


    - Choose one of the four options within the next ten minutes.


    - Failure toplete the selected option will disconnect all future options of the lover path milestones.


    - Primary options will continue to appear as usual, regardless of tertiary optionpletion.


    ......


    Eren shifted his attention from the various notifications to the new set of options disyed on the screen. This time, the screen had a soothing light blue hue, in contrast to the intense red of the Conqueror path options.


    He expected these options to be milder since they were from the Path of Lover. However, only after reading them did he realize that he couldn''t have been more wrong.


    [Option One: Confess your love to Feng Yu in front of Xiu Ying.


    Reward: Thread of Marriage Upgrade (Unknown Tier)]


    [Option Two: Kiss Feng Yu in front of Xiu Ying.


    Reward: Third Memory Fragment]


    [Option Three: Tell Feng Yu the truth about your real identity as Ren Necroline.


    Reward: Sword of Solitude (Legendary Tier)]


    [Option Four: Convince Feng Yu to make you the Sect Master.


    Reward: Level +5]


    These are the options for the first milestone?''


    Eren''s expression turned solemn as he finished reading them. If Feng Yu hadn''t been in his embrace, he would have already facepalmed himself.


    From what angle were these options milder? In some ways, they were even worse than the options for the path of the Conqueror milestone.


    The first option asked him to confess his love. Just the confession part itself was hard, let alone doing that in front of Xiu Ying. He had a feeling that if he did that, he might be killed but not at the hands of Feng Yu.


    As for the second option, if it was just about kissing Feng Yu, it was easy toplete. But he had to kiss her in front of Xiu Ying as well?


    ''Were you some sort of exhibitionist before bing the system? What''s with doing everything in front of Xiu Ying? Are you trying to get me killed at her hands?''


    After reading the first two options, he was surprised that the third option didn''t outright tell him to sleep with Feng Yu in front of Xiu Ying.


    In any case, even that option would have been better than the actual third option he had received.


    He had to tell his real identity to Feng Yu. That meant he had to tell her that he was the person she wanted to kill?


    If it was about telling her his real identity only, he could have told him about her identity from earth. Even though that was dangerous, it was better than the identity he possessed.


    Unfortunately, the options clearly said that he had to tell his identity as Ren Necroline.


    It was clear that the system had learned from thest time he took advantage of the loopholes. It was making things clearer, leaving no ws for him to exploit.


    Even if he had to walk straight to hell, he wasn''t willing to select the third option.


    Moreover, he didn''t even understand how that option came in the path of love. Shouldn''t it be in the path of hater as it would make her want to rip his skull apart and drink blood tum within.


    There was only one simrity between the options of these two paths, and it was the sect master position.


    The path of the Conqueror also had an option that asked him to be the sect master, and it was the same here. It was as if the Sect Master''s position yed a significant role in both these paths.


    He had already selected that option from his secondary options. If he selected the same option again, he couldplete two options with one task.


    Still, that was easier said than done. If he took that option here as well, then failure meant closing both his paths.


    Was putting all his eggs in one basket the right choice? He didn''t think so. Even if that was the case, the reward itself made that option here unappealing.


    The reward was only five levels of upgrade. It was a decent reward when it came to enhancing his strength, but inparison to other rewards, it paled inparison.


    There were only two rewards that caught his attention as he already excluded the legendary tier reward because of the option it came with.


    The first reward he was interested in was the upgrade to his thread of marriage with Feng Yu.


    For now, he was sure that it only prevented her from hurting him. If she hurt him directly, she was going to be hurt as well. She was going to feel the same pain. There were no other options to it.


    There was a huge loophole in that. It only stopped her from killing or seriously hurting him, but she could still have others kill him.


    She could also capture him all alone and then have others kill him when he was tied. He was sure she had thousands of ways to kill him even with this restriction.


    An even bigger problem was her mythical beast. She just had tomand it and it could rip him to shreds.


    Her mythical beast was much older and stronger than his phoenix to the point that there wasn''t even aparison for now.


    He wondered what the effects were going to be after the upgrade. If it meant that she couldn''t hurt him even indirectly either, then it could very well be the best reward ever.


    The only other option that appealed to him was the third memory fragment.


    Even in the path of Conqueror, he had selected the option with a memory fragment as a reward. The reward for that was the second memory fragment.


    He had already lost the opportunity of getting the second memory fragment from the path of lover because of that option''s difficulty and his desire to choose a question voucher.


    With another memory fragment, he didn''t want to give up, especially since there were no other special rewards like question voucher or pendant series rewards.


    The problem was the attached option that came with the reward. Just thinking about it, he felt a headache.

 Chapter 250: Chapter 250: Blinds Help

    Eren was quite conflicted with the options this time. Once again, it became hard to bnce between risk and rewards.


    Even though he didn''t know how he was going toplete this task without dying, he made a selection. As for his choice, it was the only one that came with the reward of a memory fragment.


    His heart didn''t allow him to give up on a memory fragment this time. At the end of the day, he needed to know about the past of Ren Necroline.


    Even though he was the one who made a choice, it was also him who was the most concerned about this choice. He selected the second option which needed him to kill Feng Yu in front of Xiu Ying.


    He also had a deadline for this. He had toplete it within thirty days.


    He gazed at Feng Yu, her lips being only a few inches away from him. However, the task was to do it when she was awake in the presence of Xiu Ying.


    Fortunately, he still had some time to think about a solution to this problem.


    ....


    Two more hours passed and Feng Yu slowly opened her eyes, only to realize that she had fallen asleep without even realizing.


    She also saw that Eren had also woken up. He was gazing at the sky, appearing to be lost in some thought. Hisplexion was still pale but it was still looking much better now.


    Feng Yu didn''t show much embarrassment, still carrying those cold expressions as she sat up. It was unclear if she was actually not embarrassed or just didn''t reveal it.


    In any case, Eren was supposed to be blind right now, so she didn''t think much about it. It wasn''t as if he could see what she was wearing in the first ce.


    "You seem to be doing much better," she told Eren who came out of his daze, noticing Feng Yu sitting next to him.


    "Sect Master..." he weakly said as he tried to sit up, only to groan in pain as he held his chest that had barely stopped bleeding.


    Feng Yu''s eyes narrowed, almost wanting to scold him for not taking care of himself even in this condition. However, she kept her lips closed and didn''t say anything.


    "Why did you return?" Eren asked, having a self deprecating smile on his face.


    "Hmph, I just came because I dropped my ring here. I came to take it back, so don''t think too much about it," Feng Yu said without as much as a minute change in her expressions.


    Eren knew that she was lying. When he tossed her away, he had noticed that the ring was actually carefully held by her. It hadn''t dropped anywhere.


    She was just using that as an excuse as if she didn''t want to ept that she came to save him.


    He didn''t expose her lies, only lowering his head. It wasn''t as if he could say that he saw it. He was supposed to be blind after all.


    It was already a miracle that she didn''t question how a blind person like him managed to kill that mage, even if he used the Talisman of Death.


    She also didn''t question how he survived using that talisman. Although rare, there were people who had used the Talisman of death but barely survived at the end. Although rare, it was possible.


    His face appeared to be mncholic as if he was a little sad to see that she didn''te to save him.


    "Where is Fey?" he asked, forcing his body to stand up in this cold. He didn''t ask her why she helped him with his wounds even at the cost of her clothes.


    "He left the Mountain of Loss, maybe searching for me. I doubt he would return again. So you don''t have to force yourself. You can rest a little more."


    Feng Yu also stood up, her arms wrapped around her chest, still feeling a little cold. Even though she tried to appear normal, it wasn''t hard to notice her condition.


    Eren didn''t know what to say. The solution to that problem was right there, but she just hadn''t noticed it. Now that he had woken up, only he could help her notice it.


    He also didn''t want to watch her shiver while pretending to be strong, especially since she was being so considerate to him.


    Even though she was almost freezing here, she forced him to leave right away. Instead, she told him to rest a little more until he felt better.


    Although he had already noticed that she was more considerate than she let out, it was still slightly surprising.


    "I see. He must have thought that I died," Eren gave the prepared justification. "Still, we should leave. It''s too risky to stay here."


    He told her to leave this mountain range with him before he lost his third sense. With that, he started waking forward, intentionally taking the wrong direction to make his vision problems more evidence.


    "You are going in the wrong direction," Feng Yu walked closer to him. However, before she could hold him, Eren stumped on something, falling on the snow.


    Fortunately, even though he was weak, he didn''t call face first. With his hands falling on the snow, he protected his face.


    He made a painful groan as if something sharp struck him.


    "You!" Feng Yu rushed to him, trying to help him up, only to see a ring that was lying in front of Eren''s hands.


    Coincidentally, it happened to be right where Eren fell, helping her see it. Or rather, Eren fell there for that exact reason. As a blind person, he couldn''t just point out the ring.


    "This ring..."


    Feng Yu helped Eren sit before picking up the ring. It wasn''t the ring of the great demon sect, but it was still a storage ring.


    Its build was something that could only be found in the Northern Continent, confirming that it was something that belonged to the Wind Mage that Eren was fighting.

 Chapter 251: Chapter 251: A Large Sign?

    Feng Yu couldn''t believe that the ring had been so close to her, lying here in the open yet she hadn''t seen it. If she had noticed it before, she wouldn''t have to use her own clothes.


    She wondered if there was something inside that could help Eren heal. Even any clothes would have been fine.


    With her abilities and conscience sealed, she couldn''t even open the storage ring. However, Eren was different.


    Even though he was barely able to stand after surviving the Talisman of Death, he could still use a storage ring that used only the conscience.


    As the owner was supposed to be dead, there could be no restrictions in opening it.


    "It is a suitable ring. It looks like something that fell here when the Wind Mage died," she told Eren.


    With her left hand, she held Eren''s hand. She ced the ring in his hand with her other hand, asking him to see if there was anything inside which could be used.


    Eren didn''t have to look inside the ring as he already knew what was inside it. After all, he was the person who kept those things in the ring while taking out everything else for himself.


    Still, he pretended to use his consciousness to look inside the ring.


    "There seems to be a few healing pills and some clothes. There are also a few talismans, but they appear to be different from what we use there. I think they were created in the Northern Continent, but I can''t be sure."


    Eren told her everything that was inside the ring. He wasn''t too specific, not telling her the exact origin of each item, not wanting to make Feng Yu wonder how he knew so much about them.


    At best, he only offered assumptions, sometimes intentionally assuming wrong things about the items.


    After he finished speaking, he brought everything out of the ring, letting Feng Yu see for herself.


    Feng Yu saw quite a few pills. Most of them were used to recover mana, which confirmed her suspicions this ring was from the Northern Continent.


    It didn''te to her as a surprise as the person who wore the ring was a mage. It could only be someone from the North.


    She hadn''t seen Fey use any magic. He only used the strange artifacts whose origins remained unknown. However, she assumed that he was also from the North.


    "This should be a healing pill. It should help your wounds," Feng Yu picked up a healing pill. After making sure that it wasn''t poisoned, she told Eren to open his mouth.


    With her fingers, she ced the pill in his mouth, identally touching his tongue during the process.


    Eren swallowed the pill, finally feeling relieved. He had been concerned about his health for quite some time. Even he hadn''t assumed that he would have to go so long with these wounds without being able to heal.


    He wondered if next time he had to do something like that, should he ce arge sign board next to the storage ring for Feng Yu to notice it?


    Although it waste, finally he could use the healing pill. His wounds that had barely stopped bleeding, started healing at a rapid pace as the ring was a very high grade.


    It was a healing pill that he made personally after all. As a high grade alchemist, his pills were even better than what the Great Demon Sect currently used.


    The only problem was that the materials used in this pill were also high tier and very rare.


    While Eren let the healing effects take over his body, he also noticed Feng Yu picking up the clothes on the ground that were also kept in the ring.


    These were the clothes of the Wind Mage who was also a woman. When he left these clothes in the ring he didn''t expect that Feng Yu would be the one wearing them.


    He just didn''t take those clothes out because they were proof that this ring belonged to a woman.


    Feng Yu took off her remaining clothes that were covered in Eren''s blood, gettingpletely naked right there. However, Eren was the only person there and he couldn''t see. So she didn''t think much about it.


    She didn''t realize that Eren could actually see everything that was happening around him.


    Although it wasn''t his first time seeing Feng Yu without clothes, it was his first time looking at her from this angle.


    "Are you enjoying the sight?" a woman''s voice fell in his ears, which made him cough.


    He didn''t expect Yelen to return and keep an eye on him. He wasn''t sure if it was just his misconception, but it felt as if Yelen was somewhat jealous.


    Was she really upset that he appeared to be appreciating someone else? Why did she sound wronged?


    "Are you alright? Is something wrong with the pill?" Feng Yu was about to wear the new clothes when she heard Eren''s cough.


    She walked closer to him, sitting on her knees,pletely bare. She observed her carefully to see if he was fine or not.


    "It is nothing," Eren awkwardly stated, trying his hardest to not let Feng Yu know that he could actually see her.


    Feng Yu confirmed that his wounds were indeed healing.


    The speed also surprised her, making her wonder who was the creator of that pill. Did the Northern Continent also have alchemists of this tier? Or did they buy it from the Alchemy Association?


    Curious, she stood up and finished wearing the clothes of the Wind Tower Mage which proved to be a little tighter.


    Although Fey''s mother was older, her build wasn''t big. Her clothes barely fit Feng Yu, tightly wrapping around her curves, especially her chest.


    "Hmph." Yelen rolled her eyes at the sight, felt a little frustrated as she saw Feng Yu''s figure. Not only was Feng Yu taller, but she was also bigger where it mattered.


    Although Eren wasn''t looking at Feng Yu, Yelen was sure that he was observing her with his Seventh Sense like the pervert he was. asionally, she even noticed it in his expressions.

 Chapter 252: Chapter 252: Reserved for Main Character

    "Can you stop overthinking?" Eren told Yelen with his thoughts, her re not being hidden from him.


    Feng Yu finished getting dressed in the Wind Mage''s clothes while Eren''s wounds also healed. However, even the healing pill couldn''t recover the life essence that was exhausted with the Talisman of Death.


    Eren looked better, but he was still weak. He could easily remove his weakness using the Dragon Language to recover his life essence, but that wasn''t the time yet.


    He also removed the bloody clothes that were wrapped around his body, already stained with blood. He stoodpletely bare chested, his wounds seemingly recoveredpletely.


    If there wasn''t blood on his body, it would have been impossible to see if he was ever hurt in the first ce.


    "The effects of the pill are very good," Feng Yu told Eren, looking at him from top to bottom to see his condition.


    "They are," Eren turned towards the source of the voice before answering.


    With him feeling somewhat better, he asked her if they should leave, reminding her that the curse of the mountain was still in effect.


    Feng Yu didn''t say otherwise either. She agreed with him. Now that their first problem was solved, the second problem was about getting out of this ce.


    Still, that was easier said than done. If the only problem about the mountain of loss was the loss of senses, then it wouldn''t have been called the Forbidden Land.


    It was said that those who entered the Mountain of Loss couldn''t return unless they were lucky, because the mountain blurred their sense of direction with quite a lot of illusions about the surroundings.


    What looked like the exit of the mountain could very well be the route to going towards the depths of the mountain.


    When Eren came here, he had the help of the thread to navigate. However, now both of them were here, so the thread couldn''t guide them to the exit.


    Even if they were lucky and they took the right way out, it was still going to take them two days to leave this ce.


    While Eren was thinking about the path toward the exit, he felt a soft yet cold hand grab on to his hand.


    Holding his hand, Feng Yu started going down the mountain. Even though she didn''t know the right way out, it was still better than doing nothing.


    Moreover, she could feel that the cuffs on his hand were slowly getting weaker. At this rate, it was going to take seven days at most before she was free.


    Even if she couldn''t leave this ce during that time, when she recovered her strength, she could definitely force her way out.


    Eren didn''t think that Feng Yu was going to find an exit sessfully. She wasn''t the Main Character of this world after all. Neither was he.


    Still, it was better than waiting in this cold. Now that they didn''t have to worry about food thanks to the ring, they could take the risk of searching for the exit. Or rather, he could simply follow her as he was supposed to be blind.


    ....


    ''Huh?'' Eren stood nkly in disbelief.


    Only half an hour had passed since they started going down the mountain, not even sure if they were going in the right direction.


    That was when he stumbled once more, this time it truly being an ident as his feet struck some stone. Even he was stunned when he thought about what happened next.


    Arge scale formation appeared beneath their feet, as if he had identally activated some trap formation.


    At thest moment, he tried to get out of the range of the formation with Feng Yu, but the formation was too fast. The light of the formation surrounded them.


    He thought that the formation was at least going to hurt them seriously if not kill them entirely. However, the reality made him even more surprised.


    When the light around him disappeared, he noticed that he was able to see again. All the curses from the Mountain of Loss had disappeared entirely. He had regained his senses.


    Not just that, but he also saw that he was out of the Mountain of Loss, still holding Feng Yu''s hand.


    He looked back towards the mountain of loss in disbelief. He thought spatial talismans and formations couldn''t be used in the Mountain of Loss. Even to summon Felona from the Spirit Realm was not easy, let alone connecting to the real world.


    Despite that, the formation brought them to the exit. He had never heard there being any such formation in the mountain of loss. If he wanted to find it again, he was sure that he couldn''t.


    ''Did I really get lucky?''


    He didn''t understand what just happened. He was sure that when it came to such things, his luck was very bad in the past. If it was like before, he might have identally ended up in some hell thanks to that formation.


    On the contrary, he was brought out safely from the Mountain of Loss, instead of being forced to roam around for a week until Feng Yu recovered.


    ''Isn''t that something like the lucky plot armor that''s reserved for the Main Characters? But I''m not the main character, so why?''


    Eren was quite confused, truly feeling like something was amiss. Was it just a coincidence that so many things happened right after he killed the Main Character of this World?


    He was given the opportunity that allowed him to be a sect master, also getting an opportunity to get close to the Sect Master and then getting lucky and finding the exit.


    If he hadn''t known his own identity, he would have been sure that this was something that could only happen to the main characters, given the opportunity to save the beauty and getting lucky along the way.


    ''Is it because of the Destiny Physique that he stole from the main character of this continent?'' he wondered as he called forth his phoenix.


    "We are going back to the sect," he told Feng Yu as his phoenixnded in front of him, his eyes recovering to normal.


    Now he could properly see her without having to rely on his senses.


    "Take this first," Feng Yu told Eren, tossing something at him. Only after that, she climbed on his Phoenix.


    "This..." Eren looked at the thing he was given, frowning. "Why is this¡­"

 Chapter 253: Chapter 253: The only one

    "Why are you giving this to me?"


    Eren looked at the ring that was tossed towards him. He didn''t understand why Feng Yu was giving him the ring, especially since the ring she gave him was not a storage ring.


    She gave him the Ring of the Sect Master. Although she had offered that ring to him in the past as well, that was when she thought she wasn''t going to return alive.


    Now that they were free, it didn''t make sense for her to give him the ring. He didn''t understand what she was nning right now.


    ''Is this a test?'' he thought as he waited for Feng Yu''s response.


    "Those old fossils havee out of their hiding, haven''t they?" Feng Yu asked a question of her own, instead of answering.


    "Are you talking about the Ancestral Elders?" Erennded on the Phoenix as well right as it started rising in the air.


    "Who else would I call an old fossil?" Feng Yu responded, not reacting much. It was as if she already guessed what might have happened in the sect with her disappearance.


    Eren understood why she was calling them old. They were from the era of her father. They were the Great Elders of the previous generation.


    Even though they looked extremely young, they had lived for hundreds of years, especially the woman that he had seen before.


    As for their strength, it was also quite terrifying. He only knew that they were weaker than Feng Yu when she became an Overlord, but they had been in seclusion from that moment onwards.


    It was unclear how much their strength might have increased. Even then, they didn''t leave the seclusion as long as Feng Yu was in the sect.


    With Feng Yu''s disappearance, quite a few Ancestral Elders had left the seclusion. As for how many were still in seclusion, he didn''t know.


    From Feng Yu''s tone, he could feel that she didn''t appear to hold any favorable impression of the Ancestral Elders. It was most probably the same for them as well.


    The moment he thought about the Ancestral Elders and looked at the ring, his expressions turned dark as he thought of something. He was able to guess what Feng Yu was nning.


    "Are you trying to use me as a pawn?" he asked, realizing her intentions.


    For the next few days, Feng Yu couldn''t use her abilities at all. If she returned like this, the Ancestral Elders might try things that could put her and the entire sect at risk.


    There were a few of them who still held hostility towards her even though they didn''t openly show it. She wasn''t even sure how many of them were simply waiting to backstab her.


    In the past, she even wanted to kill them all just to reduce any future risk. However, they didn''t give her any excuse to wipe them, unlike the Ancestral Elders who had openly rebelled against her.


    She also knew that as long as she was at the helm, they might always hide their poisonous fangs, waiting in the shadows for her weakest moment.


    "A pawn? Not so much. But someone I can trust... Maybe," Feng Yu answered without even looking towards Eren.


    There was only one person she trusted entirely. That person was Xiu Ying. However, Eren''s recent actions made her want to trust him as well. That''s also why she was willing to take the risk.


    "This might be the only opportunity to get rid of the snakes in our backyard," she further said while Eren had grown silent. "If you seed, you will be made a Great Elder..."


    "Why don''t you make Xiu Ying do it?" Eren asked out of curiosity. It didn''t mean he wanted Xiu Ying to do it as it was risky for her as well. In any case, Xiu Ying wasn''t in the sect in the first ce.


    Even though Xiu Ying was strong, she wasn''t as strong as the Ancestral Elders. If anything went wrong, her life itself might be in danger.


    "I don''t have that much time. If it''s Xiu Ying, they would hesitate for quite some time before taking action. It might drag for a few months. And if I''m not present for an entire month, the other Continents will also get involved," Feng Yu exined.


    She made it clear that she wanted to end it as soon as possible. By telling him the n, she showed that she had truly started trusting him.


    If Eren betrayed her and went to the Ancestral Elders with this information, then the Ancestral Elders could also promise him the position of the Great Elder, maybe something even higher.


    If they knew that she was so weak now, then they could easily take her out. She was putting her life in his hands. As for how he was going to handle that life, she wanted to see it for herself.


    For some reason, she really hoped that Eren wasn''t going to break that trust. It took a lot of effort for her to trust someone again.


    Eren silently looked at Feng Yu''s back, his gaze asionally falling on the Ring of the Sect Master.


    He sighed eventually and wore the ring on his finger.


    .....


    The Great Demon Sect was quite chaotic recently. A few days had passed since the Sect Master had disappeared.


    The Frost Demon and his disciple were also found missing, with quite a few bodies found buried in the frozen mountain.


    Not long after, Elder Eren had also disappeared. Even Xiu Ying who was trusted by the Sect Master wasn''t in the sect, leaving no one to take the lead.


    Even worse was the fact that the Ancestral Elders hade out of their seclusion, basically dering Feng Yu dead.


    This news spread amongst all the Elders, who were in shock. Not only did someone infiltrate the sect but they even took out the Sect Master and the Frost Demon? Many Elders were in disbelief, and the same was with the Great Elders.


    The news was still kept hidden from the disciples, at least for now. However, the sect disciples could still feel that something was going on in the sect.


    At the moment, all the Great Elders had gathered in the main pce of the Great Demon Sect.


    In front of them, there was the throne of the sect master. However, a woman was sitting on the throne at the moment, being the same Ancestral Elder that Eren had seen before.

 Chapter 254: Chapter 254: New Sect Master

    On either side of the woman on the throne, more Ancestral Elders could be seen sitting.


    In the middle of the hall, there was a lifeless body lying on the ground, belonging to the Leader of the Core Guards who was responsible for the security of the Core Region.


    For his ipetence, he was killed as a punishment in the most brutal way.


    He was executed in front of all the Great Elders which was also an attempt to make the Great Elders remember their strength, as if the Ancestral Elders were worried that some of these Great Elders might have forgotten about their strength.


    In the absence of the Sect Master, the Ancestral Elders were the highest authority. They had basically taken over the sect legally.


    "As you all know, our Sect was attacked a few days ago," spoke one of the Ancestral Elders, seated beside the woman on the throne. "The whereabouts of the Sect Master remain unknown."


    He was the second Ancestral Elder that Eren had encountered before, someone who had spoken to him directly.


    "If someone managed to reach this ce and take her out without anyone noticing, we might as well consider the possibility that she is dead. Otherwise, she would have returned," he continued. "Therefore, it is time to appoint a new leader for the Great Demon Sect."


    The Great Elders had already expected something like this. However, they couldn''t do anything against it. It was true that the Sect Master was gone and her whereabouts had been unknown for quite some time.


    They had tried to find her, but they couldn''t even feel her essence in the world even when they used the most precious treasures of the sect. It was truly enough to make them feel that the Sect Master might have been killed already.


    As for her body, it could have been destroyed just like the body of the Frost Demon Elder had gone missing.


    The Great Elders knew that they couldn''t do anything in this situation. This entire selection was a scam in itself as the next Sect Master was already decided by the Ancestral Elders.


    It was the woman who was already being disrespectful towards the Sect Master by sitting on her throne in her absence.


    They couldn''t even see through the strength of that woman.


    When someone tried to see through the strength of Feng Yu, all they could see was an endless ocean. However, when they tried to see through the strength of the woman known as Jia Yin, they could see a surging storm.


    She was clearly strongest amongst all the Ancestral Elders that had shown themselves.


    "I would like to propose a name for the next Sect Master. Those who support the Ascension of Ancestral Elder Jia Yin, please raise your hands," he said, taking a casual nce towards the woman who was sitting on the throne of the sect master.


    ''As if we have any choice. They would kill anyone who doesn''t raise their hands. I can already see it in their eyes,'' One of the Great Elders thought as he raised his hand.


    ''Sigh, they would definitely find an excuse to kill me if I don''t. They might call me a traitor.'' Another Great Elder raised his hand.


    One after another, the Great Elders started raising their hands. Before long, almost every Great Elder in the hall raised their hands, except one.


    The only Great Elder who didn''t raise her hand was Great Elder Zia, also called the greatest Alchemist of the Great Demon Sect.


    All the other Great Elders looked at her in shock. Was she really not going to raise her hand? Didn''t her actions signify that she didn''t believe Ancestral Elders were right?


    ''This foolish woman.'' The Great Elder who had a conflict with her because of Eren,ughed in his heart. ''Did she really think that they won''t kill her because she''s an alchemist?''


    All those Great Elders who didn''t like Great Elder Zia felt glee in their hearts. However, the majority of the Great Elders felt pity.


    They didn''t understand what she was thinking. The only thing they knew was that it was going to be a great loss to the sect if something happened to their best alchemist.


    "Oh?" Ancestral Elder Yang, who sat next to Jia Yin, smirked, looking at Great Elder Zia with great interest. "There is someone who doesn''t agree with the suggestion?"


    Jia Yin didn''t react. She just gazed at Zia, her thoughts impossible to read.


    "Do you think that an Ancestral Elder isn''t worthy to be the next Sect Master?" roared another Ancestral Elder who wasn''t as amused as Ancestral Elder Yang.


    "Just because you''re a decent alchemist, you want to look down on us? Do you not realize that we were ruling over this continent before you were even born?'' another said, releasing his aura that pushed down on Zia.


    "Hmph, who knows. Maybe she wants the sect to be without a leader so the enemies can have an easier time attacking us," a woman''s voice rose,ing from the farthest seal amongst the Ancestral Elders.


    "That''s right. Maybe she is a traitor! I was wondering how someone could infiltrate the core region with such ease without being detected. They definitely had some help from the inside, and it seems we know who it was."


    The Great Elders could already see that the Ancestral Elders were preparing a righteous justification to kill the only person who didn''t agree with them.


    The woman on the throne still didn''t say anything. As for the Ancestral Elder Yang who appeared to be in second inmand, he just looked with amusement.


    None of the Ancestral Elders paid much importance to the fact that she was an Alchemist. If they needed pills, they could always buy it from the Alchemy Association which had even higher grade alchemists who could make better pills.


    The more important thing was to take control of the sect for now.


    "I don''t mean to disrespect the Ancestral Elders. I just didn''t raise my hand because I didn''t believe that it was the right time to vote as one Great Elder isn''t present. In her absence, it''s not right to select a sect master."


    Zia felt suppressed, but she still said what was in her mind. Xiu Ying wasn''t back yet after all. If anything, that seemed to be the exact reason that the Ancestral Elders were in such a hurry.


    "Hmph, what excuses. What would the vote of one person change? If she isn''t a traitor, she would agree as well," said an Ancestral Elder. "I will give you one more opportunity. Do you agree with the suggestion? Raise your hand if you do!"


    Even though he gave her an opportunity, it was clear that it was a threat. If possible, they didn''t want to kill the Alchemist. However, it was also clear that they would kill her if she was still stubborn.


    In the end, Zia couldn''t do anything. She also raised her hand, as her life was important to her.


    "Good. With all the Great Elders in agreement, we havee to a decision," Ancestral Elder Yang smiled. "From now on, the Sect Leader of the Great Demon Sect shall be-"


    He started speaking, but as he was about to say Jia Yin''s name, the sound of the heavy door opening filled the hall.

 Chapter 255: Chapter 255: Dagger through the heart

    The door of the hall opened, the noise being particrly eye-catching as it came right when Ancestral Elder Wang was about to announce the name of the new Sect Leader.


    Quite a few great elders turned towards the door, wondering who was arriving. Only the Great Elders were allowed to attend this meeting, and almost all of them were here already.


    There was only one Great Elder who hadn''t arrived. It was Xiu Ying. Everyone thought that it was most probably Xiu Ying. As the woman was close to Feng Yu, the Great Elders believed that they were in for a great show.


    It was clear that Xiu Ying wasn''t going to submit as easily. Many even wondered if they were actually going to see a Great Elder die.


    They weren''t the only ones who thought that it was Xiu Ying. The Ancestral Elders also thought the same.


    "Hmm?" Ancestral Elder Yang revealed slight surprise as he saw the person that had entered. It wasn''t Xiu Ying. Instead, it was that interesting Elder that he had seen in the hallway a few days ago.


    "It is... him?" Great Elder Zia looked at Eren, slightly taken aback.


    At the moment, the only sound that could be heard in the hallway was the sound of Eren''s footsteps.


    His ck robe trailed behind him as he approached the hall, being in the center of everyone''s attention.


    "You bastard, who do you think you are to enter this meeting?" The old man who had a conflict with Eren had his lips twitched at the sight of Eren.


    It was because of this man that he had to suffer humiliation in the hallway. If it wasn''t for Great Elder Zia''s interruption, he would have killed him right there.


    He had been looking for Eren for quite a few days to teach him a lesson but Eren appeared to have run away. He even believed that Eren was scared of him which made him run away, fearing retaliation.


    The old man didn''t expect Eren to return again. The old man was furious on the outside, but on the inside, he wasughing.


    Eren had interrupted this meeting and entered the ce which he wasn''t supposed to enter. Even the Great Elder Zia couldn''t save him today. If she tried, he was sure that the Ancestral Elders were going to do something.


    If anything, this was a perfect opportunity for him to teach Eren a lesson without worrying about any interrupting.


    "A mere elder dares to desecrate this meeting with his presence? Were you trying to hear the secrets so you could tell the enemies? Are you a spy of another continent?" he asked, using the same excuse as the Ancestral Elders.


    He did not realize that he had actually hit the mark about his identity.


    Even though he asked a question, he didn''t offer Eren a chance to offer an exnation.


    He rushed towards Eren, worried that Eren might apologize and call it an ident, letting the Ancestral Elders forgive him. Before that happened, he wanted to kill Eren.


    "You!" Zia also realized what the old man was nning. She had to save Eren who was not strong enough to protect himself against a Great Elder.


    "Huh?" Just as Great Elder Zia was about to move, she felt a terrifying pressure descend on her. She couldn''t even take a single step forward, being suppressed by this pressure.


    With a thud, her body fell on its knees. She could even locate the source of this pressure. It wasing from Ancestral Elder Yang who was sitting next to the woman on the throne.


    She didn''t know why the Ancestral Elder was suppressing her. Was it because she had annoyed him by raising her voice against his decision previously? Did he stop her because he knew she wanted to save that person?


    Whatever the case, she knew that she couldn''t do anything. Even though she was strong, she wasn''t able to resist this pressure.


    She tried to stand up even against this pressure but the pressure only became stronger, bringing her down to her knees with great force, making her knees bleed.


    The old man saw what happened to Zia. He smiled, taking it as the silent support from the Ancestral Elders towards his actions. He didn''t have to worry about anything when teaching this arrogant young man a lesson.


    ''Young man, you can only me your bad luck and arrogance for it!'' he thought as he appeared before Eren, letting out his aura.


    His dagger came straight for Eren''s chest, brimming with an unknown power that made the dagger impossible to dodge.


    The dagger came straight for Eren''s chest, this time there was no one to save him.


    "Huh?" The old man froze in ce as his dagger stabbed Eren''s chest. It was because he didn''t feel any resistance. There was no feeling of slicing through flesh. It was more like he had just sliced through the wind.


    Just as he expected, Eren''s figure dispersed, being revealed to only be an after image. The old man was stunned. How could Eren be faster than him who was a Great Elder?


    His shock only turned to pain as he felt something sharp being stabbed in the back of his neck. He lowered his gaze, noticing the sharp swording out from the front of his throat.


    The de was covered with his own blood. His eyes were filled with horror and disbelief. How was it possible? Eren was supposed to be the one who was going to die! Why was it him that was hurt? Just why?


    He didn''t even have the time toe up with any exnation when the de moved, slicing through his flesh.


    The old man''s eyes were still open when the world turned upside down for him. With a thud, his head fell on the ground in between his feet.


    He only saw the person''s back. As his head was upside down, the person appeared upside down for him. As his vision turned dark, he watched the young man walk away without even looking back.


    Following that, another thud sound responded in the hall that had grown pin drop silent. The body of the old great elder fell on the ground right as his eyes closed forever.

 Chapter 256: Chapter 256: Are you also going to enforce justice?

    [Congrattions on killing the Great Elder of the Demon Sect]


    [Level +1]


    [Level +1]


    [You have reached level 31]


    Three notifications resounded in Eren''s head, informing him that he had crossed the third great wall which he had been eagerly waiting to cross.


    .........


    [Name: Eren (Ren Necroline)]


    [Level: 31]


    [Identity: Elder at the Great Demon Sect, Spy of Mythical Hero Academy, Owner of Devourer Bloodline, Heir of the Necromancer Tower, Ruler of Spirit Realm]


    [Bloodline: Unknown (25%), Devourer, Royal Sea Dragon, Sea Serpentine, Chameleon]


    [Guardian: First Spirit Queen Yelen]


    [Contracted Spirit: Spirit Queen Felona]


    [Age: 21]


    [Traits: Ambitious]


    [Stats]


    [Strength: 915]


    [Agility: 1010]


    [Stamina: 938]


    [Intelligence :78]


    [Mana: 3048]


    [Cultivation: Unknown (Sealed)]


    [Hero Grade: SSS]


    [Goddess Protection: Unknown]


    [Physique: Lunar Frost Physique, Destiny Physique]


    [Unique items in possession: Pendant of Poison, Modified Desert Eagle, Overlord Killing Dagger (Iplete),, Pendant of Prediction]


    [Unique skills: Sword Emperor''s Aura, Aura Control Method, Identification, Devouring, Aquatic Mastery, Flight, Dragon Language, Dragon Transformation, Skill Unification, Frost Domain, Disguise]


    .........


    As Eren crossed the third great wall, his stats surged dramatically, just as they had when he crossed the second great wall.


    This time, the increase was beyond his wildest expectations. Some stats are amplified by fivefold or even more.


    Now, nearly all his stats surpassed those of Xiu Ying, who was at level 50. The only exception was his stamina, which remained slightly lower.


    In terms of strength, his stat was approximately thirty percent higher than Xiu Ying''s. However, the most astonishing improvement was in his Mana Stat.


    As his mana became stronger, he was able to use the Dragon Language to arger extent.


    Although he wasn''t an expert in Dragon Language and could only use a few spells at the moment, they were all extremely useful spells, especially since the people couldn''t detect him using the Dragon Language.


    His Dragon Language allowed him to further boost his stats temporarily to take on people who were even stronger than him, especially if they were to underestimate him.


    It was also how he just took out the Great Elder now, using the Dragon Tongue to boost his agility temporarily.


    However, none present here could know that. Now that his level had increased, he didn''t even need to worry about proving it.


    In any case, he wasn''t here to move it. He was here for something much more grand. He was here toplete the option he selected in his secondary path.


    There was also another change in his status screen that he didn''t notice. After a long time, his trait in his status screen had changed. Now his trait showed ambition.


    Almost all the Great Elders in the ce were shocked, especially Zia. Although the old man was the weakest out of all the Great Elders, he wasn''t weak to the point that he could be killed by an Elder with such ease.


    "Nothing but tricks." A few Ancestral Elders looked at Eren with contempt. Although he killed the Great Elder, they knew it was only because he underestimated this guy.


    "Young man, you have barged inside the meeting which has no ce for a mere elder. Not only that, but you killed a Great Elder who was trying to enforce justice."


    An Ancestral Elder stood up, expressing displeasure. Not only did this person disturb them, he also dared to kill people in front of their eyes? If they let this person live, who was going to respect them in the future?


    "Enforce justice?" Eren asked, bringing out a piece of cloth from his storage ring.


    He wiped the blood from his sword with the white piece of cloth, asionally ncing at the lifeless body of the Leader of Core Guards who was lying dead in the middle of a hall.


    It was clear that they had killed him simply to make an example out of him while showing off their strength.


    "Are you also going to enforce justice?" he asked while gazing at the throne that belonged to Feng Yu. At the moment, Ancestral Elder Jia was sitting on the throne, still not reacting.


    He tossed the piece of cloth that had been tainted red with bleed, only for it to fall near Great Elder Jia''s feet. She finally narrowed her eyes.


    Meanwhile, Ancestral Elder Yang also looked at the man with great intrigue. It was true that he had killed a great elder, no matter what means he used. However, did he still think he could defeat an Ancestral Elder in the same way?


    At first, he was impressed by Eren who appeared to be confident in his abilities. However, now that he saw Eren''s action, he realized that he wasn''t confident. It was overconfidence.


    His expressions didn''t change and his smile never left his lips, even in this moment. Even though Eren had disappointed him, but it didn''t mean that he wasn''t entertaining. At least his death was going to be entertaining.


    He didn''t intervene in the actions of the other Ancestral Elder who appeared like he wanted to teach Eren a lesson.


    "Hmm?" Ancestral Elder Yang was even looking forward to the great show that was toe when the smile on his lips abruptly disappeared.


    His body subconsciously stood up in shock.


    Almost all the Ancestral Elders looked in his direction. When he stood up, they thought he wanted to punish Eren. But why did he appear to be shocked instead?


    The Ancestral Elders were confused, still they didn''t think much about it. They wondered if he was that shocked over this disrespect.


    Most of the time, Great Elder Yang didn''t care about things, as if he loved fleeting through the moments without getting serious. This time, someone had upset him so much that he became serious?


    Some Ancestral Elders thought this was an opportunity to impress him. If they published Eren, they could get close to Ancestral Elder Yang who had a special identity even amongst the Ancestral Elders.


    Ancestral Elder Jia also frowned as she noticed the same thing that Ancestral Elder Yang had noticed.


    When Eren was cleaning the blood from his sword, there was a ring on his finger that most people didn''t notice. However, she had noticed it right away as the ring wasn''t an ordinary ring.

 Chapter 257: Chapter 257: Using the ring

    The ring on Eren''s finger was one that was used by the Sect Masters. The next sect master was also assigned through the transfer of the ring.


    This was also the reason that Feng Yu became the Sect Master in the past, even though she wasn''t strong enough at that time.


    This ring was the one and only reason the Ancestral Elders couldn''te up with a moral justification to take the Sect Master position.


    Many of them tried to manipte Feng Yu into giving them the ring, scaring them that she was too young and she might bring the sect to ruins. They said that the Sect doesn''t deserve a weak sect master like her.


    Despite all that, Feng Yu didn''t hand them the position. In the end, the Ancestral Elders could only try other means. They attempted to kill her, not realizing that it was going to bring forth a catastrophe for the sect.


    All those who took part in the rebellion were killed by Feng Yu. The ones who didn''t do anything or were on the fence during the rebellion weren''t left either.


    Once Feng Yu killed all traitors, she forced all the Great Elders of that era into seclusion, never to see the light of the outside world.


    All that started because of that one ring that was on Eren''s finger now. This one ring changed the entire hierarchy of the sect.


    Eren could notice the strange expressions of Ancestral Elder Jia and Ancestral Elder Yang. There were also a few more who had noticed his ring, revealing a frown.


    Still, he didn''t see even the slightest of desire to submit to him in their eyes. Even though they didn''t outright attack him, it was clear that they wouldn''t hesitate to stab him at any given opportunity.


    If possible, Eren didn''t want to be in a situation like this. However, it was all for the greatest good. He had to take the Sect Master''s position at the moment. If he failed now, it was going to be impossible in the future.


    Even though the Ancestral Elders in this ce were strong enough to kill him, but he still maintained his calm. Even if they were strong enough to kill him, they couldn''t do it as long as he was inside the Pce.


    The Pce wasn''t just the official residence of the Sect Master but also the ce where the official treasury of the Sect was established.


    It was the ce where only the Sect Master could enter, and the key for that was none other than the ring he was wearing.


    He wasn''t greedy for the treasures in this ce. What intrigued him the most were the protective formations in this ce.


    As the treasury was here, the protective formations that were cast on the entire pce were in an entirely different league altogether. They could also be activated with the ring.


    As long as he was careful, he couldn''t be killed in this ce, all thanks to the numerous formations that were under his control here.


    Still, he knew that the formations weren''t without ws either. If that wasn''t the case, then Fey wouldn''t have been able to take out Feng Yu, even though she was distracted.


    Fortunately, the people here don''t know about that w in the formation. Even Fey only knew about it thanks to the Author who basically handed over the entire n to kidnap Feng Yu.


    Once he became the sect master, he could also receive another Question Voucher and meet that person again.


    "You arrogant man, it looks like you won''t be satisfied until you see your tombstone!" The Ancestral Elder who still hadn''t noticed that ring was fuming at Eren''s arrogance.


    Just because this person killed a Great Elder, did he really think that he was an Overlord?


    "Get down on your knees for me!" The Ancestral Elder roared, his voice brimming with divinews that made every Grand Elder feel like their heads were going to explode.


    A terrifying aura descended in the entire hall. The Great Elders fell to their knees, unable to resist the pressure. Some were even bleeding with their ears and nose.


    This was the aura of the Ancestral Elder who was in an entirely different league than the Great Elders. They were the beings who were the most powerful in the Great Demon Sect if one was to exclude Feng Yu.


    Almost the entire hall was on its knees, except the Ancestral Elders. There was one more person who wasn''t on their knees. It was none other than Eren, the aura of the Sword Emperor covering his entire body.


    His aura was further boosted with the help of the ring that protected him from outside influence in the Pce.


    Eren remainedpletely unaffected by the aura of the Ancestral Elder as if he couldn''t even feel it.


    Under the suppressive aura of the Ancestral Elder, he walked forward, only to stop before the throne where Ancestral Elder Jia was sitting.


    He didn''t even pay any attention to the Ancestral Elder who tried to suppress him, as if he wasn''t worth his attention.


    "How dare you ignore me?!" The Ancestral Elder was furious at being ignored by something that he considered a mere ant.


    He didn''t understand how Eren could ignore his aura and suppression, only believing it to be the work of some protective treasure.


    Even if Eren had a treasure that could protect him from aura suppression, could it also save him from an attack? The Ancestral Elder had already made up his mind to kill Eren for this disrespect.


    "The traitor is trying to hurt the next Sect Master! I will kill him!" he eximed, offering justification in advance as he attacked Eren.


    The ring on Eren''s finger shone as he finally gazed at the old Ancestral Elder who didn''t know his ce.


    A formation appeared above the grand hall, releasing a suppression that was even stronger than the Ancestral Elder''s suppression.

 Chapter 258: Chapter 258: You are on my throne

    The old Ancestral Elder was shocked to feel that suppression, but he didn''t have time to think about it. He continued his attack, only for a thick lightning bolt to fall from the formation above.


    The bolt of lightning, brimming with the strength of heavenly punishment fell on the old Ancestral Elder''s body, making him groan in pain.


    His entire body was scorched as a paralysis spread over his body. He dropped to his knees, as if he was no different from the Great Elders that used to be ants before him.


    "You are right. A traitor did try to attack the Next Sect Master," Eren said, raising his hand towards the Ancestral Elder who had attacked him. "That''s why, the traitor is granted death!"


    One after another, multiple lightning bolts fell from the formation above, targeting the same person.


    "Noo!" The Ancestral Elder cried out, his voice filled with desperation and disbelief. His body convulsed under the relentless assault of the heavenly lightning, his once majestic aura disintegrating into sheer agony.


    The other Ancestral Elders, witnessing the sheer power of the formation, didn''t even try to help him.


    Ancestral Elder Jia narrowed her eyes but she still didn''t react. She just looked at the young man who was in front of her eyes, standing merely a few meters away from him.


    As for Ancestral Elder Yang, he had also grown silent, the amused smile on his lips disappearing entirely.


    Eren lowered his hand, and the formation ceased its onught. The hall fell into a deathly silence while everyone watched the scorched corpse of the Ancestral Elder.


    Eren also gazed at him, his expressions appearing a little disappointed. No one knew why he was so disappointed. Was it because he expected the Ancestral Elder to resist more?


    Many Great Elders remembered the rumors that they had heard about Eren, especially about him being close to a true demon who got pleasure when torturing people.


    Some even remembered the rumors that he loved eating the flesh of the enemies that he killed. They wondered if he was disappointed because the Ancestral Elder was scorched, which might have ruined the taste for him.


    They didn''t realize that Eren was actually disappointed because of an entirely different reason. He was disappointed because he hadn''t received any experience even though he killed an Ancestral Elder.


    Although he had expected this to be the case if he killed someone purely with the formation, he still hoped that he was going to be wrong and receive some experience.


    The reality, although expected, was disappointing.


    Sighing, he turned towards Ancestral Elder Jia who was sitting on Feng Yu''s throne.


    He walked closer, cing his hands on the armrest, bringing his face closer to Jia''s face. The Great Elders who saw it were stunned.


    Was this person really so courageous that he was trying to kiss Ancestral Elder Jia? Then again, he had just killed another Ancestral Elder, so if anyone could do it, it was probably him.


    Zia''s lips twitched as she watched Eren move closer to Jia. Was he really interested in someone like her? She clenched her small fist, ring at his back.


    To everyone''s surprise, Jia didn''t move even as Eren came close to her. She didn''t even attack him. She just looked at him with cold eyes.


    As Eren''s lips were merely a few inches away from her lips, he turned his head, missing her lips. He brought his lips closer to Jia''s ears.


    "I think you are sitting on my throne."


    Jia bit her lower lip, her eyes turning colder. "Are you sure you want to do this?"


    "I wouldn''t have it any other way," Eren told her, even as he felt a killing intent emanating from the woman. He had already prepared to react in case she was to suddenly attack him.


    "I have waited for this moment for a long time. Give that ring to me, and I will grant you anything you ask for," Ancestral Elder Jia said.


    No one could hear what Eren and Jia were talking to each other. Almost all the Great Elders were curious about it.


    "I don''t think there is anything you can grant that I might need. What I want, I will take it with my own hands," Eren said, a hint of mocking smile remaining on his lips as he moved back, as if he was intentionally taunting her for her to take action.


    "We will see..." Ancestral Elder Jia stood up from the throne.


    Many thought she and Eren were going to fight, but they were left disappointed when she walked past him without the slightest anger on her face.


    ''She is quite cautious,'' Eren thought, watching Ancestral Elder Jia leaving. ''No wonder she was one of the few Ancestral Elders who survived Feng Yu''s wrath.''


    He knew that this was also what made her more dangerous. Ancestral Elder Jia was the strongest Ancestral Elder in the ce. Normally, people like that relied on their strength the most.


    At least that''s how Feng Yu was. However, he could see that Jia was different. Despite being so strong, she was cautious and calctive.


    He was sure that this wasn''t thest he had seen of Jia. She was like a poisonous snake who was going to strike soon enough.


    ''If only she was like Feng Yu, it would have been easier,'' he thought, gazing at the empty throne in front of him.


    He stepped forward and sat on the throne like he was the only ruler. As he already had the experience of being on a throne, he wasn''t ufortable. If anything, he appeared more natural.


    "Are you not going to announce the next Sect Master?" Eren asked Ancestral Elder Yang, who hadn''t left yet. He was also the person who was most eager to announce the next Sect Master previously.


    "Interesting indeed..." Ancestral Elder smiled naturally, making it impossible to judge his real thoughts.


    "It will truly be fun." Laughing, he also walked away from the ce. From now on, this Pce was Eren''s domain. As long as he had the ring, he was hard to kill.


    Still, Yang had already thought of something. Only his amusedughter was left behind as he disappeared.

 Chapter 259: Chapter 259: I am taking it

    The echoes of Ancestral Elder Yang''sughter faded into the grand hall, leaving behind absolute silence.


    The Great Elders, still recovering from the earlier suppression, exchanged wary nces. They couldn''t understand why the Ancestral Elders hadn''t attacked him. Why had they left so silently even though Eren had killed one of their own?


    Eren leaned back on the throne, his fingers tracing the intricate patterns carved into the armrests.


    "Wait, look at that ring! Isn''t that the Sect Master''s ring?!" One of the Great Elders suddenly eximed, catching everyone''s attention.


    As his words echoed through the hall, the Great Elders came to a sudden realization. They looked at the ring closely, confirming that it was indeed the same one the Sect Master used to wear.


    With that ring, it was no surprise that Eren was able to control the formation of the pce.


    "Why do you have that ring?" Zia asked, taken aback. "What happened to the Sect Master?"


    Until now, she had only heard rumors that the Sect Master was dead, as she hadn''t returned. However, seeing the ring in Eren''s possession almost confirmed her suspicions. The Sect Master was indeed dead.


    Why else would her ring be on Eren''s fingers? If she didn''t know any better, she would have assumed that Eren killed Feng Yu to snatch that ring and the sect for himself.


    Fortunately, she knew a lot more about the ring. The ring could only be passed down from one person to another. It couldn''t be snatched from them.


    Even if a person was to kill the Sect Master, the ring could not be taken from them. If anything, the ring was going to go straight to the person that was assigned to be the next Sect Master, traveling through space.


    This was also why Zia wanted to dy the Ancestral Elders until Xiu Ying returned as she believed that the ring was going to go to her if the Sect Master was actually dead.


    As long as Xiu Ying returned with the ring, even the Ancestral Elders would have to be cautious.


    She hadn''t expected the ring to be with Eren. She even looked at him suspiciously. Were the two of them really that close?


    She even wondered if Eren was cheating on Xiu Ying with Feng Yu in the past. However, when she thought about Feng Yu''s cold personality, she realized how absurd this thought was.


    That woman could never love someone. She wasn''t capable of loving a man, only focusing on the sect and her revenge.


    Then was it really because she thought that Eren was the best choice to be the next sect master? The more she thought about it, the more it started to make sense.


    Eren was the best alchemist in the sect, even though no one knew about it. She believed that Feng Yu must have known about it as she was the one who brought Eren to the sect.


    As for why she only assigned him as an Elder and not directly a great elder based on his Alchemy level alone, she thought that it was because she wanted to protect him.


    This also exined her close proximity to Eren and why he was often assigned missions by her.


    Not only was Eren talented in Alchemy but he was also strong. She knew that Eren had not taken the help of the formation when he killed the Great Elder. And looking at him now, even she felt like she couldn''t see through his strength.


    She didn''t know why, but she even felt as if she might not win against him if the two of them were to fight. She wasn''t sure if this was just a misconception or the reality, but he felt like apletely different person now.


    "The Sect Master is dead. Following her death, I have been selected as the next sect master as per her will." Eren raised his hand, revealing the ring to everyone.


    Most people weren''t shocked by his deration as they had already assumed that the Sect Master was dead. They were just curious about the person who did that. Some even wondered if Eren was the killer.


    If it wasn''t the work of an Overlord, then the only way to kill the Sect Master was by taking advantage of her trust and backstabbing her.


    Many Great Elders knew that Eren was often seen entering and leaving the sect master''s pce. She was also very close to him, so they couldn''t help but be suspicious of him.


    "As per the rules of the sect, I will officially take the position. Those who have any issues with it can raise their hands now," he said, his fingers tapping against the armrest of the throne.


    "As per the Sect''s Decree, the inheritor of the ring will be the next Sect Master. As this was the desire of our previous sect master, Zia has no opposition to it," Great Elder Zia was the first one to raise her hand, albeit in support of Eren.


    One after another, the other Great Elders also realized that they could only raise their hands unless they wanted to be killed.


    However, they also knew that things weren''t going to be peaceful. Whoever became the sect master didn''t matter to them as they weren''t even in line for that position.


    Soon enough, almost everyone in the hall offered their support for Eren, even if superficially. Almost all of them congratted him.


    Soon, all of them were dispersed as Eren told them to leave. Zia appeared like she wanted to talk to him, only for him to tell her that he wanted to be alone for now.


    Zia also left, leaving Eren alone in the pce.


    Eren let out a sigh, watching the doors of the grand hall close. In the entire pce, he was all alone.


    "How was it?" he asked, opening a portal behind him.


    Now that he had the ring, he could open the portals to anywhere in the Sect.


    On the other side of the portal was an insignificant corner of the sect where a hooded woman was standing, her hands covered by her hood, hiding the handcuff.

 Chapter 260: Chapter 260: Feng Yu, the frightened rabbit

    The woman entered the portal and appeared inside the Pce, avoiding being seen by anyone along the way.


    "You look like you have made yourself veryfortable," Feng Yu removed her hood, revealing her dark hair that had a reddish hue to them.


    "Since I can die at any moment, I might as well enjoy the moment," Eren answered, acting slightly overdramatic to let Feng Yu remember that he was the one putting his life on the line for her.


    Feng Yu didn''t say anything else. She just turned her head away, realizing that he was right. He could have just said no to her offer or received even better offers from the Ancestral Elders which would have been much safer.


    Instead, he selected her. He saved her life by putting his life on the line, and even now he was doing the same.


    "I was just messing with you," Eren stood up, approaching her from behind, there being only a few inches of distance between their bodies.


    "Let alone one time, even if I have to do this a hundred times, I won''t have a singleint," he said.


    "You!" Feng Yu didn''t turn around, only feeling his warm breath around the back of her neck as he spoke.


    She stepped forward, creating some distance between them. Even she didn''t understand what she felt. The only thing she knew was that her heartbeat kept increasing every time Eren came close to her.


    She didn''t even remember ever feeling like this about Eren, especially since he was the lover of her best friend. But for some reason, from thest few days, he had started to grow on her.


    It was to the extent that she had even started missing him when he was not in front of her eyes. She wondered if she had gone crazy. Was this the effect of these handcuffs? Or was she really losing her mind?


    The only thing she knew was that it wasn''t any spell. It wasn''t an ability simrly to what Xiu Ying had. She was not charmed, but she still felt this way.


    During thest few days, another thing had happened. Her wrist had stopped itching for some strange reason.


    She soon heard Eren''s footsteps getting closer to her from behind. Her heartbeat again increased as she wondered why he was approaching her. Now that she was weak, was he actually going to do something?


    She didn''t even know what to feel about that.


    Normally, she would have killed the person who even dared to look at her in a disrespectful manner, let alone touch her. However, could she try the same with Eren? She wasn''t sure.


    Whenever she even thought about the possibility of hurting him if she tried that, she always remembered the time when he was running with her in his arms.


    ''I am really going crazy. He belongs to her, so why am I...'' She rubbed her forehead, never feeling as conflicted as she did now.


    She wondered if she had started to like him just because he saved her? That should have been impossible.


    Even if that was the case, she knew it could never be. She had to keep her distance even if she wanted otherwise.


    To her surprise, Eren didn''t approach her. He walked past her, approaching the wall that had the deep sword mark.


    At first, he thought that this was the work of the person who kidnapped Feng Yu. However, seeing Fey, he realized that it couldn''t be him. Then who did this sword belong to?


    "Whose sword was it?" he asked Feng Yu.


    Feng Yu was standing there in a daze. She was cursing herself in her mind for thinking so much nonsense when Eren didn''t even n to do anything.


    "Are you alright?" he turned around, noticing Feng Yu standing there in a daze. He almost felt like she was going to get a short circuit in her head.


    He moved closer to her, touching her forehead with his forehead, trying to see if she had a fever.


    "The temperature seems normal," he said, looking into her eyes with only a few inches of distance between their lips.


    Feng Yu came out of her daze to find him right before her. Her mind went nk. Like a frightened rabbit, she jumped back.


    She was never scared even when she was to face her death, but at the moment, she really looked like a weak animal that was scared when facing something they had never faced before.


    She didn''t know how to confront her own feelings as she had long buried all of them, never really learning what these feelings were.


    She didn''t even know if this was just attraction, obsession, love or something else entirely. All she knew was that it had something to do with Eren.


    Whenever he was with her, she couldn''t maintain herposure. It was as if he was her weakness that she herself didn''t understand.


    She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, asking what was happening with her. However, she controlled herself.


    Eren was also quite taken aback. For the first time, he saw a proper expression on the face of this emotionless doll.


    At the moment, she didn''t look like the cold Overlord that was looking down on the entire world but a normal girl.


    If he hadn''t known that she was really Feng Yu, he would have even wondered if she was possessed by someone just like he was.


    "I am fine. You don''t have to worry about me!" Feng Yu said, trying to maintain her cold exterior, but after seeing her previous reaction, her cold voice didn''t hold the same effect as before.


    Eren couldn''t unsee what he saw before.


    Feng Yu took her eyes off of him, avoiding his gaze. She rushed towards the wall which had the Sword Mark.


    She walked closer to the wall, her fingers brushing against the deeper sword grooves. Not many people knew how that sword mark was left here.


    Many thought that it was created when the enemy fought Feng Yu. However, only she knew that there was actually no fight.

 Chapter 261: Chapter 261: Embracing the Killer

    "Are you curious about who made this?" Feng Yu asked, turning slightly serious.


    Eren didn''t answer, but in his mind he only thought of one thing. If he wasn''t serious, why would he ask about this?


    "I don''t think there is anyone in the sect who can do something like this," Eren said.


    Only the Ancestral Elders were capable of something like that, but they hadn''te out until Feng Yu was found missing. So it couldn''t be them.


    He didn''t think that any of the other three Overlords used a Sword either. It couldn''t be one of them, and no one else would have dared to pull out a sword in Feng Yu''s presence here. So who left this mark here?


    For some reason, he felt that the mark was a little familiar. That was also why he was so intrigued about it. Was there someone else who was as strong as an Overlord?


    "This mark isn''t recent," Feng Yu said, her fingers brushing against the mark. It was impressive that someone managed to harm the walls to this extent, but she didn''t hold any good memories towards it.


    Instead, there was slightly anger and hatred in her eyes whenever she looked at this mark.


    "This is the gift left behind by him," she said, clenching her fists. "The mark left behind by the person who killed my father, as if intentionally left here to mock me for an eternity."


    Normally, even someone like an Ancestral Elder would have to use all their strength to leave such a deep mark in the wall of the Pce as it was created from special materials.


    However, only Feng Yu knew that the person who left behind this mark didn''t even make the slightest effort.


    If anything, it was all an ident, something behind which the person didn''t even ce the slightest of his strength.


    Still, he left a mark like that. If he had put his true strength, she was sure that he might have sliced the entire sect, instead of just leaving a mark on this wall.


    "The person who killed your father?" Eren awkwardly looked at the mark, quickly recovering his expressions to not let Feng Yu notice anything strange.


    Fortunately, she had her back turned to him so she didn''t see the minute change in his expressions.


    Eren was quite shocked. He knew who was the person that killed Feng Yu''s father. It was none other than Ren Necroline. It was him!


    She finally understood why he felt a sense of familiarity from this Sword Mark. It was something that was left by him in the first ce. No, it was left by the person that he had possessed.


    The more Feng Yu talked about the person who killed her father, the more he realized what a mess it was going to be if she found out his real identity one day.


    Now only was he the one who killed her family, but now he had to make her fall in love with him toplete the path of lover? He didn''t understand just why this path had appeared for him.


    Then again, he knew that he couldn''t me the system either. He had received four options, and he was the one who chose the paths of Conquer and Lover.


    He took a deep breath, realizing that it wasn''t the time to feel guilty. He wasn''t Ren Necroline! He was Eren, who had just possessed this body.


    He wasn''t responsible for her family''s death or the other mess that Ren Necroline left behind for him to clean up. He didn''t have to feel guilty for Ren Necroline''s actions.


    Moreover, even if he felt guilty, so what? His life was more dear for him than any righteousness.


    "You said that the mark isn''t new. Then why didn''t I see it before?" he asked, changing the topic from Feng Yu''s father to the mark.


    Feng Yu turned around and walked closer to Eren. She tapped his ring that was able to control all the formations in the pce.


    "I used the ring to keep it hidden. However, when I was taken away, it seems the illusion formation stopped working and everyone saw that mark," she told him.


    Looking at her, Eren once again saw the shadow of the cold Overlord that had temporarily disappeared previously. Even though she was weaker during the effect of the cuffs, her presence was still just as heavy.


    "Why don''t you get the wall repaired, instead of using an illusion to hide it?" he asked, wondering why she was wasting so much energy over this in the past.


    "I will have it repaired with his blood!" Feng Yu said, for the first time, a hint of a smirk appearing on her lips. However, that smile looked more devilish than anything else.


    Hearing her words, Eren''s back was drenched in cold. The woman in front of him was hoping to repair the wall with his blood? Just how far gone was this woman?


    "Best of luck... I hope you can find him soon," he said while praying inwardly that she was never going to find him.


    Eren prepared to step back, creating some distance from the woman who was dreaming about spilling his blood without even realizing it.


    There were rumors that he was a demon who loved drinking blood but looking at her, she felt that the rumors suited her more.


    Creak~


    As Eren took a step back, he heard the sound of the doors opening. Stunned, he stepped forward, holding the corner of his robe.


    He quickly swung his cloak, covering Feng Yu within and pulling her into his embrace to hide him, especially since they were facing the direction of the door.


    They couldn''t let anyone know that Feng Yu was alive, at least not yet.


    Feng Yu was taken aback as she felt Eren''s hands around her waist.


    She was suddenly pulled into his embrace, her figure hidden by his robe as Eren wrapped both his arms around her, holding the corners of his robe at the same time.


    Feng Yu couldn''t even resist as her face was nted on Eren''s chest, being able to hear his heartbeat clearly.

 Chapter 262: Chapter 262: Master, when can I have you?

    Feng Yu''s initial shock quickly turned into a strange calm. She wasn''t used to being this close to anyone, let alone Eren, but she understood the necessity of the situation.


    "I know you said you didn''t want anyone to disturb you, but there was something I had to-" Great Elder Zia stepped inside the hall, catching sight of Eren who looked a little strange.


    It was as if he was wearing really thick clothes and wrapping his arms around his chest.


    "Do you have a cold?" she asked, trying to step closer.


    "I am fine. Don''t approach me," Eren told her, narrowing his eyes. He even covered his surroundings with the Sword Emperor''s Aura to prevent anyone from getting close.


    Even though Zia was trustworthy, he still couldn''t let anyone else in on the secret.


    "What did youe to inform me?" he asked while Zia came to a sudden halt, looking at him with confusion. She didn''t understand why he was behaving like that.


    At first, she thought that he wanted to be alone because he was sad about Feng Yu''s death as the two were strangely close. But something felt out of ce.


    "Yu Lin has woken up. I thought you would want to know about it. She has seeded," Zia told Eren, talking about his first disciple who had entered enlightenment whileprehending the skills given by him.


    A few days had passed but she was finally awake. As Eren was busy with the task, he had momentarily forgotten about it.


    Eren''s face lit up. He had already expected her to seed as it was impossible to fail enlightenment after entering it. It was only a matter of time. Still, he was happy that it worked.


    He hadn''t taught her many things, but whatever he taught her, she absorbed it well. He even felt a little proud of his disciple


    At the same time, he also felt disappointed in himself. If his hands hadn''t wrapped around Feng Yu''s slender body, he would have facepalmed himself.


    No matter how many times he thought about focusing on his disciples, one thing or another kept happening to him that prevented him from focusing entirely on them


    He wanted to go to her right away, but he knew that if he left the pce, he was going to lose the protection of the formation.


    The entire sect was covered in formations but they weren''t as strong as they were in this ce. Moreover, with the Ancestral Elders being offended, it was dangerous for anyone to be close to him.


    Despite that, he had already nned to leave and bring his disciple here. Now that he was a sect master, he was going to stay with his disciple, giving as much time as possible to her.


    "I will bring her hereter. You can tell her to pack her things," he told Zia. "I will arrange a room for her here."


    "This ce? But a disciple isn''t allowed to stay in the Core Region ording to the rules. It still applies, even if it''s the sect master''s disciple," Zia informed Eren, realizing that he might not have known about all the rules yet.


    He had just taken the position and it probably wasn''t a good idea to break the rules and give an opportunity to those who opposed him.


    "I will take care of the rules. You can leave for now," Eren didn''t pay much attention to her concern.


    For Yu Lin''s safety, he had to bring her here. This was the safest ce for her. Now that he had offended the Ancestral Elders, he was sure that they were going to go after his people.


    The only person that the Sect knew to be close to him was Yu Lin. They didn''t know about his other two disciples or his rtionship with Xiu Ying. Moreover, Xiu Ying wasn''t here in the first ce so it was fine.


    For now, his priority was saving Yu Lin. Breaking the rules didn''t matter as he was the sect master. Moreover, he could bring her here secretly without having anyone know.


    As for giving others an opportunity, it didn''t matter. He was sure that today nothing was going to happen, but tomorrow or the day after that, the sect was going to encounter a great storm, for which he had to prepare.


    Zia rubbed her forehead. "Fine. I''ll tell her."


    She turned around and prepared to leave, letting Eren sigh in relief. His hands that had wrapped firmly around Feng Yu started loosening.


    As Zia was about to leave the hall, she suddenly stopped and turned around. Eren had a bad feeling about this. Before he could say anything, Zia spoke.


    "Master, when can I have you for myself?"


    Hearing her words, Eren''s jaws almost dropped. He could feel Feng Yu ring up at him, her words truly sounding misleading.


    ''Master? All for herself? Just what kind of perverted acts are they ying with each other? He already has Xiu Ying and still he has the gall to have roley with other women?'' Feng Yu thought..


    Eren could feel her punching his waist. He could already imagine what Feng Yu was thinking about it.


    There was no way Feng Yu was going to think that Zia was actually Eren''s disciples. Hence, her thoughts only went in the entire opposite direction.


    "Leave," Eren said, trying to control his voice even as he was being pinched sharply.


    Zia didn''t question him any further. She was just curious when he was going to teach her alchemy, but it looked like he wasn''t in the mood yet.


    She didn''t keep her thoughts to herself and said it out loud.


    "Looks like Master isn''t in the mood for it," she sighed as she turned and left, closing the door behind her.


    By now, Eren didn''t even know how he could recover from her words. He wasn''t in the mood? Couldn''t that woman be more clear? Or better yet, couldn''t she leave silently?


    As soon as the door closed, Feng Yu pushed Eren back.


    "It seems like ''Master'' truly isn''t in the mood," she sarcastically said while ring at Eren, who could only scratch the back of his head.

 Chapter 263: Chapter 263: Despair

    "Would you believe me if I said that this is a misunderstanding?" Eren smiled wryly, scratching the back of his head.


    Feng Yu didn''t respond, but the meaning in her gaze was clear. She would have to be a fool to believe this. She knew Zia. She wouldn''t call someone Master as a joke.


    "Does Xiu Ying know about it?" she asked Eren, but she soon shook off that thought. She knew that there was no way Xiu Ying knew this or she would have done something about it.


    "For your own sake, I advise you to end it while you still have a chance," Feng Yu turned around, walking back to the throne.


    Unlike Eren, she had her abilities sealed now. She had also been walking for quite some time, not taking even the slightest of rest along the way.


    Tired, she sat next to the throne on the seats that were previously arranged for the Ancestral Elders, closing her eyes.


    It appeared as if she had fallen asleep right there, but she was still awake, thinking about it.


    She didn''t understand why she felt so frustrated at Eren''s actions. Was it simply because she cared about Xiu Ying? She wasn''t sure.


    Eren also didn''t have any other exnation for her. He didn''t want her to know about his alchemy yet, or it might raise quite a lot of questions about his identity.


    Even though he didn''t like it, he could only carry this tag with himself. At the same time, he also knew that he couldn''t lose Feng Yu or make her hate him. She was his secondary path, and also someone that was important for him.


    He tried to approach her, only to stop as she looked back in the direction of the door. This time, he decided to properly close the door so no one could barge inside unless they broke the door.


    He ced his hand on the door, preparing to seal it using the ring. His ring started activating, and the door was sealed from the inside.


    He walked back to the throne and took a seat, his eyes resting on the peacefully sleeping face of Feng Yu.


    She looked beautiful in her sleep. Despite most of her abilities being temporarily sealed, she had worked tirelessly, and Eren knew she deserved this moment of undisturbed rest.


    As he watched her, a lock of hair fell across her face. Thinking she was still asleep, he gently reached out. With a soft touch, he brushed the strand behind her ear, ensuring nothing obstructed his view.


    He didn''t realize that Feng Yu was still awake, just lost in thoughts with her eyes closed. She felt her fingers brushing against her ear. She didn''t open her eyes, but her heartbeat did fasten.


    Eren didn''t do anything after that. There was only silence in the room where the soft breathing of two people sitting next to each other could be heard.


    After some time, Eren closed his eyes as well, not realizing when he fell asleep.


    Feeling no further movements, Feng Yu opened her eyes, pretending to just wake up from her sleep. As she opened her eyes, she realized that Eren had already fallen asleep.


    She also remembered that he didn''t have an easy time either. He hadn''t slept in thest few days either, despite going through a battle where he had almost died.


    She didn''t realize when she started looking at Eren just as he had been looking at her just a few moments ago. For some reason, she felt safe in his presence even though she knew that he wasn''t the strongest person in the sect.


    She closed her eyes, this time really going to sleep as her head rested on his shoulders.


    .....


    "I can''t believe the same thing is happening again! First, the ring was passed onto that b*tch and we were pushed aside! And now that the b*tch is dead, therees this brat?"


    "Are we really going to let him dance over our heads just because he has the ring?"


    In a separate meeting ce, the Ancestral Elders were fuming. They had already sent people to gather information about Eren. The information was also delivered, but the information was quite iplete.


    All that was known about Eren was that the Sect Master brought him back and granted him the position of an Elder. No one knew how he came to know the Sect Master or why he was given the position.


    There was also no information about Eren''s past beforeing to the sect, as if he had just appeared out of thin air one day.


    His identity was suspicious, but even more suspicious was that he possessed the ring.


    "Even though he has the ring, we can still kill him! He isn''t Feng Yu after all! Are we going to wait for him to be stronger? Are we going to repeat the same mistake we did with Feng Yu?" An Ancestral Elder asked.


    Most of them knew what he was talking about. When Feng Yu first became the sect master, she wasn''t that strong. If they had attacked her then, they would have been able to kill her.


    Unfortunately, the Ancestral Elders looked down on her and thought that they could use tricks to have her hand over the ring.


    This also allowed Feng Yu time to be stronger,ing back like a storm that blew away most of the Ancestral Elders that had schemed against her.


    Many of them could see Feng Yu''s shadow in Eren and didn''t want to repeat the same mistake.


    "Don''t worry. He won''t live for more than two days. I have already prepared a great weing gift for our new friend," Ancestral Elder Yang, who had been sitting silently until now, spoke up.


    Initially he was taken aback by Eren''s appearance. If he wanted, he could still kill Eren even in the presence of the formations in the Pce. However, the only thing that stopped him was a suspicion.


    He wasn''t sure if Feng Yu was actually dead or if it was just a trap for them. That''s why he didn''t take direct action.


    "Even if it is a trap, he would be dead in two days. Unless he manages to surprise me again," he said as he stood up. "Until then, there is one thing I need you to do."


    "What thing?" The other Ancestral Elders asked, frowning.


    "Gather all the Great Elders except that Alchemist. You''ll know the restter." Ancestral Elder Yang turned to leave.


    "Let him celebrate for now. It would certainly be fun to watch him willow in despair..." Only his fleeting voice was left behind as he disappeared. "Even if Feng Yu is alive, nothing will change this time."

 Chapter 264: Chapter 264: Between me and her

    It was the middle of the night when Eren''s eyes slowly fluttered open.


    He felt the weight of Feng Yu''s head resting against his shoulder, slightest taken aback. Still, he didn''t disturb her and let her sleep. This was the rest that she deserved.


    He waited for her to wake up, while wondering what the Ancestral Elders were going to n. He had already sent Yelen to keep an eye on them to find out what they were nning.


    Even though he trusted Feng Yu''s n, he trusted his own abilities more. It was even better since Yelen was someone that couldn''t be noticed by others unless she used her abilities.


    Even Feng Yu didn''t know about Yelen yet, let alone the Ancestral Elders. With someone to spy on the Ancestral Elders, he didn''t have to worry about the unknown.


    Not long after, Feng Yu also woke up, feeling extremely rxed. She didn''t know why, but ever since she had been with Eren, she had been having good sleep that she rarely had in the past.


    She raised her head, yawning without realizing that Eren was also awake. It was only when she looked in his direction and saw him looking at her that she realized.


    She didn''t show embarrassment, only maintaining a calm exterior. "How long have you been awake?"


    "Not long," Eren answered, innocently smiling. It was true that he had only been awakened for half an hour, and it couldn''t be called much.


    "If you were awake, why don''t you wake me up?" Feng Yu asked.


    "You were sleeping so peacefully. You also looked so beautiful when you were sleeping. How could I bear to wake you up?" Eren responded, not missing the opportunity topliment her.


    It wasn''t as if he was lying either, as he did believe that she looked extremely beautiful when she was sleeping. Even though she didn''t have the seductive charm of Xiu Ying or the aura of innocence that Yelen possessed, she had her own charm.


    "Are you saying that I don''t look beautiful when I am awake?" Feng Yu asked, only to grow stunned at her own words. She couldn''t believe that she actually said such a thing, as if she was begging forpliments.


    She quickly turned her head to another direction, not letting him see her face.


    "How can that be possible." Eren took a deep breath and stood up. He walked in front of Feng Yu and went down on her knees, looking straight in her eyes.


    Feng Yu was slightly flustered, especially since Eren held her fair hands.


    "You look extremely beautiful, even when you are awake," he said.


    Feng Yu quickly pulled her hands back, scoffing. She didn''t look in his eyes anymore but she didn''t scold him either.


    "You are lying," she said.


    "I don''t need to lie about it. It''s the truth thates straight from my heart," Eren stood up, cing his hand on the armrest of her chair as he brought his face closer, looking in her eyes again.


    "You are extremely beautiful, Feng Yu. You are so beautiful that you could charm anyone in the world. But it''s not just your beauty that makes you special. It''s also what''s inside that heart," Eren said, looking down.


    In another situation, his gaze would have been considered as staring at her breasts. However, he talked about her heart, which gave context to his gaze.


    Feng Yu narrowed her eyes. Other than the embarrassment that she didn''t show on her face, she also had some curiosity.


    "And what''s inside my heart?" she asked, wondering how Eren was going to answer. Most people were scared of her, thinking that she was a demoness who had no emotion.


    It was also partially true as she had long buried her emotions with her father''s death.


    Although some of the buried emotions had started to surface, that didn''t change the fact that she was a demon, one of the most hated people in the continent that had the blood of millions of people in her hand. So what did Eren see in her heart?


    "Your heart is even more beautiful than you. Although you don''t show it, I have felt it. You are a person that has truly been misunderstood by this world," Eren said.


    "Deep down, you are just a girl, who holds kindness towards those she cherishes,"  he added before stepping back, creating more distance between them.


    As he finished speaking about what he had to say, he turned to leave. He still had to bring his disciple back to the pce.


    "I will bring my disciple to the pce. Don''t worry, she won''t find your presence."


    As the Pce was huge, it was easy for him to hide the presence of Feng Yu, especially with the seal in the main hall.


    Watching his leave, Feng Yu didn''t know what to say. She just looked at his back as a portal opened before him that connected to his mountain.


    "Between me and Xiu Yin..." she said suddenly as Eren was about to step inside the portal.


    "Did you say something?" Eren turned around, not hearing her words clearly.


    "It''s nothing." Feng Yu didn''t continue her question, shaking her head lightly.


    Although confused, Eren didn''t dwell on it. He stepped inside the portal that he had opened with the help of the Sect Master''s ring.


    With the ring, travel inside the sect had be a lot easier. He was sure that if he had the ring in the past he wouldn''t have such a hard time when trying to kill the Frost Demon Elder and the main character.


    He appeared in front of his disciple''s house which was right next to the house that she had made for him.


    "Hmm? Why is there a third house here?" he frowned, scratching the back of his head. "Just what is that brat doing here instead of cultivating? Is she trying to create an entire city on the mountain?"


    There were only two people who were supposed to live on the mountain, but now there were three houses even if he was to ignore that deathly courtyard of his at the edge of the cliff.


    Shaking his head, he entered the courtyard where Yu Lin lived.


    "Lin''er?" he called out, walking through the corridor.


    "Master!" A voice came from the direction of the bathroom.


    The door suddenly opened and a young girl stepped out, her body wrapped in a thinyer of a towel that was barely enough to cover her.

 Chapter 265: Chapter 265: The Butterfly Effect

    Eren quickly turned his back to give her some privacy, wondering why she came out in such a rush that she didn''t even have time to dress properly.


    "Put some-" he said, his voice steady yet gentle. However before he could finish his sentence, he felt her grab onto his arm, even being able to feel the softness of her body that was still slightly wet from water.


    "Master, I did it! I learned it!" Yu Lin eximed, hugging onto his arm. It was as if she was a child who had been looking forward to being praised after achieving something great.


    Eren wondered just what went wrong with this girl. In the novel, she was quite serious. Even after going through life threatening situations with the main character, she didn''tpletely open up before him.


    Why was she so close to him? Was it just because he was her master?


    As far as he remembered, he hadn''t spent much time with her either. He only managed to do a few things for her, so it couldn''t be gratitude either. So why?


    "I heard about that," Eren smiled as he lowered his gaze to properly look at the disciple who was much shorter than him.


    He intended to look at her face as she was looking up, but his gaze couldn''t help but falter as he noticed that the towel had gone a little too down, revealing what it shouldn''t have.


    He quickly recovered his gaze and didn''t mention it, not wanting to embarrass her. Still, for some extent, he felt like it was intentional. He wasn''t sure if it was his misconception but Yu Lin appeared proud as his gaze faltered for a moment.


    He didn''t think that was the case. Considering it to be his misconception, he focused on her face.


    With the other hand that was free, he patted her head. "I knew you could do it. You truly make me proud, little one."


    "Master, let me show you!" Yu Lin eximed as she finally freed his hand while moving back to reveal the new skill she had learned. She moved back.


    The towel that had already slid down, barely being held up by the fact that she was hugging onto Eren''s arms.


    The moment she moved back, freeing his arm, the towel that was barely being held up slid down, revealing everything for Eren to see.


    For a moment, Eren caught quite a sight. He knew that if he acted embarrassed here, it was only going to embarrass his disciple more.


    The only way to not embarrass her was to pretend that it didn''t matter. He was a master, how could he mind such a thing?


    He reached out his hand to pick up the towel from the ground. At the same time, Yu Lin also bent forward, their hands touching.


    Eren stayed calm and picked up the towel.


    "Get dressed," Eren told Yu Lin as he handed her the towel, unable to prevent himself from taking another nce. "I''ll wait for you outside. You can show me your skills there."


    He turned around and left the courtyard, not looking back. He didn''t realize that Yu Lin was still watching him, holding on to the towel.


    ....


    Eren stood outside the courtyard, his back resting against the wall. His arms were folded around his chest as he appeared to be lost in thought.


    "I know my appearance had a butterfly effect on this world. But how can that change her personality to this extent? Not just her, but the Main Character Ye Liang also appeared a bit strange," he mumbled, thinking about all the strange things that had happened.


    The more time he spent in this world, the less sense it had started to make sense for him. The only thing that was still good was that he had be stronger.


    Even with his cultivation sealed, he was stronger than a Great Elder. And that was when he hadn''t yetpletely mastered his dragon tongue or the Bloodlinespletely.


    While thinking about the strangeness of the situation, he was also looking at the two notifications in front of him.


    It was a reward. Although it took some time, the rewards of his main and secondary path were delivered to him.


    [Congrattions on saving Feng Yu andpleting the selected Option]


    [You have been rewarded with a Favor Token]


    [Favor Token: sing the Token, you can ask Feng Yu to do one favor for you. As long as it doesn''t put her life at risk or go against her core desire, she will fulfill it]


    [Congrattions on bing the sect master of the Great Demon Sect andpleting the selected option]


    [You have been rewarded with a Question Voucher]


    He received a Favor Token for saving Feng Yu, as the reward from the main path. As for the Question Voucher, it came as a reward for bing the sect master, even if it was temporarily.


    In the first ce, he himself hadn''t expected Feng Yu to make him the sect master. If anything, he had nned to use the Favor Token to have her hand over the sect master''s position.


    That''s also why he hadn''t selected the same option in his tertiary path which asked him to convince Feng Yu to give him the sect master''s position.


    He was nning to use the Favor Token, which he assumed was going to make her do him one favor. As it was the effect of a treasure, it didn''t count as convincing her so his tertiary path would have failed.


    That''s why, he went with a different option with his path of lover options. It also helped that another option came with a better reward that was a memory fragment.


    He looked at the Favor Token in his inventory, wondering how he could use it now. The use he had nned was already achieved without even using it.


    For now, he didn''t think about using it and saved it forter. As for the Question Voucher which could arrange a meeting with the author, he already had an idea on how to use it.


    It was also the most important reward that he had been craving for, after learning more about this world.


    ....


    A few momentster, Yu Lin emerged, fully dressed in her cultivation robes. "I''m ready, Master."

 Chapter 266: Chapter 266: Dont give up on me

    Eren turned to face her, giving a nod of approval. This time, she came properly dressed in the Sect''s attire, even wearing the robe that was only given to an inner Disciple.


    Yu Lin stepped forward and began to channel her Elemental Qi. The energy around her started to ripple like water. Slowly, her body began to blur and waver, resembling a mirage.


    White mist, appearing to be made from snowkes, started appearing all around the surroundings, making it impossible to see anything clearly. The mist also lowered the visibility of the area.


    Even Eren found it hard to see Yu Lin through the mist. He closed his eyes and released his seventh sense. The more he practiced it, the better it became.


    With his seventh sense, not only was he able to locate Yu Lin but also see the flow of energy. He was even able to see her love through the mist, as if she was teleporting.


    It was as if she switched her body with the mist in a different space, simr to how the Lich was able to switch ces with another person in the Spirit Realm.


    "Interesting... She learned Phase Shift, which should havee muchter. Things are truly progressing very differently..."


    He was quite surprised by her abilities. It was something that was hard to learn and even harder to master properly.


    Eren observed, noting the precision and control in her movements. Still, it wasn''t too impressive. It wasn''t a skill that could hurt anymore. At best, it was a skill that could help Yu Lin escape, which was exactly what he believed she needed.


    For him, protection of his disciples was more important than anything else. Although there were also more properties that could be applied to this skill that could help her master assassination skills, for now, it was decent in itself.


    "You''ve managed to grasp the Phase Shift Technique. It''s not an easy skill to master."


    Yu Lin nodded. "As expected of Master, you know exactly what it is. However, there is one more thing."


    She raised her hand, shooting out a beam of aura that disappeared in the clouds above.


    For the next few seconds, nothing happened. However, as soon as a minute passed, dark clouds gathered in the sky, the temperature around the mountain turning darker.


    The clouds roared, but there was no lighting that shed within. Instead, something else fell from the clouds which approached to be condensed frost essence.


    It was as if this was a lightning bolt that was made purely from frost. The bolt of Frost fell on the ground, making the entire mountain tremble.


    A thickyer of ice covered the top of the mountain, making it appear simr to the mountain of the Frost Demon.


    Not just the mountain, not everything on top of it was also covered in snow, including the trees in the surroundings.


    Eren also felt theyer of Frost approaching him through the floor. He flew a few feet higher, taking his feet off the ground.


    "You don''t have to worry, Master. I can control what is affected by it." Yu Lin said, proving her words by pointing towards the three houses that were still perfectly fine.


    Eren looked down and noticed that the Frost essence had indeed stopped before it could reach the spot where he was standing previously.


    In the entire mountain, except for the houses, that was the only spot where no snow could be seen.


    Even the ground beneath Yu Lin was also covered in snow, but it didn''t affect her. Even without the Frost Physique, Yu Lin was able to protect herself thanks to her mastery of the Elemental Arts that he gave her.


    Eren just observed her in surprise. He had thought that her learning phase shift was impressive, but he didn''t realize that she had already gone far beyond that.


    With every passing second, Yu Lin surprised him more and more.


    She was a six star talent so it was understandable that she learned things fast, but even a six star talent shouldn''t have learned a skill like that in such a short time.


    ''Just what did I teach this girl?'' He wondered. He had only repeated the words of Yelen when answering her question rted to the elemental art and she entered enlightenment.


    Was it simply because she was talented or did Yelen''s exnation contain some core secrets of this art? He wasn''t sure.


    ''I should ask Yelen when she returns.'' he thought whilending on the ground.


    "Can you get rid of this?" he asked Yu Lin, not wanting to leave the mountain covered in snow. Now that she had mastered the advanced skill of frozen Elemental Art, it should also be easier for her to get rid of this ice.


    "I-i don''t know how to remove it. I haven''tprehended that far yet," Yu Lin scratched the back of his head, appearing slightly embarrassing.


    She stepped forward, wanting to apologize for her failure to learn properly. However, the moment she stepped forward, she lost control over her body, almost falling on the ground.


    Before she could fall, Eren appeared in front of her, holding her by the waist to prevent her fall. While his hands were around her body, he observed her body, noticing that she was extremely weak now.


    ''Even though herprehension is good, the Qi in her body isn''t up to that level yet. This girl... Did he use some of her life essence to show off?''


    He wanted to scold her for going beyond the limit, but looking at her condition, he couldn''t get himself to scold her now.


    "Master, did I do good?" Yu Lin asked, weakly looking at him. "I promise I will master it all, so please... please don''t give up on me this time."


    "Hmm?" Eren was confused about what she was saying. What did she mean by that? When did he give up on her for her to say something like that?


    Was it simply because he didn''t spend enough time with her? He wasn''t sure, but that didn''t seem to be the reason.


    "Don''t worry. I will never give up on you," he gently said even though he was still curious about the meaning of her words.

 Chapter 267: Chapter 267: Bad News

    Eren escorted Yu Lin back to the pce, assigning her a secluded room at the farthest end. He wanted to ensure her safety, even in the unlikely event of an attack from outside. The farther she was from the entrance, the better it was.


    He noticed that Yu Lin was pushing herself too hard, but he couldn''t grasp her reasons. Her recent change intrigued him, leaving him with only one uncertainty.


    Was her transformation due to him, or was it her mother?


    As he watched Yu Lin sleeping, exhausted, on the bed, his mind was filled with questions. He had already given her a pill to restore her depleted life essence, but the effects were not immediate.


    He was sure that she was going to need a lot of rest for the time being.


    "Sleep well, little one." He said while casting a protective barrier around this area.


    With the barrier, he could immediately know if someone entered this domain or if Yu Lin left this ce. After taking every precaution possible, he turned to leave. However, as he was about to step out of the room, he stopped.


    He turned back and walked closer to Yu Lin who was sleeping without any awareness. He ced his hand on the young girl''s forehead, using the Dragon Bloodline.


    "Dragon''s Blessing," he said, using the Dragon Tongue. It was anguage that only he and the Dragons could learn.


    Even if someone was to hear his words, they could only see it as him speaking gibberish unless they knew how the Dragons used the Dragon Tongue.


    Yu Lin''s face rxed a little as she received the blessing of a Dragon.


    Eren ced another healing pill on the table next to the bed along with some instructions before finally leaving the room.


    He started walking back towards the Main Hall of the Pce where Feng Yu was still waiting for him. With the Main Hall being in the middle of the pce, it did allow him quick ess to the exit as well as the room where Yu Lin was sleeping.


    "What did you find out?" he asked while only the sound of his footsteps resounded in the long corridor.


    "How did you find me?" Yelen appeared behind him, taken aback. She was even nning to scare him by suddenly jumping in front of him, trying to mess with him.


    She didn''t expect him to call her out as soon as she came.


    "Not many people have that sweet yet strong scent that you do," Erenzily said, walking without looking back.


    For others, Yelen was invisible. They could neither see her nor listen to her. She was like a ghost to them. However, for him it was different.


    As she was his guardian, she was like a normal person to him. He could hear her, see her and even feel her scent when she was nearby.


    "Tsk," Yelen clicked her tongue as she caught up to him. "Are you saying that I smell?"


    Eren simply shrugged, not knowing how to answer.


    After a pause, he briefly eximed, "Do you say that flowers smell? I just said that you have quite a nice scent. That aside, what did you find out?"


    "Hmph, I''ll let you go this time," Yelen rolled her eyes before turning serious. "Though I did find out what they are nning. All I can say is that you are in a deep mess."


    "Why? Are they nning to attack me together?" Eren asked, already expecting a few of their actions.


    "You wish," Yelen answered. "They have gathered all the Great Elders and Elders. They told them that you killed the Sect Master and took her ce. At the moment, almost the entire sect is brainwashed against you."


    "I suppose my reputation didn''t help me much either?" Eren said, realizing that with the kind of evil reputation he had, more people were going to believe this story.


    Only a few of them knew that the ring could only be passed from one sect master to another.


    Even if he was going to exin that it was impossible for him to kill the Sect Master as he had the ring, it was impossible for them to believe him.


    "How much time do I have?" he asked Yelen.


    With the entire sect being brainwashed against him, he already knew what the Ancestral Elders were nning. They were trying to use a borrowed sword to kill him.


    It was only a matter of time before they convinced all the Elders and even the ignorant disciples into attacking the pce in the name of justice.


    If he didn''t do anything, everything was going to be destroyed. He might even be seriously hurt. If he killed them, then their hatred was only going to increase, giving the Ancestral Elders even more justification.


    It was as if he was ced in a checkmate. No matter what he did, he had to stand against the Great Demon Sect, unless Feng Yu showed herself.


    There were still a few more days left until Feng Yu could be free, so revealing her was an even worse oue.


    He at least hoped that they were going to take a long time before mounting an assault on the pce.


    "Tomorrow," Yelen told Eren, making his expressions go darker.


    "There is one more thing. And it might even be worse." While Eren was already concerned about the situation, Yelen continued.


    "What could be worse?" he asked, only to regret even asking.


    "One of the Ancestral Elders has already leaked the information that Feng Yu is dead. The information has been sent to Mist. She also responded," Yelen said.


    "Don''t tell me she is alsoing to take a piece of the pie?" Eren rubbed his forehead, his tone getting darker.


    Thest thing hecked was another Overlord dancing over his head, especially one who had sent him as a spy here.


    "I will not tell you then," Yelen didn''t continue further, her meaning being clear. Eren was right, and Mist was alsoing here personally.

 Chapter 268: Chapter 268: A solution worse than the problem

    Eren stopped in his tracks. The Ancestral Elders were already troublesome, but now Mist was also getting involved?


    His knowledge about Mist was quite limited as he hadn''t reached the part about her in the novel. She was only mentioned a few times, especially when talking about the Overlords or the past of Devourer.


    He had also tried to gather more information about her when he was in the Southern Continent, but not much was avable. All he came to find out was that Mist rarely showed herself to the outside world.


    Only after returning to the Eastern Continent did hee to learn that not long after he escaped from the Ocean, Mist appeared to stop the Sea Dragon''s wrathful onught.


    At that time, he was quite pleased as two of his potential enemies were keeping themselves busy. He never expected that he mighte across her so soon.


    He didn''t want to have much interaction with her until he was strong enough to protect himself. However, for some reason, he came across Mist''s daughter in the Eastern Continent and now she herself wasing to the Great Demon Sect?


    The only significant thing he knew about her was that she was someone who had sent Ren Necroline to this Sect.


    He hadn''t personally seen her as he didn''t have Ren''s memory from his time with her, but he knew that if she came, it was going to be the worst possible thing for him.


    It was even worse that people''s personality was different in reality than it used to be in what he read. First, it was Ye Liang. Then it was Yu Lin and the others. He wasn''t sure if Mist had her original personality or something was strange with her as well.


    "Why is an Ancestral Elder contacting her and trying to expose our weakness?" he asked Yelen, finding it to be quite strange.


    Even if the Ancestral Elder was worried about his future now that the Eastern Continent didn''t have an Overlord, but why Mist? Out of the other three Overlords, Mist had the most conflict with the Eastern Continent.


    The people of the Southern Continent also hated the people from the Eastern Continent.


    "Even if that Ancestral Elder wanted to betray the Eastern Continent to maintain his own safety, shouldn''t he have contacted the Holy Empire in the West or even the Necromancer Tower in the North?"


    "I don''t know either."


    Yelen could only tell what she heard or spoke. She didn''t understand what was going on in that person''s mind as he kept to himself. Until he contacted Mist, he didn''t expect him to do that either.


    "Which Ancestral Elder was it?" Eren asked as he continued walking towards the main hall. He had to talk with Feng Yu about this.


    "The one known as Ancestral Elder Yang," Yelen answered, keeping up with Eren.


    "It''s him?" Eren was taken aback at Yelen''s words. Even amongst the Ancestral Elders, that man appeared to be one of the leaders. He was also the one that Eren found the most strange.


    When the Great Elder had attacked him in the hallway, Ancestral Elder Jia didn''t even spare a second nce at him. For her, they were beneath her attention. However, Yang was different.


    Even though he should have appeared like an ordinary insignificant person, that man seemed to pay quite an attention to him. He even spoke a few words.


    Even when he used the Ring to kill an Ancestral Elder, Ancestral Elder Yang didn''t show much hostility. If anything, he looked like he had grown interested in what he found to be an interesting toy.


    On one hand, he was siding with Jia. On the other hand, he was calling Mist here? None of his actions made sense as they were all very contradictory. It was as if he was ying both sides for some reason.


    "Did you notice any other strength thing? Did he contact any other Overlords?" Eren asked, only for Yelen to shake her head.


    She told him that after contacting Mist, the man simply went to sleep without a single care in the world.


    After exining the actions of Ancestral Elder Yang, Yelen suggested, "I think we shouldn''t stay here. You should leave this sinking ship. I can open the portal to the Spirit Realm."


    "If only I could." Eren scratched the back of his head, sighing.


    When he heard about Mist''s arrival, the first thought in his mind was also about running away.


    He was sure that Mist had already heard the name of the new Sect Master.


    She probably already knew that the spy she had nted became the sect master, which was one of the reasons she wasing, other than to personally confirm if Feng Yu was actually dead.


    It was only a matter of time before Mist and Feng Yu came across each other and his identity was exposed.


    Until that happened, he had to think of a possible way out withoutpletely ruining the path of a lover or exposing his real identity as the true enemy of the Overlords.


    His identity as a spy alone was troublesome but his real identity was even worse. No matter which of his identities was exposed, he was going topletely fall apart with Feng Yu and lose the path of lover forever.


    After a brief period of silence, he took a deep breath and said, "We need to find a way to stop Mist froming."


    "Can we stop her?" Yelen asked, finding it hard to believe. No matter what, Mist was an Overlord on the same level as Feng Yu.


    Eren let out a tired right, rubbing the back of his neck. "I have a way, but it might even be worse than the situation we are currently in."


    "What solution?" Yelen asked, wondering what could help Eren dy Mist. If he called it worse, she could only imagine what it might be.


    "I am giving you the coordinates. Connect a portal to that ce."


    He brought out a piece of paper and wrote something on it before handing it over to Yelen.


    "This isn''t... Isn''t this...?" Yelen looked at the coordinates which didn''t lead to any ce in the Eastern Continent at all. It didn''t lead to the Spirit Realm either.

 Chapter 269: Chapter 269: What Fey did!

    "Are you sure you want to go there at a time like this?" Yelen asked, confused about Eren''s intentions.


    It would have made more sense if he wanted to run away instead, but his destination waspletely opposite to running away.


    Eren appeared to have already made up his mind so Yelen also couldn''t do anything about it. She simply trusted his words, realizing that he wasn''t someone who would intentionally chase after death.


    "Do you want interconnecting portals to the destination or have a rest in the Spirit Realm first?" she asked, confirming his selection.


    Eren smiled wryly, asking her, "What do you think I would want?"


    From his expressions, it was clear that he still hadn''t forgotten the effect interconnecting portals had on his body and soul. If possible, he never wanted to go through interconnecting portals without rest.


    It was already enough to experience this one time. He didn''t have the masochistic tendencies to torture himself like this.


    "We will wait half an hour in the spirit realm and from there, we will go to the destination," he told Yelen.


    "Are you going to leave a message for Feng Yu?" Yelen asked Eren, noticing that they weren''t far from the Main Hall.


    "It is fine. I will be back before long." Eren shook his head, rejecting her suggestions.


    As he had already confirmed that the Ancestral Elders weren''t going to do anything today, he had plenty of time. He didn''t want to waste time in trying to find excuses about where he was going at this time.


    Yelen nodded and created a Portal to the Spirit Realm. The two of them entered the Portal together, appearing in the Main Hall of the Royal Pce in Spirit Realm.


    As Eren appeared there, he noticed that Felona wasn''t there. Thinking that she was probably dealing with other matters rted to the Spirit Realm, he didn''t call for her.


    He simply sat on the Throne, closing his eyes to give his body more rest.


    He didn''t understand why, but even as his body had be stronger with leveling up, the effect of going through a portal created by a spirit was still the same.


    If anything, the stronger he became, the worse these effects appeared to be on his body. He had only gone through one portal which wasn''t even interconnecting but he still felt like vomiting.


    Fortunately, he controlled himself with the Dragon Tongue, giving more relief to his body. He sat on the throne with eyes closed, wondering why his body was so weak to portals.


    After half an hour passed away, Eren opened his eyes, feeling a little more refreshed. Thinking about another portal he had to take, he sighed as if he was tired.


    Still, he told Yelen to open the portal. The two of them entered the Portal right as Felona returned from outside, only to see their disappearing backs in the portal.


    ....


    On the other side of the portal, Eren appeared atop a distant mountain, looking towards a Grand Pce that was spread out across thousands of miles.


    Many youngsters and adults could be seen in the area, most of them wearing the same uniform as if they were students of some academy.


    The ce where Eren had appeared was at the heart of the Southern Continent. Normally, it was almost impossible to reach this ce as there was a lot of security.


    The person responsible for the security also covered the entire space around the Mythical Hero Academy, making it impossible to teleport here without being detected.


    At least, that''s how it was supposed to be. However, Eren had already killed the person responsible for the spatial protection.


    The person was none other than the Vice Dean of the Mythical Hero Academy who was possessed by an Otherworlder. It was Aster who had long been dead.


    With his death, the ground that the Mythical Hero could cover with the Spatial Barrier hadpletely disappeared.


    There were a few more Heroes with skills that allowed them to manipte space, but none of them were as good as After who was the only S rank space lord in the Mythical Hero Academy.


    When Eren killed Aster, he hadn''t expected his death to benefit him in this way. At the end, it all came in full circle, benefitting him.


    Still, the easier it was, the more cautious Eren was. There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world, especially for people with his luck.


    Although his luck had been quite good in thest few weeks, he still didn''t let go of his notion that his luck might screw him over when he least expected it.


    "Mist seems to be in the Hero Academy. She still hasn''t left," Yelen told Eren. Although she couldn''t see Mist, she could feel the existence of an extremely powerful being.


    The aura of that person itself was hard to perceive. The weaker one was, the harder it would be to notice that aura to the point that an ordinary person might not even find anything strange even if standing next to the person who had this aura.


    Only the stronger ones could feel that aura, realizing how terrifying it actually was. It was as if there was a beast who was sitting inside the Mythical Hero Academy that should never be provoked.


    "What are we going to do here? How are you going to dy Mist?" she asked Eren, still unclear about his ns.


    "The n is simple. We will do what Fey did. I will giarize his idea," Eren said, using the newly stolen disguise bloodline to change his looks into that of Fey.


    "Will we do what he did? Are you going to kidnap an Overlord as well? Mist?" Yelen was stunned at Eren''s words.


    She thought they were here to dy or distract Mist so she couldn''t interfere in matters of the Great Demon Sect. But Eren was nning to kidnap Mist? This was his n?

 Chapter 270: Chapter 270: The past that Returned

    Yelen looked at Eren, wondering if he was simply messing with her. There was no way he wasn''t going to know that it was almost impossible to kidnap Mist.


    Then again, the level of difficulty was the same for kidnapping Feng Yu but somehow Fey had managed to seed. So she wasn''t quite sure if he was actually serious or not.


    "Wait, before we came here, you said you only wanted to distract her. So how does kidnapping her fit in that equation? If you can actually kidnap her, why would you need to distract her?" She suddenly thought of something and asked.


    Eren turned to her, tilting his head in confusion. He soon flicked her forehead.


    "What nonsense are you even thinking about? As I am right now, how can I kidnap Mist? Won''t that simply be looking for death?" he asked, as if he found her thoughts absurd.


    Yelen rubbed her forehead that was hurting with the flick, but no mark was left behind.


    "But you said we are going to do the same thing that Fey did?" she asked, looking at him like a child who had been wronged.


    She just tranted his words into a n. How was it her fault if the n sounded absurd? If anything, that was her whole point that kidnapping Mist was absurd.


    "I meant we are going to kidnap someone, just like Fey had kidnapped someone. I never said that we are going to kidnap Mist," Eren exined, looking through his inventory.


    He still had a Question Voucher. He could also try asking the Author for ns on kidnapping Mist, but he had a feeling that things might not turn out as he hoped.


    If kidnapping Mist was so easy, he wouldn''t have directed Fey to Feng Yu first. If there was no suitable way for that, it was no different than wasting his question voucher.


    After a lot of struggle, he had received a question voucher and he wanted to use it on himself to get the most value out of it, especially now that he knew more about his own identity.


    "Who are we going to kidnap then?" Yelen pondered over Eren''s words.


    They were here to kidnap someone from the Mythical Hero Academy from right under Mist''s nose. But they couldn''t kidnap any random person. If Mist didn''t care about that person, it was going to be a waste.


    Even if they kidnapped someone significant, it was still hard for Mist to be distracted by that. She had a lot of followers in the Mythical Hero Academy that could be left to investigate.


    "We will kidnap someone that is closest to Mist. I will kidnap an old friend, Mist''s daughter," Eren answered, looking at the token in his hand that was given to him by Mist''s daughter when he saved her.


    The token can be used to call for her help. The moment it was crushed, that girl was going to know that he needed her help. However, it had another use. It could be used to locate the exact whereabouts of that girl as long as she was within a certain range.


    That''s why Eren personally came to the Mythical Hero Academy where he expected that girl to be.


    He didn''t n to hurt that girl. He only wanted to keep her for a short time to keep Mist but even then, he couldn''t let her see his real face as he did that.


    For that reason, he had a perfect disguise. Or rather, a disguise that he always wanted to try. Thanks to the new Bloodline that he stole from the Mythical Hero Academy Envoy, he was able to change his looks without needing the ring given by Devourer.


    The only requirement was that he had to have seen the person that he wanted to disguise as, and there couldn''t be arge enough difference between their builds.


    He could only disguise as a man whose build was closer to his own. He also couldn''t disguise as someone from the Eastern Continent.


    At the same time, he also couldn''t hide as a Hero while using abilities that didn''t suit that hero, not sure who might know that person here.


    There were two perfect candidates that came to his mind, especially since he could also use their abilities.


    The first candidate was the Dragon Prince that was killed by him. Using him, he could definitely bring more trouble to the Sea Dragon Empire that tried to kill him.


    However, he wasn''t a master of the Dragon Tongue yet. He could only use that as a supplement for his other abilities, which made him from the idea.


    There was only one other person who came to his mind, especially since that person also had a reason to do something like that. With that person''s identity, he could definitely make sure that Mist was serious about this incident.


    "I wonder how she will react when she realizes that an old friend had returned to repay her." He took off his clothes, keeping them in his inventory.


    He donned a different set of clothes that he had specially prepared for a day like this. These were clothes that he had seen in a certain memory. These were what that person was wearing when he hadst seen him.


    As he stirred his disguise Bloodline, his body started changing. His hair grew shorter and the red inside them disappeared, being reced by a much darker color.


    He had changed into Devourer, the person that had brought all four continental Overlords together in their attempt to hunt him.


    At first, he had thought that it was because they were scared of his abilities. But after seeing the memories in the first memory fragment, he knew that there was more to it.


    He wasn''t just chased and killed because of his abilities. Instead, he was chased because someone wanted to reach him through Devourer.


    Devourer had died for him, and now Eren nned to bring him back to make sure the Overlord that killed him was never at peace.

 Chapter 271: Chapter 271: The Outcome

    Yelen watched Eren transform. The shift in his appearance was nothing short of miraculous as it wasn''t just a disguise but a change at a molecr level that appeared to have stemmed from his Bloodline.


    That was also the reason the requirements for this ability were so strict and kept the disguise limited to the people closer to the person''s original build.


    Eren''s new form was almost unrecognizable from his previous self, revealing the uniqueness of the disguise bloodline.


    Although this Bloodline was not a high tier Bloodline like his Dragon Bloodline or even his Devourer Bloodline, he found it to be just as useful, even thanking the person who brought this Bloodline to him.


    Unfortunately, the person was no longer alive as he had been killed by Eren.


    "How am I looking?" Eren asked, turning to Yelen who was looking at him in surprise.


    "Devourer..." she whispered. "Are you sure about this? This could stir up a lot of trouble. More than you bargained for."


    Eren wasn''t surprised that this woman knew what Devourer looked like. She had even met Ren Necroline in the past so it didn''te as a shock that she knew more. She had lived for quite a long time.


    Eren, now bearing the aura of Devourer, gave her a reassuring nod. His disguise couldn''t copy a person''s menacing aura, but he already had the ability of Devourer, so it wasn''t hard for him.


    If anything, he appeared to be identical to Devourer in looks and aura. The only thing that was different was their strength.


    He hadn''t known how strong Devourer actually was. All he knew was that Devourer was oftenpared to the Overlords so he felt that he was most probably weaker for now.


    "Trouble is precisely what we need to create. The more chaos, the better our chances of sess. Mist''s daughter is the key. With her, Mist will have no choice but to divert her attention from everything else."


    Yelen frowned, "And if Mist finds out it''s you?"


    They weren''t trying to kidnap her daughter from some random farawaynd. Eren was talking about kidnapping that girl from the Mythical Hero Academy, which was the home of many S Rank Heroes.


    Even Eren knew how dangerous it was, especially since he believed that there was another transmigrator in the Mythical Hero Academy who had possessed a Professor.


    It was the same person who told Mist''s daughter about the whereabouts of the Sword of Loss and other important items that were in the Eastern Continent which one shouldn''t have known unless they read the novel.


    He wasn''t sure if Mist was going to find him or not. It was going to be quite troublesome if she did find him, but it didn''t mean that he didn''t have any means to escape.


    There was also one more reason why he came to the Mythical Hero Academy. At the moment, he was supposed to be Devourer. What better hunting ground for Devourer than the Mythical Hero Academy?


    In the Eastern Continent, this Bloodline almost became useless as he could only steal special physiques from people since they didn''t have any unique Bloodlines.


    The Southern Continent was different. It was called thend of Bloodlines. And even in thend of Bloodlines, the Mythical Hero Academy was absolute holynd.


    He could only imagine the kind of precious Bloodlines and abilities that were gathered here. If anything, he still regretted the fact that he had lost his consciousness and didn''t devour Aster, the Vice Dean of the Mythical Hero Academy.


    At that time, he didn''t even know how the Devouring ability worked, and even if he had known, he wouldn''t have been able to use it as he hadpletely lost his mind at that time after using the Unsealing Talisman.


    He had one more Unsealing Talisman left, but he was saving it for time when he had no other choice but to use it. He also had the Pendant of Poison and a few more trump cards which made him quite able to protect himself.


    There was also a new reward which was the Pendant of Prediction. He was sure that this was also something quite special as it was a pendant series reward.


    So far, all pendant series rewards had been items that had saved his life one way or another. He believed the Pendant of Prediction to be the same. There was only one problem though.


    Unlike with the other pendants, he still didn''t know how to use the Pendant of Prediction. It also had only three uses avable, but it was more passive than active


    He didn''t even know how to use it. The description also didn''t mention anything other than saying that it could only activate at the right time.


    Although unsure about its uses, Eren could only keep it with him, waiting for the so-called right time. He couldn''t remove the pendant even if he wanted to after all as they were bound to him.


    That''s why, he often wore clothes with high cors where the pendants could be hidden. Even if he changed clothes, he couldn''t change the pendants.


    If one saw the pendants on any of his disguises, it was only a matter of time before finding his identity as many people knew that Elder Ren had these pendants that he never took off.


    Carefully, he hid the pendant with his clothes before jumping down the cliff, his body floating with the help of the Dragon Bloodline.


    "It seems we are actually doing it," Yelen let out a sigh as she jumped after Eren.


    "He is still so reckless... just like that time," she mumbled, watching Eren''s back that felt all too familiar. "I just hope the oue isn''t..."


    While in mid-air, Eren changed his face temporarily. Although he had to be Devourer when kidnapping the girl, he still had to find a way to enter the academy first.


    ....


    Not far from Eren, there was a person in the Professor''s attire, walking while lost in some thoughts.


    ''When the Sea Dragon Queen finds the heart, she should be more obedient to me with that oath. It''s just a matter of time,'' the unknown young professor thought while reaching the entrance where Eren had justnded.

 Chapter 272: Chapter 272: Caught

    There were two entrances that led to the Mythical Hero Academy. The two entrances were right next to each other, but it was impossible to confuse the two as one of them was guarded more heavily.


    On the right side, there was an entrance which was not crowded at all. If anything, it waspletely empty, still there were a lot of guards there, as if there was something special about that entrance.


    That was the entrance that was used by the Professors of the Mythical Hero Academy. No one else was allowed to use the entrance as there was a special mechanism at the end of the entrance which led the person to the heart of the Hero Academy.


    That was why the entrance was so heavily protected. However, even if a person managed to get past the guards and entered the entrance, the mechanism wasn''t going to be activated unless the teacher wasn''t recognised.


    To activate the mechanism, a total of four things were needed and none of that could be missing. The first thing was the Teacher''s Identification Pass. The second thing was getting past the guards. Thest two things were iris and fingerprint scan.


    No matter how many times Eren thought about it, he was always surprised. To think that a continent had such technology which was simr to modern day earth.


    As he had been living in the Eastern Continent which felt more medieval, entering the Southern Continent always felt like entering a new world entirely, especially the Hero Academy which was at the core of this modern change.


    Although the Teacher''s entrance was more convenient, Eren didn''t n to take it. He was going to take the normal entrance which was less secure.


    Eren stood in the line for the ordinary entrance, asionally ncing towards the Teacher''s Entrance where a young man stopped in front of the Guards.


    The Guards didn''t even ask the man to show his Identification Pass as if they all recognised him all too well. If anything, they were even more respectful to the person, appearing like they were worried about offending him.


    Eren was curious about the identity of the person. Intrigued, he was about to use his identification skill when he noticed the man to suddenly look in his direction.


    Stunned, Eren stopped as he wondered if the man noticed his attempt to use the skill. Or was it just a coincidence that he looked in their direction at the same time.


    The young man looked in Eren''s direction. As there were people in front of Eren and behind him, it was impossible to see who he was actually looking at.


    "Hey, isn''t that the Prophet of the Hero Academy? Is he looking at me? Did he see that I am destined to be a great person?" A young student who stood in front of Eren suddenly eximed, his excitement evident in his voice.


    Hearing his excited shout, more and more people turned towards the young looking teacher.


    With so much attention on him, the young teacher shook his head lightly as he entered through the entrance, soon disappearing inside as the mechanism to teleport him to the heart of the Academy was activated following a few scans.


    Eren stood in silence, watching the man disappear into the unknown. His expressions were calm, not revealing anything out of ce even when that young teacher was looking in his direction, but deep down, Eren was quite surprised.


    As far as he remembered, there was only one person in the Mythical Hero Academy that was called a Prophet.


    It was the person who had guided Mist''s daughter towards the Eastern Continent, making her take away the important treasures that were destined for the Main Character and his friends.


    It was as if someone knew about the existence of the Main Character in the Eastern Continent and didn''t want them to be strong.


    When he heard about that person from Mist''s daughter, he already thought of two possibilities. One was that the person was the main character of this world who actually had a superpower that allowed him to see the future or make prophecies.


    That possibility was rejected instantly as he realized that the man didn''t know about the future that he had changed, which made him believe the second possibility more.


    The Prophet was someone like him, who came from Earth. He was also someone who had read one of the four books of this World, and maybe even more.


    That possibility was also low as he had already met the person from earth who had entered the body of a Hero. It was Aster, who became the Vice Dean of the Academy.


    The chances of there being two people from earth at the same ce felt really low, especially since both of them were changing the future of the continent on their own.


    The two of them should have discovered each other and tried to kill each other, but nothing like that happened. Instead, it took him from another continent toe and kill Aster.


    ''First Fey, and now this... I have already seen three Transmigrators, and two of them are still alive. But what about the Main Character of the Southern Continent?''


    Other than Ye Liang in the Eastern Continent, he hadn''t seen or heard about any other main character yet. He wasn''t sure if they were already killed by the others that came from earth, but the chances were even lower.


    The Main Character of the Southern Continent, based on the title of the book that he had seen in hands of the author, was someone who had a SSS Rank ability.


    To kill someone who relied on his own abilities was much harder than trying to kill someone who relied on a system like Ye Liang.


    It became especially harder as the Main Character of this world was supposed to be someone who had died in the past and was reborn in the future, as the title was called Rebirth of the SSS Rank Hero.


    If the person was reborn, it made sense for him to master his abilities much faster. Then where exactly was that person? He wondered.

 Chapter 273: Chapter 273: Purpose

    With people recognising the Prophet, the entire ce had been filled with constant chattering. Many people were talking about the Prophet as if he was some great being.


    Many even said that era of prosperity was just around the corner for the Mythical Hero Academy. With the Prophet, who could suppress the Hero Academy?


    There were also people who were wondering just what the Prophet was looking at. Many people, including the Guards, were looking in the direction where a group of people were standing in line. Amongst that group, Eren was also present.


    The Guards knew that no action of the Prophet was without a reason. Still, they couldn''t understand just why he looked in that direction but didn''t say anything at all. Was it just a coincidence or did he see another prophecy?


    No matter what, the Guard''s attention was attracted to the group of people which brought quite a headache for Eren.


    He had thought that he could enter the ce without catching too much attention, but it was impossible now. He kept his head down as he moved forward.


    With all the other people distracted and talking amongst themselves in groups, the line had lost all its meaning. People were standing in groups, even forgetting that they were here to enter the ce.


    Eren walked past the youngsters, reaching the forefront.


    He handed over a pass to the guard, which contained a fake identification that he had bought when entering the Eastern Continent for the first time to help his movements.


    Without an identification, it was much harder to even find a decent hotel to stay at, let alone doing so without catching any suspicions.


    The Guard took Eren''s identification which used his real name from Earth. Aftering here, he had almost lost his real name as he was known as Ren Necroline.


    Even though it was only in his fake identification, he could finally have his real name as Eren.


    "What is your purpose ining here?" the Guard asked, as Eren gave him an identification instead of a student pass, which meant he wasn''t a part of the Academy.


    "I am here to take part in the entrance exam," Eren gave an excuse which was impossible to prove false.


    As long as a person awakened a superpower, they coulde to the Mythical Hero Academy and take the entrance test.


    Hearing Eren''s words, the Guard looked at him with pity while returning the Identification Card back to him.


    Every year, there were thousands of fools who came to the Hero Academy to take the entrance exams, not realizing that the exams at the academy were even harder.


    That''s why, most Nations held their own exams for selection at the Hero Academy using the limited seats they were all assigned.


    He looked at Eren, thinking that this child must have failed the National Exam and thought he could seed in the Academy Exam.


    It was not a new phenomenon. He had seen a lot of such people with almost all of them returning with broken dreams and tears in their eyes.


    "Take the Second Portal. It will lead you to the Exam Hall," the Guard moved aside, clearing the path for Eren while giving him an examination pass.


    Eren had thought that there were going to be some troubles, thanks to the Prophet.


    Fortunately, other than some unnecessary attention to his group, nothing strange happened. It was partially helped by the fact that no one knew who the Prophet was actually looking at.


    Eren thanked the Guard before taking his first step through the Hero Academy''s gate.


    As he walked through the entrance, he couldn''t help but keep an eye out for his surroundings, marveling at how amazing the Academy actually looked from the inside.


    Times like this truly made him realize that he wasn''t back on earth.


    As he had already gone through the gate, he decided to abandon his identity and take a different path with a different look, especially since he could feel the rough direction where Mist''s daughter was.


    He walked past the portal that was going to lead to the entrance exam, keeping the examination pass in his pocket.


    Instead of taking a shortcut through the portal that led him to a specific ce in the Academy, he took the physical yet longer route as he couldn''t judge what was at the end of each portal.


    After walking for half an hour, observing various grand buildings, he soon reached a particr building that was spread for thousands of miles.


    "She is inside?" he pondered, feeling her presence on the other side.


    He wasn''t sure if she could also feel his presence in the same way now that he was close to her. To prevent any idents, he ced the token back in his inventory, cutting off any connection it had.


    Without it, he couldn''t precisely locate her. However, it was also better than her recognising him. In any case, he knew the building she was at.


    He soon entered the building through the Main Entrance which was surprisingly the only building out of all that had no guards stationed outside.


    He was able to walk inside with more ease than he expected which made him wonder just what this ce was? What was Mist''s daughter doing here?


    Passing through the door, he found himself in a grand arena that spread out for as far as he could see.


    The Arena was bustling with students, each one seemingly engrossed in their own world.


    Some were practicing their abilities, appearing a little nervous. The others were engaged in intense discussions.


    Eren''s eyes scanned the crowd, looking for a familiar face of the person he was here for.


    His attention was soon caught by a group of students gathered around arge statue in the center of the arena.


    The statue depicted a man who looked like a heroic figure, his fist raised high.


    Next to the statue of the man, there was another statue which belonged to a woman in a long robe. She had worn a unique looking gauntlet in her right hand. With her left hand, she was holding something that looked like a long branch of a tree.

 Chapter 274: Chapter 274: The First Hero

    Eren didn''t recognise the man, but it was impossible for him to not know the identity of the person that the second statue was based on.


    He had not seen that woman before ever since he entered this body, but Ren Necroline was different. Not only had he seen that woman but he had also met that woman.


    The statue depicted Mist, the Western Overlord and also the person who seemed to hold the key for him to unlock his cultivation that was sealed.


    She was the woman who Devourer warned him about the most, telling him to stay away from her. At the same time, she was also someone that sent him as a spy, not realizing his real identity.


    He was surprised to see that there was another person whose statue was ced right next to Mist''s statue. No, his statue was one step ahead as if the man was the leader and Mist was just a follower.


    He wasn''t sure if it was because the first statue was that of a man, but it was also made bigger than Mist''s statue.


    Knowing how Mist was, he didn''t think she would allow someone to get more glory than her.


    He stepped closer to the statue after noticing that something appeared to be inscribed at the bottom.


    Going past arge group of people, he finally saw a single sentence that was carved at the base of the statue.


    The inscription at the base read: "In Honor of the First Hero."


    Although it was just a statue, but it was still giving him an overwhelming feeling. He was quite curious about the identity of the person. If even the statue of the man felt so fierce, just how strong was that person when he was alive?


    Since the man didn''t have any weapons that were carved with him, it was clear that he was someone who didn''t use any weapons.


    "Hmm? Is that?"


    Eren approached the statue, drawn by his curiosity. However, soon he noticed something that left him stunned.


    Around the man''s neck in the statue, he noticed a pendant that was carved from the stone. It was clearly based on a real pendant.


    For most people, it looked like an ordinary essory that the First Hero used to wear. There was nothing special about that pendant based on its looks alone after all.


    At least that was the case for ordinary people. For Eren, that Pendant couldn''t be more shocking than it already was. The shape of the pendant that the First Hero was shown to wear was something that he wore in the past.


    It was the Pendant of Strength, from one of the first pendant series rewards that he had received after he arrived in this world.


    ''Why would he have the Pendant of Strength?'' Eren thought to himself, his expressions getting darker with each passing second.


    As he stood there, he overheard snippets of conversation from the students around him.


    "Did you hear? There''s a new student with an SSS Rank ability who is taking an exam with us?"


    "Yeah. I heard some rumors. It''s said that he has the same ability as the First Hero?"


    "That''s right. I don''t know how true that would be. The First Hero died a long time ago before the Era of Overlords even began. Ever since then, many people have awakened a simr ability but none had the ability rank higher than B Rank."


    "No wonder so many Professors have gathered here. They must be here to watch him take the test," another student said, looking above.


    Standing on the first floor, there were a lot of teachers whose shadows could be seen from behind the ss.


    With just the shadow, it was impossible to recognise which Professor was watching, but their auras were very strong.


    Eren also looked above, feeling a familiar presence that he felt near the entrance of the Academy.


    ''Prophet,'' he thought, not revealing any strange expressions.


    He was also able to locate Mist''s daughter who was standing right next to Prophet. There were also more Professors in the first ce, as if half the academy staff had arrived here to watch the tests.


    It was big after all. Someone had received the ability of Super Strength that belonged to the first ancestor, especially since that ability was SSS Rank.


    "It was rumored that the First Hero could even destroy the mountains with a single punch. I wonder if the student will reach the same level."


    "Hah, do you think that is the only thing which made him special? His Super Strength wasn''t the same as what you know."


    "His body also had Anti Magic Properties. With his fists, he could destroy the abilities of other people. That''s why he was called a Hero who was born with Anti Hero Abilities."


    "If he hadn''t died due to unknown reasons, there wouldn''t be four Overlords in this world but just one... him!"


    "First the Prophet and now someone who has the same abilities as the First Hero? On top of that, we already have an Overlord. Isn''t it only a matter of time before the Hero Academy unites all four Continents?''


    A lot of students revealed smug expressions, especially those who were already part of the Hero Academy.


    They weren''t allowed on the first floor, but they still didn''t want to miss the appearance of the person in question. That''s why all of them had gathered in the Main Hall.


    ''Super Strength with anti magic that can even break through the abilities of other people? Isn''t that the Temte of the Main Character?''


    The more Eren heard, the more intrigued he became about the identity of the person. He came here to take Mist''s daughter, but he hadn''t expected to find out something just as important.


    He finally found the Main Character from ''Rebirth of the SSS Rank Hero''. There was no doubt about it! The person didn''t just receive the abilities of the First Hero but he was the First Hero itself who had been reborn.


    As Eren came to a conclusion, he also waited for the appearance of the person in question.


    A few seconds passed but the person didn''t arrive yet. Instead, someone else arrived as a heavy aura descended inside the entire area.


    ''Mist...'' Eren looked above.

 Chapter 275: Chapter 275: Genre Change

    As soon as the aura descended, the entire ce went silent. That presence was unmistakable. It was powerful and overwhelming, something that could only belong to the person who stood at the peak of the world.


    The only other person Eren saw with this kind of threatening presence was Feng Yu. Even the Sea Dragon Empress wasn''t at the same level.


    Although he hadn''t seen the Necromancer Tower Master and the Holy Priestess, he was sure that they were also overwhelming in a simr manner if not more.


    It wasn''t just their personal strength but also something external, as if the worldlyws had been in perfect sync with their movements.


    It was simr yet different from the Fate that protected the Main Characters. It wasn''t something given by Heaven from the moment they were born but something they snatched from heaven for themselves.


    ''It''s good that I sent Yelen back. If it''s Mist, she would have definitely noticed her,'' Eren thought, covering his pocket with his hand inside which Celeste was sitting.


    With Mist''s arrival, the air seemed to grow colder, and a hush fell over the gathered crowd as she descended from the first floor.


    Although people couldn''t see through the ss, but from the shadows, it was clear that almost all the Professors greeted Mist with great respect.


    Even the Prophet did the same. However, realizing his real identity, Eren was sure that he wasn''t being genuine.


    Mist ruffled the hair of her daughter, who was standing right there. From her actions, it was clear how much she doted on her daughter.


    Eren was sure the two of them were talking about something but he couldn''t hear their words.


    After some time, Mist turned her attention back to the Arena, her eyes scanning the crowd beforending on Eren. For a brief moment, their eyes locked, and Eren felt as if she was trying to see through him.


    Eren opened his inventory with the most minute of movements, prepared for anything that could happen.


    Fortunately, her gaze didn''t rest on her for long and shifted the other people, as if she was trying to look for someone who wasn''t him.


    With Mist''s attention shifted from him, Eren sighed in relief while closing his inventory.


    Eren wasn''t sure what it was, but it seemed that Mist didn''t recognise him. Even as an Overlord, she couldn''t see through his illusion. That was the benefit of actually changing his body, instead of relying on an illusion.


    Mist''s gaze moved away from Eren, soonnding on a young man standing in the front.


    Curious, Eren looked at the man. It became evident that he was the person she had been looking for. The only person here who could catch her attention and make here out was none other than the person who inherited the abilities of the First Hero.


    The young man looked above, as if gazing back at Mist. His expressions were calm, unlike the other youngsters who were easily flustered when Mist''s sharp gazended on them.


    As Eren was standing behind the man, he couldn''t see the face of the person. He could only see his arms that he kept behind his back.


    While looking at Mist, he saw the young man''s fists clenched tightly as his muscles bulged. It wasn''t the reaction someone could have when looking at an old friend.


    ''It seems I was right. Something did happen between them before his death.'' Eren thought, realizing that everything wasn''t right between them.


    The statues depicted him and Mist as allies, but the reality was clearly far from it.


    ''What a fascinating Reincarnator... Let me see what you actually are.''


    He used his identification skill on the person that he believed to be a Reincarnator.


    [Error: Skill effects nullified]


    "Hmm?" Eren was taken aback after receiving an error. He expected to see a status screen of the Main Character, but all he received was an error.


    The error was also the first of its kind. He had received Errors when he tried to see through the people who were beyond hisprehension.


    He had failed when he tried to identify the person he believed to be the Author. However, even then, it didn''t show any error.


    The only thing he received was that there was a failure to identify, telling him that his skill level wasn''t enough.


    It was the first time his skill had actually been nullified. It happened when the man wasn''t even looking in his direction.


    ''Is it a Passive Skill?'' he wondered. ''I thought his anti-magic skills would be active skills.''


    He had heard people say that the First Hero had an ability that had two effects. The first effect was that it gave him super strength that was on the level of a SSS Rank Ability.


    The second effect of his abilities was Magic Nullification, or rather, the anti magic.


    He didn''t expect the Magic Nullification to always be active on his body. At this rate, he was sure that his super strength was the same.


    ''This boy... No wonder the so-called Prophet didn''t try to kill him.''


    He had thought that the Main Character would be at the same level as Ye Liang, just beginning from the bottom.


    He didn''t realize that the genre of the Southern Continent wasn''t weak to strong but Overpowered from the beginning.


    Eren tried using Identification Skill one more time but the oue was still the same. The man had Passive Protection which didn''t just protect him from magic but from all kinds of skills.


    ''What an absolute Clusterfck.''


    He scratched the back of his head, stopping any attempts to use Identification.


    Mist was standing on the higher floor looking down at the young man. As her attentionnded on the young man, the others also started realizing that he was the man in question.


    "What is your name?" Mist asked the young man, as if she still didn''t know that the young man was the Reincarnation of the First Hero.


    "Eldric," the young man answered, following which many shocked gasps rose in the arena.

 Chapter 276: Chapter 276: God Tier Artefact; Cant hide

    "Did he just say Eldric?" A young man asked in disbelief.


    "Am I hearing things?" Another young man rubbed his ears, wondering if something was wrong with his ears.


    Many people were in disbelief but just as many people were furious.


    "Absurd! How dare he steal his name?!"


    "Just because he is lucky enough to be born with these abilities, he thinks he can disrespect the First Hero?!"


    In an instant, the entire ce was inmotion. There was not a single person in the Southern Continent who didn''t know and respect that name as it was the name of the First Hero.


    No one named their children Eldric as they all knew that the name came with a heavy burden. If someone took this name, it was disrespectful to the First Hero.


    It was the same with Mist''s name. In the entire Southern Continent, there was only one person called Mist. Those who were named Mist changed their own names, not wanting to attract any wrath.


    ''These fools... They are really ming him because he used his own name?'' Eren watched the spectacle with amusement without intervening.


    His entire purpose ining here was to give enough reason for Mist to be distracted for at least a week. He didn''t care who brought that reason to him.


    If anything, he was grateful if it could happen thanks to Eldric as he wouldn''t have to take the risk himself in that case.


    Unfortunately, other than themotion caused by the students of the Hero Academy and the examinees, nothing else happened.


    The students weren''t foolish enough to attack the person that was said to have SSS Rank abilities. At the same time, the Professors didn''t react.


    "Silence," Mist softly said, making the entire ce go silent again. All those who were raising the issue closed their lips abruptly.


    "Do you know whose name it is?" Mist asked the man as he passed through the ss as if no physical restrictions existed for her.


    For the first time, Eren was able to see Mist who appeared to be walking in the air. With each step, she came closer to Eldric.


    Soon, shended in front of Eldric with only a few meters of distance between them. Her eyes had a questioning gaze as if she was trying to see through the young man, still not realizing who he actually was.


    "It is the name of the First Hero," Eldric answered, mentioning himself in third person.


    Eren had thought that he was going to expose his identity and attack Mist, but to his surprise, the man was surprisingly calm.


    ''Is it because he thinks he isn''t strong enough?''


    Eren wasn''t sure of his reason. The man already knew how to use his skills which gave him immense physical strength.


    For him, it was the same as restarting his life at the same starting point where it ended before. So why wasn''t he doing anything? Was it because Mist had grown even stronger in this time?


    Was it because she had be an Overlord, bringing her strength to a new realm? Or was it because his body wasn''t fully grown so the strength he could utilize was still limited?


    Although Eren didn''t know the reason, he knew that Eldric was a ticking time bomb that was waiting to explode. He just needed to give it a little nudge which he was a master at.


    "You know it is his name but you will used it? Do you think you can carry the burden this namees with?" Mist asked as if she cared about the First Hero.


    Although Eren couldn''t see Eldric from behind, he was sure that the young man was quite good at acting as Mist still didn''t appear to notice anything out of ce.


    At the same time, he also felt that Mist was also good at acting. He couldn''t see even the slightest hint of falsehood in her words as if she actually did care about the First Hero.


    It even made him wonder if his initial assumption was actually true or not. Was Eldric actually betrayed by Mist for power or did he read the situation wrong?


    Eldric''s fists were clenched even more tightly behind her back, making it clear that he was disgusted by her words. The actions of both sides made Eren see a different picture and he didn''t know which was the real picture.


    "I believe I will bring this name to an even greater height," Eldric said calmly without a hint of arrogance in his words. It was as if he actually believed his words.


    Mist''s eyes narrowed for a moment before her expressions returned to normal.


    "Not just your abilities but even your arrogance is just like him." She turned around and returned to the first floor, not saying anything further.


    For a moment, she even appeared disappointed as she left.


    The other students were still ring at Eldric, disgusted by his arrogance.


    "He really imed that he will bring that name to greater heights? He thinks he can achieve more than the First Hero did?"


    "Truly a frog at the bottom of the well. At first I looked up to him because of his abilities but I see that he''s just a person with a rotten personality!"


    "So what if he had a powerful ability? With that disgusting arrogant personality, he can''t go far in life."


    Many youngsters expressed their opinions, keeping their voice down so that Eldric could hear them but not the ones on the first floor.


    "You can begin." Mist gracefullynded on the first floor, giving instructions for the test to begin.


    As soon as her words fell, the exit doors were closed. No one was allowed to leave the arena for as long as the teststed.


    Even Eren found himself amongst the group, taken as a test participant.


    "The first test will be to rank your abilities!" A Professornded in the middle of the hall.


    He raised his hand, making the ground in the middle split in two. A table came out of the ground, carrying a ck crystal sphere.


    "I''m sure most of you already know, but this is a Legend Rank Artefact, also known as the God''s Artifact."


    "You can''t hide anything from it. It will measure and rank your strongest bloodline ability as soon as you ce your hand on it!"

 Chapter 277: Chapter 277: Judgement

    The exits were closed. With that, no more examinees were allowed inside the building. The doors didn''t just block others from entering but also stopped Eren from sneaking out.


    Under normal circumstances, it wouldn''t have been troublesome for him as he just had to show some random ability and get through this test.


    He still had the ability he stole from the Sea Serpent that he could present differently to be considered a Hero. However, that was only until this item was bought out.


    He didn''t expect them to have a legendary tier artifact which was not going to measure what was shown by an examinee but measure the strongest ability of the person.


    Just to confirm that the man was telling the truth, he used Identification on the Crystal Sphere.


    ....


    Item Name: Sphere of Judgement


    Item Grade: Legendary


    Description: Measures the rank of a person''s strongest ability.


    .....


    His identification skill also confirmed that the person was not lying. This was actually a Legendary Tier Item. With naked eyes, he could see his troubles increasing.


    People thought that there was only one examinee here with a SSS Rank Ability and things were already so chaotic.


    He could only imagine what was going to happen if the Sphere told everyone that he also had a SSS Rank Ability. And if then found out that his ability was the same as Devourer?


    One person in this exam had the ability of the First Hero worshiped by everyone. Another person here had the ability of Devourer, feared by anyone. And on top, there was a woman that both these men hated, watching from the top.


    He already nned to let his identity as Devourer be known when kidnapping Mist''s daughter but he wasn''t a fool to want to do that in front of Mist.


    Just his Devourer skill alone was a SSS Rank Bloodline Skill, and that''s not even counting the unknown Bloodline that he himself didn''t know clearly about.


    If the Crystal Sphere could measure the strongest Bloodline Skill Rank, then he wasn''t even sure which of his Bloodline Skill was it going to choose to rank?


    He himself didn''t know which was higher... Devourer? Celestial Dragon? Or his own Bloodline that was only 25 percent awakened? In any case, he knew that trouble was waiting for him at the end of this assessment.


    "Step forward when you are called," the Professor announced, his voice echoing through the grand arena. "We will begin with the first candidate."


    One by one, the students approached the table in the order that they were standing. Each of them ced their hand on the crystal sphere.


    The sphere would hum and glow, revealing their ability rank to the room which was judged based on the color and the intensity of the light.


    Quite a few people had tested themselves, only to be disappointed as none of them crossed B Rank in the exam. To clear the exam, one had to be at least A Rank in ability, and this was just the first step of the exams.


    Normally, B Rank was impressive in itself but in the home of all heroes, it wasn''t even worth mentioning, especially when one of the examinees was an SSS Rank Hero.


    "Eldric," the Professor''s voice rang out, capturing everyone''s attention. The room fell into a hushed silence, all eyes fixated on the young man who dared to bear the First Hero''s name.


    Eldric stepped forward, his movements deliberate and confident. He ced his hand on the crystal sphere, and immediately, the artifact began to glow intensely.


    The light was blinding, radiating outwards and filling the room with the brightest aura. It made the entire ce so bright that some even wondered if a small sun had risen inside the arena.


    Although many people had heard about Eldric''s SSS Rank Ability, watching it being confirmed with their own eyes was even more shocking.


    It felt like a sharp p on the face of the youngsters who were waiting for his ability rank toe out as lower, wanting to see him be embarrassed after his arrogance.


    The sphere''s glow intensified, reaching a brilliance that surpassed all previous disysbined. The Professor''s lips curved up, forming a smirk.


    Although he was also annoyed by the young man''s arrogance, his ability was no joke. With his presence, the future was truly theirs to conquer.


    Even Mist, who had returned to her seat, leaned forward with keen interest.


    The light finally dimmed, revealing a ranking that left everyone feeling cold.


    "SSS Rank," the Professor announced, his voice trembling slightly in excitement. A


    At this point, he wanted to ept Eldric into the academy right away, flouting all norms which required them to pass other exams as well. Only after noticing the sharp gaze of Mist, he controlled his excitement.


    Eldric removed his hand, the faintest hint of a smile ying on his lips, taking a calm nce towards the first floor before he turned to face the crowd.


    "I hope this is sufficient proof of my capabilities," he said calmly, silencing any further dissent. There were still people who hated him, especially due to their jealousy but they didn''t show it openly either.


    Mist''s eyes narrowed as she scrutinized Eldric. She didn''t say anything further, not evenplimenting Eldric on her performance.


    During the absolute silence, a cough came from the first floor, catching everyone''s attention. The Prophet stepped forward.


    "Impressive."


    He appreciated the performance of Eldric but before his words could even properly be processed by others, he added, "But abilities alone do not make a hero. I hope you won''t forget that."


    Eldric met the Prophet''s gaze, his eyes reflecting a depth of experience that belied his youthful appearance.


    "I am well aware of that," he replied, returning to his position. He closed his eyes, not even bothering to see the performance of other youngsters.


    "Next." With the atmosphere calming down, the Professor in charge of the first exam looked at Eren, calling him forth.

 Chapter 278: Chapter 278: The coffin returns

    ''Should I make a run for it?''


    That was the thought in Eren''s head as he was called forward by the person in charge of the Skill Grade Measurement Test.


    The only good thing he had noticed about the Legendary Grade Artefact was that it didn''t tell the type of ability that a person had.


    It only showed the grade. With that, one of his biggest worries were solved as no one could know that he had Devourer''s ability based on this test alone.


    Still, that didn''t put him at ease. Just the fact that they were going to know that he was at SSS Rank was enough to bring him too much unnecessary attention and interrogation about his ability.


    He wasn''t even sure if they had another artifact that could even measure the type of ability a person had.


    As he hadn''t heard about it, he couldn''t confirm it. At the same time, he hadn''t heard about an artifact that could measure a person''s skill grade but here it was.


    Normally, the Grade of a Skill was decided by people from the Hero Academy after seeing the skill personally. There was no urate measurement and only a judgment. At least that''s what was known moremonly.


    He didn''t know that more urate measurement was saved for those who were at the academy. Then again, it made sense as there could only be one Legendary Tier Artefact of a type this rare.


    "Are you listening to me?" the Professor asked Eren who was standing there in silence, appearing to be a little hesitant.


    With such attention ced on him, Eren had no opportunity to try anything else. As he wasn''t confirmed about what was going to happen next, he stepped forward while preparing for all possible scenarios.


    He stood in front of the Crystal Sphere, which waspletely transparent now. In this way, it looked too normal,pletely unlike the mini sun that it became in the presence of Eldric.


    "Are you going to do it yourself or should I force you myself?" The Professor asked, his patience almost running out.


    Eren could even hear the snickering of the youngsters in the background.


    "Heh, he must have a trashy grade ability. After seeing a SSS Rank and so many B Rank Abilities, he is probably too embarrassed to show his own."


    "Who knows, he might even have an F Rank ability. If I was in his ce, I would''ve died out of embarrassment as well, especially since so many Professors are here."


    Many people took Eren''s hesitation as his embarrassment. They thought that he simply came here to try his luck, not expecting so many high profile people to attend the test ceremony thanks to Eldric.


    They believed that he was getting cold feet aftering so far, which was quite disappointing to them. Only Eren knew that it was farthest from his true worries.


    If anything, he wished that the sphere could malfunction and show a trashy rank. Unfortunately, even he knew that a Legendary Tier Artefact didn''t make a mistake.


    ''Fck, we''ll see how it goes!''


    He prepared for all scenarios, keeping his inventory open in advance so he could instantly draw out whatever he needed.


    At the same time, he also kept his guardian mark awake, ready to call Yelen who could open a portal for him if needed.


    Taking a deep breath, he reached out his hand. A few momentster the Professor would have taken his hand and ced it on the sphere himself.


    [You have a received new options]


    Eren''s fingers were merely a few inches away from the Sphere when his hand came to a sudden stop at the sight of a familiar screen.


    As he had already finished his main option a long time ago, his system was free to appear at any time. However, even he hadn''t expected it to happen now.


    [Option One: ce your hand on the sphere and shock everyone present here with your greatness.


    Reward: A beautiful Pink Coffin]


    Hearing the first option itself, Eren almost punched the system screen. It reminded him of the first time where the system had messed with him in a simr manner, giving him two coffins as rewards.


    ''At least those coffins were in ssic ck and white colors. What am I going to do with a Pink Coffin? Do you want people to cry next to my grave or dieughing?'' Eren bit his lower lip, controlling his temper.


    He moved on to the next options.


    [Option Two: Reveal your identity as Devourer and take Mist''s daughter hostage.


    Reward: One Escape Talisman  (Epic Tier)]


    [Option Three: Tell everyone the truth about Eldric being the reincarnation of the First Hero.


    Reward: A beautiful Rainbow Coffin]


    Seeing the third option and the reward, Eren almost facepalmed himself.


    Still, it was clear what the system was implying. If he exposed Eldric, he might shift the attention from him, but something was going to go horribly wrong.


    [Option Four: Fight your way to escape this ce.


    Reward: Luck +1]


    "This boy, he froze again. Is he really trying to waste everyone''s time here?"


    "Come on brat! Finish it, I''m still waiting for my turn!"


    Seeing Eren standing there in silence, the voices of the students in the back rose. Hearing theirmotion, even Eldric slowly opened his eyes.


    With this, the Professor had enough. He couldn''t take it anymore.


    He stepped forward, trying to grab Eren''s hand to forcefully ce it on the crystal orb.


    "Huh?" To his surprise, he couldn''t even touch Eren who moved much faster than he could even properly see. Even after all that, his movements appeared to be graceful.


    "Is your ability rted to speed?" he wondered. "Still, do you think you can -"


    He tried to say something, only for Eren to turn his back to him. Instead, Eren looked towards the first floor, calling out to Mist.


    With a forceful tap of his feet on the floor, he jumped higher. He didn''t use his flight and only used raw strength that came with his levels to jump to the first floor.

 Chapter 279: Chapter 279: I saw it

    Before Eren couldnd on the first floor, many hostile gazes fell on him. It was especially the case for the Professors that were not only stunned but also upset at Eren''s actions.


    Mist only looked at him in silence, being the only person who did not react. It was as if she was waiting to see just what this young man was trying to do.


    "Foolish child, you are a few lifetimes too early to be able to stand on the same level as us!" One of the Professors stepped forward, reaching out his hand to p Eren away before he could evennd on the first floor.


    Eren also knew that he was getting himself into a dangerous situation but it was one of the situations where he didn''t have time to think about anything.


    He had made a choice that he believed aligned with his main goal. In any case, he didn''t want to collect coffins.


    Although it was dangerous, it was also the perfect opportunity to do something when everyone was looking down on him.


    If he revealed his ability, then even if he didn''t end up needing to use the coffin, it was going to be much harder to even get close to Mist''s daughter with Mist''s suspicious personality.


    If he had more than a day to deal with this mess, he could have tried other methods, but with no time, this was all he could do. The reward of this option also made perfect sense for him to take this option.


    With a fluid motion, he twisted his body mid-air, using the Dragon''s Bloodline to take the aid of wind.


    Not only did he avoid the p, but he also jumped even higher while still in mid air. His feet lightlynded on the palm of the Professor before his other feetnded on his shoulders.


    He jumped past the professor,nding gracefully on the first floor.


    The Professor who had tried to p Eren had his face turn red. Furious, he clenched his fist and started using his ability to teach Eren a lesson.


    Mist''s eyes narrowed slightly. She raised her hand, suppressing the Professor and stopping him from using his ability.


    She was intrigued by Eren''s unexpected agility and boldness.


    "What is it that you want?" she asked, her voice calm but brimming with authority. "Did you know the punishment you can receive for your actions?"


    "I-i came here to meet you. The entrance exam and everything else, it was all in an attempt to meet you." Eren ced his hand on his chest, slightly lowering his head like a prince greeting a princess at a Royal Banquet.


    "Oh? I hope you didn''t want to meet me just to waste my time? State your purpose." Mist said,pletely distracted by Eren''s words.


    As Eren didn''t go for her daughter, instead making it clear that he was here for her, she didn''t expect his true intentions.


    Eren took a deep breath, his eyes locking onto Mist''s. "I have information that might interest you,," he said, his voice steady despite the grumblings of youngsters on the ground floor that were still in disbelief about Eren''s bold actions.


    Even Eldric had started paying more attention to Eren, finding him slightly interesting. There were not many people in the world who could react so calmly to Mist.


    Although Eren acted subservient, it was clear that he was hiding a lot of things. Eldric had a feeling that there was going to be a good show to watch.


    As Mist was at a position where no one could threaten her, there were a lot of things that she couldn''t notice. Looking at her, Eldric was reminded of his own naive self of the past.


    He was also the same, believing to be invincible. He was only focused on one thing, not realizing as a terrifying had closed in on him.


    Looking at Mist and Eren, he didn''t know why but he saw his own glimpse in Mist.


    Mist raised an eyebrow, but maintained herposure.


    "Speak," shemanded. "What is it about?''


    "I-it is about Lord Aster''s death! I am a survivor of the ughter of the Coastal City where it all happened..." Eren stated, his voice not being too loud but at the same time being loud enough to be heard by everyone in this silent ce.


    Once again, chaos ensued. Initially the youngsters looked at each other in disbelief.


    "Wait a minute, did he just say Lord Aster''s death? Lord Aster is dead?"


    "How is that possible? How can he die?"


    Not just the students and examinees but also a few professors were in shock. Many of them thought that Eren was talking nonsense. How could it be that Aster died and they didn''t even know about it?


    "Silence!" Mist''s spoke, making the entire hall go silent again. However, even though no one spoke anything, their eyes were still revealing the shock they felt.


    Mist didn''t deny Eren''s words. That much was enough for a lot of them to realize that there might be some truth to his words. Spatial Hero Aster had died, and it was kept hidden from everyone.


    Mist looked at Eren in silence. It was true that Aster had died. Not just him but his entire team was also killed in that city.


    It wasn''t just the Heroes that were killed. The entire city was left as nothing more than a ghost town with rivers of blood flowing through them.


    Not a single person was left alive by the time Mist arrived.


    Many people only knew about the destruction of the Coastal City, thinking that it was the work of the Sea Dragons who had gone on a rampage, but they didn''t know about the deaths of so many Heroes in that incident.


    As no witness was left alive, no one other than her and a few of her subordinates knew about Aster''s death.


    The fact that Eren knew about it could only mean one thing. He was actually there when it happened.

 Chapter 280: Chapter 280: Touching the Untouchable

    Eren knew about something when she kept it a secret. It gave his words a little credibility, especially since she didn''t even consider the possibility that he was the one who killed Aster.


    "I was so scared that I hid for a long time before finallying out. I still feel a chill run down my spine when I think about that moment," Eren said, raising his hand to show that they were still trembling.


    "I didn''t know where to go as I was worried that the monster mighte for me as well," he quickly added, not giving Mist time to poke holes in his story.


    While speaking, he kept stepping closer to Mist, in turn getting closer to her daughter who was standing right behind her.


    "The only one who can protect me... The only one who can help me is you. In exchange for your protection, I am willing to tell you everything!" he said, justifying his reason foring here.


    If he saw someone wipe out the entire city, leaving no witness. It was understandable for him to be scared that the killer mighte back for him, feeling insulted that he failed to kill all witnesses.


    He had seen even Aster, known to be amongst the strongest Heroes, die right before him. He could not go to someone weaker than Aster and expect to be protected.


    When even Aster couldn''t strong that person, how could a weaker hero do so? He needed someone stronger to survive.


    The only person who could actually be considered stronger than Aster was Mist! There were no ws in his story except one.


    The killer had killed Aster who could even control space. He wiped out everyone in the city, leaving no witnesses.


    Did it make sense for him to not notice a survivor when he had enough mastery of space to even block Aster from leaving?


    Fortunately, Eren didn''t give Mist a chance to escape. Before he could even process his story, he was right in front of her. There was only half a meter of distance between them.


    The other Professors were still so stunned about the news of Aster''s death that they didn''t even notice anything else. They only focused on Eren''s words which didn''t sound like a lie.


    He truly did sound like he was scared and even traumatized by what he had seen.


    The Prophet also looked at Eren weirdly. He didn''t know why but he felt really strange ever since he had seen Eren for the first time outside the academy. It was just a strange feeling that he couldn''tprehend.


    ''What is happening here? Why does the story keep changing? In the selection ceremony, nothing like this was supposed to happen. The star of the day was supposed to be Eldric who had been reborn. Where did this mane from?''


    He knew that Eren wasn''t supposed to be here, but he also couldn''t consider his presence as entirely impossible. In the story he read, Aster hadn''t died in the Coastal City. There was no war with the Sea Dragons either, at least not at that point in time.


    A lot of things had changed from what he remembered that he was feeling a lot ufortable. He had even told some things to Mist''s daughter, telling her to collect a few things from the Eastern Continent but two of those things were also missing.


    It made him realize that things weren''t just changing in the Western Continent but also in the Eastern Continent, at least someone was intentionally changing the ying field.


    With his knowledge about the story he read, he had made a name for himself as the Prophet, climbing higher in the Hero Academy. The higher he climbed, the more ufortable he felt.


    With so many changespared to the story he read, he realized that he couldn''t just rely on his knowledge. He needed help, someone who had the potential to crush even an Overlord.


    That''s also what made him approach the Sea Dragon Queen which he wasn''t nning to do before the destruction of the Coastal City which truly turned the plot upside down by taking out Aster.


    ''Whatever. If he actually saw the person, maybe I can finally find out why the plot changed so much.'' he observed Eren carefully, not realizing that the person who was actually changing the plot was right in front of his eyes.


    Soon, his lips twitched as he watched Eren step forward, holding Mist''s hand, still looking like he was scared after remembering the past incident.


    ''Isn''t this bastard taking too much liberty?'' He bit his lower lip, frustrated. He had a little crush on Mist. He was even trying to get close to her, only keeping the Sea Dragon Queen as a backup option.


    Watching another man hold the hands of his crush was frustrating.


    The others had even more extreme reactions. The Professors were stunned to see Eren suddenly grab Mist''s hand.


    "T-that man is truly a Monster! He should not exist! He will kill me! Please save me! I will help you find him!" Eren eximed, holding Mist''s hand, being only at an arm distant from her daughter.


    Mist was also taken aback as someone held his hand out of nowhere.


    Mist thought of kicking Eren away for this, but she didn''t do that as she was worried that he might die. He was an important witness to her, especially since she already had a rough estimate about the Killer''s identity.


    She just didn''t understand how he was able to do that as his strength should still be sealed even if he was alive. Only this witness could tell her everything that happened there, so she couldn''t kill him.


    Pulling her hand back, she subconsciously stepped back. She didn''t realize that this worked out in Eren''s favor as now her daughter was closer to him than her.


    "A-are you not going to protect me?" Still seemingly scared, Eren stepped forward. However, the fear in his eyes suddenly disappeared before he evennded his next step.

 Chapter 281: Chapter 281: Everything

    ....


    Eren''s target was Sera who was Mist''s daughter. Even though she was close to him, he knew he couldn''t reach her as long as Mist was next to her.


    It was especially the case since she was strong enough to blow him away now that he didn''t have the pendant of protection. To reach her, he had to bring Mist to disarray.


    Not having anything better, he suddenly held her hand, estimating that she was not going to kill him. It was a risk that he took but the risk appeared to work out.


    As he held her hand that had killed a lot of people, Mist was taken aback and stepped back, giving Eren the opportunity that he needed.


    With enough room, Eren took his final step, maintaining the act until he was at the final point.


    Fear in his eyes suddenly disappeared. It all happened so fast that no one noticed it but for a fleeting moment, something simr to a sense of achievement appeared on his face.


    Even he didn''t know how he had managed to get so far without being caught, but it was all for this moment. He gave it his all, even using his bloodline to increase his speed even more.


    He had already shown some of his speed when he dodged the professor but no one knew that it wasn''t the extent to how fast he could be. He kept his real abilities hidden, including his real speed which he revealed only now.


    Before Mist coulde to her senses, Eren was behind Sera. His left arm was wrapped around her waist while his right hand was grabbing on to her next.


    Standing behind her, he was practically hugging her, intentionally being so close that not even wind could pass through them. With this, no one could attack him unless they wanted to hurt Sera as well.


    The people who were stunned at Eren''s ignorance when he held Mist''s hand were now absolutely shocked. Even the professors who were standing close couldn''t react in time before Eren took Sera hostage.


    The others were still in disbelief when Eren jumped back from the first floor, still holding onto Sera who didn''t know that it was Eren. Hended on the ground floor near the legendary tier testing stone.


    "You''re not going anywhere!" Mist finally came to her senses, seething in rage. The entire academy trembled as a terrifying pressure descended on the entire academy.


    With the heavy pressure, many of the students passed out, some even dying on spot. The others dropped to their knees, blooding out of their eyes, nose and ears.


    Only the Professors in the first floor were still standing but even they looked like they were under pressure. As for the group floor, there were only four people who were still standing


    The first person was Eldric, which wasn''t shocking as he had Magic Nullification which also nullified Aura. The second person was the professor in charge of the test.


    The other two people were none other than Eren who was standing, even though most of the pressure was targeting him to the point that a crater appeared beneath his knees that refused to bend.


    Thest person was Mist''s daughter who was strangely unaffected, clearly having some sort of treasure to protect her. Otherwise, Mist would never have released her aura without aim.


    Eren could protect himself from releasing his own Sword Emperor''s Aura which could even counter an Overlord''s aura. However, he wasn''t here to expose his identity!


    Sword Emperor''s Aura had more uses in the future. He couldn''t burn that bridge now.


    Another reason he didn''t use that was because Sera had already experienced the Sword Emperor''s Aura when he destroyed the Asura Sect. This little girl was there, trying to steal something from the treasury.


    If he used that now, even if he used that on his own body, it could still be felt by her as she was so close. It was impossible for someone to not recognise it as it was so distinct


    He was the Hero of her story. He couldn''t let her know that he was also a viin now.


    Blood trickled out of his nose as the pressure of an Overlord was nothing to scoff at. He could even feel his body being destroyed from the inside under the pressure.


    "Shall we see if I die first or your daughter?" He asked as he tightened his grip around Sera''s throat even as his body was under extreme pressure.


    He didn''t want to hurt Sera, but to fool Mist, he had to first fool himself. With his grip tightening around Sera''s throat, she gasped for breath.


    "Stop!" Mist roared, quickly retracting her aura. The Students who were almost passed out sighed in relief as they remained on the floor. Just when they felt that their brains were going to explode, it stopped.


    "What do you want?! Do you want treasures? I will give you more than you can count! Do you want authority? I will make you the King of a Nation! Just release her!"


    Mist clenched her fist. Even though she had all the strength in the world, it was nothing if she was going to lose her daughter! The most important thing to her was to get her daughter freed.


    ''Making me a king by giving me a nation? As if that will keep me safe from your wrath that''s going to target me after I release her,'' Eren thought. ''As for artifacts, does she even have anything that can protect me from an Overlord wanting to kill me?''


    ''Wait a minute, doesn''t she...'' His eyes suddenly lit up as he thought of something.


    He was so excited at the possibility that his heartbeat fastened. She did say that she was willing to give him everything. Everything also included the thing that he needed the most!


    At first he only came here to take Mist''s daughter for a few days to keep her busy in search of her, not giving her time to interfere in the matters of the Eastern Continent. But this had truly opened an even more special door for him.


    He really couldn''t believe that he didn''t think of it when making this n?

 Chapter 282: Chapter 282: What I want

    "There is certainly one thing that I want," Eren said, realizing what a previous and unexpected opportunity he had received.


    The Professor looked at Eren like he was an idiot.


    Even though he had offended Mist by kidnapping her daughter, he was still greedy enough to demand a treasure? Did he think he could survive after using treasures?


    Most of them were looking at him like a fool who put his life on the line for greed. Still, it was for the best.


    If they could retrieve Sera by giving him a treasure, that was the best solution. As for how to deal with himter, Mist was going to take care of that personally.


    "What is it that you want?" Mist asked, not hesitating in the slightest. It didn''t matter what he asked for. She was going to give him anything as long as she could take her daughter back.


    Still, that didn''t mean she was going to let him go unpunished. This man dared toy his hand on her daughter.


    She had already nned to hang his head at the entrance of the Academy, setting an example on what happens if someone targets her daughter. However, she first needed to take her daughter back for that.


    "Shouldn''t you at least try to hide that bloodlust in your eyes, old friend?" Eren asked, tilting his head in amusement.


    He could clearly see that she was already nning to rip him apart. He would have really been scared if he already didn''t have a route to escape.


    The entire reason he chose to kidnap Sera at this moment was precisely because of the reward that had already appeared in front of him.


    [You havepleted the Selected Option]


    [You have been awarded an Escape Talisman (Epic Tier)]


    A talisman appeared in his inventory which was already open next to him. All he needed to do was to bring out the talisman and activate it to leave with Mist''s daughter.


    He knew that normal talismans wouldn''t have helped him escape with all the restrictions around the Academy, but the reward from the System hadn''t failed him yet.


    It was also rare to have a Talisman categorized as Rare Tier. He was sure that it could help him escape even in this situation, which was why he didn''t hesitate in poking Mist.


    Even if she looked like she wanted to kill him and drink his blood, what could she even do if she couldn''t find him?


    "Old Friend?" Mist''s eyes narrowed. She didn''t understand why this man was calling her an old friend as if they knew each other. She didn''t recall someone like him.


    The other Professors were also confused, wondering if the man was indeed Mist''s friend.


    ''Another friend?'' Eldric silently observed the scene, not interfering in the slightest. If anything, he looked like he was enjoying the sight of Mist''s distress.


    "Who are you?" Mist realized something. The person definitely wasn''t who he imed to be. She even thought that he was in disguise.


    Normally, ordinary disguise shouldn''t have worked in front of her. And there were only a few treasures that could help someone disguise to this extent, all being rarer than finding a Unicorn.


    "You know, I am quite hurt. How can you forget me? Don''t you remember the time when we used to run around the continents, ying hide and seek?" Eren smiled, burning Mist''s curiosity even more.


    She was quite confused. Who was this person? Was he just messing with her?


    There were only two people that she chased after, and one of them was dead. As for the second one... He couldn''t use any abilities anymore, so it couldn''t be him either. Then who was it?


    "How sad," Eren started changing his physique again, making it appear as if he was revealing his real look when he was simply disguising into another look.


    Slowly, his body started changing. His hair also changed color, bing darker. His face also became more slender and sharp, and his skin became paler.


    In just a few seconds, he had changed into another person''s appearancepletely.


    "This is..." Not just Mist but almost every person on the first floor was taken aback, some even taking a step back in shock.


    Although years had passed since that time, they hadn''t forgotten the identity of this person. There used to be a time when just the name of this person used to scare anyone.


    He wasn''t known in just the Southern Continent but across all four continents. It was Devourer, the person that was imed to be able to be the next Overlord.


    Mist''s expressions also twisted as she saw the face of the person. "This is impossible. You should be..."


    "Dead?" Erenpleted her sentence with a mocking gaze. "Did you really think I will die before people like you?"


    In the entire ce, there were only a few people who didn''t recognise Eren''s new face. They were the students who were either not born at that time or weren''t old enough.


    There was also Eldric who was simply confused. Who could make Mist react like this? He couldn''t recognise Eren as he wasn''t alive when Devourer made his appearance.


    If he was, then with his strength and Anti Magic Physique, it would have created an entirely different picture.


    The Prophet was also taken aback.


    ''Why is everyone so shocked? Who is he?'' he thought, confused.


    "I think you understand what I want?" Eren asked, implying that there was only one thing he could be here for.


    As he didn''t really know what was the thing that was said to help him in his journey to unseal his old cultivation, he couldn''t directly ask her to hand it over.


    Instead, he made her think about what he wanted.


    "It''s been too long since he has been sealed. I think it''s about time for him to be free as well," he added to make sure she didn''t have any room to misunderstand his words.

 Chapter 283: Chapter 283: Sorry, I have weak hearing.

    As soon as Eren implied what he wanted, Mist''s expression turned grim.


    If the Devourer was a problem that could be ssified as dangerous, then there was another person who truly embodied the term ''Nightmare.''


    Even with the four Overlords working together, they had been defeated by him. This was a secret known to almost no one in the world, except for the Four Overlords and the Devourer.


    Without the aid of ''those people,'' Mist was certain the four Overlords would have died while attempting to seal him.


    How could she help that person, especially since it seemed he had already begun to recover? If she did, and he fully regained his strength, would they stand a chance of surviving?


    No, even before considering their own survival, what if ''those people'' discovered her actions? For the first time in a long while, Mist felt deeply conflicted.


    "Even if I give it to you, it can''t be used to help him. I''m sure you already know it needs the help of all four Overlords that sealed him. I''m just the one holding it, but I''m not the key," Mist answered, trying to sway Eren.


    "Instead of going so far, why not tell us where he is hiding? I promise, all your previous crimes will be forgiven. We will even ept you as an Overlord and arrange a meeting with him for you!"


    ''A meeting with him? Who is she talking about?'' Eren was somewhat confused but he didn''t let it show on his face.


    The way Mist talked about it, it was clear that Devourer was supposed to know about it. He couldn''t just ask her who she was talking about.


    At the same time, he couldn''t ept her demand. She was literally asking him to hand himself over so he could be killed and then he was going to get rewarded with a meeting?


    ''Isn''t that the same as receiving a coffin as reward after dying? What would I do with her rewards if I''m dead?''


    Eren didn''t believe her words entirely. They weren''t friends so they didn''t have any reason to be truthful. He was more prone to believing that she was still trying to trick him.


    "I think you are misunderstanding a little. I''m not here to request. I''m here to demand. If you need your daughter back, give that to me." Eren didn''t let Mist take the initiative.


    "Or else, I might identally fail to control my strength and crush that neck. It can be even worse if I try to devour her," he said, realizing that he was the one who had the upper hand.


    Mist bit her lower lips, almost making them bleed in frustration as she watched her daughter''s face turn pale due to suffocation.


    "Fine! I will bring it to you!" Mist said, unable to control her voice that was brimming with anger.


    She turned around and disappeared. As long as she could get her daughter back, she was willing to give that thing to him. In any case, he couldn''t take it outside. As long as he released her daughter, she could take it back along with the life of the bastard who was supposed to be dead.


    She appeared in her room in front of the safe that only she could open. There was no lock or keys to open the safe. It didn''t even need to scan anything.


    The only way to open the safe was to use her abilities which no one could copy.


    She soon opened the thick door of the safe that was strong enough to survive even the strongest attack of the First Hero, at least for a few minutes.


    "I knew I shouldn''t have left it to the Necromancer bastard! This time, I will make sure that he stays dead!"


    She pulled out a small red box from the treasury that was so small that it fit her palm.


    Looking at it, no one could have guessed that it contained something so important.


    ....


    Back in the main arena, there was absolute silence in the absence of Mist. Even the professors didn''t say anything in an attempt to convince Eren. If Mist couldn''t do that, how could they?


    They even worried that they might annoy Eren and make him hurt Sera, the me of which could fall on their head.


    On the first floor, Prophet came closer to another professor.


    He asked, "Who is he?"


    Although the Professor was surprised that the Prophet who had the ability to see the future didn''t know about that person or this incident.


    Still, the person in question was Devourer so he simply gave credit to some unknown ability of Devourer which protected him.


    The Professor whispered in response, "He is Devourer. I am sure you heard about him."


    ''Devourer? How is he still alive? I am sure the book said that he was killed by Necromancer Tower Master. How can he be here?''


    Even if the future was changed with his appearance, how could the past itself change? There were only two possibilities. Either the book was wrong or the person in front of him wasn''t Devourer.


    While he was still pondering over it, Mist returned. She appeared in front of Eren on the ground floor, keeping only ten meters of distance between them to be close enough to catch him after the exchange while also not scaring him.


    ''Is that it?''


    Eren looked at the small red box in Mist''s hand. His heartbeat started getting faster. Finally, he didn''t have to rely on the temporary unseal talismans.


    "Return my daughter first, and I will give it to you," Mist said, raising her hand to reveal the small red box that was made from unknown Materials.


    Eren tightened the grip around Sera''s throat. "I am sorry, I seem to have weak hearing. Did you say something?"


    Mist bit her lower lips as she clenched her fist.


    She tossed the small red box to Eren who removed his other hand from Sera''s waist and caught the red box.

 Chapter 284: Chapter 284: The Key

    Eren caught the small red box. As soon as the box ended up in his hand, he felt a strange yet familiar sensation within his body.


    There was definitely something really familiar inside his body that his blood appeared to be craving for.


    "I gave you what you wanted. Return my daughter now!" Mist told Eren who was looking at the small box with great fascination.


    Just because he felt like there was something familiar inside, he didn''t believe that it was what he needed just because of that. He used Identification on the red box.


    [You have used Identification]


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Name: ###### Box


    Grade: Unknown


    Description: A box created by ######.


    Seal Status: 4/4


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    ''Unknown grade box?'' Eren was quite taken aback by the description of the item.


    It was the second time he had seen an unknown grade thing, the first time being his own bloodline that still hadn''t awakened entirely.


    The description of the item didn''t give him much detail, even the name of the creator being blurred. The description also didn''t tell the purpose of the box, only telling about its creation.


    He didn''t understand what he was going to do with that information when even the name of the creator wasn''t mentioned properly.


    The only thing that was even worth the slightest importance was thest line in the status screen which showed that there were four seals on the box.


    Even though the description didn''t outright confirm if what he needed was inside or not, the implications were clear. What else could have four seals while being an unknown ranked item?


    As for the four seals, he also had a rough idea about what it was. There were four Overlords, coincidentally being the same number as the seals.


    "Are you sure you don''t have anything else to give me?" he asked Mist, his eyes narrowing. He really hoped that Mist had all four keys but it felt unlikely as he gazed at the new screen that had appeared before him.


    [Congrattions. You have triggered the main quest line. You have received new Options for Path of Conqueror]


    [Option One: Take a drop of fresh blood of all four Overlords to remove the seals on the box


    Reward: Bloodline of Time (Legendary Rank)]


    [Option Two: Abandon the box and focus on leveling to reach level 50.


    Reward: Level +10]


    [Option Three: Convince Mist to side with you, without using any form of ckmail.


    Reward: Favor Token (Mist)]


    [Option Four: Convince Eldric to side with you, turning him into your subordinate.


    Reward: Pendant of Strength (10 Uses)]


    Even though Identification didn''t tell him about how to open the box but the Options told him everything he needed to know.


    The only way to open the box was to use the blood of the people that had sealed that box in the first ce, which was the four Overlords.


    He knew he had been lucky recently but even with luck, it was impossible for Mist to have the blood of any other Overlord. In the first ce, it was impossible to make any Overlord bleed through normal means.


    Mist narrowed her eyes, slightly surprised as Eren appeared to know what he was talking about.


    "I know about blood. So there is no point in being clever about it," Eren continued, being even more clear. Now that he knew what he needed, he didn''t have to be vague about it.


    Mist frowned. She already guessed that the person in front of her knew what was needed to open the box, or he wouldn''t havee here.


    She bit her finger with her teeth, making it bleed. The drop of blood flew straight to Eren, falling on top of the red box.


    The box shone for a moment before returning to the normal shade. Its status changed a little, showing that only three more seals were left on it.


    [Seal Status: 3/4]


    "I did everything you asked. It''s time for you to keep your promise!" Mist insisted as the wound on his finger healed, visible to the naked eye.


    This was the healing ability of Mist which made her even more annoying to seal with. She didn''t need any potion or spell to heal herself like the other Overlords.


    "Are you in such a hurry to make me leave?" Eren asked innocently as if he had been hurt by her behavior.


    While distracting her, he moved his hand behind his back, keeping the red box in his inventory while bringing out the epic tier Talisman out.


    In the distance, Eldric saw everything. However, he only saw it as Eren making one thing disappear in thin air and another appear.


    He was curious about Eren''s real identity or affiliation. Seeing his skill, the only thing he could confirm was that Eren was not from the Eastern or Western Continent as the two used objects like storage rings to keep things, not magic.


    Only the Northern Mages and a few rare heroes in the South had the ability like this. Still, it had nothing to do with him. He had no reason to intervene. He was only enjoying the spectacle.


    "Remember the good times where we used to y hide and seek? I used to hide and you used to search for me?" Eren asked as he slowly released his grip around Sera''s throat.


    Looking at his actions, Mist was slightly relieved as it looked like he was about to leave Sera. She was even prepared to react as soon as that happened.


    Eren''s hand slid down Sera''s throat as soon as he released her throat. His hand moved to her corbone, sliding down.


    "What are you doing?!" Mist eximed in shock, watching his hand slice down. "Do you have a death wish?!"


    Fortunately, Eren''s hands stopped right before they were about to touch something softer. Inside of grabbing her breasts like Mist and the others assumed, he grabbed the pendants that were hanging around her neck, pulling them off.


    He quickly tossed the pendants that could be used to track Sera away while activating the Escape Talisman.


    Sera was stunned and tried to run but Eren grabbed her by the waist, preventing her from running away.


    Mist reacted as she realized what Eren''s intentions were. He never intended to release her daughter. She rushed forward but she wasn''t faster than Eren''s Talisman.


    "Let''s y hide and seek again, for old time''s sake." All she heard was Eren''s voice as he disappeared with Sera while her body passed through an afterimage.

 Chapter 285: Chapter 285: How is it him?

    Mist reached out, her fingers grasping at nothing but air. The rage in her eyes was unmistakable to everyone who saw her. Her roar echoed through the entire arena and reverberated across the continent, her aura shooting straight into the sky.


    The people across the continent felt as though a monster had descended from the heavens. Even the leaders of the nations in the Western Continent felt the suffocating sensation.


    The professors around Mist remained silent, well aware of the danger in provoking her wrath at a time like this. They watched her leave, disappearing into the unknown, seemingly to find her daughter.


    Even after Mist left, the people did not feel relieved. The entire day had been overwhelming. First, someone with the abilities of the first hero had appeared. Then, the Devourer had shown up, and now Mist''s daughter had been kidnapped?


    They could only imagine the consequences if Sera were harmed. Furthermore, if news spread that Mist''s daughter was kidnapped right before her eyes, she might even be aughingstock in the other continents.


    They knew that they couldn''t let this news spread out. The Professors were never going to leak this news but the same couldn''t be said about the students who saw everything.


    "Take them to her. Let her erase their memories of thest few hours," one of the Senior Professors said, sighing. "The exams will be dyed for now."


    "She can remove most of their memories but what are we going to do about him? Doesn''t he have Magic Nullification?" Another Professor chimed in, casting a nce at Eldric who was the only person that waspletely unaffected by everything that happened.


    Even the Professors were covered in cold sweat, their face pale with the constant pressure of an Overlord that they could still feel. Eldric, on the other hand, couldn''t even feel it.


    Many of the Professors even felt jealous of his Magic Nullification.


    "Leave him be. I doubt he will fail the exams in any case. He will be staying at the academy. I''ll personally make sure he understands," the Senior Professor said while jumping down to the ground floor.


    Normally, in this situation, the Vice Dean should have taken control of the situation. However, recently everyone found out that the Vice Dean had been long dead.


    The position waspletely vacant so many people wondered who was going to take that position. It all depended on how they performed at a time like this.


    ''Did he say his name was Devourer?'' Eldric thought, looking at a small ball made from paper.


    No one saw it but just before he disappeared, he tossed this ball of paper towards him. At first, he even though it was an attack but he was able to easily catch it. There was nothing special in it.


    He opened the small ball of paper to reveal a crumbled paper on which only one sentence was written.


    "Second life is fun, isn''t it?"


    Eldric''s eyes narrowed as he read the sentence in the paper.


    "How interesting."


    He crushed the paper in his hand before keeping it in his pocket.


    .....


    In the middle of nowhere, winds suddenly intensified. A low hum could be heard as the spatial energy suddenly started flickering. The buzzing sound grew louder, resonating with the space in the surroundings.


    The spatial energy flickered erratically, forming spatial cracks all around that turned the dark surroundings much brighter.


    Soon, with a sudden blinding sh, a portal tore open the fabric of reality. From the chaotic essence within the portal, Sera tumbled out, hitting the ground with a thud, falling on her hips.


    Right after, another figure fell out. Eren was taken aback with how chaotic the portal had been, especially whenpared to the ones formed by Yelen.


    Even though he had traveled through space alone with the help of Sect Master''s ring, that was always short range portals. This was the first time he had gone through a spatial tunnel which took him farther without Yelen.


    Eren fell out of the portal. It all happened so fast that before he could react, he had already touched the ground.


    He felt as if his head had been nted in the middle of something soft. For a moment, he even wondered why the ground was so soft. However, it didn''t take him long to realize the reason.


    The reason his face did not hurt, even though he fell face first, was Sera.


    He had not fallen on the ground but on top of Sera. Fortunately, she had an extremely strong body. She had almost killed the Poison Dragon with bare fists.


    Still, he quickly raised his head, realizing that his line of sight was wrong. When he looked straight ahead, he saw her slightly revealed cleavage.


    He had to raise his head a little to look at Sera who was lying there with her eyes closed, unmoving.


    Looking at her like that, he wondered if she was actually fine or not. When even he was in such a mess with this chaotic mode of travel, it made sense for her to not be fine.


    Still, he really hoped that she hadn''t just died. Mist was going to be really furious if that happened.


    He ced his ear over her chest as he was already in the perfect position for that.


    "It''s beating. She is alive." He sighed in relief as he pushed his body up. "She really scared me. Then again, it''s good that she didn''t see it. She really must have misunderstood me."


    He moved away from her body, scratching the back of his head.


    As long as Sera was alive, it was fine. Although he had infuriated Mist, he really didn''t want to imagine what that monster might be like if she actually lost her daughter forever.


    If anything, he was already nning to return Sera a few dayster when everything in the Sect had settled.


    He looked down at Sera, wondering if he should wake her up. If anything, it was much easier to keep her asleep. He was sure she was going to do something stupid if she woke up.


    "I suppose I should keep her in the Spirit Realm where she will be safe. But I can''t let her see the Spirits involvement. For that reason, please sleep for three more days," he said, bringing out a pill that could put a person to sleep for three days without causing any adverse effects.


    If anything, the pill was only going to improve their body, strengthening it even more. As he was using her, he thought he should give her some benefits as well so he didn''t owe her anything.


    Bringing out the pill, he stepped forward. He went down on his knees next to her, opening her lips.


    "What are you doing to that girl?! You bastard, release her!"


    Before Eren could ce the pill in Sera''s mouth, a voice came from the distance, belonging to a man.


    "It has nothing to do with you," Eren said, slowly looking back towards the source of that voice, only to be shocked as he saw the person.


    ''The fck? How is it him? Does that mean I am in¡­''

 Chapter 286: Chapter 286: Devouring the Divine?

    Eren looked behind, finding a man that he had seen before. His expressions turned darker at the sight of the person especially since this was someone that he had met before.


    It was someone who knew him as an Elder of the Great Demon Sect, also the one who had felt his Sword Emperor''s Aura. More than the identity of the person, Eren was surprised by what he represented.


    As it was this person, he was certain that he was not in the Southern Continent Anymore. He was not in the Eastern Continent either.


    The man was dressed in a pure white robe that was covered in golden symbols of the Holy Church. He had short blonde hair that matched perfectly with his simrly colored pupils.


    He appeared no older than thirty, shrouded in divine energy.


    He was Archbishop Nathaniel that hade to the Eastern Continent, carrying the invitation from the Holy Priestess.


    He was quite strong in the Eastern Continent itself but in the Western Continent, his strength had touched apletely new realm as he was under the protection of their goddess.


    That protection onlysted inside the Domain of the Goddess, which was the entire Western Continent.


    That''s why those from the Western Continent rarely left the continent unless absolutely necessary. That''s also why they hadn''t actually invaded the Northern Continent despite their enmity.


    Eren would like to believe that the man was again visiting the Eastern Continent but it was clear that it wasn''t the case. Just the amount of divine energy around him was enough to prove it. It couldn''t be carried to another continent.


    Even Eren had not expected an Epic Tier Escape Talisman to be so strong that it could bring him to an entirely different continent.


    It was simr to the life saving treasure of the Main Character of the Eastern Continent which had made him that confident.


    "I asked you a question. In the holynd, how dare you attempt such a heinous crime?" The Archbishop asked, holding on to a golden staff that was asrge as him.


    Eren hadn''t seen him with that staff before, but he could feel that the staff was making him even stronger. It was definitely a treasure of the Western Continent that seemed to have some divine energy inside it.


    "No, don''t hit him!" Eren suddenly eximed, reaching out his hand towards the Archbishop, as if trying to protect him from someone.


    Stunned, the Archbishop suddenly turned around. The moment he looked back, he was taken aback as there was no one behind him.


    "What are you-"


    Thud~


    Before he could finish his sentence, a rock struck the back of his head with a bang, knocking him out.


    With a thud, his body fell on the ground while the rock crumbled in Eren''s hands. Fortunately, the priest wasn''t physically strong like Sera.


    "I can''t believe that there are still people who fall for such an old trick," Eren pondered as he reached out his hand to pick up the golden staff, only to notice that the grip of Nathaniel had tightened around the staff.


    The golden energy around his body healed his body, making him open his eyes.


    "You do not repent. You do not deserve the mercy of Goddess Freya. Please enter the cycle of reincarnation ande out as a better person in your next life." Nathaniel said as his body started rising in the air, supported by the Divine Energy.


    "And here I thought, I wouldn''t have to kill you," Eren watched Nathaniel rise in the air. If it was him from the time he first met Nathaniel, he really would have thought about escaping.


    Now, it was different. So what if Nathaniel was stronger at his home than when they first met? He was also stronger now. If anything, he had be much stronger ever since he crossed the second and third great wall of leveling.


    An Archbishop in the Holy Church was strong, but they weren''t as strong as the Cardinals or even the High Archbishops.


    By Eastern Continent''s standards, a Cardinal was roughly equivalent to the Ancestral Elders in the Great Demon Sect. The High Archbishops wereparable to the stronger Great Elders.


    As Nathaniel wasn''t a High Archbishop yet, then his strength could still be considered at the bottom amongst all Archbishops.


    Hence, even with the Protection of the Goddess, Nathaniel had only reached the level of a Great Elder inparison, and that too barely.


    At first, he didn''t want to seriously hurt Nathaniel as they didn''t have much enmity. That''s why, he only tried to knock him out. However, with him using his divine energy, it was only a matter of time before others came around.


    He didn''t have time to be gentle with him anymore.


    "You should have kept sleeping." Eren said, letting out a sigh. Under his breath, he used the Dragon Tongue to further remove his physical limitations, including increasing his speed.


    "A sinner like you doesn''t have any right to-" Nathaniel said, only toe to a sudden halt as he looked down.


    Eren had disappeared from the distance. At the same time, a dragon-like w wasing out of his chest.


    Eren floated behind him, as if standing in the air just like him.


    "As I said, you really should have slept. Then I wouldn''t have to do this. I hope you don''t me me when you enter the Cycle of Reincarnation you talk about." Grabbing his heart, Eren pulled out his w.


    "I really thought that you would be our guide when we came here on the invitation. Looks like they''ll have to arrange a new guide for us," Eren mumbled under his breath as Nathaniel looked back in disbelief.


    "Y-you are..."


    Looking back, all he saw was Eren taking a bite of his heart while his vision turned darker.


    As his body started falling down, he heard one fleeting sentence.


    "I wonder what''s stronger. The Divine Protection or Devouring?"


    "Hmm?" As soon as Eren took the first bite of Nathaniel''s heart, the Holy Priestess suddenly opened her eyes while the statue in front of her trembled.

 Chapter 287: Chapter 287: Sea Dragon Empress, the Collateral Damage

    In an unknown corner of the Western Continent, Eren took a bite from a heart that had a trace of some Divine Power.


    Although he did not believe in the existence of gods in the world he came from, he could not deny the history of this world.


    In this world, there were Mythical Beasts, humans who could destroy mountains with a finger and even heroes who could break apart space whenever they wanted. In a world like this, he could not deny the existence of the gods either.


    "I wonder if the Author could also be considered a god in this world?" he wondered after finishing the heart.


    As he could not afford to wait here, he did not have time to check the changes inside him either. He quickly rushed towards Sera while calling Yelen to take him back.


    He had just killed an Archbishop, and that too in the Western Continent. He didn''t want to stay behind to see just what kind of force was going to be brought here to take care of him.


    For now, his priority was only to leave this ce.


    He raised the head of Sera and ced the sleeping pill in her mouth. The pill immediately melted inside her mouth, being absorbed inside her body.


    "I will exin everythingter. For now, take me back," Eren said without even looking back at Yelen. He just picked up Sera over his shoulder.


    Yelen looked at the corpse of Nathaniel. She did not need much exnation. Even though Eren did not know about it, she could still see everything that he had done through the mark on his hand.


    She opened a portal connecting back to the Spirit Realm, telling Eren that they could enter anytime they were ready.


    Eren stood at the entrance of the spatial portal, standing next to Yelen. He looked back at the forest around him.


    Taking a deep sigh, he said a single word using the Dragon Tongue. "mes."


    Following the word, he entered the portal which closed behind him.


    After closing, the portal disappeared but a bright me was left behind that started spreading around the forest, erasing all their traces. Amidst the mes, even the connection to the Spirit Realm could be erased.


    The traces of Spatial Portal to the Spirit Realm were already minute as Yelen opened it. She was very skillful in suppressing the presence. Still, even the small presence that was left behind was suppressed by the Dragon Tongue.


    Eren used a stronger trace to bury a weaker trace. Even if someone was skillful enough, they could only link this incident to the Sea Dragons which had nothing to do with him or the Spirits.


    It was his way of leaving a gift for an old friend that had almost killed him on the sea.


    ...


    "Hmm? A fire?"


    A few minutes after Eren left, the forest was already covered in mes. In the distance, a woman watched the bright mes that cast a warm shadow on her face.


    "Is that Dragon Tongue?" she mumbled, her voice growing a little surprised. "I thought I told all the Sea Dragons to stay in the Empire? Did someone ignore my orders?"


    If Eren was here, he would have been surprised to see that woman as she was none other than the Sea Dragon Empress that had tried to kill him before.


    As per the guidance of the Prophet, she had entered the Western Continent to find the Celestial Dragon''s heart.


    It was also a perfect n of the Prophet. Through this, both of them could get what they wanted. However, none of them realized that they had both been screwed over by Eren.


    In his attempt to distract Mist for a few days, Eren had affected the ns of quite a few people without even realizing.


    "Where are you, young one! Show yourself to your Queen!" The Sea Dragon Empress spoke, her voice echoing in the surroundings.


    Her words were followed by a long period of silence. The silence was only broken when she felt the presence of another person who had appeared behind her silently.


    The presence was so small that it was barely noticeable. If she didn''t have heightened Dragon Senses, even the Sea Dragon Empress would not have noticed it.


    The Sea Dragon Empress turned around, noticing a young man in a long ck robe standing in the distance. Even though the robe was dark, it was brimming with a divine aura that was even stronger than one on Nathaniel''s Staff.


    On his robe, there were Divine Marks that showed his affiliation to the Holy Church.


    "What is a Cardinal doing here?" Sea Dragon Empress asked, recognising the person through the symbols.


    "Shall we take your actions as dering a War against the Divine Religion?" The Cardinal asked, noticing the burning corpse of Nathaniel in the distance.


    Not even a few seconds had passed before another Cardinal appeared behind the Sea Dragon Empress.


    "Please follow us silently if you don''t want any esction. We promise the Goddess will have mercy if you repent."


    The Sea Dragon Empress did not understand what he was talking about, but she also had dignity.


    Observing the Cardinals appearing all around her, her eyes narrowed. "Are you trying to scare me? With just the likes of you?"


    Meanwhile, a portal opened in the middle of the Royal Pce in Spirit Realm.


    Eren stepped out of the portal, not even knowing what consequences his small gift had left behind for the Sea Dragon Empress.


    Because of his slight deflection, two Cardinals had died and even Sea Dragon Empress was left injured following the arrival of the Holy Emperor.


    At the end, the Sea Dragon Empress was forced to leave, expecting the arrival of the Holy Priestess.


    It was an incident that had caused a sensation across all four continents.


    Many people wondered what the Sea Dragon Empress wanted. First she attacked the Southern Continent and now the Western Continent?


    The Sea Dragon Empress was also left confused. She even wondered if the Holy Empress had turned against her because she realized her aim.


    None of the four Overlords would have allowed her to remove the seals on their Bloodline through the Celestial Dragon''s heart after all.


    She even suspected the Prophet, remaining oblivious to the fact that she was just a coteral damage who was at the wrong ce at the wrong time.

 Chapter 288: Chapter 288: Yelens Kiss

    "Arrange a room for her. She will sleep for the next three days. Before that, I will return and send her back."


    Eren stepped out of the portal, his head a little dizzy. He almost stumbled, only to be supported by Yelen, who was walking next to him.


    "Are you alright?" Yelen asked, concern evident on her face. "You look a little pale."


    "I''m fine. Just a little dizzy after going through the portal." Eren handed Sera to Felona while walking towards the throne, the world around him spinning.


    After the initial struggle, Eren reached the throne and sat down, feeling his heart racing ufortably.


    "What is happening to me? Every time I go through the portals, it feels even worse," Eren wondered out loud, before bringing out some water from his inventory to drink.


    He put the empty bottle aside, which fell on the ground.


    ''I thought it was just the long distance Escape Talisman, but it''s the same with Yelen as well. Is something wrong with me?'' he thought, while closing his eyes.


    He slid his body to the side and rested his head over the armrest, trying to calm his beating heartbeat and the sick feeling inside his heart.


    He didn''t even take two portals one after another yet he was a mess. For a moment, he even felt likeughing.


    On one hand, he was on the same level as the Great Elders. On the other hand, he could not even use portals without feeling sick.


    He did not understand the reason behind it. Was it a side effect that he inherited with one of the Bloodlines? Or was it something that Ren Necroline had in the first ce which was only getting worse with time?


    While Eren was lying with his eyes closed, he felt a pair of soft hands around his cheeks.


    "I hope you feel better soon," a soft voice came, belonging to Yelen.


    "Are you saying that as a Guardian? Don''t worry. I won''t die," Eren smiled, even though his face was a little pale.


    "I''m saying that as a friend," Felona answered, surprising Eren.


    "Do you really think of me as a friend?" Eren asked after a brief period of silence.


    "Do you not like the thought of being my friend?" Felona countered, momentarily appearing a bit disappointed. "Then again, you are a human. It would make sense for you to hate a Spirit."


    Eren went silent. It was true that humans and the Spirits were entirely different existences. Spirits were not ghosts but they were seen as ghosts by many humans who knew about them.


    It was even worse as the Spirits needed live force to be summoned which made them be perceived as worse.


    Some of the Spirits were even used for bad things, just like how Xiu Ying identally annihted an entire city through a Spirit.


    Disappointed, Yelen took her hand off his cheeks. However, since she could actually move her hands away, Eren held her hands.


    He brought her hands closer to his lips and kissed them gently while asking, "What if I want to be more than a friend?"


    "Don''t you already have Xiu Ying?" Yelen asked, her voice barely audible.


    Eren had nothing to respond. There was absolute silence for a moment.


    [Congrattions. You have triggered new options]


    [Option One: Convince Yelen that you are serious and kiss her.


    Reward: Unlocked Spirit Form (Unique)]


    [Option Two: Tell Yelen that she is right and release her hands. ept that it is best to just be friends and nothing more.


    Reward: Spirit Inheritance Talisman (Rare)]


    [Option Three: Silence is the best answer. Don''t say anything in response.


    Reward: Three Tier Divine Sword Technique (High Tier)]


    [Option Four: Tell Yelen that she is a mere Guardian Spirit. Her job is to follow yourmands and ept everything you say, not question your words!


    Rewards: Spirit Guardian Dominance Talisman (Rare)]


    With a blurry vision, Eren read through the options. As he read them, there was absolute silence, which appeared slightly ufortable after Yelen''s question.


    "I thought so," Yelen pulled her hand back from Eren''s hands. "I will check up on Felona to see if she made proper arrangements for Sera."


    She turned to leave, only to hear the sound of footsteps behind her.


    Confused, she turned around, watching Eren standing before her. "What are you doing? You should rest."


    She reached out her hand to guide Eren back, only to have her hand be grabbed by Eren who pulled her closer.


    Yelen''s eyes widened as she felt Eren''s warm lips touch her lips. The lips refused to move, as if trying to greedily devour her lips. Before she realized it, her eyes had closed, letting Eren do as he pleased.


    After a long time, their lips separated as Eren moved his head back.


    "Does that answer your question?" he asked.


    Yelen looked at him in a daze, short of breath. Her slightly swollen lips parted as she tried to say something but before she could utter a single word, her lips were kissed again while Eren''s hands moved down her back.


    [Congrattions. You havepleted a Selected Option]


    [You have unlocked a Spirit Form]


    [Spirit Form creation has begun]


    [Oncepleted, you can enter a Spirit Warrior form unique to yourself whenever desired, at the cost of a small share of your life span]


    [Spirit Form Completion: 0.1%]


    [0.5%]


    [1%]


    [2%]


    [5%]


    [8%]


    [11%]


    [15%]


    [19%]


    [21%]


    [27%]


    [35%]


    [39%]


    [45%]


    [49%]


    One after another, notifications kept appearing in Eren''s head as a myriad of screens appeared before him. A loading bar also appeared at the bottom of the screen where the number kept changing with each passing second.


    However, he was not in a situation to care about them, immersed in something much better.


    Initially, his head was still hurting but he didn''t understand why, the moment he started kissing Yelen, his headache had started improving and so did his condition.


    He was not sure if it was because of Yelen or because of the so-called Spirit Form being granted.


    There were a lot of things for him to ponder about but for now, he was not immediately curious about those things.

 Chapter 289: Chapter 289: Movement of Necromancer Tower

    "Everything is arranged. I have also assigned the Guards to keep an eye on her every second," A sudden voice came from the other side of the door before the door was pushed open.


    Felona stepped inside the Throne Room after finishing the task assigned to her. She was apanied by his daughter, who was the Contracted Spirit of Xiu Ying.


    "Mother, why is her face so red?" The young spirit asked Felona in a low voice, looking at Yelen who also appeared to be out of breath.


    As Eren''s back was turned towards them, she couldn''t see his face. She only saw him walk back towards the Throne, wiping his lips.


    "She was tired because there were someplications in the portal here," Eren said as he sat on the throne, offering a minor exnation.


    Felona didn''t understand what he meant. She was here when Eren and Yelen had arrived. At that time, it wasn''t Yelen who was out of breath but Eren. Why did it feel like the two of them had changed ces suddenly?


    "That aside, I will be leaving this ce. In my absence, it''s your responsibility to keep an eye on the girl I brought. Mostly, she won''t wake up as she''s under the effect of a pill. However, even if she wakes up, make sure she doesn''t realize where she is."


    Eren did not let Felona think much about it, quickly changing the topic. "If possible, don''t let her see any Spirits and don''t let her get hurt."


    "Can I ask who that girl is for you to be so serious about it?" Felona asked, quite curious about the identity of the girl as Eren had very particr demands about how to treat her.


    It was clear that he was hesitant about her getting hurt in the slightest, but if she was that close to him, he wouldn''t have brought her like this. That really made her wonder about the identity of the girl.


    "She is Mist''s daughter. If something happens to her, it will truly spiral out of my control," Eren said, his head feeling a lot better now. Still, he was hesitant about taking the portal right away.


    "Mist''s daughter?" The Spirit Princess eximed in shock. As her mother didn''t involve herself in the matters of the human world, she didn''t know the Overlords by their real names. The Spirit Princess was different.


    She knew who Mist was. It was the name of the Southern Overlord who was said to be extremely protective of her daughter.


    "You kidnapped the daughter of the Southern Overlord?" she eximed in shock.


    "Southern Overlord''s daughter?" Felona was also stunned as she heard her daughter''s words. It became absolutely clear why Eren didn''t want the girl to be hurt or know about the involvement of the Spirits in this matter.


    "Does she know that her daughter is kidnapped?" she asked.


    If the Southern Overlord didn''t know about it yet, then the situation was still better. As long as she didn''t find out about it for the next three days, then they could return the girl without Mist searching for them.


    Eren smiled wryly, realizing what answer Felona was expecting. He thought about trying to phrase his words properly.


    As he prepared his response and attempted to speak, Yelen took the lead. "Why won''t she know? He kidnapped her in front of her eyes."


    As she spoke, she lightly bit her lower lips, Eren''s scent still lingering.


    "He did what?" The Spirit Princess looked in disbelief. "How is he still alive?"


    ''Sometimes even I wonder about that.'' Eren thought but didn''t express his thoughts in the open.


    "Mist can''t track that girl to the Spirit Realm. At least nothing will happen for the next few days so you don''t have to worry about anything. I have left plenty of fake clues to keep her busy for theing days. Just don''t mess up here."


    "What were you thinking when you brought such a dangerous person h-" Spirit Princess Estelina asked, feeling trouble brewing but before she could finish, Felona closed her mouth.


    Estelina was silenced but she was still discontent. Ever since she brought Eren to this world, they never had a week of peace without one thing or another happening one after another.


    "I will follow the instructions and make sure that nothing goes wrong," Felona expressed, slightly surprised at how fast Eren was growing.


    Just recently, he was quite weak. However, now he was so strong that she could even kidnap Mist''s daughter from right before her without using the powers of the Spirit Queen?


    She was quite curious about him as a person. If he was the one behind this n, she believed that she might have considered all the possibilities already.


    They just had to make sure they didn''t spoil his n. In any case, they couldn''t go against his words.


    "You have been working hard." Eren could see how good Felona was. She was the perfect proxy to rule over the Spirit Realm in his stead that he could have asked for.


    Unlike Estelina and the short tempered generals, she was much wiser and knew how to adjust ording to the situation.


    "Have there been any movements from the Necromancer Tower?" Eren asked, remembering that it had been quite some time since he heard about the Necromancer Tower.


    He had killed an important member of the Necromancer Tower in the Spirit Realm.


    He even expected their entire force to barge inside to have revenge and crush the Spirit Realm but until now, he hadn''t heard anything about it.


    He wondered if it didn''t happen or Felona had been taking care of it on her own without troubling him.


    "None. Ever since that day, not a single invasion took ce for some strange reason," Felona exined. "Thanks to the temporary peace, we have remade the border city and strengthened it as well."


    "Of course they don''te. They are scared. Especially without that strange jar, they can''t restrict the Spirits," Estelina proudly stated. "If it wasn''t for that jar, even then we would''ve taken care of that Lich without needing help."

 Chapter 290: Chapter 290: Isnt the Villain?

    As she spoke, she cast a re towards Eren who ording to her took advantage of the situation to take over the Spirit Realm.


    "If you think that''s the case then you really underestimate the Necromancer Tower," Eren replied to the young girl who really didn''t know much about the Necromancer Tower.


    If she thought that the Lich with the Jar was strong then she was really ignorant to the real strength of the Necromancer Tower. If this was the level of their strength then they wouldn''t have been ruling over the Northern Continent with an iron fist.


    Still, he didn''t understand why the Necromancer Tower didn''te for revenge. Were they really hesitant or was there something else that he was missing?


    "Is something else keeping them busy? It''s not the Holy Empire, then what else?" he talked to himself, letting others hear as well. "Ah, that''s right. Hell''s Opening!"


    He pped his forehead lightly, forgetting the story of the Northern Continent. The so-called Hell was supposed to be opened by the Necromancer Tower.


    The book of the Northern Tower was also called, "The Necromancer who returned from Hell."


    That meant the Northern Continent was on the cusp of the beginning of their true story, which was also what was keeping them busy. That''s the only reason they couldn''t care much about the Spirit Realm.


    Now that he thought about it, he remembered that he still had a Hell''s Pass that he had received as a reward. Unfortunately, it was still unclear about how to use it.


    Every time he tried to activate it, it stated that the criteria for activation was not satisfied.


    He believed that the only way to use the Hell''s Pass was to enter the Necromancer Tower in the first ce. Either that or the Hell had to be opened first before the pass could be activated.


    He hadn''t read the story of the Northern Continent either so he didn''t know just why the Necromancer Tower was trying to open hell. However, the Main Character evidently returned from Hell with that.


    He was sure that it was not intentional as the Necromancer Tower was supposed to be the viin in that story. It was impossible for them to release the Main Character who always went against the Viins.


    ''Unless it wasn''t such a simple story? What if the Necromancer Tower isn''t the Viin of that story?'' It was also a possibility that she had considered, but there was no way to confirm it without asking the Author for help.


    He was distracted as he looked at the Question Voucher in his inventory that allowed him to forcefully ask any one question to the Author that he must answer.


    It didn''t mean he could not ask other questions before using the Question Voucher but answering those questions depended entirely on the will of the author who refused to ept that he was the author.


    "It would have been so good if I had the Preservation Skill that Fey does," he mumbled to himself as he closed the inventory, slightly jealous of Fey.


    Fey had used one question voucher twice while he could only use it once. Then again, he knew that he couldn''t be too disappointed as it was his third question voucher.


    He also knew much more about this world and their situation than Fey which became clear during theirst meeting.


    "Did you say something?" Yelen asked, unable to properly hear what he was mumbling. She moved closer to him.


    "Yeah, I think we should return. That''s enough rest," Eren told Felona as his health appeared infinitely better than it had been when he came out of the portal.


    "Are you leaving right away? I-i can show you around if you want?" Felona, slightly hesitant, approached Eren and asked.


    "Next time Ie, I will take you up on that offer." Eren said calmly, not understanding why Felona had been so good to him even though he had basically ckmailed her into surrendering her domain.


    He wondered if it was simply because of the Spirit Contract but for some reason, that didn''t appear to be the case either.


    Not thinking much about it, he simply watched Yelen open the portal. She held his hand, telling him to enter whenever he is ready.


    Eren looked back at Felona onest time before saying, "Protect that girl, but more importantly, protect yourself."


    As he finished, he entered the Spatial Portal which soon closed behind him.


    ....


    In the depths of the Sect Master''s Pce in the Great Demon Sect, Eren stepped out of the portal.


    His face was again so pale that this time he couldn''t stop himself from vomiting right away, supporting his body by resting a hand against the wall.


    "Fck, what is happening to me?" He cursed while wiping his lips. He used the Dragon Tongue to clear the floor even as the world started spinning around him.


    He thought that this was not going to happen when he received a Spirit Form but nothing had changed.


    Even with his head spinning, he turned around to tell Yelen, "I am fine."


    He was barely able to stand straight but he didn''t express how messed up he was feeling.


    "Y-you are bleeding," Yelen stuttered, looking at Eren''s face.


    "Bleeding?" Eren brushed his hand against his nose, feeling something wet against his skin.


    As he looked at the back of his hand, he saw a red liquid even with that blurry vision.


    "Ah, you''re right. It seems I am..." he mumbled before stumbling to the side, falling on the ground as he suddenly lost consciousness.


    "Ren!" Yelen rushed to Eren, trying to stop his fall but she waste as Eren was already on the ground.


    She helped his head up, wiping the blood. She used the life essence that she possessed as the Spirit Queen to try to heal his body. However, as soon as even the slightest trace of her spirit energy entered her body, it was pushed out by some mysterious energy.

 Chapter 291: Chapter 291: Aunt

    No matter what Yelen tried, Eren''s body kept rejecting her essence. Even though she was his Guardian Spirit, her essence didn''t appear to bepatible with his own.


    Even if her essence waspatible, she should still be able to heal an ordinary person as her essence was pure. Only something even purer and more species could force her essence out when she gave it her all.


    There was something inside Eren''s body that didn''t appear to like outside interference, treating every foreign essence as poison. That was the case unless it was forcefully snatched by Eren in the first ce.


    The only good thing about this situation was that Eren''s breathing had soon stabilized even without her interference. She didn''t know what caused him to be hurt in the first ce, but his body being stabilized was even more strange.


    "I''m the one who is hurt. Why do you look like you''re the one in pain."


    After an unknown amount of time passed, Eren opened his eyes to watch Yelen looking at him, sadness and concern evident on her face.


    Eren also noticed that his head was resting in Yelen''sp who red at him after his response. "You think you are funny?"


    "How did you find out?" Eren asked jokingly while trying to push himself up. Although he was more distressed about his sudden ckout, he didn''t let it show on his face.


    "Don''t stand. Rest a little longer. There is no need to be in a hurry." Yelen grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back down before he could even sit up.


    "I told you, I am fine." Eren tapped the back of her head, trying to convince her. He slowly moved her hand aside before pushing his body up.


    With a little instability, he managed to stand up. At this moment, he felt a lot better than he did before.


    He touched his nose again to see if he was still bleeding but there was no blood there anymore which slightly relieved him.


    At the same time, he was also confused. He did not understand why teleportation was affecting him so badly. First, it was just the feeling of sickness but now he had even started bleeding?


    He knew that this was a problem that he had to solve but he didn''t even know where to start. He did not even know the source of this problem.


    Was it because his soul was from another world that was notpatible with traveling through space? Or was it something rted to Ren''s body? The Status Screen did not show anything like that.


    The only thing he realized was that this situation had be more prominent ever since he devoured the Main Character of the Eastern Continent.


    A lot of things happened at that time, including him awakening a fraction of his own unknown Bloodline and snatching the Destiny Physique from Ye Liang.


    With so many variables that had urred in his life, it became almost impossible to pinpoint the problem. Even Yelen didn''t appear to know about it. If she knew, she would have already told him a solution.


    "You are fine? Didn''t you say the same thing before you passed out?" Yelen rolled her eyes in response, not believing Eren in the slightest. "


    She sarcastically stated, "If you are fine, then I am your aunt."


    Eren smiled and turned back to her.


    He jokingly asked, "Does that mean you were kissing your own nephew? Won''t that make you a pervert?"


    "Y-you! It was you who....!" Yelen was stunned, finding herself at a loss of words because of Eren''s shamelessness. How did it be her kissing him when he forcefully kissed her? Not that she disliked it, but she was still innocent.


    "Hahaha, you are truly cute when you get flustered." Erenughed while walking away. On the exterior, he was normal like before. However, deep down, he was quite concerned about his body.


    While walking to check up on his disciple, he opened his Status Screen to see if there were any positive changes after devouring Nathaniel.


    ...................


    [Name: Eren (Ren Necroline)]


    [Level: 32]


    [Identity: Elder at the Great Demon Sect, Spy of Mythical Hero Academy, Owner of Devourer Bloodline, Heir of the Necromancer Tower, Ruler of Spirit Realm]


    [Bloodline: Unknown (25%), Devourer, Royal Sea Dragon, Sea Serpentine, Chameleon]


    [Guardian: First Spirit Queen Yelen]


    [Contracted Spirit: Spirit Queen Felona]


    [Age: 21]


    [Traits: Ambitious, ???]


    [Stats]


    [Strength: 935]


    [Agility: 1110]


    [Stamina: 998]


    [Intelligence :83]


    [Mana: 3548]


    [Cultivation: Unknown (Sealed)]


    [Hero Grade: SSS]


    [Goddess Protection: Unknown (1%)]


    [Physique: Lunar Frost Physique, Destiny Physique]


    [Unique items in possession: Pendant of Poison, Modified Desert Eagle, Overlord Killing Dagger (Iplete),Pendant of Prediction, Question Voucher, Favor Token, Ring of Sect Master]


    [Unique skills: Sword Emperor''s Aura, Aura Control Method, Identification, Devouring, Aquatic Mastery, Flight, Dragon Language, Dragon Transformation, Skill Unification, Frost Domain, Disguise]


    ..................


    Just as he expected, the status screen did not show anything rted to his strange physical condition. There were only a few changes ever since hest checked his status screen.


    His level had gone up by one and his stats had increased by a small amount.


    The most significant change appeared to be in the section about the Goddess Protection. Just like his Bloodline, it also showed a percentage in front of it.


    While his Bloodline showed a percentage after he killed a Main Character, the protection of the goddess only appeared with a percentage after devouring the divine energy of Nathaniel.


    ''Does that mean I can unlock it as well?'' he thought before focusing on another change.


    He now had another trait mentioned but he could not read that trait as it was also blurry. All he could see were silhouettes of a few question marks in that ce.


    ''Do I really have no choice but to talk to that author?'' he thought before closing the Status Screen.


    He soon reached the room where his first disciple was staying, opening the door to step inside. As for the barrier he had cast, there appeared to be no problem in that.

 Chapter 292: Chapter 292: Hidden Plot

    Eren opened the door and stepped inside the room where Yu Lin was staying. The room waspletely dark as the young girl hadn''t lit it up.


    As soon as Eren opened the door, Yu Lin appeared shocked. She quickly hid something behind her back, which slightly surprised Eren.


    Even though the room was dark, Eren was able to see her movements. The only thing he couldn''t see was what she had hidden.


    He wondered what she was hiding. Through a mental transmission, he told Yelen to check what the little girl was hiding from him. He didn''t want to do it himself and appear like a suspicious master.


    "How was your sleep?" Eren asked, not questioning her about the thing she had hidden.


    "It was good. But Master, isn''t this the Sect Master''s Pce? Are we really allowed to be here?" Yu Lin asked, looking at Eren in confusion.


    Although she was new to the sect, she knew quite a few things that ordinary disciples weren''t supposed to know.


    At first, she didn''t know where she had appeared, but after seeing the purity of Qi in this ce and the materials with which this entire ce was made, she could onlye to one conclusion:


    This was the Sect Master''s Pce. Let alone her, even her master as an Elder shouldn''t have been allowed to stay here.


    She really wondered why her master took such a great risk to bring her here. She had heard about the Sect Master''s disappearance but not her death. Had something happened outside? She wondered.


    "I''m the Sect Master. Where else will I stay?" Eren asked, shing his ring proudly.


    He did not make up any stories about how the Sect Master was dead, as it was a lie that was soon going to be exposed.


    He was also temporarily in this position from what it appeared. There was no point in lying about it, but he didn''t tell her the truth either.


    He was vague, only saying that due to certain circumstances, he had be the Sect Master.


    "There are people outside who might target you because of me, so I had no choice but to bring you here. But you don''t have to worry. After a few days, we will go back home."


    "Is it dangerous for you?" Yu Lin asked, as if thinking of something deeply. "Do you need help?"


    "You little brat, do you have so little trust in your master?" Eren asked, flicking her forehead lightly. Even if he needed help, there was nothing Yu Lin could do at the moment.


    In any case, he didn''t want to drag her into this mess, knowing full well what kind of background this seemingly ordinary girl had.


    "She is hiding a small portrait." While Eren finished speaking, Yelen returned and told her what she saw behind Yu Lin.


    ''Is it the portrait of her mother? No wonder she was hiding it,'' Eren thought, not thinking much about it. At least that was the case until Yelen stated her next words.


    "It''s a portrait of you, standing next to a woman. And that woman isn''t her but looks quite simr to her. It is most probably her mother," Yelen rified, properly exining what she saw.


    Hearing her words, Eren was at a loss for words.


    ''Ren Necroline knew her mother? Why did I not know anything about this plot? Is it also because I didn''t read enough?''


    Eren rubbed his forehead, suddenly at a loss of words. He wondered if there was any significant plot point that this guy was not involved in.


    The more he learned about it, the more he realized that Ren Necroline was a little too involved. There were only two possibilities. Either he was an absolute viin or the Main Character. Only those two could be involved in major plots to this extent.


    ''But if that was the case, why did Ren Necroline die so early like an insignificant minor viin?'' he wondered.


    "Master, are you alright?"


    After hiding the portrait under the nket, Yu Lin stood up and approached Eren, watching him standing still in a daze.


    Eren opened his eyes, looking at Yu Lin suspiciously. If he hadn''t known about the identity and traits of Yu Lin''s mother, he might have even suspected that she was his own daughter. Fortunately, that was impossible.


    Still, he was curious as to how Ren Necroline was involved with this girl''s mother. Was that the reason she chose him as her master? He had a lot of questions and didn''t know where to start.


    "I am fine," Eren answered. "But I do have a question for y-"


    He tried to ask the little girl about her family, trying to get her to spill something. However, before he could finish his sentence, he felt the entire pce tremble.


    He absurdly turned towards a particr direction, her eyes narrowing.


    ''Are they already here?'' he wondered. ''Just as I thought I could get some sleep.''


    Scratching the back of his head, he turned to leave. "I have something to do. I will be back soon. In my absence, don''t leave this room."


    He quickly left the room, closing the door behind him. He also cast the sameyer of protection before running towards the Throne Room where Feng Yu was most probably waiting for him as she couldn''t show herself.


    ....


    Outside the Pce, thousands of disciples had gathered, surrounding the entire pce. They weren''t alone as many Elders and Great Elders were also apanying them.


    With the old leader of Core Guards dead, the new leader was more loyal to the Ancestral Elders and did not even stop the disciples from reaching this ce.


    "Elder Ren, you killed our Sect Master to snatch her throne! We cannot ept you! Come out and die!"


    "How dare you backstab the Sect Master?!"


    Most of the disciples here were already brainwashed, only being used as pawns. Their only purpose was to die at Eren''s hands to turn the entire sect against him.


    If that happened, no one could me the Ancestral Elders for intervening and killing Eren. Even if Feng Yu was alive and this was a trap, she couldn''t do anything as the Ancestral Elders were going to be in the right.


    Although the disciples, provoked by the Elders, asked for Eren toe out, but before a few seconds had passed, they barged inside the Pce with weapons while the Leader of the Guards opened the door wide open for them.

 Chapter 293: Chapter 293: I will give you a reason

    Eren rushed towards the central Hall where Feng Yu was supposed to be staying. However, the moment he reached near the door, he heard footstepsing from the other side.


    Soon, he saw the Disciples, many of them being the Core disciples of the Sect. Their eyes were filled with madness, as if they had truly been manipted.


    It didn''t just look like maniption but also something more at y.


    "You killed the Sect Master! You are a puppet of the Southern Continent!" One of the Core Disciples said.


    Hearing his words, Eren was sure that he didn''t actually know that he was a spy from the Southern Continent. It was just a story that the Elders told them to make them even more radicalized.


    "Is that what you believe?" Eren asked, stopping in front of the door. "Or is that what the ones behind you want you to believe?"


    "You need to die for betraying the Sect Master!" The Core Disciple stated fiercely, not wanting to hear a single word from Eren.


    Instead, he ran towards Eren, brandishing his sword. It was as if he had no concept of fear anymore, even forgetting that he was attacking the person that he imed to be strong enough to kill the Sect Master.


    Eren watched the disciples run towards him while the Leader of the Guards and the other Great Elders simply watched from a distance, waiting for the opportunity to strike.


    Although he couldn''t see the Ancestral Elders, he could also feel their gazes. They had brought him at a crossroad where no matter what he did, he had to go against the entire sect.


    "If this is what you want, then this is definitely what I''ll give you." Eren raised his right hand, the finger on his ring shining brightly.


    Seeing his movements, the Ancestral Elders outside the Pce smirked. He had fallen into their trap. So what if he had the ring. As long as he killed the core disciples, they had justification.


    "I''m just messing with you." The killing intent in Eren''s eyes suddenly disappeared as multiple portals opened in front of him.


    The Disciples that were running towards him couldn''t stop themselves in time as they entered the Spatial Portal.


    The other end of the portal opened up right above the Ancestral Elders who were standing outside the Pce.


    The Core disciples fell out of the Portal,nding over the Ancestral Elders that were waiting for the moment to strike. It was as if humans had started raining over them.


    "I believe you are forgetting something." Eren made all the disciples disappear, sending them outside the pce.


    He only left the Elders and the Great Elders inside the Pce. His robe fluttered behind his back as he slowly walked towards the Elders.


    "You side with the Ancestral Elders, because you are scared of them. But are you really sure that they are the only ones you need to be scared of?"


    With each step he took, he released the Sword Emperor''s Aura. He also cast the Dragon Tongue, increasing his speed to the point that the Great Elders couldn''t even see when he appeared behind them.


    One of the Great Elders felt Eren''s hand on his shoulder. Feeling the Sword Emperor''s Aura from this close, his body was frozen in shock.


    "I am sure you aren''t fools. You know that you are being used. Did you really think that you could survive that way? If you want to turn me against the Sect, then you can give it a try."


    Eren took his hand off the Great Elder''s shoulder while walking away, revealing his back to them. "I can promise you only one thing. Even if all of youe together, I can still leave this Sect. But will the sect be left standing? I''m not quite sure."


    "If you don''t believe me, then attack me once and I promise I will make you see what a true demonic way of dealing with things looks like."


    The Great Elders turned towards Eren, watching him walk towards the exit of the Pce. It was the perfect opportunity for them to attack him when he was not looking in their direction but for some reason, they could not dare to attack him.


    They couldn''t help but feel that there was some truth to his words.


    They found themselves stuck between a rock and a hard ce. On one side were the Ancestral Elders that had defined an era with their strength. On the other side was Eren, the person that was said to be a demon who loved eating the flesh of people he killed.


    "We will not interfere in the matter," One of the Great Elders said, taking a step back. It was better for them to be neutral in a battle between two demons.


    The other Great Elders also said the same thing,ing to a realization that Eren was not as simple to deal with as they had thought. He had not fallen for their trap.


    Soon, Eren stepped out of the Pce that was the safe ground for him.


    Inside the Pce, the formations that he could control were the strongest. However, outside, they were insignificant.


    Still, he didn''t show even the slightest hesitation as he stepped out the threshold, as if he had had enough.


    "I thought you would be hiding inside the Pce for an eternity. Are you finally nning to show yourself?" In the distance, an Ancestral Elder eximed while pushing aside a disciple who had fallen from the sky.


    "What can I do? You want an excuse, so I thought I wille and give you an excuse myself," Eren said, already being in a bad mood.


    "Where are the two leaders of your pack?" he asked observing the surroundings to see that two Ancestral Elders were missing.


    One of them was the woman who was supposed to be the next sect master while the other was the one who had contacted Mist.


    "They don''t need toe. We are enough to deal with a Traitor who backstabbed our Sect Master!" The Ancestral Elder said as the others appeared behind Eren, blocking his path back inside the Pce.

 Chapter 294: Chapter 294: Selection or Sacrifice

    "If you know what is best for you, you''d better drop the idea of fighting and return the ring..."


    Eren was already in a bad mood, ready to set an example by killing a few Ancestral Elders before heading back. However, before things could escte, he heard a voice that only he could hear.


    A mental transmission pierced his thoughts, a voice directly in his head, making it impossible for others to overhear.


    To his surprise, the voice belonged to Ancestral Elder Yang Wei, the very person responsible for contacting Mist.


    Frowning, Eren scanned his surroundings but could not find Yang Wei anywhere.


    "There''s no point in trying to find me. I''m in your house right now," the voice reappeared in his mind. "I must say, it was clever of you to take your disciple away. However, isn''t it sad that you only took one of them?"


    The voice continued, "You truly are an interesting person. Much more intriguing than I initially thought. To think that you epted a Great Elder as a disciple... Not bad."


    Eren was taken aback by Ancestral Elder Yang''s words. He did not understand how that man even knew about Zia being his disciple. However, his words also made his intentions clear.


    Eren was wondering why he had not seen Zia today. Now the reason became absolutely clear. The reason she was not here was because of Ancestral Elder Yang.


    "I am sure you are wise enough to know what to choose. Are you going to side with Feng Yu or side with us? Give us the ring and I will release your disciple. Or you can side with her and watch your disciple''s corpse being sent to you.''


    The Ring could not be snatched by killing the owner. It could only be passed down from one owner to the other which was why the Ancestral Elders could not snatch it.


    Even if they killed Eren and took the Sect Master''s position, it was just going to be an empty position as they couldn''t open the treasury without the ring.


    "Aren''t you being a little too paranoid? Feng Yu is already dead," Eren answered Ancestral Elder Yang, sticking to the story. "I am only siding with myself."


    He knew that the Ancestral Elders were suspicious about this all being Feng Yu''s trap. That''s also why they used the disciples. If they were convinced, they never would''ve done that.


    Only after their n failed, they used the next n which didn''t require them actually killing Eren.


    He was sure that if their n had worked and Feng Yu had appeared, they would still have used Zia to force him to betray and backstab her.


    "We will find that ourselves. You wille here alone to hand me the ring. And the other Ancestral Elders will enter the Pce to search every corner to confirm that Feng Yu isn''t there," Ancestral Elder Yang said.


    "You have two minutes to decide before I start dealing with your precious disciple." With thest warning, the voice went silent.


    Eren stood there in silence, watching the other Ancestral Elders looking at him with a smug look. It was as if they had already known that he was going to be ckmailed.


    "What happened? Are you not going to teach us a lesson?" The Ancestral Eldersughed as they walked past Eren to enter the Pce of the Great Demon Sect, inside which Feng Yu was staying.


    Eren was conflicted. Was he to save Zia who was his disciple? As the System made him choose a disciple, he was sure that she was important to the plot. However, more than the plot, he wants to save her for herself.


    On the other hand, there was Feng Yu, an even more integral part of the plot. If something happened to her, he was sure that the entire plot was going to copse. He still needed her to remove a seal.


    At the same time, his heart didn''t allow him to sacrifice her. Still, he was only allowed to save one of the two in this situation.


    He rubbed his forehead as he watched the Ancestral Elders entering the Pce. As Feng Yu was still under the seal of the cuffs, she couldn''t even fight back if she was caught.


    On the other hand, Zia wasn''t strong enough to fight back against Ancestral Elder Yang.


    [You have triggered new choices]


    [Option One: Save Feng Yu and sacrifice your disciple.


    Reward: Level +5]


    [Option Two: Save Zia and sacrifice Feng Yu.


    Reward: Level +5]


    [Option Three: Save both, Feng Yu and Zia.


    Reward: Map of Celestial Dragon''s Heart]


    [Option Four: Protect yourself and abandon the Great Demon Sect.


    Reward: A Random Summon]


    ....


    Eren looked at the options which depicted the choices that he actually had.


    It was the first time where there were no weird options with coffins as rewards, which meant there was a possibility of sess in all of them. Only the difficulty was different.


    "I know I might have to me myself for this choiceter, but here we go..."


    He raised his hand and tapped on an option before closing his eyes. He took a deep breath before opening them, brimming with determination to go through hell toplete this choice if needed.


    ....


    "The first ce to check..." Inside the Pce, the Ancestral Elders pushed open the door to the main hall which was the ce from where Feng Yu was kidnapped in the first ce.


    They hadn''t expected to find her at such an obvious ce even if she was alive but just to be sure, they decided to check it.


    "Huh?"


    As soon as the door opened, the Ancestral Elders saw a woman sitting on the throne.


    Shocked, they all took a step back in fear. They hadn''t forgotten how scary she had been when she had been culling the Ancestral Elders in the past.


    "She is actually alive!" One of the Ancestral Elders eximed, falling on his butt in fear.


    "Wait, something doesn''t feel right! Why are there cuffs on her hand? I also can''t feel any strength from her. Did she... lose her strength?"


    "This... Hahaha, no wonder she was hiding! Otherwise she would''ve already killed us!"


    "Doesn''t that mean she can''t resist us? We can do anything we want! The Sect will actually be ours!"


    "Forget the sect, I''m more interested in making her mine!" Another Ancestral Elder licked his lips as he stepped inside the main hall.


    "I still haven''t forgotten how she treated us like sht in the past! It''s time to return the favor!" Another Ancestral Elder eximed, loosening his cor.

 Chapter 295: Chapter 295: Until the moment you die

    The Ancestral Elder found Feng Yu, also realizing that she was extremely weak for some reason. She didn''t carry the same frightening momentum that she had in the past, appearing no different than an ordinary person.


    Although they didn''t know why she became like that but they assumed it was because of the cuffs that were on her hand. As they came to the realization, they felt the greatest tion of their life.


    Even though they hadn''t rebelled with the other Ancestral Elders in the past, being hesitant, they were still punished with forced seclusion.


    During this time, they had started to grow more hateful towards Feng Yu who took away their freedom and their authority. It was because of her that their names were almost erased from the Eastern Continent.


    Other than the Great Elders who saw that era, no one even remembered them.


    "You took our freedom. Isn''t it fair that we also take something precious from you?'' the Ancestral Eldersughed, their intentions being clear in their eyes.


    They didn''t even inform Ancestral Elder Yang that they had found Feng Yu as they were sure he would havee here personally to kill Feng Yu after realizing that she was weak. Before informing him, they wanted to let out their anger on her physically.


    "Looks like the old dogs have grown really courageous," Feng Yu said, even now not revealing any fear as if she couldn''t even feel it.


    "It doesn''t matter if we are courageous or not. What matters is that you are still not scared. Is it because you believe that man wille to save you?" A dark haired Ancestral Elder asked, revealing an evil grin.


    "Did you really expect anyone to truly care about a ruthless woman like you? He has already abandoned you, choosing to protect his disciple instead."


    "If anything, he probably used your weakness only to toss you away when things turned sideways!"


    "Kek, can we really me him? If I was in his ce, I would''ve chosen the same thing. The only thing he probably regrets is that he didn''t get to taste her before being forced to leave."


    "Hahaha, his loss is our gain."


    The Ancestral Elders had already started deciding on the order, not seeing a knife that was lying behind Feng Yu on the throne.


    Feng Yu had decided to trust Eren but still, she had expected something like this. If anything, she would have wanted him to choose this instead of dying with her. Still, a sense of disappointment shed in her eyes.


    She could still remember his lone back as he protected her from Fey in the mountain of loss. Then again, the Ancestral Elders were truly different from Fey. They were much stronger.


    ''Hah, to think that even at a time like this, I would think about him...'' she thought, letting out a sigh.


    Subconsciously, her gaze kept going on to the door even though she knew that no one wasing.


    ''Father, it seems that I can''t take revenge for you in this life. But if there''s a next life, then I...''


    She moved her hands to grab the dagger that she aimed at her chest. Before the Ancestral Elders could react, she thrust the dagger at her chest.


    In that brief moment before the dagger traveled towards her heart, her entire life shed before her eyes.


    She was an Overlord. Even if she was going to die, she was going to do that on her own terms. She wasn''t going to give this right to anyone else in this life or the next.


    "Kek, you little bit*h, did you think you could take this away from us?"


    Just as the dagger was about to stab her, an Ancestral Elder appeared in front of her, grabbing the dagger.


    "Today, no one will stop us! Even if the gods descend into this world, they won''t change your fate!"


    He twisted Feng Yu''s wrist before snatching the dagger from her, tossing it away. At the same time, he raised his hand, prepared to p her for something like this.


    "Until the moment you die at our hands, we own you!" he said as the back of his palm came flying towards her face.


    Feng Yu didn''t even close her eyes. Even though the dagger was taken away from her, she had other ways to take her life.


    However before Feng Yu could try anything, she noticed the palm of the Ancestral Elder stop as a bright light shed in the hall.


    A deep green line as thin as a thread appeared around the Ancestral Elder''s neck, giving the deep scent of poison.


    The Ancestral Elder was frozen in ce as the green line around his throat turned red, merged with blood while his head started sliding to the side.


    His fist was grabbed by something that looked like another man''s hand before the rest of his body was pulled back and tossed towards the other Ancestral Elders.


    The Ancestral Elder''s head was falling to the ground, the only thing left behind. However, before it could touch the ground, a foot blocked it and started bouncing it like it was a footfall.


    Feng Yu raised her head in disbelief at the sight of the person who stood in front. Once again, at her most vulnerable moment, it was him.


    "Y-you! Why are you back!" She spoke, her voice almost starting to break as if she was trying really hard to not be emotional.


    The person in front of her was none other than Eren who reached out his hand, gently touching her cheeks.


    "I am sorry for beingte." His fingers gently caressed Feng Yu as if she was not an Overlord but just a child that had been wrong.


    A person could be strong in the face of adversity, when when protected and given sympathy right after that, the barrage of emotions was easy to break.


    For the first time in a long while, Feng Yu''s eyes became a little wet, feeling more weak than she ever had. Not wanting anyone to see it, she turned her head sideways while pping Eren''s hands away.

 Chapter 296: Chapter 296: No need to leave

    Eren didn''t mind his band being pped away as he could already see that there were cracks starting to form in Feng Yu''s Armor.


    "What a pathetic person. Sacrificing his disciple to protect that bi*ch? What a good licking dog."


    "Just because you killed one of us with a sneak attack, did you really think you could leave this ce alive? Or is it that ring and the formation that gives you such confidence?"


    "Even with that ring, do you think you can stop all of us? Today shall be yourst day!"


    "Don''t worry. We won''t kill you that fast. We will only rip your limbs from your body and make you watch what we do!"


    The Ancestral Elders had already prepared to destroy Eren. Their words were just them expressing their desires.


    "What a cliche viin line to speak," Eren scratched the back of his head without even turning around to look at the Ancestral Elders.


    "You are right about one thing though," he added, his eyes remaining on Feng Yu who was still not looking at him.


    "I can''t kill all of you. At least not within the time that I have left."


    The green pendant around his neck started shining in a beautiful green light. It was the Pendant of Poison with only one use left.


    He didn''t expect that he would need to use that pendant on something like this, but there were more important things on the line.


    "It''s good that you know your ce. We might consider giving you a quick death if you surrende-"


    "Shhh..." Eren cut the Ancestral Elders words off before he could finish speaking. "Let me finish first."


    The green aura started gathering at the de of his sword. Feeling that green aura even Feng Yu was taken aback, feeling a sense of danger.


    This poisonous aura... Although it wasn''t too strong, she could feel some extraordinaryws contained within. The source of this was definitely not something ordinary.


    "I said I can''t kill all of you here," Eren continued as his entire sword was covered in the green aura. "But..."


    The Ancestral Elders grew extremely cautious, wondering what he was trying.


    "But who said I will be killing you?" As he finished speaking, his Sword came flying straight for Feng Yu, stunning her.


    Was this the moment that he waited for? The reason he came was not to save her but to kill her?


    A self deprecating smile spread across her lips as she closed her eyes. At least it was better than dying at the hands of the Ancestral Elders.


    She kept her eyes closed but the pain that she expected did note.


    nk~


    She only heard a nking sound as if something metallic had been hit. She opened her eyes, noticing Eren who was standing pale faced in front of her.


    His sword had lost the green aura and there was not a single wound on her body. Instead, it was the shackles that were broken from the middle.


    Eren used thest use of the Pendant of Poison to create an attack strong enough to break the sealing artifact used by Fey.


    He also felt a slight tinge of pain in his heart as he broke such a useful item. Just a few days and the cuffs could open on their own, freed to be used again by him.


    Unfortunately, with no other choice, he had to sacrifice not just the Pendant of Poison but also the Cuffs of sealing to free Feng Yu.


    With the cuffs being broken, Feng Yu felt the thousands of shackles on her soul being released. She could feel her old strength returning. Within seconds, her body was beginning with strength.


    At this moment, Feng Yu was not the weak girl that needed protection. She was the Overlord from whom it was the world that needed protection.


    Still, somewhere deep down, the weak girl still existed who hade to rely and depend on Eren without even realizing. She had never felt like this about anyone.


    "I will go and protect my Disciple. You are free to have your revenge here," Eren told Feng Yu as he slowly stepped back, a portal appearing behind him.


    Even though the portals made him sick, he had no other choice as they were the fastest mode of travel. He only received two minutes from Ancestral Elder Yang after all.


    Feng Yu reached out her hand, only for Eren to disappear inside the portal before she could say anything.


    The Ancestral Elders in the Hall thought Eren was going to attack them, never expecting him to break the shackles. However, it all happened so fast that they couldn''t even reach.


    Feng Yu was back. No, the Eastern Overload was back. The monster was back to her old self.


    "We can still kill her! Don''t be scared! She doesn''t have the sect master''s ring!" One of the Ancestral Elders said, trying to convince the other Ancestral Elders.


    The other Ancestral Elders also agreed, having no other choice. However, as the other Ancestral Elders attacked, the one who had motivated them started running away, making it clear that he was just using them as a pawn.


    "Now that you are here, there is no need to leave," Feng Yu said as she finally stood up from the throne.


    In the blink of an eye, she passed through the barrage of attacks and the Ancestral Elders, appearing in front of the one who was running away.


    She simply ces a finger on the man''s forehead. In front of everyone''s eyes, the Ancestral Elder exploded from within, blood sttering everywhere. Still, not even an inch of that bloodnded on Feng Yu.


    The ce which was the official residence of Feng Yu, had now started to be the graveyard of the Ancestral Elders just like it had Nexon in the past.


    ....


    In another ce, a portal opened in front of Eren''s house that was made on the cliff.


    Eren stepped out of the portal, his head being even more dizzy even though it was just a short range portal as he had taken multiple portals in thest two minutes.


    Still, he didn''t care about it. Pushing the door open, he stepped inside his house.

 Chapter 297: Chapter 297: Inviting a disaster; Devourer

    Eren pushed the door open and stepped inside the house that hung by the edge of the cliff. From the outside, the house looked small but on the inside, it was much bigger under the effect of spatial enhancement crystal.


    As Erennded inside the house, he noticed Ancestral Elder Yang sitting next to the window, looking in the direction of the Central Area.


    "That was a foolish choice that you made," he said without even looking back.


    "To survive a foolish world, one can only make foolish choices," Eren told the man. He looked around the room to find Zia but she wasn''t anywhere to be found.


    He could only feel some spatial disturbance in the surroundings, making him feel like something simr to a Teleportation Talisman had been used.


    "Since you made a foolish choice, I suppose you can''t me me for making one either," Ancestral Elder Zia stated, his expressions somewhat solemn.


    "Where is she?" Eren asked the Ancestral Elder. He had thought that the man was young to ckmail him, attempting to kill him by using Zia.


    That was going to be an opportunity for him to free Zia with the help of Yelen. However, the situation appeared different. He wondered if it was because of him freezing Feng Yu.


    Ancestral Elder Yang smiled as he turned around, revealing an amused smile. "You are an interesting man, Ren Necroline. A spy from the Hero Academy who sided with the Great Demon Sect?"


    "Did you think that would work out for you?" he asked. "I wonder how much more you can amuse me before you break down."


    Eren was not surprised by the face that Ancestral Elder Yang knew his secondary identity which was rted to the Hero Academy.


    As Ancestral Elder Yang was also rted to the Hero Academy, it made sense for him to know about other spies that were nted here.


    Even then, he went through with this n to see which side he was going to choose, most probably to test his loyalty.


    "Since you chose Feng Yu, why do you care about those disciples of yours? You already received what you selected. As for what you abandoned, I have already sent them to the ce you abandoned."


    Ancestral Elder Yang turned back towards the window, letting out a tired sigh. "If you want them back, you can only go there yourself and ept the punishment for your betrayal from the Overlord."


    Following Ancestral Elder Yang''s words, Eren was able to decipher what he was implying. Those who he abandoned were sent to the ce he had abandoned. It had only a single meaning.


    His disciples were sent to the Mythical Hero Academy as prisoners? He was also a little taken aback as the man didn''t say disciple but disciples. That meant it was more than one.


    "Yu Lin?" Eren mumbled out loud, his words falling in Ancestral Elder Yang''s ears.


    "Hahaha, you truly are not foolish. That makes me wonder even more about what made you take that foolish choice," Ancestral Elder Yang burst intoughter. "What a pity that disciples will have to pay for their master''s mistakes."


    "Two months," he told Eren as he pushed the window open, letting the fresh air brush against his skin.


    "If you don''te to ept the punishment for your betrayal within two months, they will ept the punishment for your sins. The choice is yours." As he finished speaking, his figure started disappearing slowly.


    "Oh, and one more thing. I don''t know what means you used to get stronger, but I advise you to not attack me. I''m the only reason that you received two months of time. If I don''t get there, I can''t fulfill this deadline. Who knows, they might die by tonight."


    It was as if Ancestral Elder Yang could read Eren''s mind. As he still didn''t fully understand Eren''s means, he didn''t want to take risks by fighting him.


    If he was dyed here, it was only going to give Feng Yu the time to arrive here. Once Feng Yu arrived, he did not even want to imagine the kind of death he was going to receive.


    The best option was to just leave without taking any unnecessary risks.


    "What a pity... So many years in this once and for it to all fall apart like this." His tired sigh echoed in the surroundings. "If only our Overlord hadn''t been dyed due to some important reasons, she would have been here as well..."


    His figure soonpletely disappeared, leaving behind only an empty room where Eren was the only person left standing.


    Eren stared at the empty spot for quite some time, his fists clenched tightly. Two months... That''s all the time he was given to save his people.


    "Since you are so kind to invite me again, I will make sure to visit with a nice gift," Eren said, his gaze looking into the distance, a cold light shing in his eyes.


    He had already used the identity of Devourer and didn''t want to have to do that again. But now, the Hero Academy had gone too far by taking his disciples.


    If they wanted the return of Devourer so bad, then he was going to give them the return they were craving for.


    Because he had failed to rescue Zia, the option was notpleted yet and his main options were stuck. He already had his priorities set.


    Still, just to be sure, he returned to the Pce in the Core Region. He appeared in the room where Yu Lin was supposed to be staying safely.


    Unfortunately, she wasn''t there. There were some signs of struggle, as well as the remnant aura of another Ancestral Elder who was the woman that was about to take the Sect Master''s position.


    Sighing, he stepped out of the room and walked back to the main hall to see how Feng Yu was doing. The moment he opened the door, he caught the sight of bodies lying everywhere that were impossible to even recognise.


    Amidst the bloody hall, Feng Yu was standing like a fairy,pletely untouched by the filth of this world.

 Chapter 298: Chapter 298: Accepting Feng Yu

    Eren watched Feng Yu, who was truly an overwhelming presence.


    During the past few days, he had seen her at her weakest, unable to harness her strength. He had almost forgotten the formidable force she truly was.


    Even outside the hall, he could sense the suffocating bloodlust that permeated the room. The terrifying aura only dissipated when Feng Yu spotted Eren in the distance.


    "Are you alright?" he asked, stepping inside the hall carefully, avoiding the puddles of blood to keep his shoes untouched by blood.


    Just moments ago, these people were brimming with arrogance, but now, they were unrecognizable.


    One moment they were the strong existence of the Great Demon Sect and the next moment, they were dead. This was how easy it was for strong people to die in this World. All it needed was offending the wrong people.


    Meanwhile, there was him. He was someone who had offended almost all the Overlord level existences through no fault of his own.


    He could very well face the same oue as these Ancestral Elders if he did not be strong enough to take his fate in his own hands.


    "Shouldn''t I be the one asking if you are alright?" Feng Yu asked Eren, treating him much differently than she used to treat him in the past.


    She was much more friendly which was an odd feeling, especially when she had recovered her strength.


    "Is something troubling you?" she asked, noticing Eren being distracted.


    "It''s nothing. You don''t have to worry about it," Eren smiled in response, not telling her that his disciples had been kidnapped and taken to the Southern Continent.


    With the kind of equation he had with Feng Yu right now, he was sure that she would try to help him if he just asked. Still, there was not much she could do.


    As long as an Overlord was alive, another couldn''t enter their territory as it was no different than dering a war. That was why only after news of Feng Yu''s death reached her, Mist nned to arrive.


    Even if Feng Yu was alive at that time, Mist still had an excuse that she came to check after hearing of her death.


    On the other hand, everyone knew that Mist was alive. Who wouldn''t know when Mist was almost going crazy searching for Devourer all across the Southern Continent.


    Still, Eren was sure that Feng Yu would have willingly broken that treaty and entered the Southern Continent if he asked her. She was not someone who liked owing favors.


    Eren had two reasons he could not ask her to help. First, he wanted to save that favor for a more important time. And secondly, he didn''t want Mist and Feng Yu to meet as his identity could be exposed.


    To prevent their meeting, he had kidnapped Mist''s daughter. After all that, how could he ask Feng Yu to meet Mist? It could only ruin everything he worked hard for.


    As for saving his disciple, he was nning to do that on his own, while gaining strength for himself. Or rather, he was going to save his disciple while snatching strength in the Southern Continent.


    "I was just thinking that I need a few weeks of rest after all this," Eren said as he slowly took off the Sect Master''s ring. "I will be leaving the sect for the time being. So please assign someone else for that trip to the Western Continent for now."


    Now that he hadpleted the option rted to the sect master''s position, he didn''t need it anymore. It was also too much of a hassle to have it.


    He found it hard to believe that so much had happened within one week of the Western Continent''s envoy''s visit.


    He was also nning to go to the Western Continent with the invitation but more important things called for him. As for going to the Western Continent, he could do that anything. He didn''t need an invitation for that.


    He tossed the ring back to Feng Yu who caught it, seemingly surprised.


    "Is there something that you don''t like in the sect? If that''s the case, I can change it!" Feng Yu asked, taken aback. She also appeared hesitant to hear that Eren was leaving the sect.


    "How can I not like the sect where someone like you stays." Eren smiled, patting Feng Yu''s head lightly.


    He had momentarily forgotten that the person in front of him was an Overlord as his habit of patting his disciples and Guardian Spirit took over.


    The moment he realized, it was already toote. He quickly retracted his hand, expecting Feng Yu to be angry. However, to his surprise, she didn''t say anything.


    Her reaction surprised him, making him wonder if this was still the same Overlord.


    "Do you promise that you will return?" she asked Eren, not looking him in the eye. She turned her back towards him. She wanted to stop him, maybe even forcefully keep him back.


    At the same time, she hesitated, not wanting him to hate her. She was also conflicted about her feelings toward him as he belonged to Xiu Ying.


    Looking at her strange reaction, Eren was also surprised. In this moment, she wasn''t an Overlord but just a person who seemingly cared for him. Was it because he was her savior? He wasn''t sure.


    To test his theory, he stepped forward. He knew that if he was wrong, he might actually lose his life. Still, he tested it.


    Stepping forward, he wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her from behind.


    "I promise I will. This is my home. Where else will I go?" he whispered in her ears, partially expecting her to reveal killing intent or attack him directly.


    Contrary to his expectation, Feng Yu didn''t show any hostility. She stayed silently, not reacting in the least.


    "Good. That is a promise. If you break this promise, I will kill you myself," she said.


    Eren didn''t know what to do now. Did this girl really start to ept him? He didn''t test the limits for now, knowing how to be content.


    He took off his hands and turned around to leave. It was time for Ren Necroline to disappear and Devourer to make an appearance.

 Chapter 299: Chapter 299: Hunting Ground

    ....


    "Why are there so many people from the Hero Academy in our city?"


    "Is something big going on?"


    "Idiot, did you not hear the rumor? A High Ranking Hero from the Hero Academy was killed here. They are probably here to investigate."


    "To investigate one death, was there really a need for so many people?"


    "The person who died wasn''t an ordinary Hero after all. He was an S Rank Professor at the Academy. It''s no surprise that they sent so many people."


    In a crowded bar, many drunk men were talking about the recent happenings in the city, especially with the arrival of so many outsiders, wearing the crest of the Hero Academy.


    At the same time, in the central area of the city, a house was surroundedpletely.


    The Heroes that belonged to the National were stationed outside. Meanwhile, the Hero Academy''s team had entered the house, escorted by the Prime Minister of the Nation.


    "This is definitely his work." A man with a Hero Academy''s badge looked at the corpse in the middle of the hall. "Devourer was here."


    "What an annoying man. He is targeting people with important abilities."


    "Should we inform the Dean?"


    "There is no point in informing her as we aren''t even sure if that person is still in the city. Moreover, she has long since left the continent."


    "She left the continent? Wasn''t she searching for Devourer? Why did she suddenly leave?"


    "Probably only she knows. However, I can only be sure that it has something to do with Devourer."


    The Prime Minister silently listened to their conversation, not intervening as it was not his ce. Still, he was slightly taken aback as he heard the name of Devourer.


    "Take care of the body and search the entire city." The S Rank Hero turned around. While walking away, he ced his hand on the Prime Minister''s shoulder.


    As soon as he touched the Prime Minister, the man''s eyes started shining in a hazel light. His expressions went nk.


    A few secondster, his eyes returned to normal and he looked confused.


    He watched a body being burned in front of him and the people of the Hero Academy turning to leave.


    "Huh? When did we enter the house? Why don''t I remember anything?"


    Confused, he followed the team of the Hero Academy, forgetting everything that happened from the movement he entered this house. He even forgot the fact that he heard Devourer''s name.


    The entire city was surrounded by an unbreakable dome. It was impossible to leave the city as one could only enter the dome but not leave.


    "Apparently that man also has the ability to disguise. Even if we search the entire city, can we find him?"


    "You don''t have to find him. You just have to confirm that he is in the city," the silver haired man dered, only letting his team members hear his words. "As long as there''s even the slightest of suspicion, there''s no need to work too hard. We will burn this entire city down. It''s better to be safe than sorry,"


    He was Liyon, leader of the team, and also the most Senior Professor amongst all the ones that were sent here.


    His ability allowed him to take care of all the aftermath through mental maniption. Not only could he erase the memories of an entire city at the same time but he could also do much more.


    Normally, he was not sent out of the Academy. However, this time he was sent out to take care of exactly this kind of mess.


    In the absence of Mist, the orders were being given by someone else and that person didn''t care about the means that had to be used.


    As long as he could take care of this mess, he could have an opportunity of bing the Vice Dean.


    "Hmm?" As soon as Liyone finished givingmands, his footsteps halted, feeling as if someone was watching him.


    With his abilities, he was more sensitive towards such things. If it was just an ordinary person watching him, he wouldn''t have registered it. It only meant someone significant was secretly observing him.


    "It seems that he is still inside the city," he thought, the corner of his lips crept up. "Is he trying to hunt me this time?"


    Instead of feeling scared, he was gleeful. He just didn''t reveal it on the surface. The reason he came here wasn''t just to solve this case but also to capture Devourer.


    He was not just the hunter but also the bait that was supposed to lure Devourer out, his abilities being something that he was sure Devourer couldn''t ignore.


    The only problem was that he couldn''t pinpoint the exact location.


    "Since he is here, then it makes things a lot easier." He brought out ten crystals, giving one to each of his men.


    "Go and nt these gems at the ten outer points of the city. We might as well cut off all his escape routes, even the ones with spatial escape."


    Ten Heroes immediately dispersed while the remaining followed Liyone.


    At the same time, sitting on a roof, there was a man ying with a small box.


    The box was something that all those who had seen Devourer previously would have recognised as this was what he took from Mist.


    One of the seals was already removed, leaving only three more seals. Amongst the three seals, the seal of Feng Yu was easier to remove. He could do that any time he wanted as she trusted him.


    Only the seal of the Holy Priestess and the Necromancer Tower Master was different. Still, he didn''t care about that for now. For now, he only wanted to focus on gaining abilities and leveling up.


    This ce was his hunting ground as well as the treasure chest. Even he hadn''t expected someone so useful to arrive which had surprised him when he used Identification on the man.


    "With this, all the missing pieces should start fitting the puzzle," he said while ying with the small box like it was a toy.

 Chapter 300: Chapter 300: Point Confirmed

    Almost everyone who was present in the Trial Hall where Devourer had kidnapped Sera knew how he escaped. Even under the restriction of the Main Academy, the man was able to escape.


    They didn''t know if it was a treasure or ability that he used to escape, it was clear that he used space to escape. That''s why Liyone had especially brought a treasure that could seal space properly.


    With this treasure, even if it was Mist in this ce, she couldn''t escape. The only problem was that the treasure was a limited time use item.


    It could only be used for half an hour. After that, it needed a month to recharge properly. That''s why it wasn''t constantly used in the academy.


    Normally, this treasure was useless. Even if one was to trap someone as strong as Mist inside it, so what? Who could kill her within half an hour? It was impossible.


    That''s why on truly strong beings, it was useless. Still, Devourer had not reached that realm yet.


    In fact, there were even some Heroes that managed to see that he was weaker than he used to be in the past. He had not used any of the prominent skills that he constantly used in the past.


    If it was in the past, Devourer would''ve killed quite a few people before leaving, trying to weaken the Hero Academy. Strangely enough, he didn''t do that this time.


    Even to kidnap Sera, he had to use sneaky and cunning methods. It made everyone realize that he was truly different.


    People realized that it was probably because he had just returned to life. None of them knew how someone who died coulde back to life but that was the reality.


    The only thing worth sce was that he appeared to have lost all his previous abilities, which made him weaker. This was also the perfect opportunity for them to kill him before he became as strong as he used to be in the past.


    "Point one is covered," one of the Heroes said while cing the gem on the ground and staying behind to protect it.


    "Point two is covered," another voice fell in Liyone''s ears through themunication device.


    "Point three in ce."


    "Point four is prepared."


    "Point five easy!"


    One after another, voices of confirmation came. Although the space was already sealed with five gems, Liyone waited for more gems to be activated to strengthen it even more.


    The citizens of the city also noticed the strange dome that had appeared in the sky. Many of them were confused while some were even scared.


    Still, they just believed that it was to keep the criminal inside. It had nothing to do with them. Only those who were trying to leave were fuming as the barrier stopped them.


    "Who do you think you are to stop me? My father is in the government. Does the Hero Academy want to harm the government?!"


    A young man was more loud than the others, even threatening the Hero who was responsible for the curfew.


    "The government of this measly nation?" The A Rank hero burst intoughter. Many people had tried to use the fact that they were from Great Hero Families.


    Seeing someone use a mere government that itself relied on the Hero Academy for protection was just too funny for him.


    The A Rank hero simply pped the young man away.


    "Go and tell your government that I hit you. Let me see what they can do to me!"


    "You! How dare you attack me? You are here to investigate and not to harm civilians. Have you forgotten the rules that the Hero Academy Members can''t harm Civilizations?"


    Holding his burning cheek, the young man stood up. He was in disbelief that someone actually hit him. So what if he was a Hero? Could he go against the rules of his own academy?


    "Rules that I can''t harm the civilians?" The Hero''s eyes narrowed. In the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of the young man, grabbing him by his throat.


    "Even if I kill you here, do you think anyone here will expose this? Will they go against the Heroes for someone like you? If you don''t want to die, then scram!"


    Almost on the verge of suffocating, the young man was tossed away, hitting his head on a stone. He started bleeding but no one cared.


    No one even came forward to help him. In the hand, he had to stand up. Although discontent, he had to find a doctor himself.


    "The City is sealed. The others should go back as well." The Hero told everyone. His words made it appear like he was requesting but his tone was that of an absolute monarch.


    All those who had tried to leave the city started returning. Even the unaffiliated heroes couldn''t do anything except turn back.


    They all started returning, none of them looking back. However, as thest person turned back, a hand came from behind the A Rank Hero, closing his mouth.


    At the same time, a w prated his back,ing out from his chest, holding onto his heart. The Hero struggled but he couldn''t free himself.


    He even reached out his hand to call for help. If only the civilians could see him and inform the others, he might be saved. However, none of them looked back.


    The only person who looked back was the young man whose head was bleeding. His eyes were slightly shocked as he saw what was happening behind him.


    The Hero''s eyes lit up, as if begging the young man to inform others. Unfortunately for him, the young man pretended to not see anything. He simply turned around and left.


    The vision of the hero turned dark as he lost his life.


    Eren tossed his body aside, looking at the heart of the young man.


    After a while, he tossed the heart aside. The young man didn''t have the ability that he wanted and he wasn''t interested in filling his slots with useless abilities.


    Instead of the heart, he picked up the small red gem that was buried here.


    "Point one confirmed," Eren smiled while keeping the red gem in his inventory.

 Chapter 301: Chapter 301: Cowardly or Cunning

    "Point six is covered," another voice crackled through themunication device, oblivious to the death of another hero.


    The hunters were bing hunted. While new points were being created by the Heroes, old points were being destroyed by him, not letting anyone know what was going to happen.


    "Point seven in ce," another voice announced.


    Eren moved swiftly, changing locations. It was a little more time consuming to travel to different parts of the city without using teleportation, but for someone like him, this was the most suitable option as he couldn''t afford to be sick.


    Even Yelen and Felona were summoned to help him take out the Heroes. If it was the stronger Heroes, they might not be as effective but for the weaker heroes whose only responsibility was to nt a gem, they were more than enough.


    "Point eight secured," the voice echoed in his ear.


    Eren climbed a nearby building. From his vantage point, he could see one of the heroes nting a gem at the base of a monument. He was alone, the perfect target. Eren took a deep breath and leaped down,nding silently behind the hero.


    The hero never saw himing. Eren''s ws extended, and with a swift, silent strike, the hero fell. Eren picked up the gem and kept it in his inventory as well, feeling a slight tremor as the spatial seal weakened.


    "Point nine..." the voice faltered as static filled themunication device. Eren knew they were beginning to suspect something was wrong.


    By now, the seal should have been strong enough to be felt by them but it was non existent as if no gems were ced in ce except a rare few.


    Liyone''s eyes narrowed as he sensed the disruption.


    "Something''s not right," he muttered. "Someone is dismantling the seal."


    He signaled to his team to regroup. "We need to secure the remaining points and find out what''s happening."


    Eren watched from the shadows. He had already gathered a total of four gems with two more being gathered by his Spirits. He just needed four more toplete his collection.


    Initially, he wanted to take them all. But now, he changed his n. He could always take them afterpleting his task here. Liyone could not seal the space with just four gems either.


    Moreover, even if he sealed the space, so what? It couldn''t help them kill him as long as he was not foolish.


    The only reason he dismantled the was to give them a false sense of security, making them think that he was nning to escape.


    At the same time, Yelen and Felona approached two more heroes, attacking without being seen. The heroes staggered, their vision blurring, unable to react to the swift unseen attack.


    "Point ten...promised," the voice on themunication device stammered.


    Liyone''s face twisted in rage. "Spread out and find him! He''s here!"


    Arge group of remaining heroes rushed towards the tenth point, leaving behind Liyone who was the only person left there.


    It was unclear if he stayed behind because he was confident enough in his abilities or if it was just a trap for him to lure out Eren.


    Liyone remained silent in his ce, as if he wasn''t concerned about his security in the least. He simply strolled through the city, walking towards the ninth point to check himself.


    ''Are you really not going to show yourself, Devourer?'' he thought, not revealing even the slightest w on his face. ''I have sent everyone away and created such a good opportunity for you.''


    Although he didn''t show it, he was waiting for Devourer''s arrival so he could use his abilities and control the man that even an Overlord could notplete.


    As long as he controlled Devourer, not only could he be the next Vice Dean for his achievement but he could also have a hunting dog like Devourer who could do everything he asked.


    It was a hunting dog that could infinitely grow, maybe even help him be the absolute ruler of the Southern Continent in the future.


    "Huh?"


    Suddenly his expressions darkened as he felt his connection with the other Heroes that he sent to the tenth point being removed.


    The remaining Heroes were killed. Even though he nned to draw Eren to him, Eren did theplete opposite.


    He didn''t attack Liyone who was alone. Instead he went for the ce where all the remaining heroes were gathering.


    Without the slightestrge scalemotion, he managed to take out the remaining Heroes which was shocking for one person to do alone.


    Liyone bit his lower lip in frustration, not understanding why Eren wasn''ting for him. Did he already know that this was a trap?


    Soon, he reached the ninth point and noticed that the Hero assigned here was also dead and the gem was taken away.


    "That cowardly bastard! He doesn''t attack the strong ones directly! This confirms that he is definitely weaker than he used to be. My assumption was right!"


    "I thought Mist woulde here to y hide and seek with me. But to see someone like you, it''s disappointing."


    While Liyone was fuming, a voice appeared on hismunication device. However it wasn''t the voice of any of his subordinates.


    "Devourer I assume? I heard you were very brave. It seems all the rumors were a lie. You were nothing more than a cowardly bastard who has to run away from me," Liyone said, trying to provoke Devourer intoing for him.


    "Little one, you are a little too young to provoke me. You are also not worth my time. Next time, send your Dean if you want me to show up. For now, you are not worth my time. Hence, I''m taking the gems as fee for wasting my time and leaving,"


    The voice disappeared as Eren crushed the device. On the north side of the barrier, there was a disturbance as something clearly passed through forcefully, leaving the city.


    "You are running away?" Liyone raged, but he couldn''t do anything as he couldn''t fly. The others who had that ability were already killed.


    "That cowardly bastard!" he eximed, his mindpletely obsessed with the escape of Eren, not even having time to think about anything else.


    If he was calmer, he would have noticed that a young man had appeared right behind him.

 Chapter 302: Chapter 302: Stuck for life

    ....


    "Is it just me or has the number of Professors in our Academy been dwindling?


    In the Mythical Hero Academy, the number of people who knew about the incident at the testing sight was not much. Even those who saw it had their memories erased, not remembering anything about it.


    Due to that, they werepletely unaware about what was happening in the Academy. Many students had started noticing that it was getting harder to find Professors.


    Previously, there were hundreds of Professors at the Academy, many of them being S Rank Heroes. However, less than thirty were left in the Academy. Many sses had also been canceled on regr intervals.


    The Academy was mostly cut off from the outside world which made it harder for them to get news from outside.


    asionally, students could be seen talking about this strange phenomenon, wondering where the Professors had gone. Some even wondered if something big was happening which needed so many Professors to be dispatched.


    Except the Professors who were informed about Devourer''s return, no one else knew about it. Even the disappearance of the Heroes in the outside world had been med on some new killers.


    The Nations of the continent were kept unaware about the true cause behind it. Even the Guards at the entrance did not know about it.


    Every other day, the Guards at the main entrance watched the Professors leave, taking their teams. However, the number of returning professors was close to nil.


    Only information about their death was received and that too from the Nations as multiple teams had beenpletely wiped clean, unable to even return the news themselves.


    As days passed, the Guards were also getting more and more concerned, feeling as if something dark was approaching their academy. Still, they had faith in their Overlord, believing that it was only a matter of time before everything was solved.


    "Wait, someone ising!" One of the Guards suddenly called out, looking into the distance.


    As the student admission process was long over, there was absolutely no crowd in front of the Academy which made it easier to see the familiar figure in the distance.


    The person returning was a middle aged man, his clothes stained in blood.


    "Professor Liyone?" a Guard called out as the bloody figure came close.


    "Hurry, open the entrance!" Looking at his condition, the Guards didn''t want to dy his entrance.


    Although it was not allowed ording to the rules, they stepped aside, allowing him to pass through without being checked. All they noticed was his identification card that was also covered in blood.


    The Guards simply watched him approach, pale faced. They couldn''t help but wonder which kind of monster could hurt Professional Liyone like this, especially since he had gone with quite powerful heroes.


    "Professor, are you alright? Should I connect the portal to the medical ward?" a Guard asked, watching Liyone go past them without saying a word.


    "No need. I will be fine," the bloody figure said as he entered the Academy, taking the portal connecting to the Main Academy.


    "This disguise skill is really good. The guards didn''t notice any ws at all." As the bloody figurended on the connection portal, a voice fell in his ears.


    He didn''t turn around to respond to that feminine voice that only he could hear.


    He simply used his thoughts to answer, ''If it was so easy to see through the disguise, would I have been able to fool Mist before?''


    ''Moreover, so what if they were suspicious? I could simply erase their memories and walk past them. They are weak and can''t resist this ability,'' the person revealed a smile that the Guards couldn''t see as his back was turned towards them.


    Soon, the connection portal led Eren to an unknown ce that looked like an office.


    Eren had fought and killed many Heroes along the way, taking the abilities that he preferred as if he was on a shopping spree.


    Every ce he treaded, the members of the Hero Academy disappeared. However, no one was able to find him.


    Even after fighting and killing many people, the biggest challenge for him still proved to be the portal.


    As soon as he stepped into the office, he took a seat, his head spinning crazily. He quickly brought a bottle of water and poured it over his head, letting the cold try to bring somefort to him.


    "Your condition is not good. Are you sure we shouldn''t find someone who can help you?" Yelen asked, sitting next to Eren.


    "Who can we find? It isn''t an injury that could be healed with healing pills. I have already tried them all. At this point, I''m just getting tired of this body," Eren replied, looking at his palm.


    Every time he went through a portal, he felt like he ended up in hell. There was something about these spatial portals that was conflicting with him.


    At first, he was confused about the reason. Was it some sickness or the effect of stealing the abilities from others? It took him a long time to realize that it was much deeper.


    Every time he was inside a portal, he felt a little fluctuation in the unknown bloodline within him. It was that fluctuations whichpletely messed up his other Bloodlines as well as the flow of blood inside his body.


    Although it was only temporary but while that effectsted, he really felt like dying. The effect was fortunately weaker during short range Teleportations.


    "This freaking bloodline... It can even suppress the Bloodline of Devourer and the Celestial Dragon. And that''s when it hadn''t even activatedpletely."


    He couldn''t ask anyone else for help as he might have to exin the cause of this problem. His Bloodlines were his biggest secret that he couldn''t expose.


    Even if he was willing to expose, just what in the world could solve the problem with his Bloodline that even Devouring Bloodline was afraid of?


    "It seems like I''m stuck with this for life. At least until I activate itpletely."

 Chapter 303: Chapter 303: The New Professor

    Although Eren considered the possibility of solving this problem, he knew that it was easier said than done.


    Just toplete one fourth of his Bloodline, he had to kill a Main Character. If he wanted more, he needed to kill three more Main Characters, two of whom werepletely unknown to him.


    He only knew one main character and that person was even more troublesome than Ye Liang, the Main Character of the Eastern Continent, could ever hope to be.


    Not only did he have the strength that wasparable to the strength one received from the Pendant of Strength, but even more troublesome was the fact that he had the Magic Nullification ability which worked passively.


    That Nullification didn''t just work on magic but also on every other ability, no matter from which continent they were from.


    After thinking for some time, Eren decided to give up on that thought for now. It was something that needed much longer to aplish, leaving no room for daydreaming.


    He remained seated and closed his eyes, giving his body the time to recover. It was only after half a day passed that he opened his eyes, feeling much better.


    He stood up, deciding to leave the office and find the prison where his disciples were kept. However, before that, he knew that he needed to change his clothes that were torn as if he had been in a battle.


    It was good enough to fool the guards but he didn''t need to bother that much with the other Professors.


    He searched around the office to find the clothes that the Professor he disguised as used to wear. Fortunately, it didn''t take him long to find the clothes that were kept in a wardrobe near the corner of the office.


    Eren started changing his clothes right there, noticing that Yelen had been sleeping while sitting on the Professor''s chair.


    As he wore the clothes, his eyes weren''t taken off from the young woman. He didn''t know what she did when she wasn''t with him but it was clear that she hadn''t gotten proper sleep either.


    Even though she was a Spirit, she also needed rest. He did not trouble her, deciding to let her sleep while he took a walk outside. In any case, no one could see her even if someone was to identally enter the office.


    If she woke up, she could easilye to him as well.


    Eren carefully opened the door, trying to make as little noise as possible. Soon, he was out of the room. He closed the door behind him and chose a random direction.


    He walked through the long corridors and observed his surroundings, noticing many students with a variety of abilities.


    With his Identification Skill, he was able to find quite a few useful abilities in the students that hadn''t reached their true threshold yet.


    Along the way, he walked past many halls where other Professors were taking sses with hundreds of heroes patiently listening to them.


    This was a ce which was impossible to ess otherwise.


    Previously, he had thought that he was only going toe here to steal the artifact from Mist, never expecting that he would have toe here for an entirely different reason.


    "Professor Liyone, you are back!"


    While Eren was observing the ss, he heard a voiceing from behind him.


    Curious, he turned around and saw a young girl standing in the distance, wearing a senior student''s attire.


    Eren did not recognise the woman but it was clear that she was also a student.


    "I was told that you left the academy for a mission. I was just about to go and inform the ss that it will be canceled today as well. Now that you are back, it seems there is no need for that."


    Without any fear, the girl held Eren''s hand and started taking him with her. Eren couldn''t counter as he didn''t entirely understand the situation.


    He had interrogated Liyone before killing him. With that, he learned the important things about the academy, especially the location of the prison and the way to reach there.


    The only thing he didn''t ask was about the academy life of Liyone as that person died before he could reach those insignificant parts of his life.


    The girl led Eren for around thirty minutes, taking him through another portal which made Eren even sicker but he didn''t reveal it.


    If anything, he was more shocked when he found himself standing in front of another ss which was even bigger than what he had seen before.


    Many young heroes were sitting on their seats, as if waiting for a professor. However, no professor was here to teach them.


    "Tsk, the Professor is back. And here I thought we would get another day off!" A disappointed voice came from the back while the students stood up at the sight of Eren in the distance.


    "Wee back professor!" The Students said in unison, at least the majority of them.


    There were many students who didn''t even bother standing up or reacting. One of those students caught Eren''s eyes the most as it was a young man sitting in thest seat, seemingly bored.


    As the memories of most of the students were erased, no one knew the identity of the young man. However, for Eren it was impossible to forget him. It was the Main Character of the Southern Continent and the reincarnation of the first hero.


    By now, Eren understood everything. This was his ss. Normally, it was supposed to be canceled. However, now that he had returned, the ss was not canceled.


    It was even worse as a student found him walking around and led him here. Suddenly, he had be the teacher of hundreds of students with superpowers.


    "Oh? Professor Liyone is back as well?" Eren was standing outside the hall, still distracted when he heard another voice.


    This time, the voice was not friendly, making it clear that it was someone hostile to him. He looked back and noticed another S Rank Professor who was walking in front of his own ss.

 Chapter 304: Chapter 304: Axxel

    "I heard you returned alone? Did you run away, leaving your team behind?" the mocking gaze of the middle aged man wasn''t hidden from anyone.


    Eren was sure that this person was targeting him. Or rather, he was targeting the one known as Professor Liyone.


    He was not too surprised. In almost every workce, there were people like this. There was always office politics involved, especially when a higher ranking position was on the line.


    Eren didn''t want to bother with the man as he wasn''t here to make friends or get promoted. He only wanted to take someone and leave.


    Ignoring the man, he stepped inside his ss.


    "Are you ignoring me?" the middle aged professor was stunned. His lips twitched in frustration.


    In the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of Eren, revealing his super speed that was on the verge of teleportation.


    Looking at that ability, Eren was slightly taken aback. This was quite a good ability, especially for someone like him.


    At first, he didn''t pay much attention to the man but now he was more interested.


    "Professor Liyone, did you forget our promise?" the man asked, ncing over at Eren''s ss.


    "Promise?" Eren wondered what he was talking about. Was there a promise that could make trouble for him?


    "How can I forget the promise," he quickly recovered his expressions. He didn''t express too much happiness or sadness as he didn''t know what kind of promise it was.


    "How about youe to my office and we will talk about it in detail?" He ced his hand on the middle aged professor''s shoulder, trying to take him away.


    "You... Are you taking me for a fool? There is no need to dy it. A fight for the right to Eldric can''t be forgotten. The winner will be the one guiding him!"


    ''The right to Eldric? A fight for that? Are they children or something?'' Eren scratched the back of his head, understanding the entire situation.


    As Eldric was a new student, he needed to be assigned to a ss. No matter which ss he was assigned to, someone was going to be discontent.


    In this case, he was temporarily assigned to Liyone''s ss which upset this person. It made him make a bet with Liyone where the winner was going to get Eldric in his ss.


    "I don''t have time for such childish bets. I ept my defeat. Take him," Eren sighed in response, getting past the man.


    Eldric was the reincarnation of the First Hero. If possible, Eren didn''t want to deal with him for now, especially entering into a student teacher rtionship.


    He needed to kill Eldric to unlock another portion of his Bloodline in the future, so he didn''t want to oveplicate things.


    "You! Are you making a mockery of me? I have been training my students for thest two days and at thest moment, you want to give up? Even if you''re scared, I won''t let you step back!"


    The S Rank Professor known as Axxel didn''t want to lose this opportunity where he could insult Liyone and make him embarrassed. It wasn''t just about Eldric but also removing a potent threat.


    That''s why he had been preparing so hard. Even luck helped him as right after the bet, Liyone had to leave, having no opportunity to train his students.


    ''Train the students? Was the bet about battle of sses? This man... Does he really want to keep bothering me so much?''


    Eren was nning to take Axxel with him to devour him but the man simply refused to apany him, focusing more on the battle.


    "Today, you can''t run away. The battle shall go on! Pick their students from your ss who will fight three from my ss. The side which wins more will be the winner."


    Axxel wasn''t even listening to Eren which almost made him facepalm himself.


    It was easy for him to arrange the battles in ways where he could win, especially since he could use Identification on the opponents to arrange his students properly. Still, he wasn''t the least bit interesting.


    "Fine. If you want to go with that, I will agree. And here I thought that we would go forward with the bet after I showed you the new treasure that I found outside..."


    Eren scratched the back of his head, sighing. "What a pity. Even the Dean is not here to see that. Then again, it''s better that not many people know about it. I can never judge people who might want to steal it."


    ''A treasure that can even shock the Dean? Just what did this man find? Is that the reason he came back so early? Because he was afraid of losing that treasure? If it''s really that incredible, should I..."


    Axxel waspletely silent at that moment. He wanted to see that treasure and find ways to take that from Eren.


    If he made Eren put that treasure on the line in this bet, then how was he going to be sure that Eren didn''t give him something else entirely after losing? He hadn''t seen that treasure yet after all.


    "Cough, on second thoughts, I think we should not be in a hurry for this fight. We can have it tomorrow as we need time to set things up. Until then, why don''t you show me the treasure you found?"


    Without the slightest of shame, Axxel fell for Eren''s trick. He wanted to see the treasure first and then have that bet to make sure Eren couldn''t lieter.


    In his momentary greed, he didn''t think things thoroughly.


    "In that case, why don''t youe with me? It''s in my office." Eren nodded before telling his ss that they were free today.


    He turned around and left with Axxel who also freed his ss, only telling them to train on their own for the battles that were toe tomorrow.


    In Axxel''s ss, people didn''t think much about it. However, those who knew Liyone were more confused. Why was their teacher suddenly so friendly to the man he would often curse in ss? Something didn''t feel right.

 Chapter 305: Chapter 305: In my home?

    Axxel followed Eren towards his Office, only for Eren to realize that he had forgotten the way back since he took a portal to reach the ss.


    On the way back, the portal was not in the same ce from where he had stepped out. As for finding the real way back, he wasn''t sure.


    "Why are you going in that direction? Isn''t your office in an entirely different direction?" After a while, even Axxel noticed that Eren was going in the wrong direction, calling him out.


    "You think I don''t know where my office is? It''s just that the thing isn''t in my office. I already have it, but I don''t want to bring it out in the open. So I''m looking for a nearby ce where we can be alone." Eren came up with an excuse.


    "Hmm? Just that? You could''ve just told me. My office is nearby. No one will disturb us there," Axxel said while taking the lead.


    "Absolutely perfect."


    Eren also slowed down, walking behind Axxel as he didn''t even know where Axxel''s office was.


    Soon, Axxel stopped in front of an office. On the door, Axxel''s name was clearly written. He used his fingerprint to open the door and called Eren inside.


    Once Eren entered, he closed the door behind him, making sure no one saw them entering this office together.


    Axxel walked to the table and sat on it, facing Eren. "Now show me. What is the important treasure that you want to show the Dean?"


    "Before I show it, you must promise that you won''t tell anyone about it! If people with bad intentions found out about this, it could really bring a disaster to our continent." Eren was extremely grim while walking closer to Axxel, especially since the man was known for his speed.


    The slightest mistake and he might escape.


    "Something that could bring disaster to the continent? You mean it''s a treasure that can even lure the other Continental Overlords?" Axxel also understood the meaning behind Eren''s words.


    As he considered the possibility, the greed in his eyes only strengthened. At first, he only wanted to take this item from Eren using his schemes but if it was so important, then he had to kill Eren to make sure he didn''t leak this after losing it.


    "Don''t worry. Your secret is extremely safe with me. We have known each other for years after all." Axxel rubbed his hand together, badly failing to control his expressions.


    Normally, even a fool would have noticed what he was nning but Eren did not react to it. He walked even closer to Axxel until there was only half a meter of distance between them.


    He opened his inventory while making it appear like he was focusing on the Academy''s Storage ring that was on his finger.


    Tuck! Tuck!


    As he was about to touch the inventory, a knock resounded on the door.


    "Wait a second. Let me see who is disturbing us." In the blink of an eye, Axxel appeared in front of the door, leaving Eren behind.


    He opened the door only halfway, not inviting the other person inside. That way, the person outside could not see Eren and Eren couldn''t see them.


    "Yeah, I received your request. You didn''t have toe all the way here. I was already about to send the response. Whatever, now that you''re here, you can hear it from me. There is no need to keep his disciples just to lure him."


    "It''s just a weak insignificant traitor, not Devourer. There is no need to take that person too seriously. Take them to the Ghost Queen. Not as if he can know that his disciples will be long dead before the deadline. If he falls for the trap, he will stille."


    "Still, he would have to be a fool toe here for his disciples. It''s just a wait of time to wait for him. So you can go forward with your proposal."


    After issuing his instructions, Axxel closed the door. Although Eren didn''t see the face of the person outside, he had heard the voice of that person.


    The person did not say much, only agreeing with Axxel. And when he did, Eren recognised that voice. It was Ancestral Elder Yang. He was walking freely in the Academy?


    Eren''s fists were already clenched in frustration as he recognised the identity of the person but he did not lose control. Instead, he summoned Yelen and instructed her to follow Ancestral Elder Yang.


    "Sorry for the disturbance. These subordinates are truly fools. They can''t do anything without me," Axxel closed the door right as Yelen left the room, not even feeling her present.


    "Don''t worry. I am sure you are also having a hard time after being assigned to guide these easterners."


    "Hahaha, that''s right. Of course you understand me. So, what was the treasure?"


    "Right here." Eren brought out a small ck box. He reached out his hand while walking towards Axxel as if to hand it over.


    Only after taking a few steps, he stumbled and lost his bnce, falling in the direction of Axxel. The small box fell on the ground right near Axxel''s feet.


    "Be more careful with something so precious." Axxel bent forward to pick up the box. Even though he didn''t know what was in it, he had already started considering it extremely precious.


    While Axxel had bent forward to pick the small box, a gun appeared in Eren''s hands which he pointed at Axxel, supplying a small amount of his mana, forcefully cutting it off before a stronger bullet could be produced.


    Unlikest time, he didn''t want the bullet to pass through multiple walls, leaving behind traces.


    "You are right. I will be more careful this time," Eren said while pulling the trigger.


    ....


    "You came to ask me about his whereabouts? How fascinating. Isn''t he already in your home?"


    In an unknown ce, Mist was sitting in front of a dark hooded woman whose eyes werepletely nk as if she was unable to see. Still, she could see more than the others.


    "In my home?" Mist frowned.

 Chapter 306: Chapter 306: Horrifying Fate; Authors Return

    "Yes, in your home," the blind seeress replied, her voice breaking the silence. "Sometimes, the best ce for darkness to hide is right under the light. It seems that he is doing just that..."


    Mist''s eyes narrowed. "Can you tell me more than the rough location of the person I''m looking for? Who is he disguising as? What about his intentions?"


    He hade to this woman with the sole intention of finding his daughter. Unfortunately, she had not received a proper answer.


    Even after using her abilities to find Sera across the four continents, the Seer failed. In the end, Mist only asked about the whereabouts of the person who took her daughter.


    The Seer closed her eyes, using her abilities to find more about that person. It was her abilities that allowed her to see through the threads of fate, finding the information that she needed through them.


    As long as it wasn''t information that touched the core of some iprehensible fate, she could find out anything.


    She was also one of the only few exceptions amongst the Heroes who awakened their abilities at the old age.


    Mist had asked her to join the Academy many times but the old woman simply refused, saying that she had seen some information from her fate. ording to her, the moment she stepped inside the Academy, she was going to die.


    In the end, Mist had no choice but to allow the old woman to stay away from the Academy. She even arranged for a safe and secure ce far away from the civilization, not wanting to lose a person with such a useful ability.


    "Impossible..." After a few seconds of silence, the Seer opened her eyes. Her eyes were still nk as she couldn''t see anything from the real world.


    Still, tears of blood were trickling out of those eyes, her face growing absolutely pale.


    "What did you see?" Mist asked before gesturing to a trusted healer that she brought with her.


    The healer stepped forward and started healing the old woman, but strangely enough, the blood didn''t stop even under the effect of healing.


    "This fate thread... Why does it go there? How can it be connected to them?! This person... No, he''s not..."


    The more the old woman spoke, the more restless she became as if she was going crazy. She had seen something that she absolutely shouldn''t have seen. It was as if an unspoken secret was revealed to her.


    "N-no! I didn''t want to see this! This was not intentional! Please don''t!" She suddenly roared at the top of her lungs.


    Mist was confused about her sudden outburst. Was she having a panic attack? Was it just the effect of her old age or has she really seen something this scary?


    "What did you see?! Tell me!" Mist eximed, growing just as impatient about the secret that should make this woman react like that.


    Even when she had appeared in front of this old woman for the first time, this woman had been calm. This was the first time she had reacted like this. What could be more scary in this world than an Overlord for her?


    "He... He is..." The old woman was pale faced as she started speaking, ignoring the blood that was trickling out of her eyes without stopping.


    However, before the old woman could continue, she felt something strange. The surroundings went into absolute silence, as if time itself had stopped. Even though she couldn''t see it, she could feel it clearly.


    Another presence appeared in the room. A man''s voice resounded in the hall, apanied by a deep sigh.


    "Sigh, you really shouldn''t have seen it..." The man ced his hand on the old woman''s head.


    The old woman was trembling in fear but she couldn''t resist in the least. At that moment, her entire existence was sucked dry from her body.


    Her nk eyes soon closed as the woman lost her life as well as her soul. The pain was so gruesome that it made her let out a horrifying scream but no one heard it.


    If Eren was here, he would have been stunned to see the man. He was none other than the person that Eren believed to be the Author of this world, as well as the guide that had given him the answers that he needed.


    Until now, Eren believed that the only way to bring the author down was by using the Question Voucher. However, it was the first time that he had descended without the need of the question voucher.


    The man destroyed the soul of the woman thoroughly so that the thing she had learned couldn''t be exposed even by ident.


    After killing the old woman, he turned around. The Mist surrounding him disappeared as his body started dispersing.


    He looked in the direction of the Mythical Hero Academy, his expressions being unreadable. Soon, hepletely disappeared and the time started flowing normally.


    With the flow of time recovering, Mist came to her senses. However, all that she saw were the lifeless eyes of the old woman whose body started tilting to the right.


    With a thud, she fell on the ground. Mist reached out her hand, only to find out that her heartbeat had stopped as well. The woman was absolutely dead.


    "Just what did you see that scared you to death? Just what is that person''s fate?" Mist looked at the lifeless old woman.


    She didn''t feel as sad about the woman''s death as she did about the fact that she died before being able to answer her.


    Even though Mist didn''t know what this old woman saw, she did learn something just as important. It was that the person who kidnapped her daughter was in the Mythical Hero Academy itself.


    She stood up, still unable to take her eyes off the old woman. She still didn''t understand if it was just her misconception or if there was really another presence here.


    "Two of you can stay behind and bury her properly before returning. As for the rest, you''reing with me. We are returning home."

 Chapter 307: Chapter 307: Asters Life; More Sacrifice

    ....


    "My dear Aster, did you ever think that a day like this woulde for you?"


    In the unknown corners of the Mythical Hero Academy, there was a grand hall which was dimly lit. The only source of light in this grand hall were the candles that were all around the hall, flickering silently.


    All around the hall, there were many cylindrical containers that were made from ss with an unknown liquid filled inside.


    Most of these containers were empty but there were some which were not empty. Instead, they contained lifeless bodies.


    The bodies inside these containers belonged to some unknown Beast Species from the Southern Continent as well as some humans.


    The most eye-catching specimen was inside the ss container in the center as it was a lifeless body of someone extremely important.


    The body had multiple wounds and even many holes that made the brutality, with which the person was killed, evident.


    If Eren was here, he would have quite an easy time recognising the lifeless body inside the main container as it belonged to none other than the first Transmigrator that he had killed.


    It was the body of Aster, who was the Vice Dean of the Academy. He was killed in the Coastal City, but his heart was not devoured.


    When Mist went to the Coastal City, she recovered the body and brought it back to the Academy. For someone as special as Aster, even his body was an important material that could further research into the variety of spatial phenomena.


    As the person was already dead, she handed over his body to the Ghost Queen who was the best researcher in the Academy when it came to death.


    The Ghost Queen ced her hand over the ss as she looked at the lifeless corpse inside the container with greed in her eyes.


    "To think that there would still be a soul inside that body. Even after dying, your soul refuses to leave this body. What a greedy person you are, my dear Aster."


    "However, it''s all the better for me. With your soul being so weak, I should be able to ce a seal on it. After I bring you back to life, you will be my best servant, unlike your old arrogant self."


    The Ghost Queen''s voice echoed softly within the hall. She leaned closer, her breath fogging up the ss of the container. Her eyes were brimming with curiosity and hunger.


    "Do you remember the day you walked these halls with pride, Aster? Do you remember how you sliced my budget and even threatened to expel me for failure?" she whispered, her fingers tracing the outline of his face on the ss. "The day you thought you were invincible, untouchable. How the mighty have fallen."


    Aster''s body, floating in the unknown liquid, showed no signs of the torment it had endured. Yet, the residual soul energy clung to it.


    Even the Ghost Queen didn''t know that it wasn''t just one soul but two souls that were inside this body. All she could feel was a weak soul essence which she believed to belong to Aster only.


    Even though Aster''s body was dead, his soul was very much alive, thanks to the protection his soul received with the arrival of the Transmigrator from another world.


    ''Are you listening to this bi*ch? She''s talking about turning us into ves! Do something to stop her!" The Soul of Earth''s Aster called out to the real Aster.


    "The body ispletely dead. What do you think I can do about that now?" the real Aster asked in return, even though he was also just as frustrated.


    He believed that he really should have killed this crazy woman the day she had suggested killing and experimenting on her colleagues in the past.


    If she hadn''t been so talented to the point that Mist was paying attention to her, he would have already killed her in the past. Now he regretted that decision. It was much better to die in the Coastal City than fall in the hands of this crazy woman.


    "To bind your soul, I must first weaken it further," the woman murmured, almost to herself, not realizing that Aster could hear everything. "A soul tethered to its body, yet severed from life, is a rare thing indeed. But you, Aster, are no ordinary man."


    "To weaken and bind your soul, I would have to take more lives. I suppose it''s a good thing that you aren''t here to nag me about it. With the Academy, there are so many ''resources'' just wandering about. I will be right back..." A crazy smirk spread on her lips as the woman turned around to leave.


    She reached the door and opened it to leave, only to be stunned as she caught the sight of a few people standing on the other side of the door. It was a young looking man who looked like he was just about to knock on the door before it was opened.


    Behind him, there were a few more men who were carrying a steel cage in which two women were unconscious.


    "Who are you? And what is the meaning of this?'' the Ghost Queen asked, narrowing her eyes.


    "Professor Axxel sent us here. We have two prisoners from the East who he believed might be of use to the Ghost Queen," the young man said, gracefully.


    "Aren''t you from the east as well?" The Ghost Queen looked at Ancestral Elder Yang with great interest, especially since that person did not look weak either.


    "I have always been a part of the Hero Academy, working as a spy. I have finally returned to my rightful home," the Ancestral Elder Yang said calmly.


    "How interesting. But you are right on time. I did need a few people... However, two girls are far from enough. So..." She walked closer to the Ancestral Elder Yang, cing her hand on the back of his neck, pulling him closer.


    "So why don''t you also stay behind and let me show you something really really fun." As she said, she licked the earlobe of Ancestral Elder Yang, who was momentarily lost in seduction, not even noticing that her scent had started putting him to sleep.

 Chapter 308: Chapter 308: Greatest Privilege

    Ancestral Elder Yang''s vision blurred as he struggled to keep hisposure. At first, he didn''t understand why he had suddenly started feeling so sleepy.


    The moment he started getting suspicious, he pushed the woman back, it was already toote. His vision had already grown blurry. He stepped back, almost stumbling.


    "What did you do to me?!" he asked as his sleepiness kept getting stronger. But the woman didn''t answer, only gazing at him calmly.


    "There is no point in struggling. Now that you are here, you might as well stay behind and help me."


    After a brief moment, the woman known as Ghost Queen broke the silence, watching Ancestral Elder Yang barely standing with the support of the wall.


    Ancestral Elder Yang thought about running away but his body refused to listen as his eyes slowly closed, as if a witch had cast a sleeping magic on him. Even his thought process had slowed down while he slid on to the ground, falling asleep.


    The two unconscious women in the cage were oblivious to the scene unfolding around them. However the men who apanied Yang shifted uneasily.


    They turned around, leaving the cage behind and simply started running, only to realize that it was futile.


    The reason Ghost Queen took action against Ancestral Elder Yang was because he was strong. He was the only one who could escape her pursuit. His followers did not have that ability.


    With great ease, the Ghost Queen caught up to the followers of Ancestral Elder Yang, knocking them out.


    One after another, she dragged all the followers inside herb before taking Ancestral Elder Yang with her as well. With these men, she had everything she needed.


    After taking the men inside, she again left the hall and watched over the cage in which two women were lying.


    "Although I already have enough people, more materials never hurt. If therees a time when I need more, you two can be put to use." The Ghost Queen''s eyes glinted with a sinister delight as she approached the cage, her fingers gently brushing over the bars.


    "You may not know it yet, but you might be part of something extraordinary," she mused, her voice dripping with mock affection.


    With a flick of her wrist, she summoned a spectral light that illuminated the cage. As the light surrounded the cage, it started floating in the air, following the Ghost Queen inside theb.


    The metallic door closed behind her, but not before the Spirit Queen entered.


    The Ghost Queen dealt with the dead and their Spirits. She was very adept at using the Ghostly Energy that she took from the dead. However, the Ghostly Spirits were different from the Spirits of the Spirit Realm that were living beings.


    Unlike Ghostly Spirits of this world who were born from the death of humans or other creatures, the Spirits in the Spirit Realm were born from the purest of energy.


    Even then, the Ghost Queen might have been able to notice their presence if it was just an ordinary Spirit that was following her.


    As the one following her was far from an ordinary Spirit, even the ability user known as the Ghost Queen couldn''t sense her.


    She started preparing for the sacrifice which was going to heal Aster''s soul while also casting a seal on his soul.


    "Be d, Aster. Thanks to me, you will be returning to life, even stronger than before! And when you do return, you shall be my knight and my biggest weapon against Mist!"


    "Soon, it will be time for the Overlord of the Southern Continent to change! I can already see that beautiful figure."


    ''This woman... Is she crazy? She is nning to go against an Overlord with the help of that man?'' Yelen thought, looking at the man in the container whom she didn''t quite recognise.


    She couldn''t even feel any strength from the man as he waspletely dead. There were only minor spiritual fluctuationsing from that lifeless corpse inside the container which should have been impossible to bring back to life.


    Still, seeing the confidence of the Ghost Queen, Yelen didn''t want to doubt her words. In any case, she had to save Eren''s Disciples.


    She thought about taking action herself but at thest moment, she gave up as she realized that Ghost Queen wasn''t nning to sacrifice the girls. It gave her some time to at least inform Eren.


    She turned around, but not before calling Felona to keep an eye on Eren''s Disciples, not wanting any idents to happen.


    Only after bringing Felona, she passed through the metallic door and left theb. She quickly rushed back to the officer of Axxel, but the moment she passed through the door, she saw Axxel standing there, perfectly fine.


    For a moment, she was stunned before feeling a familiar contract bond from the person. She looked in the corner and saw the real Axxel who had long been killed with a hole in his chest.


    Eren had already shed the disguise of Liyone and taken the guise of Axxel which allowed him more freedom when dealing with his disciples.


    Eren sent the body of Axxel to the Spirit Realm for it to be dealt with, not needing it anymore.


    "Did you find the so-called Ghost Queen?" he asked Yelen while pushing the door open, stepping out of the office.


    "I did. That woman is quite crazy. She is nning to bring a dead person back to life."


    "A dead person back to life? Was that even possible?'' Eren asked, slightly taken aback.


    If it was possible to bring the dead back to life, then what if some idiot found a way to bring Ye Liang back to life? It was truly a hassle but he was sure that it was impossible.


    He had even devoured Ye Liang just to make sure, not even leaving the body behind for anyone to try.


    "I don''t know who she''s nning to bring back to life, apparently it''s someone called Aster," she told Eren.


    "Can you repeat that?" Eren frowned,ing to a sudden halt.

 Chapter 309: Chapter 309: Conflict of Bloodlines

    "She called him Aster. Do you know him?" Yelen was surprised by Eren''s reaction. If he recognised that person with just the name, it could only mean that he was quite significant.


    "What did he look like?" Eren asked further just to confirm his suspicions. If it was the same Aster that he was thinking about, then it did appear like a blessing in disguise.


    At the time he killed Aster, he wasn''t in the right frame of mind. He also didn''t know how to use his Devouring abilities, which always made him regret the missed opportunity.


    Although Aster''s control over Space wasn''t absolutely perfect, his abilities did allow him to manipte it to some extent. If he could get his abilities, then he wouldn''t have to rely on Yelen to create portals.


    For a moment, excitement shed in Eren''s eyes. Unfortunately, the excitementsted only for a short time as he remembered his body''s condition.


    Every time he went through a portal, it was a torture for his body and mind. Was this ability really as useful for him as he initially thought it to be?


    There was a small possibility that the Bloodline could help him bear the burden of spatial travel, but the possibility was not high, especially since it wasn''t a problem with just his body but also his main bloodline.


    If things went awry, he might just get a bloodline which could make things worse for him. If his Main Bloodline was in conflict with the element of space for some reason, then what if he received the Bloodline that allowed spatial maniption?


    The two Bloodlines could very well be like fire and water, destroying his body from the inside.


    Although the scenario was very extreme because his main Bloodline was definitely stronger than the Spatial Maniption Bloodline of Aster, it was still risky.


    "What a hassle..." Eren rubbed his forehead, feeling frustrated.


    It felt as if someone had ced the sweetest delicacy in front of a diabetes patient. On one side was the desire to taste this delicacy and on the other side was the concern for his health.


    ''Where are the choices from the system when I need them? If they came, I could have decided based on the reward.''


    After a brief period of silence, he stopped thinking about it. For now, it wasn''t the time to be distracted with it. He was still in the enemy base where a small misstep could screw him over.


    "You saw the Ghost Queen. How strong was she?" Eren asked Yelen, curious about the person he might have to face.


    As Axxel died right away, he couldn''t ask him this question which left Eren in the dark. Only Liyone had told him a little bit about the Ghost Queen but that information was also too vague.


    "I haven''t seen her fight. However, I do feel that she can be quite dangerous," Yelen answered. "She is especially cunning, so you will have to be extremely careful around her."


    "That''s quite a high valuation from someone like you," Eren replied.


    Along the way, Eren went through a few portals, against his wishes. As he had no other choice but to take these portals to reach the woman''sb, he could only swallow hard and step inside.


    After he stepped out of thest portal, Yelen noticed that his nose had started bleeding again. The only sliver of light was that he didn''t faint like he had in the Pce of the Great Demon Sect.


    Along the way, Eren kept chugging on the healing pills even though they were mostly useless in treating this phenomenon. Still, he needed something to distract himself and these pills became just that.


    "Is this the ce?" Eren, with slightly blurry vision, looking at the metallic door.


    In the entire hallway, there was only one door. Which meant this entire ce belonged to a single person, the Ghost Queen. It was even bigger than the offices of the two Professors.


    "That is right. Let me check inside..."


    Yelen stepped through the door, observing the scene inside.


    Inside theb, the first thing she observed were Eren''s two Disciples who were still inside the cage. Fortunately, it appeared that they hadn''t even been touched yet. Felona was also standing next to the cage.


    While the two girls were untouched, the same couldn''t be said about Ancestral Elder Yang and his subordinates.


    Their bodies weren''t in the open anymore. Their bodies were floating inside the liquid containers that were connected to the main container in which Aster''s body was floating.


    None of them had any clothes on their bodies. Through the naked eyes, it could be seen that their life essence was being sucked by the container, transferred to the container of Aster.


    The process of healing the finest specimen in theb had already begun.


    Ancestral Elder Yang couldn''t even wake up, let alone resist being treated like this. He was in a vegetative state, being used as nothing more than a material.


    All his life, he had treated others as pawns, only to be one in the end.


    "She has already started." Yelen came out of theb, informing Eren.


    "What about Yu Lin and Zia?" Eren asked, standing with his back supported by the hall, waiting for his world to stop spinning.


    "They seem to be fine," Yelen answered before exining theplete situation inside.


    "That is good. In that case, shall we meet our new friend?"


    Although still not perfectly fine, Eren was much better than he had been when he stepped out of the portal for the first time. His nose had also stopped bleeding, only leaving some dizziness.


    He took a deep breath before properly arranging his clothes, standing in arrogance like Processor Axxel used to do.


    He stepped forward and knocked on the metallic door.


    "Hmm? Who could be disturbing me at a time like this?" The Ghost Queen was immersed in her experiment, observing the changes in Aster''s body with glee, when she heard the knocks.

 Chapter 310: Chapter 310: First Kiss

    The process had already been initiated. There was no need for any further involvement from the Ghost Queen. All she had to do was wait, and maybe even observe the process with her own eyes.


    Amidst the waiting period, she heard the knocking on the door which surprised him. Normally, no one came down to herb, but today it was the second time that something like this had happened.


    "Who is it this time? I don''t need any more materials." She scratched the back of his head, ignoring the knocking on the door.


    She believed that if she just ignored it a few times, the person outside might think that she wasn''t here and just leave.


    Contrary to her expectations, the person outside did not leave. Instead, the knocking only became stronger as if the world was going to end if she did not open the door.


    Frustrated, the Ghost Queen floated over to the door. She opened the metallic doors, finally catching the sight of the person on the other side.


    "Axxel? What do you want?" The Ghost Queen narrowed her eyes. She wondered if he already found out that she was using his subordinates to perform her experiment.


    Fortunately for her, it was impossible to see that part of theb from the door. Even if someone was suspicious, they could not confirm without entering theb themselves.


    "Am I not invited here?" Eren asked casually. While he talked to her, Yelen entered the hall to take his disciples from the Cage.


    Even if there was to be a fight, he didn''t want his disciples to be caught in the aftermath of the battle.


    "I am busy today. I don''t have time for you. So leave," she coldly told Eren, who was disguised as Axxel.


    She stepped back to return to herb and close the door.


    "Is there really a need for such distance between us?" Eren asked, stepping forward. If possible, he didn''t want to let the door close again as that would only leave the option to break it open which might alert a few people.


    "Hmm?" The Ghost Queen watched Eren suddenly step forward as if he was willing to enter theb. Her expressions darkened, believing that he was definitely suspicious about this.


    Now that it hade to this point, she had no other choice but to deal with him in the same manner.


    Although it was going to be problematic if a Professor suddenly disappeared, especially when he wasst seen going towards herb.


    Still, to protect her secret experiment, she had no other choice. As for dealing with Axxel''s disappearance, she could use Aster to deal with that mess after he was back to life under her ve seal.


    "Are you really that eager to get close to me?" Instead of stepping back, the Ghost Queen stepped forward, leaving no distance between them. "In that case, let me remove the distance between us."


    In the blink of an eye, she appeared in front of Eren. Before he could react, she wrapped her arms around his neck.


    She was sure that her sleeping scent wasn''t going to work on Axxel. He was inherently different from Ancestral Elder Yang.


    She needed something stronger. She needed a stronger point of contact for the sleeping poison to affect him in arge quantity that just the scent couldn''t achieve.


    Eren was already stunned by her sudden change of tone, only to grow even more shocked when the Ghost Queen ced her cherry red lips over his lips, giving him a deep kiss.


    She even tried to insert her tongue in his mouth, appearing like she was a little too passionate about the kiss.


    Eren quickly pushed her back, not letting her tongue get past his lips.


    "What are you doing?!" he asked, his tone getting stern.


    Only after he stepped back a little, he felt strange. His dizziness increased even more. He had also started getting sleepy but the pain inside his body, that was the aftermath of going through the Portal, was keeping him awake.


    "Axxel, on ount of our long cooperation, I gave you an opportunity to leave. You really should have taken that opportunity when you have the time," the Ghost Queen stepped closer to Eren, her fingers gracefully brushing against his face with affection that was filled with malice.


    ....


    Inside the hall, Yelen broke open the lock on the cage, observing the two girls who were deep asleep.


    "Take them away," she told Felona while opening a spatial portal the moment the Ghost Queen was distracted.


    Just to be sure that no one saw the portal or the bodies being moved, she even covered the surroundings with Mist, making it impossible for any security mechanism to make out what was happening.


    Even if there was any recording mechanism, it was impossible for them to see through this fog, finding the culprit.


    The only clue left behind was the spatial essence that connected to the Spirit Realm but it was easy to suppress by spreading more chaotic energy in this ce.


    Eren was already a master in that, just like he previously covered the essence of the Portal with Sea Dragon Magic remains.


    Felona carried the two girls on her shoulders before entering the portal which closed behind her.


    ....


    "You really shouldn''t have been so stubborn. You asked why there is a need for such a distance between us? You''re right. There is no need for distance between us. Let me turn you into a Ghost, making you a part of me."


    The Ghost Queen looked at Eren, her eyes filled with coldness.


    "After that, there won''t be any distance between us. Right?" With a blurry vision, Eren couldn''t see the Ghost Queen''s face clearly but it was clear that she had a smirk on her red lips that she asionally licked.


    "Still, you are very lucky." She gently caressed her own lips which had tasted a man for the first time. "Even if you are going to die, you will die after getting a kiss from me. Be happy even in your afterlife as you receive my first kiss."

 Chapter 311: Chapter 311: Loss of both

    "Instead of being happy at getting your first kiss, I would much rather feel disgusted," Eren said, still standing straight, albeit a little unstable.


    His words were upsetting to the Ghost Queen but more than that, she was surprised that he still hadn''t fallen asleep. She was sure that even if it was a Professor like Axxel, he should''ve long been asleep as she directly administered the poison.


    She didn''t realize that Eren had the Bloodline of the Celestial Dragon, which came with slight poison immunity.


    It couldn''t remove the most toxic of poisons at this point, but if it was just the sleeping poison, it was much easier to handle.


    Moreover, until his immunity removed the poison from his body, it was his pain that kept him awake, preventing the poison from putting him to sleep.


    At times, the pains of spatial portals was his biggest curse. However, now that same thing had be a helper.


    "It doesn''t matter. Since you don''t want to ept a peaceful death in your sleep, I will just have to grant you death when you are awake."


    She raised her hand, great amounts of Ghastly Energy gathering around her, taking shapes of tens of daggers that floated above her.


    In an instant, all those daggers shot out towards Eren, who still couldn''t clearly focus on the iing daggers. Instead of trying to block them, he chose to simply avoid them.


    Using the ability that he had stolen from Axxel, he stepped sideways, almost appearing like he had simply teleported. Since it wasn''t actually teleportation, it didn''t worsen his symptoms.


    Dodging the daggers, he rushed towards the Ghost Queen who appeared as if she had expected something like this. She was fighting Axxel after all.


    The daggers that Eren had dodged changed their direction swiftly. Halfway through, they stopped. They turned around and came back, about to stab Eren in the back.


    Eren could feel the cold presence of the daggers closing in behind him, but he didn''t falter. Instead, he smirked, as finally, the side effects of using the portal appeared to have disappeared. He had regained his vision.


    The Ghost Queen''s eyes narrowed, sensing that something wasn''t right.


    With a sharp twist of his body, Eren mumbled a word under his breath, "Seal."


    As if the world itself contained incredible power, it unleashed a burst of energy that created a shockwave, pushing the spectral daggers off course.


    They whizzed past him, stabbing harmlessly into the ground. The Ghost Queen''s confidence wavered for a brief moment. She knew Axxel was fast but there was no report about him being physically strong as well.


    The Ghost Queen didn''t hear the word that Eren had spoken but she was sure that it wasn''t an ability that Axxel was born with. How could this person use abilities that he wasn''t born with? It should''ve been impossible, unless...


    Her expressions darkened as she subconsciously stepped back. "You....you aren''t Axxel!"


    There was only one person in the entire world who could use abilities that they weren''t born with. It wasn''t Axxel using another ability. It was more like another person using Axxel''s ability and there was only one person who could do something like that.


    Even though she hadn''t been presented at the ceremony where Mist''s daughter was kidnapped, she had heard quite a lot about this. It was such a big event after all that wasn''t hidden from the Elders.


    She also remembered hearing about that person possessing a disguise ability that even managed to fool Mist and the others.


    "You are Devourer! How dare you return to the Academy?!"


    Even though Ghost Queen was confident about her ability, she was also cautious against Devourer as she didn''t know what abilities he actually possessed.


    Even the world itself didn''t know what kind of abilities this man had gathered. All they knew were the abilities that he had shown before.


    "You guessed my identity from just that?" Eren was slightly impressed by the Ghost Queen. She truly wasn''t a fool if she could guess something like that from the brief moment where he used the Dragon''s Tongue.


    Even though her point of assumption about Dragon Tongue being another bloodline ability of Heroes was wrong, she did end up with the right oue in the end.


    As Eren spoke, his disguise started changing. His face returned to the face of Devourer that he had shown during the trial ceremony before Mist.


    Even now, no one knew that this wasn''t his real face but another disguise. What better proof of his identity as Devourer than his use of multiple abilities?


    "You are truly a fool! Now that you have done here, do you think you can leave? I can alert the entire academy and you''ll be trapped here!" The Ghost Queen eximed, still stepping back until she was inside theb already.


    Eren also didn''t attack her. Quite casually, he followed her inside theb, more interested in the fate of his disciples.


    In any case, he didn''t n to go all out when his disciples were here. His only responsibility was distraction.


    He soon looked over the Ghost Queen''s shoulder, noticing an empty cage with Yelen standing next to it, giving him a thumbs up. She hadpleted the task assigned to her.


    "You said you can inform the Academy about me? So why aren''t you doing it?" Eren asked, slightly intrigued by Ghost Queen''s reactions.


    Instead of threatening him, it was more like she was trying to persuade him to leave.


    "Is it because you are doing something that you don''t want others to find out either?" he further asked, looking in another direction where the lifeless body of Aster was floating.


    His wounds had almostpletely healed at this point, suggesting that the process was almost on the verge ofpletion.


    "If we fight, both of us will lose something. You hate Mist, and I also want her dead. Do we really have to fight? My abilities won''t even be useful for you," the Ghost Queen narrowed her eyes, not surprised that Eren had guessed her intention.

 Chapter 312: Chapter 312: Good girl

    Eren also knew that her abilities weren''t something that he needed. Although they could be useful in certain situations, they mainly ovepped what Yelen could already achieve.


    Moreover, he didn''t have time to strengthen her ability. Unlike other abilities that could strengthen on their own the more one used them, Ghost Queen''s ability was different. It needed a lot of work to be put in.


    Moreover, it was also true that Mist was a bigger threat for now. Even though Eldric was there to keep her busy now, the more cards there were, the better.


    In any case, Ghost Queen couldn''t defeat Mist even if she tried. It was at best a minor annoyance for Mist.


    For him, Ghost Queen was more useful alive than she was dead. Until now, it was Mist sending people undercover to destabilize other ces. Ghost Queen gave Eren an opportunity to do the same.


    Despite agreeing with the Ghost Queen, Eren couldn''t outright agree with her.


    "You are too weak and insignificant for me to work with you," Eren told her, making her expressions grow even colder.


    Ghost Queen''s lips twitched, as she was disrespected. Still, she didn''t attack Eren this time. The person in front of her was someone who could even go against Mist.


    He was someone that needed all four Overlords to work together to take him out. The rumors about Devourer had already made him appear like a legend for many people. And now this legend was standing before her.


    Even though she was slightly suspicious if he was actually as strong as the rumors suggested, she didn''t want to test it.


    Even if she did alert the Academy about his presence and they caught him, wasn''t she just going to help Mist? Instead, it was better to have him on her side.


    "I know I am not strong enough, I am soon going to have a ve that will add to my strength. With him around, I''m sure you will find me a lot more useful."


    Although the experiment to bring Aster back to life was a secret, Eren was already here. She couldn''t hide it anymore. If it could help her in negotiations, it was all for the better.


    "I have already ced a seal on him. He would only listen to me even if hees back to life. If you want to control him, you will need my help." She pointed toward Aster.


    "What do you think? Do I have the right to negotiate with you now?" she asked proudly, expecting a shocked reaction from Devourer.


    To her surprise, he didn''t react in the slightest. "Isn''t it just Aster? Isn''t he the one I killed in the Coastal City? Do you think someone as insignificant as him gives you the right to negotiate with me?"


    As he spoke, he walked closer to the container in which Aster was kept.


    Inside the container, Aster''s consciousness was still awake. Only Aster knew who had attacked him but he couldn''t answer.


    "Are you..." The Ghost Queen was momentarily frozen in ce. Was it the Devourer that had killed her? Many people considered that possibility but she had refused to believe it. Now that he was saying it, was there still any room to doubt?


    If Devourer was actually someone who had killed Aster, not even allowing him an opportunity to escape, then could she really defeat him?


    The more Eren spoke, the more the Ghost Queen felt suppressed. She was so distracted that she didn''t even notice that the two girls in the cage had been missing.


    After a long period of silence, Eren turned around.


    "I don''t think you have the right to negotiate with me, but I do believe that you can be useful. Hence, I will give you one opportunity..."


    "Opportunity?"


    "That is correct. Instead of working together, I want you to serve me. In return, I will help you take control of the Southern Continent."


    "You want me to be your ve?!" The Ghost Queen eximed, her tone filled with shock, anger and embarrassment.


    "Don''t use such a bad word. Of course I''m not evil enough to turn you into my ve," Eren responded, in the blink of an eye appearing next to the Ghost Queen.


    His fingers gently caressed her cheeks. "I just want you to serve me for an eternity. In exchange, I will make your wildest dreamse true."


    "You also have another option if you don''t like the first option," he continued while his fingers ended up under the woman''s chin.


    He raised her chin, looking deep in her eyes. "The other choice is simpler and less time consuming. I will just kill you here."


    He brought his lips closer to the Ghost Queen''s ears and whispered, "Although it would be a pity to kill a woman whose lips were so delicious, I would leave this choice to you."


    "Y-you!" The Ghost Queen didn''t know how to react. Although he sugarcoated his words, the gist was simple. She could either be his ve or die right here.


    She tried to speak further, only for Eren to ce his finger on her lips. "Shhh... The time for you speaking is long over. Just nod if you agree to the first option. Shake your head if you agree to the second."


    As he spoke, a little trickle of his Sword Emperor''s Aura released, sending a chill down the spine of the Ghost Queen.


    The Ghost Queen felt like she was looking at death in the eyes. At that moment, her mind was quite distraught. If she was still calm like before, she might have noticed many ws in his words but in this moment she couldn''t


    Unable to think straight, she nodded her head repeatedly. Anything was better than dying here.


    Moreover, if Eren actually kept his promise then she could get the Southern Continent for herself. Wasn''t it actually what she wanted?


    Eren smiled as he saw her reaction.


    "Good girl. Now don''t resist."


    From her lips, his fingers gently slid down until theynded on her slender neck.

 Chapter 313: Chapter 313: My Dear Transmigrator

    As his fingers brushed against her neck, a mark was ced on her neck, appearing simr to a cor.


    While the Servitude Mark was being created, Ghost Queen could easily break it by just resisting. However, she also understood the consequences of resisting at this movement.


    Even though her heart was telling her to resist and not ce her life in another person''s hand, her mind was telling her that this was the right choice. She did not resist the mark, listening to her mind in the end.


    After a few minutes, the Servitude Mark waspleted and the Ghost Queen became a servant of Eren. With the Mark around her neck, she couldn''t do anything that might bring harm to her master.


    Although the mark restricted her freedom to an extent, it didn''t enve her. She still had the right to reject hismands if they were something that might lead her to death.


    Other than that, she was also quite free to do whatever she pleased as long as it didn''t hurt Eren''s interest.


    She only had to follow instructions from Eren that weren''t life threatening for her, which was the exact reason she epted it. If he could justmand her to die, she never would have epted it.


    After the mark was sessfully casted, Eren took off his fingers. When he had first heard about the Ghost Queen, he expected that he might have to fight her.


    He didn''t expect to subdue her with such ease. Not only did he not have to actually fight but he also won a decent subordinate. Then again, he hadn''t forgotten how dangerous it had been.


    If he didn''t have poison immunity, he would have been at her mercy instead, maybe even used as an ingredient himself.


    With everything else settled, Eren turned towards Aster, gazing at the Transmigrator floating inside the container.


    "How long before he is back in life?"


    "Five minutes, or maybe ten if it takes longer," The Ghost Queen stepped forward, standing next to Eren, looking at his innocent-looking face.


    Looking at his face alone, he didn''t look like someone who could bring terror in the hearts of people of all four continents with just his name.


    "Are you really the one who killed him?" she asked, still finding it incredible.


    "He touched what he shouldn''t have touched," Eren answered, still remembering the pain of using the unseal talisman which still made him slightly hesitant.


    Even though he had another unseal talisman, he was afraid to use it as he didn''t want to go through the same pain while losing his conscience.


    Everything that happened when he used the Talisman was like a dream. It was as if his body was being controlled purely by instincts with his consciousness sitting in the back seat, only observing it like it was a dream.


    It was good to go with instincts as they used the instincts of Ren Necroline. However, there were times when these same instincts could create more troubles for him, especially if the enemy wasn''t Aster but the Overlord herself.


    The Ghost Queen looked at Eren in silence. With his reaction, he didn''t appear to be lying. Moreover, who else could kill Aster if not Devourer?


    "How are you going to control him after bringing him back to life?" Eren asked, bringing Ghost Queen out of her daze.


    "I ced a seal on his soul. It is simr to the Servitude Mark that you ced on me, but on a deeper level. With that, he can''t betray me," Mist exined the mechanism behind her seal as dealing with ghosts was her domain. It wasn''t easy for other people to understand it.


    "Change the owner of that seal to me," Eren stated without the slightest change in his expressions.


    "What?" The Ghost Queen was frozen in ce. Eren was even trying to steal her greatest weapon from her?


    "I will let him help you, but I want to be the one to control him. Moreover, if you tried it, I can promise that it''s only a matter of time before you die at his hands," Erenzily replied, tapping the ss lightly.


    "I will die at his hands? That''s impossible. He can''t break the seal. How can he kill me?" The Ghost Queen looked at Eren as if he was talking about something absurd. She had full faith in her seal.


    "There are two souls inside his body. You just bound one soul. Do you think it is enough to save you?" Eren answered, not caring in the least about her shock.


    "If I''m not wrong, you only found the stronger soul which shouldn''t be the main soul at this point. Find the second and weaker soul and bind it as well. Moreover, bind both of them to me. Or else, you already know the consequences."


    Eren didn''t have to say anything anymore. Although the Ghost Queen found the notion of a person having two intact souls inside their bodies absurd, it was easy to verify it. All it needed was a little more time.


    The only problem was giving Eren the control of Aster. Still, it didn''t put her life in danger so she couldn''t do anything but agree unless she wanted to die.


    "Give me a minute." She quickly rushed back to stop the process. If it was indeed true, she needed more time for it. Instead of ten minutes, it might even stretch for half an hour.


    While the Ghost Queen was rushing towards another part of theb, Eren stood with his back resting against a Container.


    Inside the container, the two souls of Aster had grown chaotic.


    "How did he know about me?" The Aster from Earth eximed in disbelief. "If he enved me as well, then we can never gain freedom!"


    "I also find it hard to believe. With your undiscovered soul, I was confident that we could free ourselves. How did this man find out what even Ghost Queen couldn''t! Moreover, why did he say that he killed us?" The Aster from this world was just as confused.


    "That''s right! The person who killed us was definitely Eren. It wasn''t Devourer, unless... Devourer is him?''


    "This..."


    "If you''re awake, then I really look forward to meeting you again, my dear Transmigrator," Eren slowly spoke, as if interfering in their conversation, making both of them go silent.

 Chapter 314: Chapter 314: More than Aster, you will

    The soul of Aster was at a loss, hearing Eren call him a Transmigrator. Other than the real Aster, no one knew that his soul wasn''t something that came from another world.


    He didn''t understand how this man knew about it. Was it because of some ability that allowed him to see through the mysteries of the universe? Or was he also...?


    Just the possibility alone was enough to scare Aster. If Eren was also from his world, that meant he was also a Transmigrator.


    He wanted to ask Eren why he was doing all this?! If he was also from earth, that meant they were on the same side. Why was he trying to enve him instead of working together? Did the world already corrupt him?


    Unfortunately, he could not say anything. He could not even open his eyes as his body wasn''tpletely healed yet.


    Eren also didn''t know if the two souls inside Aster''s body could hear him, but it didn''t matter either. As long as the Seal was sessfully casted with the help of the Ghost Queen, he was going to get another helper.


    One of the goals before him was to kill all the Transmigrators. However, it was easier said than done, especially if he was all alone.


    Moreover, Aster''s ability itself was poison for him which he didn''t want to drink. Instead, he would rather use that person until he ran out of uses.


    As for killing Aster, it was something that he could do even in the future. With the Seal, it was as easy as snapping his fingers.


    He needed Aster, it was an undeniable reality. Aster was the Vice Dean of the Academy. After Mist, he had the most control over the Academy.


    cing his puppet in the position of the Vice Dean was so lucrative that even he couldn''t reject it. He also needed someone to keep an eye on Eldric and the Prophet after all.


    Instead of finding ways to deal with the Prophet and risking exposure of his identity, he would rather use Aster in this game of chess.


    "You were right! There are two souls inside him! Even though I was trying to find it following your words, it was so weak that I wouldn''t have noticed it." The Ghost Queen returned after preparing the necessary arrangements.


    "Fortunately, for some reason, it became more reactive suddenly which allowed me to locate it."


    Thanks to Eren''s words, Aster''s soul became more reactive which allowed the Ghost Queen to locate it and nt an envement seal.


    Eren had no way to confirm if she was telling the truth. He couldn''t see through souls, let alone confirm the seals nted on them.


    At that point, he asked the Ghost Queen to exin the mechanism of the seal. While the Ghost Queen exined, Yelen confirmed that the same changes had urred in the soul of Aster.


    "It was supposed to be my greatest creation, but in the end, it will only benefit you." After finishing the exnation, the Ghost Queen said in a grumpy and dissatisfied manner.


    "More than Aster, I believe you will benefit me," Eren answered, not lying either.


    If the Ghost Queen could actually bring people back to life as long as their souls weren''t destroyed, her uses truly surpassed Aster in the least.


    "ttery won''t work on me," Ghost Queen rolled her eyes. "Create a soul mark and ce that over Aster''s body and the seal will bepleted."


    Eren didn''t argue with her either. He simply followed her instructions and created a soul mark which had his unique signature that couldn''t be forged.


    It was something that was connected to his soul, something that only he could sense and control. He used the soul mark to connect with the ve seal that was ced over the two souls in Aster''s body.


    With the Soul Mark being imprinted over Aster''s body and soul, the process for the envement was finallypleted.


    "Now that you control him, you can erase all his memories or leave them be. It depends on you," Ghost Queen told Eren while suggesting him to leave the memories behind.


    Without his memories of the Academy, it was almost impossible for Aster to sessfully take control without being caught.


    Eren also didn''t n to erase Aster''s memories. One soul belonged to an earthling. If he erased the memories, there was no use of this Transmigrator. The second soul belonged to real Aster who was even more useful.


    With real Aster being enved, he could ask him a lot of questions regarding the past. With others, he still had to be hesitant as he was worried that his identity was going to be exposed. With a ve like Aster, he didn''t have to worry about it.


    It was especially the case as Aster was also involved in the disappearance of the real Devourer, possibly even knowing the past of Ren Necroline that had always evaded him.


    If things worked out as he nned, he wouldn''t need to chase after the Memory Fragments. He could also have more information to deal with the Author when using the Question Voucher which was already in his inventory, waiting to be used.


    He left the memories of these two souls intact, only making them serve him while still carrying their thoughts and memories.


    With that, his role came to an end. All that was left was for Ghost Queen toplete the healing process and bring Aster back to life.


    For now, Eren could only stay back and watch.


    He walked back to a distant table and sat on it, observing the body of Ancestral Elder Yang drying up as his life force was being forcefully sucked dry.


    He didn''t feel any pity for that person who had ckmailed him intoing here. If anything, he was quite pleased with it.


    "That''s what you-" He opened his lips to speak, only to stop abruptly as he felt a familiar aura spread across the entire academy.


    "She is back?"

 Chapter 315: Chapter 315: Trapping Devourer

    The sudden surge of a familiar aura took Eren by surprise, especially since he hadn''t expected it so soon.


    Until now, he had known that Mist was not at the Academy which made him a lot more confident. He was able to run amok, because there was no one like her here.


    "She is back?" His eyes narrowed at the thought. There was no denying it. Even though he didn''t see her return, this aura was undeniably hers.


    He could also feel the spatial restrictions around the Academy bing a lot stronger suddenly, her intentions being as clear as it could be.


    The aura was unmistakable-it belonged to someone he had hoped to avoid for as long as possible. Someone powerful enough to disrupt his meticulouslyid ns, especially since everything wasn''t in ce yet.


    There was another thing he was able to infer from her actions.


    He wasn''t too shocked by her sudden return as he hadn''t known when she was nning to return in the first ce. What gave her away was the strengthening of restrictions with her arrival as if she already knew that he was here.


    ''How did she know that I was in the Academy? This is not good..." Although Eren had considered a myriad of possibilities, he didn''t expect Mist to find his rough location so early.


    If she had this ability, she should have already known that her daughter was in the Spirit Realm. It felt less like she could track her daughter and more like she could track her.


    ''This is frustrating. If she can track me, then can I really return to the Demon Sect without exposing my identity?''


    As a myriad of questions filled his mind, Eren was at a loss of words. Had he really underestimated Mist? Despite his assumption making sense, he still felt that something was amiss.


    It was as if he was missing a big piece of the puzzle that he couldn''t put his finger on.


    "How long until he is awake?" Eren asked the Ghost Queen.


    ....


    In another ce, Mist had returned to her office, immediately summoning the Academy Records to see the names of the people who had returned from the outside while she was away.


    If Devourer had returned to the Academy, it was clear he would have disguised himself as one of them.


    Since there were not many students who entered at that time due to lockdown, the number of people entering the academy was something that could only be counted with the fingers of two hands.


    Amongst the names of the people who had entered, one name particrly stood out. It was the name that held the most weight as it was the only professor on the list who had returned from the outside.


    It was even more special as there was the reason mentioned in front of the name which exined why that Professor had left the Academy in the first ce.


    "He left to investigate the death of another Professor? Moreover he returned alone with his team supposedly dead?" Mist''s eyes narrowed as everything started making sense. "Could he make it any more obvious?"


    If it wasn''t for the fact that she knew about Eren''s presence in the Academy, she wouldn''t have thought much about this but now it was as clear as day.


    She used her privilege to see the records of Professor Liyone''s actions from the moment he returned to the Academy.


    She saw him enter his office straight from the entrance. Because of the absence of any recording crystals in the office of a professor, she couldn''t see what happened there.


    Later, she saw the professor leave his office and wander aimlessly, making his actions even more suspicious. At this point, she had no doubt about the identity of Devourer. She had finally found the person.


    Still, before pinpointing his exact location, she didn''t take any actions. She didn''t want to scare him before everything was ready.


    She followed Eren''s actions as he was taken to his ss, only toe across Professor Axxel. Later, he went with Axxel, entering his office.


    After that point, Axxel left the office and went straight for the Ghost Queen''sb.


    While Liyone never left Axxel''s office, Axxel didn''t leave Ghost Queen''sb. Finally she knew the exact location of the two people of interest.


    She waved her hand, appearing inside the officer of Axxel. She was the only one after Aster who could enter another Professor''s office with such ease.


    Inside the office, she searched around but she couldn''t find Liyone anymore. There was only a faint scent of blood. It was evident that someone had died here.


    She didn''t believe that Axxel could kill Devourer and not brag about this. It was more like Axxel had already died and Devourer took his ce, making his body disappear.


    "I see. So you are in the Ghost Queen''sb." It only took her a few minutes but she had already located Eren, finding him to be in the Ghost Queen''sb.


    She sent a message to themunication crystal of every Elder except the Ghost Queen, Axxel and Liyone. All of them were given only a single instruction, and that was to surround the Ghost Queen''sb as she was about to seal the entire area herself.


    To not make the same mistake asst time, she even brought a treasure especially to seal the ce. With that treasure around, no one could escape.


    The entire Academy was in a mess suddenly as the Professors left their sses, telling students to not leave their sses.


    Unfortunately, the news didn''t reach the Ghost Queen''sb. She waspletely unaware that she had been left out entirely, all because she came in contact with the person assumed to be Devourer.


    ....


    "How long until he is awake?" Eren asked the Ghost Queen.


    "Only ten more minutes. After that, it should finish," the Ghost Queen answered.


    Eren could only frown in response, looking in a distant direction. "Ten minutes... I doubt we even have five¡­"

 Chapter 316: Chapter 316: No Sacrifice

    Eren could already feel that the restrictions around the entire Academy had been strengthened. Even if he wanted to think that it was a coincidence, he knew that this was far from a coincidence.


    Now that Mist was back and expected him to be in the Academy, it was only a matter of time before he found his identity. As he was in a hurry to save his disciple, he didn''t have time to slowly assimte in the Academy after all.


    "Can you do it faster?" he asked the Ghost Queen.


    "Do you think I am making some noodles here? This is a delicate process. A little mistake and the seal might be ineffective," the Ghost Queen said, slightly irritated at constantly being poked to hurry.


    She knew that Eren didn''t know how hard her work actually was. All he was doing wasmanding her and expecting things to process faster.


    " I don''t know about you but I don''t want to heal Aster only for him to attack meter. So I need it to be perfect! There can''t be any ws in the merger of soul, seal and body!" she further eximed, sounding slightly impatient as well.


    In her eyes, she was like a scientist and Eren was like a child who kept poking the scientist with dumb questions without understanding theplexities.


    Eren didn''t think much about the harsh tone of the Ghost Queen who had momentarily forgotten that she was imprinted with a Servitude Seal. He didn''t remind her either as she was also right.


    In this situation, both of them were right. However, the situation didn''t allow any of them to befortable.


    "While I don''t want to make you do the impossible, it''s also true that we don''t have much time. It''s only a matter of time before Mist barges inside thisb."


    Eren didn''t know Mist well enough to know what kind of character she was. However, she was the person who had managed to rule over an entire continent for a long time.


    Although it was mainly because of her strength, intelligence was just as important in that. If she only had strength and no intelligence, Eldric would have been the Southern Overlord instead.


    Instead of underestimating her, Eren preferred to overestimate Mist. He wasn''t wondering if she would find him or not. The only question of his kind was when she was going toe here.


    He didn''t quite know how much time he actually had. If there was not enough time, he would rather take Aster with him even without the healing.


    "She ising? Why would she suddenly...?" The Ghost Queen was initially shocked after hearing Eren''s words. Even if Mist was back, why would shee here? She rarely came here after all.


    It was only when she looked back at Eren, she realized the realm. She facepalmed herself.


    "It is because of you, isn''t it?" she asked, as her face lost color. "She knows that you are here, doesn''t she?"


    She didn''t even know how to react anymore. Let alone helping her take over the Academy, Eren had more or less made her the enemy of the entire Academy.


    "Heal him to perfection first. After that, I have a n of my own." Eren looked towards the entrance of theb, lost in thoughts, counting in his mind.


    "Fxxk it, if I''m going to die here, I might as well die while screwing her over!" The Ghost Queen sighed and turned her focus back to Aster, trying her best to fasten the process withoutpromising on the quality.


    The room filled with a hum of energy as the process sped up, the symbols etched on the floor glowing brighter. Eren''s senses were on high alert, feeling the tightening of Mist''s aura closing in around them.


    "I have bad news." Eren''s eyes remained focused on the entrance when Yelen spoke to him.


    "What''s the bad news?" Eren didn''t react too surprised. With Mist''s impending arrival, nothing felt worse enough to make him react.


    "The entireb is sealed. I can''t feel the Spirit Realm either," Yelen answered, expecting Eren to be surprised.


    To her surprise, Eren didn''t react much. It was as if he already expected that.


    "After her failurest time, did you really expect her to make the same mistake again?" he asked Yelen. "It would''ve been more shocking if she hadn''t done something like this."


    "You already expected it? In that case, why didn''t you leave with Felona? If it was only about keeping an eye on the Ghost Queen, you could''ve left me behind. Even if I was caught by Mist-"


    "I''m not leaving you behind. Also, no one is dying here. Didn''t I already tell you? I have a n," Eren chimed in, interrupting Yelen''s sentence. "Moreover, you are not a pawn for me to sacrifice. You belong to me.


    For as long as I live, I''m not letting anyone take you from me."


    Yelen went absolutely silent as she heard Eren''s words. Deep down, she felt somewhat happy that Eren did care for her to the point that he wasn''t willing to leave her behind. At the same time, she was also worried about him.


    Although he said that he had a n, there was no guarantee that a n was going to work, especially since the target of this n was one of the Overlords.


    .....


    Meanwhile, outside theb, Mist''s instructions were executed by the Elders. The entireb had beenpletely sealed.


    With the ability of one of the professors, it was no stretch to say that the Lab hadpletely been detached from the main academy, sealed within a domain of its own.


    Inside theb, Eren felt a sharp spike of pressure start to take effect. It wasn''t just the present of Mist that could be felt outside.


    There were also many more presences, making it clear that theb had been surrounded from all sides. Mist was standing in front of theb entrance.


    "She is here," he muttered, more to himself than to Yelen or the Ghost Queen.

 Chapter 317: Chapter 317: How can you take my toy?

    With the preparationplete, there was no room for mistakes. Mist had taken every precaution that she could, making sure that Devourer could not escape this time.


    Meanwhile, the person she was targeting was simply sitting with the support of the table, simply gazing at the entrance.


    "It isplete!"


    While Eren was distracted, the Ghost Queen suddenly called out to him, catching his attention at thest moment.


    "What timing." Erenzily stood up, scratching the back of his head as he walked towards the container in the center.


    Inside the container, he saw Aster whose wounds hadpletely healed. Aster also had his eyes open that seemed to be focused on him.


    Within those eyes, there was a semnce of unwillingness which was being suppressed by the seal on the soul.


    "If you''re awake, get out of it yourself," Eren told Aster, giving his first instructions.


    Aster, although unwillingly, clenched his fists. He punched in the direction of Eren. His fist shed with the walls of the containers which shattered like fragile ss in front of his strength.


    As the ss broke, all the strange liquid rushed out of the container, leaving only Aster within. He broke more of the ss to create an openingrge enough for him to leave.


    With a sufficiently sized exit, he stepped out of the container, his body still being wet with the unknown liquid sticking close to him.


    "Who are you?" Aster asked the person in front of him, especially since he knew about one of the souls being a Transmigrator.


    "Get dressed and hide that face," Eren tossed clothes at Aster, along with a mask that he had used previously when entering the Southern Continent.


    Aster still wanted an answer but his body subconsciously followed Eren''s instructions. He wore the full face mask that hid his true face behind a false curtain.


    Following that, he wore the clothes that Eren had given to him. His clothes were dark, carrying a style usually preferred by those from the Northern Continent.


    These were the clothes he had taken from Frey when he killed the false body while attempting to save Feng Yu. Although the clothes didn''t fit After perfectly, they weren''t too loose either.


    As Aster had just returned from the dead, the aura of death around his body was strong. Moreover, his Bloodline didn''t have a distinct aura that could be felt unless he revealed it outright.


    In the absence of his original aura that he hid under Eren''smand, he appeared closer to a mage from the Necromancer Tower with the aura of death yet to be shed away.


    Eren next walked towards the Ghost Queen, taking advantage of the few moments of respite that he had received thanks to Mist preparing outside.


    He stopped in front of the Ghost Queen, cing his hand on her cheeks. "You did good. That was quite impressive."


    "Hmph, of course I did. But it seems like it''ll all be for nothing. If Mist is really outside, then we-"


    "Don''t worry. I will not let her kill you," Eren interrupted her sentence. "Because, I will be the one to kill you myself."


    His hand slid down her cheeks, grabbing into her neck. He raised her in the air, carrying her towards the table.


    The Ghost Queen tried resisting but her resistance was futile. It was especially the case as the entire space was sealed which restricted most of her abilities.


    "Y-you liar!" The Ghost Queen grew pale as she felt like Eren was actually going to kill her now that he got what he wanted.


    It was only after a few seconds had passed that she felt like something was wrong. If he actually wanted to kill her, he could have killed her instantly. So why?


    While she was thinking about it, trying to catch breath, Eren sat on the table, making the Ghost Queen sit on herp while his right arm wrapped around her belly.


    His left hand remained on her neck as he bit her earlobe before whispering something in her ears which made her grow stunned.


    Seconds kept tricking away with each second feeling like an eternity in the absence of any information about what was actually happening outside.


    It was only after five more minutes passed that a beep sound resounded from the metallic door that started opening on its own.


    On the other side of the door, there was a woman who ruled over the entire Southern Continent.


    Eren shed a carefree smile at Mist. "You found me. Now it''s your turn to hide and I will seek you."


    "That''s enough games. Where is my daughter?!" Mist asked Eren while the other S Rank Heroes also entered theb, slowly circling around Eren.


    At this point, this ce was less like ab and more like a prison that was created especially with one person in mind.


    "Didn''t I tell you? I will return to your daughter after we finish our little game?" Eren asked, appearing to have been wronged.


    While he spoke, his grip tightened around the neck of the Ghost Queen, only to feel sudden spatial discement.


    The Ghost Queen disappeared from his arms, only for her to be reced by a life sized doll. Seeing the ability, Eren pretended to be quite shocked.


    He looked around and found one of the Heroes holding on to the Ghost Queen.


    Even though the space was sealed, the abilities of the Heroes in Mist''s side were unrestricted, allowing the Hero to use his abilities that allowed him to switch ces between people and objects.


    "Are you alright?" The Hero asked the Ghost Queen who was the victim in all this, especially in their eyes.


    "Cough, cough!" The Ghost Queen coughed, trying to catch her breath as if she had truly been on the verge of death. "If you were a littlete, I would have died."


    "That was not good. How can you take my toy from me when I didn''t even finish ying with it?" Eren looked at the Hero who had taken the Ghost Queen from him.

 Chapter 318: Chapter 318: My Darling Mist

    Eren looked at the Hero who had taken the Ghost Queen from him.


    While interrogating Liyone, Axxel and Ghost Queen, he had managed to gain a rough understanding of the abilities of the High Ranking Heroes of the Academy.


    Amongst them, there was one person whose abilities weren''t particrly useful in battles but it was quite versatile.


    It was the Hero who usually wasn''t paid much attention to, but knowing Mist, Eren knew that she was going to bring him here.


    Although he pretended to be disgruntled, it was something that he had already expected, especially since he had researched the abilities of prominent Professors in the Academy.


    Last time this person wasn''t in the Examination Hall, which proved to be beneficial for him. If that hadn''t been the case, Eren was sure that he would have failed without even realizing why he failed.


    This time, he didn''t make a n in ignorance. Unlike before, he wasn''t forced by the circumstances.


    Without even realizing, the person had helped Eren, bing a part of his n. He couldn''t take the Ghost Queen with him yet as she was a useful pawn for him.


    Still, he knew that if he just let her be, the entire Academy was going to doubt him. Instead of being merciful and letting her be free, he needed someone else to save the damsel in distress.


    In this situation, that seemingly forgotten Hero became the one who saved the ''innocent'' hostage. From this point on, the Ghost Queen had nothing to do with him, at least in the eyes of the other people of the Academy.


    "I will give you onest opportunity. Tell me where my daughter is, or else-"


    "Or else what? You will kill me?" Eren asked, with a mocking gaze. "I am sure you also realize that my life is directly rted to your daughter''s life. If I die, you will not find her."


    Although Eren didn''t like ckmailing others, it didn''t mean that he wasn''t an expert in it.


    He had already read too many novels and every novel had multiple Viins. If anything, he had read more viins than he read Heroes in every story.


    "She might die of hunger, waiting for her mother who was too busy destroying thest clue she had. Or worse, if someone else found your daughter, I''m not even sure what they might do to her. Are you sure you want to take that risk?"


    The more Eren spoke, the darker Mist''s expressions became. For others, it was impossible for him to escape from Mist. However, they had forgotten that he had something that held the life of Mist... Her precious daughter.


    Mist didn''t attack Eren directly. Instead, she nced in the direction of the Ghost Queen who was momentarily stunned. Why was this woman looking at him? Did she already know everything?


    It took her a few seconds to realize that Mist wasn''t looking at her but the person who had saved her.


    While looking at him, Mist walked towards the table that was ced next to her. Her fingers gracefully touched the table, surprising everyone about her sudden yet strange actions.


    While Mist''s hands were touching the table, the man next to the Ghost Queen started using his ability, establishing a connection between the table and Eren. He nned to switch ces so Eren could end up in Mist''s hands without much trouble fighting.


    "You are right. I can''t kill you. But I can make your life worse than death," Mist told Eren. "I will make you crave death. As for finding my daughter, even if I have to rip your soul to shreds, I will find her. So you don''t have to worry about it."


    As she spoke, a strange spatial fluctuation surrounded the table which was barely noticeable. At the same time, a simr phenomenon took ce around Eren.


    The table which Mist was touching, suddenly disappeared. At the same time, Eren also disappeared. The table appeared above the table on which Eren was sitting, appearing upside down.


    "Hmm?" Mist looked down, taken aback. In her hands, Eren hadn''t appeared. All that appeared in her hand was a piece of stone that looked quite useless.


    Even the person who used his abilities to switch Eren and the table was stunned, wondering where Eren went? How did he switch with the useless stone?


    "You should have stopped while you were ahead." While he was confused, a whisper fell in his ears, making his face grow pale.


    It took a moment for everyone to realize that Eren was standing behind the Hero who had saved the Ghost Queen. All of them saw his chest bleeding with a handing out of his chest, holding on to a heart.


    Only the sound of Eren''s footsteps resounded in the hall as he walked away from the corpse of the Hero who fell on the ground with a thud.


    "Isn''t it about time you stop using your pawns, my darling?" Eren asked as he strolled through theb, tossing and catching the heart as if it was nothing more than a ball for him to y with.


    After a few times, he kept the heart in his inventory. The ability wasn''t particrly eye-catching for him.


    He especially didn''t want to send anything in his body that contained any inkling of the spatial element which was in conflict with his body. That was also why he didn''t risk devouring Aster.


    At the same time, he also didn''t want to toss such a precious material away. It was the heart of a Hero and he wasn''t sure when it could be useful in the future.


    In this world, nothing is impossible. Even the most insignificant things of today could be a precious resource of tomorrow.


    The Ghost Queen was left standing in a daze, watching Eren with great fascination. How many people in the world could be so carefree and charming when standing in front of someone like Mist?


    On the other hand, Mist was furious. Her fists were clenched tightly to the point that she doesn''t hold back anymore.


    "Since you want that, I''ll fulfill your wish!" she eximed while her figure disappeared. She appeared behind Eren, apanied by the entireb being filled with an unknown mist.

 Chapter 319: Chapter 319: Using an Overlord

    Mist, the strongest person in the Southern Continent, was an enemy that no one wanted to have. Even the Elders of the Academy dreaded her strength.


    It had been a long time since the Elders had seen Mist using her full strength.


    Thest time she used herplete strength, it was also against Devourer. However, she wasn''t alone at that time. The other three Overlords were with her as well.


    Unlike that time, she was all alone now. She was the only Overlord here, fighting Devourer. Not only did the other Elders not intervene but they also stepped away, creating more distance, worried about bing an obstruction for Mist instead.


    Their only responsibility was to stop any attempts to escape from Eren.


    The mist enveloped theb like a shroud, reducing visibility to almost nothing. It was impossible to see more than a foot ahead.


    Strangely enough, the Mist only affected Eren and the unknown masked man who was standing in the distance who was also being observed by a few Elders.


    None of the people on Mist''s side were affected by the Mist, including the Ghost Queen. As Yelen was also mostly unknown in this situation, she was also quite unaffected by the Mist.


    The deathly aura of Aster was also enough of a distraction to keep Yelen''s minute spirit presence hidden.


    "How nostalgic," Eren mused aloud, letting his seventh sense take over.


    Although this was his first time properly facing an Overlord, that wasn''t the case for Devourer. He was sure that Devourer had faced this ability when the four Overlords attacked him.


    Mist''s voice echoed through the fog,yered with rage. "This time I will make sure that you stay dead!"


    Eren smirked, his eyes shing with a mischievous glint. "Are you sure you are capable of that?''


    As Eren spoke, he stepped to the size, dodging the daggers made from unknown force that hade flying straight for him. Even in the Mist, he wasn''t at the mercy of his sight.


    Before he could continue, a sudden force pushed him sideways, mming him into the wall. The mist seemed to thicken, turning into shackles that wrapped around his arms, pinning him in ce.


    "Enough of your games!" Mist''s voice was closer now, dripping with venom. "Return my daughter and I will grant you a quicker death. Don''t test my patience!"


    Eren''s smirk didn''t falter even as he struggled against the binds. "How Interesting. Are you still taking my lightly?"


    Although Eren was restricted, he was sure that Mist wasn''t even using a fraction of her true strength.


    It was clear that she was as worried about identally killing him. Even the daggers before were aimed at his non vital points. At the end of the day, she was still being held back by her affection.


    With a sudden burst of energy, his body radiated a dark, ominous aura that began to dissolve the mist around him. With each pulse, the binds weakened, and soon he was free, disappearing from Mist''s view, using the ability of Axxel.


    Mist''s eyes narrowed. "That''s the ability of...''


    "Your Professors really have some decent abilities," Eren responded nonchntly. However, he didn''t appear far away from Mist.


    To Mist''s surprise, he appeared behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.


    He brought his lips near her ears and whispered, "Your daughter is safe... for now. But push me further, and I can''t promise her safety. I have left her in a formation. If I don''t return in time, you will only find her corpse even if you manage to read my memories to find her."


    Mist''s resolve wavered for a moment. "You wouldn''t dare."


    She didn''t resist Eren''s embrace as her mind waspletely filled with the thoughts of her daughter at this moment. If it was true that her time was limited, then she really couldn''t hold this person back.


    Unfortunately, she wasn''t sure if Eren was simply bluffing. Was it really true or was it just a trick for him to escape?


    Eren''s gaze hardened. "Try me."


    While Mist was in his embrace, he didn''t forget his viin''s persona. He didn''t forget to tease her as he bit the tip of her ears lightly at the end of his sentence.


    Mist felt a shiver run down her spine as her ears were bit, feeling the warmth of Eren''s lips.


    Eren soon released her, his hands slid across her belly as he released her, getting aplete feel of her slim waist and that soft skin.


    Mist felt a palm hit her butt as if someone had just spanked her. Her face turned red in anger but she didn''t dare stop Eren for now.


    "Two days... I will return your daughter in two days as I already received what I wanted from you," he said as his footsteps grew distant. "However, if you try to stop me now, you will only find her corpse."


    "If you believe that you can afford to take the risk, then try to stop me." Eren simply turned around, his long robe fluttering behind him as he simply walked towards the exit of theb.


    Stunned, the other Elders blocked his path to stop him.


    "That''s enough!" Mist suddenly called out. "Don''t stop him."


    Onest time, she chose to believe him as her daughter''s life was on the line. She waved her hand, creating an opening in the barrier that had sealed theb.


    "I will wait for two days! But if I don''t get my daughter in two days, I will paint all four continents in red until I find you and snap your neck!" Mist slowly turned around, looking at Eren''s distant back.


    Aster also caught up to Eren, his identity still being a mystery for everyone here.


    In response to Mist''s threat, Eren simply waved his hand, bidding her farewell. He didn''t offer any words of confirmation.


    Soon, he left theb and openly walked out of the Mythical Hero Academy.


    Not even in their wildest dreams could the Professors have expected that Devourer could enter the academy, kill their Professors and walk out safely right before their eyes. However, this was the reality they were witnessing.


    As Eren left the Academy, he didn''t notice that from one of the windows, the Prophet was also looking at him with a look of great interest.

 Chapter 320: Chapter 320: Chaos at the Border

    Eren stepped out of the Academy''s boundaries, scratching the back of his head. "ying the viin will definitely be the death of me someday."


    Although he knew that Mist wasn''t actually going to kill him, there was still the small chance that she might actually lose her mind and kill him.


    Despite that, he still wanted to test just what was the difference in strength between the two of them.


    His left fist had been closed for quite some time. As he finally opened it, there was a semnce of Mist''s aura that he had managed to gather with the help of Dragon Tongue.


    For most people, this was quite useless. However, this was also an important reason he had actually stayed behind.


    Carefully, he kept the small trace of aura in his inventory, which was the only thing that could keep it safe without letting it disperse.


    Even though he also didn''t use everything he had at his disposal, the distance between them had be more evident than ever with this small interaction.


    Even with the Pendant of Poison, he wasn''t confident if he could actually kill that woman.


    The only option he had was the Unseal Talisman, but he didn''t know how well it was going to work.


    Fortunately, there was no need to go that far. He had managed to achieve more than he expected. This entire trip had been extremely rewarding for him.


    Not only did he manage to increase his level by hunting the Heroes, he also took the abilities that he found useful. As for the other abilities that weren''t useful to him, he kept them in his inventory in the form of hearts.


    He had also received one of the Transmigrators as a Servant, especially someone who was possessing the body of someone special like Aster. It was a reward that he hadn''t expected to find even in his wildest dreams.


    He also had an informant in the Mythical Hero Academy which was a key for the future in his eyes.


    More importantly, he had also saved his disciples while receiving the reward from the system.


    In his inventory, there was another useful item that had appeared. It was the Map of Celestial Dragon''s Heart.


    Just the value of this map alone was incredible as the Sea Dragons would be willing to give everything to get a clue about the Celestial Dragon''s Heart.


    Not just the Sea Dragons but this was something that even the Four Overlords would have craved for, as they wouldn''t want it to fall in the hands of the Sea Dragons.


    Thest thing that the Overlords needed was for the Sea Dragons to remove the restriction on their Bloodline and the emergence of a new Celestial Dragon.


    It was a map that gave Eren quite a lot of negotiating power. Still, negotiations were far from what he had in mind.


    His Bloodlines didn''t have the seal that the Sea Dragons had. Still, he wanted the Celestial Dragon''s heart for himself.


    With the ability of Devourer, he was sure that the Celestial Dragon''s heart was something that could help him immensely, maybe even more than it could help the Sea Dragon Empress.


    Even now, he didn''t know how he had already screwed over the Sea Dragons Empress who was in the Western Continent after receiving a clue of the Celestial Dragon''s heart from the Prophet.


    The two people with the Dragon''s Bloodline were already on the trail of the Celestial Dragon''s heart.


    One of them was Eren, who had stolen the Bloodline from the Sea Dragon Prince while the other was the Queen herself who wanted to kill him for her brother''s death.


    The two had inadvertently started walking towards the same destination.


    ....


    While Eren had first started hunting for Professors in the Southern Continent, the other three continents weren''t calm either.


    On the same day, a Battleship had departed from the Great Demon Sect with the destination being set for the Western Continent''s Holy Empire.


    As the invitation from the Western Continent had long been epted, the time for departure had arrived. However, there was a small change in the team that was selected.


    Initially, there were three Elders selected for the team previously, which included Elder Zhang, Elder Ren and the Frost Demon.


    With the death of the Frost Demon and the departure of Eren, the two empty spots had to be filled by other Elders of the Sect.


    Elder Zhang was assigned as the leader of the team which included two more Elders who were taking their youngest disciples with them.


    While the ship departed from the Great Demon Sect, the informant of the Holy Empire hiding in the nearest city noticed it.


    The informant quickly sent the information to the Holy Church which had a n of its own.


    ....


    A Cardinal stood outside the Prayer Room where the Holy Priestess was praying in silence.


    "We have received the information that the team has departed," he delivered the news to the Priestess. "Also, it seems the rumors about the Southern Overlord''s death were just lies."


    "It is just as you expected, this was all a plot to clean the sect of the Ancestral Elders," he further said.


    He was unable to hide how impressed he was at the farsightedness of the Holy Priestess who already expected this.


    "Did you catch the Sea Dragon Empress?" A melodious voice came from the prayer room.


    "We were on her trail but she appeared to have disappeared somewhere. Our men are still looking for her," the Cardinal exined, apologetic at his failure.


    "It is fine. It''s only a matter of time. Focus on the guests. Now that it''s confirmed that Feng Yu is alive, we will go forward with the n. Make sure none of them step foot on the Western Continent alive..."


    The voice, heavilyced with the killing intent, came from the other side of the door.


    "It shall be done." The Cardinal bowed respectfully before turning around to leave.


    ....


    That day, something big happened at the borders of the Western, Eastern and Northern Borders.

 Chapter 321: Chapter 321: The Second Review; Conflict of Continents

    The Eastern Continent shared arge border with the Western Continent which was divided by only a wide river running between them.


    The two continents shared the same distance of border with the Northern Continent and the Southern Continent as well.


    The Battleship of the Great Demon Sect, carrying three Elders and their Youngest Disciples, was supposed to cross into the Western Continent from a point that was much closer to the Northern Continent.


    This route was chosen as it was the fastest route to reach their destination.


    Unlike the Southern Continent, the Eastern Continent didn''t have any conflict with the Northern Continent so they felt no need to change the route.


    As the Battleship of the Great Demon Sect reached near the river of separation, they noticed the battleships of the Holy Empire on the other side of the river.


    "Are they here to escort us?" Elder Zhang wondered, looking at the ships in the distance. She could feel that something wasn''t right.


    Why did they need to send so many ships to escort them? Something didn''t add up. Still, she didn''t jump to conclusions. She didn''t realize that it was going to be the biggest mistake of her life.


    ....


    A few dayster~


    Eren was sitting on the back of a Merchant Ship that was going towards the Western Continent from the Southern Continent.


    The Ship was grand, being no different than a floating pce in the air. Although it wasn''t as weaponized as the BattleShips of the Overlords, it still had means to protect itself from ordinary bandits along the way.


    Still, more than attacks, the Merchant Ships focused more on luxury and grandeur along with efficiency.


    Eren didn''t care much about the protection of the Merchant Ship as he only focused on reaching the Western Continent.


    If possible, he didn''t want to take a portal to another continent, still not forgetting the pain from before. Fortunately, the Merchant Ship wasn''t too slow and it happened to be destined for the Holy Empire as well.


    The Ship carried fruits that were in high demand in the Holy Empire but could only be grown in the Southern Continent, which allowed the Merchants to have a big enough prophet for this journey.


    It was especially profitable with the spatial treasure in the ship that allowed them to carry more than their capacity during each trip.


    Only three days had passed but the Merchant Ship had already reached near the Western Continent''s border to the point that Eren could even see the Sea of Separation.


    Even though Eren had to pay quite a lot to the Ship''s Captain to be taken on this journey, money was worthless to him. He had robbed so many Professors that he had quite a lot of savings.


    He even paid for Aster who was following him throughout the journey.


    During thest few days, Eren didn''t forget to ask Aster about his life on earth. He wanted to know what kind of person Aster used to be before his Transmigration.


    As per Aster, he was only a normal office worker who read books at home to distract him from his boring and lifeless days. That''s when he came across a book called the Rebirth of the SSS Rank Hero.


    As the title was quite catchy, he gave it a try. He didn''t realize that reading the book was going to bring him to the world of the book itself.


    Eren had initially thought that he was going to learn the contents of the Book of the Southern Continent from Aster but to his surprise, Aster was even more disappointing than him.


    He had at least read two hundred chapters out of more than four thousand chapters in Ascent of the Demon Lord. Meanwhile, Aster had only read twenty chapters before he fell asleep.


    Realizing that his knowledge was even more useless than he expected, Eren could only facepalm himself. He changed his question to cover other matters of Aster''s life.


    He asked Aster to tell him about everything that happened after he came to this world, trying to see if Aster met the author or not.


    Even after Aster exined everything, there was no mention of any author, making it evident that he hadn''t reached the point of meeting.


    Eren even asked him what kind of review he had left on the book.


    To the question, Aster scratched the back of his head, slightly embarrassed.


    After a brief pause, he answered, "I left the review before reading the book."


    "My review was, ''I haven''t read the book but looking at the synopsis, I''m sure I''m going to live it. I will update the review once I have read enough. Five stars for now!''"


    Hearing the person''s review, Eren''s lips twitched uncontrobly. He didn''t even know how to respond. This person left the review without even reading the book? And even if he left a review, it was five stars. So why was he dragged here?


    As Aster finished exining, he also appeared slightly disappointed that he couldn''t keep his promise of updating the review as he fell asleep after reading just twenty chapters, only to wake up here.


    Even after Eren finished interrogating Aster, there wasn''t anything useful he could find. Aster didn''t even seem to remember any character like the prophet that was possessed by another Transmigrator from earth.


    In the end, Eren could only give up on using Aster''s knowledge of the book. It was more useful to have him as just a Hero who could understand what kind of world this actually was.


    Eren left the shared room, seemingly disappointed. He walked over to the deck to get some fresh air when he suddenly heard amotion.


    Quite a lot of people on the Merchant Ship were talking about the same incident that seemingly involved two continents.


    It took some time for the news to reach the Merchant Ship but as per the information, the Great Demon Sect had sent a delegation to the Western Continent which was attacked and killed by the Necromancer Tower before they could even cross the border.

 Chapter 322: Chapter 322: Continental War

    "Do you think it''s true that the Great Demon Sect is allying with the Holy Church to fight against the other two continents?"


    "I do. It exins why the Necromancer Tower attacked the Great Demon Sect''s envoys. They must have uncovered the secret deal."


    "If that''s the case, won''t the Western Continent be thrown into turmoil? If the Eastern Continent ns to help the Western Continent fight the North, doesn''t that mean that Western Continent also intends to support them against the Southern Continent?"


    "Is this the beginning of the Continental Wars?"


    The crew of the Merchant Ship,rgelyposed of Southern citizens, were deeply concerned. Until now, the South and West had maintained a rtively peaceful rtionship, allowing them to handle matters with the other two continents without much trouble.


    If the rumors were true, a crack had already developed in the rtionship of the continents, which could mean bad news for the Merchants.


    At this point, everyone aboard wondered if it was wise to continue to the Western Continent, now that their ns had been exposed.


    "The Academy hasn''t taken any action. The border isn''t sealed yet, so the situation can''t be that bad. Even if the Western Continent was nning this, I doubt that would do anything against us. They already have the Necromancer Tower to deal with."


    "That''s right. Even with the help of the Eastern Continent, the Necromancer Tower will not be an easy opponent. That''s the only ce against which the number advantage doesn''t hold any significance."


    Many crew members and guests on the ship were concerned about their safety. However, there were also a few people who were calm and knew that the situation wasn''t as bad as it sounded.


    At least that was the case for the Southern Continent which was why the Academy hadn''t ordered for the border to be sealed.


    Amidst themotion on the ship, there was one person who was silently listening to everything that was being discussed.


    Eren didn''t expect something so major to happen. What secret deal were they talking about? There was no such thing as a secret deal to fight against the Northern Continent.


    As for the three envoys, he knew their purpose better than anyone else, especially since he was supposed to be one of them.


    The three Elders were simply taking their youngest disciples because of the letter that was sent by the Holy Church.


    He had personally seen that letter and it had nothing as problematic as it was being imed.


    The letter simply contained an invitation since the Holy Church imed to have discovered a tomb within their borders that could only be essed by Cultivators.


    The letter also mentioned that it was just a gesture of goodwill between the two continents and nothing more.


    That''s why Feng Yu had assigned three Elders and their Youngest Disciples, believing it to be a good opportunity for training for the youngsters.


    ''The Northern Continent should be busy preparing for the opening of Hell''s Door. That''s why they didn''t even have time to attack the Spirit Realm even after the loss of an important tower member.''


    This entire situation felt really strange to Eren. The Necromancer Tower didn''t even have time to take revenge on the Spirit Realm. Could they still have time to turn the Eastern Continent against them?


    First the invitation from the West and then the sudden attack from the Northern Continent? It was just too coincidental, all working in favor of the Western Continent.


    ''Was it really the Necromancer Tower behind this attack? I can''t ignore the possibility but I feel like it had more to do with the Holy Church...''


    Eren wasn''t even sure just what kind of force was sent to deal with the three Elders that they didn''t even have time to send a message back. He didn''t even know what to feel. Should he feel relieved that he wasn''t on that ship?


    If it was just the disappearance of the three Elders, he still would have seen the Necromancer Tower with some suspicions but the rumors about this incident were spreading too fast.


    It had only been a few days and this even spread to the Southern Continent which had nothing to do with it?


    If the Necromancer Tower was behind it, they wouldn''t have left any witness. Even if the Great Demon Sect found out about the disappearance, they wouldn''t spread this news publically.


    As for the Holy Church, they shouldn''t have known about this in the first ce unless they were there. So where did this rumor spread from? It definitely couldn''t havee from the North. Even the Necromancer Tower couldn''t be this foolish.


    It was clear that someone was intentionally trying to drag Feng Yu. If all four continents knew about it and Feng Yu didn''t attack the Necromancer Tower, she was going to be seen as cowardly.


    For someone proud like Feng Yu, this was probably the best tactic.


    ''It seems the Holy Priestess is trying to use Feng Yu as a borrowed knife against her enemies.''


    Eren let out a sigh, realizing that things were quiteplicated. No matter what, the Eastern Continent had already been dragged into this mess.


    It was either the Northern Continent or the Western Continent who attacked the three envoys. No matter who was to me, the Great Demon Sect was already caught in the conflict.


    If they attacked the Northern Continent, the South was going to attack them while the West was going to ally with them. If they found West to be the culprit and attacked them, North was going to ally with them and South was going to attack them.


    The only way to stop this was to let the death of the three Elders be forgotten but it was also impossible. Feng Yu wasn''t going to ept the death of her people without doing anything.


    Whoever nned this, already had the Eastern Continent in checkmate. No matter who was med, a continental war was on the horizon.

 Chapter 323: Chapter 323: Winds of Change

    While the four continents wereing to terms with the rumor about the conflict that was brewing between the four continents, the Merchant Ship entered the territory of the Western Continent.


    Even though the Ship Captain was also cautious, he couldn''t give up and return. As Merchants, they prioritized profit over anything else. Until the warhorns were sounded, he couldn''t stop trading between the two continents.


    If they stopped trade at this point, then it might give the wrong signal to the Holy Empire about the intentions of the Southern Continent, which was thest misunderstanding that anyone wanted to be caused at a sensitive time like this.


    Even though Eren was concerned about the things happening in the background, he also understood that he couldn''t give up on his ns at this point.


    If anything, he needed to find the Celestial Dragon''s heart before the war actually began. There was one more thing he needed from the Continent, which was the Holy Priestess'' blood.


    Unfortunately, that was even harder than finding the Celestial Dragon''s heart. He couldn''t even reach the Holy Priestess as it was said that she never left the Church of the Holy Empire.


    He could disguise himself as a priest but that waspletely useless in the Western Continent.


    Every citizen of the Western Continent was blessed by the Divine Power of the Goddess. Even an ordinary person had a miniscule amount of it. As for the Priests, it was even higher.


    Even if he was to disguise as a priest, he couldn''t fake divine power. The priests could sense the divine powers in other people so it was only a matter of time before they recognised him as a false Priest.


    With his biggest advantage of disguise bing useless, Eren wasn''t entirely sure how he was going to take the Blood of the Holy Priestess who was just as strong as the other Overlords.


    No, she was even stronger than the other Three Overlords as long as she was in the Western Continent which was her domain.


    The strength of the other three Overlords didn''t depend on their location. They were as strong in their continents as they were in other Continents but the Holy Priestess was different.


    In other Continents, she could reveal her true strength. But in her own continent, her strength was at least doubled. At least that''s what Eren had heard. He wasn''t quite sure how true it was.


    He had already fought the Archbishop in the Western Continent and it was true that the person was stronger here.


    If even an Archbishop had such an increase in strength then what about the Holy Priestess who was the most divine entity in the Western Continent after the Goddess that no one had seen before?


    Lost in thoughts, Eren stood on the deck, looking at the distant setting sun in the direction of the Eastern Continent.


    ''I wonder who is stronger? The Author or the Goddess?''


    At many times, he felt like summoning the author but he was still saving the Question Voucher, not wanting to waste it if possible. The more time he took before using it, the better the picture of this world he could have.


    ....


    While Eren was on his way to the Royal City of the Holy Empire, a lot had changed in the other Continents.


    As Eren had promised, Mist''s daughter was left in front of the Mythical Hero Academy at the end of the two days'' deadline.


    She wasn''t harmed in the least, not even a single scratch being left on her body. Mist quickly took her inside to make sure that she was perfectly fine.


    Fortunately, Eren had kept his promise and hadn''t harmed her. Even though Mist hated the person who took her daughter, she was also slightly d that he didn''t break his promise.


    She asked her daughter where Eren had taken her but her daughter couldn''t answer the question.


    "I don''t remember. I remember being taken through the portal and passing out. After that, I woke up here. I do feel as if I have had a long sleep."


    The young girl rubbed her forehead, feeling extremely well rested.


    "I see. So he used a sleeping spell," Mist narrowed her eyes, finding it slightly confusing.


    Why did Devourer make her daughter sleep? Just which ce did he take her that he didn''t want her to know about?


    Eren told her that he left her daughter in a battlend, tied to a formation that could kill her if he didn''t return. But for that, there was no need to put her to sleep.


    The more she thought about it, the more it didn''t make sense. First, the old woman was unable to find her daughter in the four continents as if she had just disappeared and then the caution of Eren made her feel that something was really amiss.


    "Not in the four continents but also a ce that he didn''t want us to know? There are only three ces like that... Spirit Realm, Hell and..."


    She didn''t finish her sentence but she appeared to havee to a conclusion.


    ....


    Meanwhile in the Western Continent, the Cardinal was informing the Holy Priestess about the sess they had. Theypleted the mission and they were proud of it. They had killed the envoys of the Eastern Continent before they could even enter the Western Continent.


    "We made sure that their ships crashed in the Northern Continent, making it clear that the Necromancer Tower attacked them. There are no traces of holy power left behind," he said.


    "We have also made sure to have the rumors spread in all four continents while making sure that they can''t be traced back to us," he continued.


    "What about the envoys?" The Holy Priestess asked.


    "As for the envoys, we have already taken them prisoners and sealed them. Even the Gods can''t detect them. We are just waiting for your further instructions. Should we kill them?"


    "There is no need to kill them. I have a better use for them in mind." The Holy Priestess smiled but didn''t exin further.

 Chapter 324: Chapter 324: Zephyr... Necroline

    In the depths of the Necromancer Tower, a dark door stood guarded by just a single person.


    The Guardian at the door wore a dark robe adorned with the emblem of the Necromancer Tower on his chest. He held a scythe in his arms, leaning on it for support, and appeared to be sleepy.


    Despite only working as a Guard for this door, the Guardian was no ordinary member of the Necromancer Tower.


    He was one of its Core Members, holding a rank higher than the Lich that Eren had in in the Spirit Realm.


    His influence within the Necromancer Tower was significant, and his strength was notcking either, cing him among the five strongest Necromancers of the entire Tower while the Lich was barely ranked tenth.


    As the ck door was being guarded by such a formidable person, this ce was considered the forbidden zone in the entire Necromancer Tower.


    Other than the Tower Lord, no one was allowed to step foot in the area. Even the Archmages of Necromancer Tower who were stronger than the Guardian weren''t allowed to get close.


    If someone tried to approach the door, the Guardian hadplete authority to execute them, even if they were the second inmand of the Necromancer Tower.


    The silver haired guardian looked like a normal human. If it wasn''t the aura of death surrounding his body, it would have been impossible to link him with the Necromancer.


    The aura was so heavy that if he hadn''t worn a suppressive bracelet on his wrist, it would have spread through the entire floor.


    The Silver Haired Guardian looked at the ck door that was wrapped by a multitude of dark shackles. There were also a few shackles lying on the ground that appeared to have broken on their own.


    "It should be time for another one," he mumbled.


    Click~


    A clicking sound resounded as one more shackle broke. As soon as the shackle broke, a momentary crack appeared in front of the door, connecting to the other side of the dark door.


    From the small crack, a ghost rushed out, screeching with enough strength to make an entire city bleed from their ears.


    Unfortunately, a barrier cast by the silver haired Necromancer kept the sound and the Ghost restricted to this ce.


    The Necromancer''s sleepiness disappeared as he tightened his grip on the Scythe. With a wave of his scythe, he sliced through the space, attacking the origin of the Ghost that escaped from Hell.


    Even as the Ghost was strong, it couldn''t resist the attack of the Necromancer, being destroyed right there. The small crack also closed on its own, following the death of the escaped Hell''s Prisoner.


    "Only thirty more chains to go. With each chain, the onesing out are getting stronger. I  wondered how long it will take before all the shackles break and the Hell''s Door finally opens..."


    He swung the Scythe, bringing it back to its position, being used as a stand for him to support his bodyzily, yawning.


    "This ce is so boring. I want to go out and have some fun as well." The silver haired Necromancer let out a tired sigh that echoed across the dark hall with no one to hear him.


    "The Tower Master is going through all this trouble, simply to bring back one person?" He gazed towards the door, as if trying to see through the door. "I hope you won''t be a disappointment, Zephyr... Necroline..."


    ....


    In the Western Continent, a merchant ship docked in front of a bustling city. Workers hired by the merchants disembarked, carrying several boxes intended for delivery to one of their clients.


    While the ship was at rest, guests were given the opportunity to either remain on board or explore the city where Duke Hart of the Holy Empire resided.


    "Is this the Royal City?" Aster asked curiously, standing next to Eren.


    "It''s too small to be the Royal City of the Western Continent," Eren replied, unaware that the spirit of the real Aster had voiced the same exact thought to the guest from Earth who now inhabited his body.


    Aster, the one from Earth, felt a bit embarrassed, as if he were being reprimanded by two people simultaneously.


    In his mind, he couldn''t help butin, ''How am I supposed to know? It''s not as if I''m a native of this world!"


    "Shall we also go into the city? We can gather some information," Aster suggested, attempting to regain some dignity.


    "There is no point. Most of the information that they have is already useless for us. It''s especially the case as the information had already been manipted..." Eren shook his head lightly.


    The only worthwhile information was going to be in the Royal City which was his final destination, especially since the Map of Celestial Dragon''s Heart was also pointing towards the same direction.


    As he had already traveled through most of the continent, only a few days were left before they were tond in the Royal City.


    He turned around to return to his room, only to suddenly stop, feeling as if he caught the sight of a familiar figure in the distance.


    He abruptly turned around, looking into the distance. Although the person was too far from the Ship, almost at the entrance of the city, but with heightened senses, he was able to see that person.


    The person had their back turned towards him, making it impossible for him to see their face. Still, from their figure, it was clear that the person was a woman.


    He was also sure that it was a familiar figure, especially since his Celestial Dragon Bloodline had be active. It was a Dragon in human form.


    Normally, even a Sea Dragon could not sense another sea dragon unless that person used the Dragon Tongue Magic or left traces behind.


    Eren wasn''t sure how he could sense that person. Was it because of the purity of his Bloodline?


    That familiar figure and a Bloodline purity that was strong enough to make his Celestial Dragon Bloodline take notice?


    In his mind, there were no doubts about that woman''s identity anymore.

 Chapter 325: Chapter 325: Good for health

    Eren had heard the stories about the Sea Dragon Empress being in the Holy Empire. It was also rumored that she was being hunted by the Holy Empire.


    It was because of her, there was no restriction on the ships entering the Holy Empire but all ships leaving the Empire''s borders were thoroughly checked by the Guards.


    Eren wasn''t sure how true rumors about the Sea Dragon Empress were. The only thing that he knew was that she had killed someone from the Holy Church whichnded her in this mess.


    "With her temper, it would make sense."


    He didn''t know who was supposed to have been killed by her, or else he would have realized that it was all because of him in the end. Until now, he believed that she probably killed another member of the Holy Church.


    ''If I hadn''t left the Empire on time after killing the Archbishop, would I have been chased like her as well?'' he wondered, looking at the Sea Dragon Empress who entered the city and disappeared from his view.


    He had promised the Sea Dragon Empress that the next time he was going to see her, he was going to screw her over. However, he still didn''t feel that he had reached that level.


    Sighing, he turned around and decided to make it so that their paths didn''t intersect at this point.


    If anything, it was for the best of the Sea Dragon Empress to keep the Church and Holy Empire busy as it gave her an opportunity to fish in the troubled waters.


    [Congrattions. You have triggered Options]


    "Now?" Eren frowned, looking at a semi transparent screen that appeared in front of him. He didn''t know why but he had a really bad feeling about this.


    He had a lot of experience in receiving options. By now, he was able to guess what kind of troubles the options were going to bring him, simply based on the timing alone.


    [Option One: Inform the Holy Guards about the whereabouts of the Celestial Dragon Empress and have her caught.


    Reward: Map of the Royal City of Holy Empire]


    ''Have her caught? I''m not foolish enough to stab my own foot.''


    Eren didn''t even think about the first option. Although he could win the Holy Empire''s favor with this, that favor was worth nothing. He was simply going to be considered a mere informant, maybe even receive some money in exchange.


    Moreover, if the Sea Dragon Empress was caught, then the search for her was going to stop. All the Holy Guards that were spread throughout the continent might be recalled back to the Royal City.


    In the end, it was only going to make the security in the Royal City much stronger. It was going to be even more troublesome for him.


    Even if he disliked the Sea Dragon Empress, he still hadn''t forgotten his own benefits.


    [Option Two: Ignore the Sea Dragon Empress and pretend as if you haven''t seen her.


    Reward: Luck +2]


    [Option Three: Help the Sea Dragon Empress infiltrate the Royal City of the Holy Empire.


    Reward: Trap Detection Compass (Rare)]


    [Option Four: Kill the Sea Dragon Empress.


    Reward: Hostility of the Celestial Dragon''s Heart]


    "Hostility of the Celestial Dragon''s heart?" Eren looked at thest option, only to be taken aback.


    Even if he killed the Sea Dragon Empress, what did it have to do with the Celestial Dragon''s Heart? It wasn''t as if it was a living thing? Or was it? The more Eren thought about it, the more confused he became.


    Just what was even the Sea Dragon''s Heart? Was there still a remnant soul of the Celestial Dragon that could sense that he killed a descendant?


    ''If that was the case, didn''t I already cross that bridge? I''ve already killed a Royal Sea Dragon.'' Eren looked at thest option, feeling as if he was missing something.


    In the end, he didn''t want to take the risk. He gave up on killing the Sea Dragon Empress. In any case, he wasn''t even sure if he could kill her yet.


    It could easily backfire if his own identity was exposed in the process as this was the city of a Duke who was also an Archbishop of the Holy Empire.


    There was no need to take unnecessary risks, which left the choice between the second and third option. He could either leave the Sea Dragon Empress here and increase his luck.


    For him, luck stat was the biggest scam, so he didn''t feel any attraction towards that option.


    On the other hand, taking the Sea Dragon Empress to the Royal City was also dangerous but at the same time, it was also beneficial.


    As long as she didn''t recognise him as the person who killed her brother, he could definitely make use of her.


    If his n was to fish in troubled waters, then wasn''t it better to have the Holy Priestess and the Sea Dragon Empress in the same city? Maybe that way he could also make the Holy Priestesse out of the church.


    If there was a fight between the two, it was also a food opportunity to collect that woman''s blood to remove the second seal. It all depended on how he used this opportunity.


    Thinking about it, he let out a sigh before selecting an option. He jumped off the Ship,nding on the ground, deciding on the third option.


    "She is being hunted by everyone. The third option is definitely easier said than done, but fuxk it. I haven''t reached this level by taking easier options. Let''s just hope she doesn''t attack me outright."


    Scratching the back of his head, he walked towards the City.


    A portal opened next to him and Aster stepped out.


    "Are we finally going to the city to gather information? I can open a portal straight to the city to save some time."


    He opened another portal before Eren, only for him to click his tongue at the sight of the Portal, avoiding it.


    "Don''t bezy. Walking is good for your health," Eren said without a hint of embarrassment, not telling the real reason behind not taking a portal.

 Chapter 326: Chapter 326: Not the Empress

    Aster looked at Eren nkly. Was this man really talking about what was good for health? Just a few days ago, he was standing against Mist. From which angle was that good for health?


    Eren talking about things that were good for health was no different than a yboy talking about being chaste.


    Still, he didn''t express his thoughts openly. He followed Eren, who headed towards the entrance of the city.


    Soon, the two of them reached the entrance of the city which was a major hub of business aside from the Royal City, especially since its Lord was an Archbishop.


    For that reason, it was also a heavily guarded city. At the entrance alone, Eren saw quite a number of guards. Still, in his eyes it all felt useless as they couldn''t even recognise the Sea Dragon Empress to stop him.


    "Identification," the Guard told Eren, reaching out his hand.


    "Oh, certainly." Eren reached out his hand, holding a random card.


    From the distance, it looked like an identification card but if one was to look carefully, one could see that it was just a random piece of a thin sheet of metal which was the shape of the identification card.


    The Guard looked at the fake card, his eyes narrowing. However, his expressions soon rxed as Eren''s fingers touched him. It was as if his mind was directly being manipted, along with his memories.


    Eren used Liyone''s abilities, erasing the memories about the Guard seeing the fake identification, manipting his mind to consider it real.


    "Are we allowed to pass through now?" Eren asked the Guard, who came out of his daze, noticing that Eren had already kept the identification back in his pocket.


    He didn''t know why, but his head felt a little heavy. Still, he couldn''t understand the reason. As an ordinary guard, he didn''t hold any resistance to Maniption, especially when it was the ability of an S Rank Hero who could manipte memories of weaklings with ease.


    This same maniption wouldn''t have been as effective on the Archbishop level people of this world, but against an ordinary guard who only had a miniscule amount of protection from goddesses, it worked like a charm.


    "Let''s go," Eren told Aster, walking past the Guard.


    Aster''s face had been covered with a mask as he didn''t have any disguise skills like Eren did. However, the mask and clothes that he wore were different from what he was wearing in the Hero Academy, creating a separation of identity for him as well.


    Normally, the Guard who was checking their identity would have asked him to take off his mask but Eren took care of that problem as well.


    He made the Guard feel that he had already checked Aster''s face, matching it against the list of people of interest for the Western Empire.


    ....


    As Eren entered this city, he was finally able to see a prosperous city of the Western Continent. This was the first time actually stepping inside the city as he had only seen the cities from the deck of the Merchant Ship in the past.


    The bustling streets were filled with merchants, travelers, and Priests from the Holy Church. There were also a lot of citizens, which made Eren remember the body streets of the cities back on earth.


    The infrastructure of the city was not bad either. It wasn''t ancient like the structures in the Eastern Continent. It wasn''t modern like the Southern Continent either. Instead, it felt more medieval.


    It was as if he had walked straight into a Victorian city, with two buildings standing out from the rest.


    One was the Pce of the City Lord while the other was the Church of Holiness Branch. If anything, the Church appeared more grand as even the City Lord was a follower.


    The streets were buzzing with the sound of bargains, the clinking of coins, and the asional shout of a guard maintaining order.


    Eren and Aster blended into the crowd, both of them being just as fascinated by the city. They were like children who were taken to a foreign city of magic for the first time.


    Still, Eren hadn''t forgotten his purpose ining to this city. His eyes kept searching for the Sea Dragon Empress but he couldn''t find any trace of her. He could feel the presence of the Dragon Bloodline but even he couldn''t pinpoint it.


    The only thing he could be certain of was that the woman was still in the city.


    The Sea Dragon Empress had disappeared into one of the many alleyways that spider-webbed through the city.


    "She couldn''t have gone far," Eren mumbled to himself as he went further into the city.


    After searching for a while, Eren noticed a group of Priests standing in front of an alleyway. There were a few priests who were keeping ordinary citizens away.


    "Did they find her?" he wondered as he entered a different alleyway from the one in question.


    He took advantage of the absence of people in the alley and jumped high,nding on the roof. From the roof, he rushed towards the alley in question.


    Aster followed him, knocking out people along the way who just happened to be on the roof, noticing them. There was even a priest who was keeping an eye on the roof around the alley.


    Before the priest could react, Aster appeared behind the Priest, hitting the back of his head, knocking him out.


    "I can''t believe you are using sneak attacks to take people out. I feel ashamed."


    Real Aster''s soulined to the actions of the earthly soul, wondering what was even the point of him teaching his skills when the fighting style was going to be so shameless.


    "Shut up, old man. I tried relying on your methods. I am sure you haven''t forgotten what happened?" Earthly Aster asked, taking a nce at Eren. "This time, I don''t want to die again because of your sense of chivalry."


    While the two souls of Aster were arguing amongst themselves, Eren stopped at the edge of the roof, looking down at the alley that was blocked by the Priests.


    "Hmm? That''s not the Empress..." That''s the only sentence that came out of Eren''s lips as his eyes narrowed.

 Chapter 327: Chapter 327: Found

    Eren looked inside the alleyway, which was only enlightened by a flickering light. Inside the alley, there was a young girl standing with her back against the wall.


    There was a knife in her hand which was covered in blood with tears streaming down her cheeks, her face pale as if itcked any blood.


    "I... I didn''t want to... I didn''t..." the girl kept muttering.


    Next to her was a body of a middle aged man in the Priest''s attire that was covered in fresh blood. The exit of the alley was blocked by the other Priests.


    Eren could not feel any Dragon Bloodline inside the girl appearing to be barely older than sixteen. It was clear that she was not the Sea Dragon Empress.


    He could not see anything extraordinary about that girl. If anything, she felt even weaker than ordinary people of this continent as there was no blessing of goddess around her, which almost every citizen of the continent had.


    Despite that, she had managed to kill the Priest blessed by the Goddess? That in itself was surprising.


    Looking at the entire situation, Eren was slightly taken aback. A girl had managed to kill a priest that even many prominent warriors would find hard to.


    Even more shocking was the number of priests that were blocking the alley, here to apprehend the girl.


    Even though the girl had killed a priest, wasn''t the number of priests present here a little overkill?


    "Let''s see who you really are..."


    Eren raised his hand, activating identification skill. His eyes shone in a mysterious light while a screen with the woman''s status appeared in front of his eyes.


    Looking at the screen, Eren was shocked. However, that shock soon turned into surprise as his lips crept up, forming a smirk.


    "So that''s what you are... No wonder you were able to kill a Priest. What an unexpected gain..."


    This was thest thing Eren had expected to find at a ce like this, but now that he did, he knew he couldn''t ignore it.


    "Drop the knife and surrender. I promise that the Church will be merciful to you!" A middle aged Priest stepped forward, being surrounded by an aura of kindness that naturally made people look at him like a family member.


    Even if it was a stranger, they could undoubtedly trust him as they were easily manipted by the aura. However, the girl didn''t appear to fall for it.


    She didn''t throw away the knife even though there was no way out.


    "Since you are not surrendering, we could only use force. May the Goddess be merciful..." The Priest respectfully said while gesturing for other Priests to prepare to take the girl down.


    ....


    "You found her?" In the grand pce of the city, the Duke was informed about the girl. He revealed a pleasant surprise at the information.


    "To be specific, a priest found her. However, he was killed by her. The others are already at the ce, surrounding her," the priest told the Archbishop who was also the Duke of the City.


    "Good. Make sure you capture that girl alive. The Holy Priestess will reward us if we seed. After all, she had been a great annoyance in her eyes," the Duke revealed with a smirk as he took a sip of his wine while looking at the distant sky.


    As an Archbishop, he knew how important that girl was to the Holy Priestess. Still, he didn''t make a move himself. He believed that his men could easily take down the girl who could barely kill a Priest.


    After all, she wasn''t strong. She did use a strange ability but in front of absolute strength and numbers, it was useless. She wasn''t the Holy Priestess after all, who could take down an entire city alone.


    Now that the girl was in his city, there was no escaping it.


    "Finally, I might be promoted to the Cardinal..."


    ....


    Back in the alley, the Priests had already finished their preparation to take the girl down. One of them stepped forward while being cautious against her knife, not wanting to make the same mistake as the other priest by underestimating her.


    The young girl was trembling, watching the Prieste closer. She had managed to kill the previous priest because he didn''t expect her to have a knife. However, the current priest knew it.


    Not only did he know it but he didn''t lower his guard either. Even worse was the fact that even more priests were waiting in the distance.


    Even if she took that Priest down, the others were going to capture her.


    Her entire body felt a chill as she thought about what could happen to her if she was caught. It was all because of that Holy Priestess!


    With the Priest close to her, she had no other choice. Holding the knife in both her hands, she rushed forward to stab him.


    Her attack was weak with not much strength behind it, especially since she was physically weak. It was clear that she didn''t have much experience fighting, which made her previous feat of killing a priest even more impressive.


    Unfortunately, her attack didn''t work on the current priest who simply grabbed her wrist, stopping the knife before it could even touch her chest.


    "Unfortunately for you, I am not a fool like that guy down there," the Priest eximed while hitting her hand, making her drop the knife.


    He didn''t stop there as he kicked her in the stomach, sending her flying.


    The young girl crashed against the wall, groaning in pain. Her pupils trembled in fear as she watched the Priest getting closer to her.


    "You have sinned against the goddess by killing a Priest. For your sins, I should kill you right here. Unfortunately, you are wanted alive."


    " Only the Higher Ups can decide your punishment. However, before I take you to them, I will make sure you understand the consequences of hurting the people of the goddess!"


    He grabbed the finger of the woman. "Let''s break all those fingers that you used to hold that knife!"


    "I''m sorry, but I can''t allow you to do that."


    The Priest grabbed the woman''s fingers firmly, almost prepared to rip them apart when he heard a voiceing from behind him.

 Chapter 328: Chapter 328: Looking for disaster, finding a Calamity

    The priest, holding the girl''s hands, was taken aback by the unfamiliar voice that suddenly came from behind him.


    Startled, he released the girl''s fingers and turned around, only to find nothing but empty space.


    "I''m afraid I don''t have time to y with you either. Maybe next time..."


    The same voice echoed once more, and the priest realized, by the startled expressions of his fellow Priests, that the person had shifted position to appear behind him again.


    At the same time, the other priests unleashed their abilities, as ifunching an attack against a person who was definitely not here due to any goodwill.


    The priest who had attacked the girl also turned to see a masked figure gripping the girl''s arm, a swirling portal present ominously behind the masked person.


    Before the priest could react, the masked man stepped through the portal, vanishing into the unknown.


    A barrage of energy from the priests struck the portal, but it closed just as swiftly, leaving them with nothing but an empty space.


    "That was... An ability...?" the Priest looked in silence at the empty wall in the distance which had cracked following the girl crashing on it.


    "The person... It was a Hero from the South! Seal the city and arrest everyone from the South!" The Priest finally reacted and used the token ofmunication, telling the city to be sealed.


    There were not many Heroes who could use the abilities rted to space with such proficiency. Even if there were any, they were all affiliated with the Mythical Hero Academy.


    In his eyes, it was clear that the Southern Continent had decided to interfere in their internal matters by saving that girl.


    The Duke had also received the message along with a recording of the scene where the man had appeared.


    Looking at the scene in the image crystal, the Duke narrowed his eyes.


    "To think that the Academy would send Aster here. Have they decided to actually go against the Holy Empire?"


    As a Duke of the Holy Empire who was also a prominent member in the Church of Freya, he knew quite a lot about the prominent heroes of the Southern Continent.


    Amongst the Heroes of the Academy, there were few names which always stood out. And the name of Aster was amongst them, being addressed as the Prince of Space.


    The abilities that he had seen in the recording crystal, it was not something that an ordinary person could achieve. The portal was too stable for it to be the work of a novice.


    There was no doubt in his mind that it was the work of Aster. Moreover, if it was Aster, then itplicated things a lot.


    No one in the Southern Continent couldmand Aster except the Southern Overlord. If he had taken action that could affect the rtionship of two continents, it was clear who hadmanded it.


    "They have saved the False Priestess... Are they trying to destabilize the Holy Empire?" He let out a sigh, feeling frustrated.


    If it was Aster, then he was capable enough of traveling across the continent. Aster would have to be a fool to stay behind.


    There was no point in arresting people from the South anymore. Still, he didn''t stop his men from arresting the people of the South.


    "Since the Southern Continent has already crossed the line, then so be it," he mumbled while leaving his room with a half empty ss of wine left behind.


    He was upset that he had missed his chance of being praised by the Holy Priestess. If only he had managed to capture the false Priestess, none of this would have happened.


    He even felt regretful that he hadn''t gone personally to capture her. He hadn''t expected someone like Aster to appear and save that scheming woman.


    If he was there, he was sure he would have stopped Aster. It was his domain after all. Unfortunately, it was toote for regrets.


    He could only send a message to the Holy Priestess, telling her everything that had happened.


    ....


    The Holy Guards had started arresting everyone who wasn''t from the Western Continent.


    They were going from street to street, rounding up those from the South, which mainly included merchants and the servants they had brought for physicalbor.


    Another group of priests left the city and boarded the merchants'' ship, arresting people who had been left behind.


    The captain of the ship and even the guests from the South who had paid for the trip were also arrested and dragged back into the city.


    The priests carefully checked each room to ensure no one was overlooked.


    After inspecting most of the rooms, they reached a particr one where they sensed a presence.


    One of the priests ced his hand on the door, sting it open before barging inside.


    Boom~


    A loud explosion echoed as a body came flying through the shattered door. The body belonged to the priest who had just entered the room.


    His mouth was smeared with blood as his body broke through multipleyers of the ship before falling out entirely. He didn''t move anymore.


    Fortunately, his chest could be seen heaving up and down. He was still alive, but he was passed out from a single attack.


    From the room, a young girl emerged, rubbing her forehead.


    "How dare you resist and fight back?!" The other Priests attacked, only to have their face go pale as the woman simply made a shield using her inner essence.


    Even though the Priests were strong with the blessing of goddesses inside the Western Continent, they were still far from reaching the levelparable to a Grand Elder of the Great Demon Sect.


    Even in their wildest dreams they couldn''t have imagined that they woulde across someone that high ranking from the Great Demon Sect while searching for a high ranking member of the Mythical Hero Academy.


    They were searching for a disaster, only to find a cmity.


    By the time they realized the identity of the little girl who was using the ability of the Eastern Continent, it was toote.

 Chapter 329: Chapter 329: I worry more about them

    The girl''s aura was oppressive, and the priests could feel the aura around her growing more powerful with each of her steps.


    "Who is she?" one of the priests whispered, voice trembling.


    They didn''t know the exact identity of the woman, only realizing that she was someone powerful from the Eastern Continent.


    "Does it matter?" another snapped, though his voice betrayed his fear. "We must subdue her now!"


    Another priest nodded, clenching his fist tightly, "All our actions represent the Goddess now. We can''t run away disgracefully!"


    They began chanting in unison, invoking the divine powers bestowed upon them by the Holy Empire.


    Golden light enveloped them as many holy sigils appeared in the air.


    The ship''s deck cracked under the weight of the Priests whose bodies grew heavier as if they were carrying a heavy burden with gravity bing stronger around them.


    Soon, the beams of holy light shot toward the girl. But she merely frowned.


    With a flick of her wrist, the shield around her expanded and intensified, absorbing the iing attacks like water into a sponge. The sigils shattered into fragments of light before dissipating entirely.


    "You think your divine powers can touch me?" she mocked, her voice dripping with disdain. "Pathetic."


    With another casual gesture, she sent a wave of dark energy rippling outwards. The priests were thrown back, their holy barriers crumbling like paper before a storm.


    One by one, they fell, their cries of pain cut short by the oppressive force of her power.


    The person who looked like a thirteen or fourteen year old child had powers that had taken out all the Priests in their own domain.


    However, none of them were actually killed as the woman appeared merciful, not wanting to break thest thread of link between the two continents.


    Normally, it would have been even better for her to tell them her identity instead of fighting her. If she had told them that she was Great Elder Zia from the Eastern Continent, none of this would have happened.


    If anything, they would have treated her like a guest, inviting her to meet the Duke. The Western Continent didn''t want to make an enemy out of the Eastern Continent as they still had a use for them.


    Unfortunately for them, Zia wasn''t in the mood to be aodating. Even when she was in the Great Demon Sect, she wasn''t merciful to people who were disrespectful.


    That''s also why she had beaten up the Frost Demon who was disrespectful to the guard of the Alchemy Hall.


    Even Eren had ended up in aplicated situation after offending the girl, being banished from the Alchemy Hall forever.


    Even after Zia epted Eren as someone more knowledgeable as her, controlling her wild tendencies, she still hadn''tpletely forgotten her past.


    It didn''t matter where she was. How could she allow herself to be disrespected? In that manner, all representatives of the Great Demon Sect were the same.


    They weren''t called unreasonable demons for no reason after all. If the Heroes were known as arrogant, then the Cultivators from the Eastern Continent were known as cold and ruthless.


    From Zia''s side, she was definitely being merciful towards the Priests by holding back her anger.


    ....


    [A short time ago]


    "Who are you?"


    In another part of the Duke''s city, Aster appeared in front of Eren, bringing the girl with him who couldn''t help but question his identity.


    Although the masked man had helped her, it didn''t change anything. There was no free lunch in this world. If they saved her so they could use her, were they any different from the Holy Church?


    "We are your knights in shining armor," Eren jokingly said, not seriously answering her.


    The only reason he even saved her was because she was considered the Main Character of this continent. However, it was clear that she hadn''t grown uppletely.


    For now, there was no need to trouble her too much. However, he also couldn''t let her be caught by the Holy Priestess who appeared to be hunting this girl.


    He wasn''t sure if it was simply because of this girl''s past or the Holy Priestess knew about this girl being the Main Character. In any case, he was also an important piece of the puzzle of this world.


    "The Priests are going towards the Ship. Shouldn''t we stop them? Your two friends are still on the ship?" Aster quickly changed the topic, realizing that Eren was notfortable exposing his identity to the woman yet.


    He could clearly lie as well but it seemed that he didn''t want to lie either. Was it because he wanted to be honest with her? No.


    Knowing Eren''s personality, he knew that it wasn''t the case. This man had lied so many times, why would he hesitate in lying now. It wasn''t as if he was some hero who was always honest.


    With Eren''s personality, he realized that the man had another reason. There was only one that he could think of.


    ''The girl has an ability that helps her detect lies? If he lied to her, it''ll only make her more suspicious. But if he told her the truth and she was caught in the future, he was going to be exposed to more troubles. That is the only thing that can exin it.''


    He thought about Eren''s reasons and it all started making sense. However, there was one thing that was still not making sense. How did Eren know about the abilities of this girl?


    In the end, he stopped thinking about it, giving credit to the myriad of abilities that Eren had stolen. It was possible that one of them was this.


    To save Eren from answering, he could only change the topic to Zia and Yu Lin who were back in the ship.


    "If the Priests are going to the ship then I worry more about them than about the little girl," Eren scratched the back of his head, knowing Zia''s strength and personality all too well.

 Chapter 330: Chapter 330: The Killing Saviour

    Aster was confused, not understanding where Eren''s confidence wasing from. Even he didn''t know the true identity of the people left on the ship, only knowing that they were close to Eren.


    The only thing he knew was that the girls weren''t from the Continent of Heroes, not appearing any special either. One was an ordinary girl who called Eren master. The other was just a child.


    They were used as a sacrificial subject by the Ghost Queen who wasn''t even close to as strong as him. If they couldn''t even resist her, then how strong could they actually be?


    Still, at the end of the day, Eren knew those two people better than he could ever hope to know them. If he wasn''t worried about their safety, why would he worry?


    "You don''t have to worry about them. You should worry more about yourself." Eren brought the topic back to the little girl who was still suspiciously looking back and forth between the two men.


    "Isn''t this your fault? You told me to save that girl, making me the most wanted person in the Western Continent in an instant."


    Aster clicked his tongue in frustration. After pushing him in this mess, this guy was washing his hands clean?


    Even in this situation, he was quite calm as he had a way to escape. Not everyone was as crazy as Eren who could prevent his escape and kill him on the spot.


    "You''re lucky the other guy isn''t in control of this body or you would have a lot to listen to." He rubbed his ears, even though the annoying voice wasn''t falling in his ears but directly appearing in his head.


    Unlike him, the soul of real Aster was absolutely freaking out. Even though he was enved by Eren, he still hadn''t forgotten his past. He knew what kind of mess he had created for the Western Continent which was his home.


    "I don''t think he needs to worry. Doesn''t the Academy also have the first hero now? I think they can handle all the mess I throw at them." Erenzily answered. "If anything, it''ll keep them from being bored."


    He told Aster to stop worrying about unnecessary things and escape from this portal before something went wrong and anyone discovered that he was still in the city.


    "Shall we return to the Southern Continent? But I haven''t mastered such a long range yet." Aster rubbed his forehead. "The annoying guy kept telling me to learn but it''s not easy."


    "You are not going back to the South. Open the portal as close as you can to the Royal City of the Holy Empire without being detected. Wait there for me."


    "Wait there for you? Are you noting back?"


    "There are a few more things for me to handle here. It will take some time for me."


    "What do you even have to do here? Don''t you realize that they are arresting everyone who is not a native of this city? Can you even do anything here?"


    If there was no seal on his soul, Aster wouldn''t have cared the least about Eren, only focusing on his own survival. But with the seal, his life depended on Eren.


    Not only could Eren kill him with a single whisper of amand but they were also going to die if he died.


    "Are you sure you''re strong enough to worry about me?" Eren asked innocently. However, more than the false innocence of Eren''s face, Aster was attracted by those eyes which he had seen in the Coastal City when he was killed by Eren.


    "How could I forget? Even Mist couldn''t get the better of you." In the end, he simply gave up as he opened a portal. "But you better not die! If you are going to die, better remove my seal before taking yourst breath!"


    Eren ced his hand on the young girl. He hadn''t given her enough answers, worried that she might catch onto his lies. He understood that the less he talked to her, the better for him.


    "Did you check the roofs? I hear some soundsing from there."


    Hearing the voice from the distance, Aster realized his time was running out.


    He held her hand, pulling the girl away while her focus remained on Eren''s eyes, as if she could see through his false disguise. Eren wasn''t sure if this was just his misconception.


    Aster entered the portal with the girl known as the False Priestess, leaving Eren behind, standing next to the body of the Priest who had died by Eren''s hand.


    Eren watched the girl disappear into the portal, a sigh escaping his lips as he thought about the situation.


    To fully awaken his Bloodline or even reach his absolute limit as told by the Author, he had to kill all four Main Characters. And this girl... She was one of them.


    She was destined to die by his hand. However, fate had a different n, and he ended up saving her as she was still useful for him in taking down the Holy Priestess.


    "If I hadn''t saved her, someone else would have. That''s the privilege of being a Main Character. If I''m not wrong, the person who was supposed to save her was the Sea Dragon Empress..."


    While lost in thought, he touched the body of the Priest, altering his disguise while stashing the body in his inventory. Before discarding the body, he quickly changed his clothes using Dragon Tongue Magic.


    As ordinary priests, they couldn''t fly, which meant they needed a few extra seconds to climb the roof which was long enough for Eren to clean up the ce.


    Only the trace of Dragon Tongue Magic was left behind, something the Priests would not be able to sense.


    "It was just you?" the Priests clicked their tongues, realizing that they had wasted all their efforts in climbing the wall. "When you heard using, couldn''t you tell us that you were here?"


    Although they were frustrated, they didn''t make things difficult for Eren and jumped back down, leaving the area for Eren to observe.


    Once again, Eren was left alone on the roof. However, he soon felt the familiar sensation of the Dragon Bloodline near him.


    The moment he turned towards the source, he froze in ce as a Divine Aura fell from the sky.


    "Just my luck..." He rubbed his forehead, looking at the sky with narrowed eyes.

 Chapter 331: Chapter 331: Uninvited Guests

    "To think that she woulde here personally..." Eren raised his head, looking at the distant sky. Right above the Duke''s Pce, a woman had appeared.


    Shaking his head, Eren jumped into the alley merely a few moments before the woman looked in his direction, missing him by mere fragments of a second.


    If possible, Eren didn''t want to be seen by the woman when he was disguised as a guard. Unlike the ordinary priests, the Archbishop and those stronger than him could sense the Holy Blessings that a person had received.


    Being a Priest who had no blessing was as good as telling them outright that he was in a disguise.


    On the roof of the Pce, the Duke had appeared alone, going down on one knee. His back was already drenched in the cold as he didn''t dare to raise his head.


    He had just finished informing the Holy Priestess about what had happened. He thought that at best, she was going to send a Cardinal to the city but she told him that she wasing here personally.


    Only seconds had passed and she was already here? The Duke was scared about his own fate. If the Cardinal was here, then he would at least hesitate a little in dealing with an Archbishop who was also a Duke of the Holy Empire.


    The woman was different. She was sitting at the absolute peak of this continent. She could even scold the Holy Emperor to his face, let alone a mere Duke.


    "I wee the Holiness." The Archbishop said respectfully to the woman who had arrived.


    The woman smiled warmly at him and replied, "Rise, Archbishop."


    From her face, it was impossible to see even the slightest of anger. She was akin to the goddess of kindness that had forgiven every mistake of this world, carrying their sins on her shoulder.


    The womannded on the roof of the Pce, right before the Duke who stood up after receiving the permission.


    Even though the Duke stood up, he didn''t look straight at the Holy Priestess, always keeping his head down.


    "I am sure you understand why I came here?" The Woman walked past the Duke who silently followed her.


    "To punish me for letting that girl escape?" The Archbishop asked, feeling regretful about his own conduct.


    "That girl is insignificant for now. I can always capture her whenever I want. So that''s not the reason," the Holy Priestess answered without the slightest shift in her tone.


    Instead, she looked in a particr direction where the Merchant Ship was present outside the city.


    "I came to know that there are a few uninvited guests in the city. I just came to wee them personally." A beautiful yet cold smile appeared on her lips but the Duke couldn''t see it as he was walking behind her.


    While following her, his head remained down which made his gaze fall on her hips. No matter what, his eyes always ended up appreciating her figure even though he was scared of her.


    "Uninvited Guests?" The Archbishop was slightly confused. Even if there were outsiders here, who could be significant enough for the Holy Priestess toe here personally?


    ....


    Meanwhile, Eren stood with his back resting against the wall, looking at the sky that looked even brighter for some reason.


    "To think that I would have to meet with her so soon."


    He sighed as his face started transforming again, returning to the face that she had in the Great Demon Sect.


    His physique started changing a little as well, his hair bing a darker shade of red akin to a demon. His face also became more slender.


    He took off the robe that he wore as the guest of the Southern Continent and wore the robe of the Eastern Continent.


    To be Devourer was useless in this city with the presence of the Holy Priestess. She was someone entirely different from Mist who had no weakness like a family member or lover.


    If there was one weakness to her, it was her absolute greed. She wanted to make use of the Eastern Continent, which was the only w in her Armor.


    "Since she wants to use the Great Demon Sect, then I shall give her the Great Demon Sect."


    Eren donned the attire of the Eastern Continue with a robe that was only given to the Great Elders of the Great Demon Sect.


    Previously, he was a mere elder. However, after helping Feng Yu, he had been promoted to a Great Elder, bing the youngest Great Elder of the Great Demon Sect.


    It was also a way for Feng Yu to give Eren some protection when he told her that he was going to leave the sect. People were going to be more hesitant when dealing with the Great Elders of such a crazy sect after all.


    There was one more thing that she had given him, which was a crystal ofmunication. He could use that to contact her but he knew that it was mostly useless.


    Because of the deal between the four continents, the Overlords couldn''t enter each other''s territory. Knowing Feng Yu, he was sure that she might not care about this treaty and came to help him. He didn''t want that. If anything, it was still too early for a war.


    Donning the robe of the Great Elder, Eren stopped hiding his presence and stepped out of the alley, walking across the streets with his hand behind his back like an Elder observing the surroundings.


    There were quite a few guards along the way but when the Guards looked at his robe, they stopped in ces.


    They didn''t even care to approach that person, only contacting the Archbishop to inform them about what they had seen.


    Eren walked straight toward the Duke''s Mansion while also keeping an eye on the aura of Sea Dragon Empress.


    He didn''t see the Empress but he did feel a heavy killing intent that was directed at him.


    "So there you are..."


    With the killing intent, he was finally able to trace the exact location of the Sea Dragon Empress.

 Chapter 332: Chapter 332: A Disgusting Presence

    There was only one person in the entire city who could harbor such a strong murderous intent towards him, especially since he was a stranger to everyone else here.


    In the past, he had gone to the sea to hunt a Sea Dragon in hopes of awakening his sea of consciousness.


    At that time, he had not expected encountering the Prince of Sea Dragons who was taking part in hising of age ceremony.


    When the Sea Dragon Prince attempted to kill them, he was forced to y the young dragon.


    Even though he had killed the Sea Dragon Prince, he believed that his identity would remain hidden as long as he left the scene quickly enough.


    Unfortunately, the Sea Dragon Empress had arrived, witnessing his face, known throughout the Eastern Continent.


    In the end, he managed to escape her grasp as he wasn''t strong enough at the time. However, things were different now. He had grown much stronger, strong enough to at least protect himself.


    Even better was the presence of the Holy Priestess in the city. If the Sea Dragon Empress attacked him, he could potentially drag the Holy Priestess into the conflict.


    He was a guest on this continent, someone the Holy Priestess was eager to win over. Meanwhile the Sea Dragon Empress was someone that had killed many Archbishops of the Holy Empire.


    It was clear who the Holy Priestess was going to support.


    If the two were to sh, he stood a good chance of obtaining the blood of the Holy Priestess. He initially thought he would have to implement this n after reaching the Holy City of the Empire but the opportunity came much earlier.


    However, there were only a few ws in such a seemingly convenient n. The biggest problem was that he had epted an option that involved allowing the Sea Dragon Empress to infiltrate the Holy Empire.


    If the Sea Dragon Empress died here, he was going to fail that option. So even if he was to drag the two women in a battle, he had to make sure that the Sea Dragon Empress didn''t die.


    He also had to help her infiltrate the Holy City, which was also easier said than done.


    As he walked across the streets amidst the watchful eyes of the Priests, he grew disappointed. Although the killing intent was just as strong, the Sea Dragon Empress didn''t rush out to kill him.


    She was more clever than he gave her credit for. Still, Eren wasn''t in a hurry. Although it would have been helpful to drag her in a battle, it was only a matter of time.


    ....


    Eren stopped in front of the Duke''s Mansion that had be a Holy Ground in the city with the presence of the Holy Priestess.


    Just getting close to the mansion, he felt like his strength had been suppressed by up to twenty percent.


    "Is this the so-called Holy Domain of the Western Overlord? What a cheat..."


    In the Western Continent, the Holy Priestess was said to be invincible.


    It was also partially because of the Holy Domain, an ability that only the ones most beloved by the goddess could possess. At least that''s what the official story said.


    In the Western Continent, the Holy Priestess was already stronger than she normally would have been. And with the Holy Domain, the others also lost one fifth of their strength, further increasing the gap in strength.


    Eren surrounded his body with the Sword Emperor''s Aura, resisting some of the suppression that increased the gravity in the surroundings for those who weren''t from the Western Continent.


    As Devourer, Eren could not use the Sword Emperor''s Aura as he was worried about exposing his real identity. But it was different when he was in real form.


    Currently, he was not Devourer from the Southern Continent. Instead, he was Great Elder Ren.


    As the aura appeared around him, the effect of gravitypletely disappeared.


    "Hmm? This...?" Eren looked surprised as he felt his strength recover.


    The Sword Emperor''s Aura didn''t just grant him relief from the gravity suppression of the Holy Barrier but itpletely nullified the effect of the Holy Barrier on his body.


    He clenched his fist, appearing pleasantly surprised. His stats that were temporarily suppressed had returned to normal.


    ''The Holy Barrier is a unique ability. How can the Sword Emperor''s Aurapletely nullify it?''


    He was even more impressed by the Sword Emperor''s Aura, wondering what kind of person the Sword Emperor who created this aura used to be.


    Even though he was so weak, he could suppress the Holy Priestess'' unique ability, removing her advantages.


    The Sword Emperor could only be stronger than him. In that case, didn''t it mean he was much stronger than the Holy Priestess?


    ''The intensity of the aura isparable to Feng Yu''s Aura. Nullification of another Overlord''s abilities. Was the Sword Emperor stronger than the Overlords?''


    Lost in thoughts, Eren stood in front of the Duke''s Mansion.


    Soon, the door of the Mansion opened. A middle aged man in the Archbishop''s Attire stepped out of the mansion, greeting Eren with a smile.


    "Her Holiness already knows about the appearance of the envoys from the East. She is waiting for you inside. Please follow me," he respectfully said.


    Thest Archbishop that met Eren while entering the Eastern Continent was respectful to him but not to this extent. If anything, he felt a little too neutral as if talking to someone of his own level.


    On the other hand, this Archbishop was being more respectful.


    Eren wasn''t sure if it was because the Holy Priestess wanted to win over the people from the Great Demon Sect or if it was because he was considered a Great Elder now.


    He didn''t think much about it and followed the Archbishop inside the mansion, prepared to meet the third Overlord.


    In their entire lives, people couldn''t even meet one Overlord.


    Meanwhile, in less than a year, it was the third Overlord he was going to meet, leaving only the Necromancer Tower Master who was the most mysterious out of all.


    Inside the mansion, the Holy Priestess opened her eyes, showing a disgusted look as she felt a presence inside her Holy Domain.


    "That disgusting aura... Why is it here?"

 Chapter 333: Chapter 333: When I do the same

    The Holy Priestess looked disgusted by the presence itself, as if it had brought many unpleasant memories.


    She raised her hand, making a mirror appear in front of her which depicted the scenes at the entrance of the holy domain.


    She watched the Archbishop escorting a young man inside. The young man was donning a robe that made his presence well known. It was the robe of the Great Elder of the Demon Sect.


    She was even more confused at the sight, especially since she had learned that the Great Elder who appeared here was a woman.


    There was no mention of another Great Elder appearing here. It was especially surprising since the young man carried the same disgusting aura as the person whose sword had been sealed forever in the basement of the Holy Emperor''s Pce.


    If he was just a normal person, the Holy Priestess would have captured him to interrogate and maybe even torture him until she recieved her answers.


    The only problem was that the person was here as a representative of the Great Demon Sect. There was no other way a Great Elder would have been sent to the Western Continent.


    Even if she made him disappear, it was going to grow into a bigger mess. When someone disappeared from the border, she was able to me the Northern Continent.


    If someone disappeared from a city that was almost in the center of the Western Continent, who could she me? With how protective Feng Yu was of her people, it was the worst decision she could make.


    She rubbed her forehead, her eyes narrowing in thoughts. On one side, it was the Necromancer Tower which was their lifelong enemy. On the other side, it was the Continent of Heroes that had decided to help the false Priestess.


    If she even turned the Eastern Continent against her, then it was going to be absolutely foolish. Even if she wanted to make the man with this disgusting presence disappear, she couldn''t do it here.


    She took a deep breath and calmed her expressions before sending the mirror back.


    There was soon a knock on the door. "Your Holiness, I have brought the Great Elder from the Great Demon Sect."


    The Woman simply waved her hand, making the door swing open with an unknown force.


    The Archbishop entered the room respectfully, apanying Eren who was quite fascinated as he looked at the Holy Priestess.


    Just as the rumors depicted, the Holy Priestess looked extremely long with a strange halo around her like the goddess had blessed her personally.


    There was also something strange about this halo which subconsciously manipted the minds of those who watched her into feeling a sense of worship towards her.


    Even Eren felt these strange thoughts trying to invade his mind, making him recognise the Holy Priestess as divinity. However, the effects were miniscule for him.


    Not only did he have the protection from the Sword Emperor''s Aura but he also had the ability of Liyone. When it came to manipting the brain of a person, no one could surpass Liyone''s abilities.


    "You must be Lady Evengeline," Eren nodded as he addressed the Holy Priestess. His tone was respectful but he did not go over the top to praise her.


    The Archbishop narrowed his eyes. Even though Eren didn''t do something wrong, his actions weren''t as respectful as they should be. Normally, he should have introduced himself and maybe even lowered his head.


    Although frustrated, the Archbishop observed silently.


    "That is correct," the Holy Priestess replied in a kind manner as if she didn''t mind his manners. "Are you the representative of the Great Demon Sect? Please take a seat."


    Even though her heart was filled with disgust towards the Sword Emperor''s Aura around Eren which waspletely identical to the disgusting aura around that sword, her expressions didn''t fluctuate for even a second.


    "That is correct. I am Great Elder Ren Yang, sent here to investigate the disappearance of three of our elders. I hope you will not mind," Eren said while taking a seat facing the Holy Priestess.


    "Ren?" The Holy Priestess smiled as she heard his name. "To think that I would hear that name again."


    "Does this name hold any meaning for you?" Eren asked, appearing slightly curious.


    In this world, a name didn''t hold much value as many people shared names. However, there were exceptions for a few names like Eldric and Mist.


    The name Ren Necroline had long been erased from history. It held no value to anyone, hence it wasn''t banned. Hence Eren didn''t need to hide his name as there were already many people with his name.


    The only thing that made him different was hisst name ''Necroline'' which was an exception. That''s why no one knew his realst name. Every time he mentioned a name, he used Yang as hisst name to mix in with the people of the Eastern continent.


    The Holy Priestess chuckled. "That is right. There was one person named Ren. However..."


    She shook her head and didn''t finish her sentence. She quickly changed the topic and asked, "Where are your friends? Or did youe alone?"


    "I came here with another Great Elder and my disciple to give her some experience. Theynded on the Ship outside the city after hearing somemotion there while I entered the city."


    "Oh, that reminds me. I have entered your city but I didn''t expect to meet the Holy Priestess right away. As a guest to your Empire, I should grant you a greeting gift."


    "There is no need for a gift. Your kind intentions are enough." The Holy Priestess answered while cursing him in her mind.


    What did sheck? Did she even need anything from a mere Great Elder? There was nothing that he could give her which was worth her time. Still, she didn''t express her thoughts openly.


    "Shall we go to the border to see the sight where your envoys have disappeared?" she asked, walking to take Eren to the Northern Continent so she could make him disappear again.


    "Are you sure you don''t want the first? But I thought you were looking for it?"


    "I was looking for that gift? What is it?" Holy Priestess Evangeline finally grew curious.


    Smiling, Eren looked in a particr direction.


    ''She wants to use us as a borrowed knife? I hope she doesn''t mind when I do the same.''

 Chapter 334: Chapter 334: Mockery

    She was skeptical that Eren could provide anything of value to her. Yet, the confidence in his voice when he offered his assistance piqued her curiosity, if only slightly.


    Despite her disdain for him,rgely due to his unsettling aura, she remainedposed and asked, "What exactly can you offer me?"


    "I''ve heard you''re on the hunt for someone," Eren stated calmly, noticing the flicker of killing intent in her eyes, though she masked it well.


    First, Aster had intervened and saved the girl she sought. And now, Eren seemed to have knowledge of it too?


    "The one responsible for the death of your envoys..." Eren rified, able to guess her thoughts. If anything, he had intentionally chosen such vague words to see just how much of a problem the Holy Priestess considered the girl that he had saved.


    "I can lead you to the Sea Dragon Empress," he told the Holy Priestess, who appeared slightly more relieved.


    "Are you saying you can lead me to her? If it was that easy to find her, do you think I would have failed?"


    "You can not find her because of her Dragon Tongue Magic that''s perfect for this. But I''m different from you. I can lead you to her." Eren stood up, approaching the Holy Priestess who also stood up, controlling the disgust rising inside her as his aura came closer.


    Eren also saw her difort which was quite surprising for him. It was clear that the Holy Priestess was containing some hatred towards him but it wasn''t a hatred that came from knowing his past. If that was the case, she would have already attacked him.


    It was more like a hatred that rose from within, maybe apanied by some memories.


    Eren was not sure why that was the case. If she knew that he was Ren Necroline, she wouldn''t have to worry about offending Feng Yu by killing him. If anything, the other Overlords would have been more pleased if that happened.


    ''If that''s not the case, then is it because of my aura?''


    The only thing that came to his mind was his aura that felt like it was of the opposing element to the Holy Priestess. That''s why her holy domain had also weakened against him.


    ''Could it be that she knows something about the owner of this aura? I would have loved to ask her but I don''t believe she would answer. Moreover, it''s slightly more fun to mess with her when she is holding back so much.''


    Eren reached out his hand, taking the Holy Priestess'' hand in his hand. He raised her hand, giving her a Knightly kiss on the back of her hand.


    "It would be my pleasure to help you. However, I do have one condition."


    ....


    In another part of the city, the Sea Dragon Empress was looking in the direction of the Duke''s Pce. She had seen the Holy Priestess enter the Pce, followed by Eren who was the person responsible for her brother''s death.


    In her eyes, it was clear that the two of them were working together. One of them killed her brother and the other had started hunting for her without any reason.


    In her eyes, the hatred had only med even more, especially directed towards the four Overlords.


    Mist had annihted so many Sea Dragons during theirst rampage when they left the sea to search for that person. As for Feng Yu, she was hiding the person responsible for her brother''s death. And now, the Holy Priestess was also just as bad.


    The only one left was the Necromancer Tower Master, but he was the only person she hated more than anyone else in the world. Even her hatred towards the Eren paled inparison to the Necromancer Tower.


    It was said that the person who killed the Celestial Dragon was someone from the Necromancer Tower. He used the ursed magic when killing the Celestial Dragon by corrupting his soul.


    It was him who took everything from the Dragons. And many years into the future, the Sea Dragons were still treated like objects by the Necromancer Tower.


    She even remembered how her father had died. It was the Necromancer Tower Master who came to the Sea Dragon''s habitat, saying he needed a Sea Dragon''s Corpse for something.


    When her father refused him, the Necromancer Tower Master killed her father and dragged his corpse away. All she could do was watch as his cold eyes ignored her as if she was an insect.


    "They are all the same. The moment I break the seal on our Bloodline, I will turn their world upside down!" She turned her back towards the Duke''s Pce, realizing that it was dangerous to stay here now.


    She hade here to rest and gather some supplies as she had been traveling for a long time while avoiding the attention of the Holy Church. But now, the Holy Priestess was personally here.


    She didn''t want to take the risk of getting caught, especially since her revenge was still iplete.


    As for dealing with Eren, it was something she left for the future. Now that she knew that he was a Great Elder of the Demon Sect, she could always find him. She didn''t have to search for him anymore, not even knowing his identity.


    "May I ask what will you turn upside down?"


    As soon as the Sea Dragon Empress turned to leave, she heard a voiceing from above her.


    She raised her head and saw a young man sitting at the edge of the roof with his feet hanging in the air.


    "You!" The Sea Dragon Empress looked at the man''s face, her expressions darkened. The person was none other than Eren who was simply sitting there akin to a spectator, eating some berries.


    "Since you came by yourself then I might as well take your life before leaving!"


    She had calmed her heart with great struggle but looking at his mocking gaze, she couldn''t control herself.

 Chapter 335: Chapter 335: I am not the one

    Eren, still lounging casually on the rooftop, wiped his hand on his robes, as if bored by the whole affair.


    "You know, I''m not here to fight," he said nonchntly, his voice barely reaching the Sea Dragon Empress through the tumult of her anger. "How about we sit somewhere peaceful and talk about love?"


    The Empress didn''t respond to Eren, only whispering something. The ground beneath her trembled as she called forth a wave of water from the earth, twisting it into a snake-like form that coiled around her like a spirit.


    With a flick of her wrist, the water dragon lunged at Eren, its jaws wide open and ready to devour.


    Eren simply raised an eyebrow, the faintest smirk ying at the corners of his mouth. As the water dragon closed in, he reached out with a hand, and the air trembled around him. The dragon halted, frozen mid-attack, as if caught in an invisible.


    "Not bad," Eren acknowledged, his voice smooth and calm. "However, are you sure you want to fight instead of running away? I''m sure you realize that I''m not the only person of interest in this city, right?"


    The Sea Dragon Empress gritted her teeth, frustration mixed with her anger. "Are you talking about the Holy Priestess? It is fine. I can still kill you, still leave before shees."


    "Urgh." Eren scratched the back of his head, as if unsure how to respond. "I believe your words would have been meaningful before I came here. Let me ask you another question in that case."


    "Enough of your dying tactics!" The Sea Dragon Empress rose up in the sky, flying straight toward Eren.


    Eren simply smiled in response, not even moving an inch from his original ce. As she already hated him, he knew he couldn''t win over her as the person who killed her brother. He didn''t n to do that either.


    Still, he continued his question that he had talked about, "Did you think I was the one who stopped that water snake you created using Dragon Tongue?"


    "Hmm?" The Sea Dragon Empress was halfway when her eyes narrowed at Eren''s words. He wasn''t the one who blocked her snake to protect her herself? In that case, wasn''t it...?


    The moment she thought about it, her expressions darkened. She had thought that she might be able to leave if she was able to kill Eren fast enough. She didn''t realize that it was already useless the moment Eren appeared here, especially since he wasn''t alone.


    The moment she realized it, a holy aura descended over her body, forcefully pulling her back to the ground, her body mming on the hard floor.


    At the same time, the Holy Domain appeared around her body, entrapping the entire space within the domain of the Holy Priestess which weakened every other living being except the Holy Priestess.


    Eren watched from above like a spectacle that was ying out. Even though she had crashed hard, the Holy Priestess was still unharmed because of her firm physique. Still, the situation was as bad as it could be for her.


    Behind the Sea Dragon Empress, the Holy Priestess had appeared, her long golden robe fluttering with the wind, untouched by even a single speck of dust.


    ''At this rate, can she even make her bleed?'' Up on the roof, Eren sighed at the scene below.


    He had even made it clear to the Sea Dragon Empress that he wasn''t alone, giving her various hints. It was all in an attempt to lead her into attacking the Holy Priestess to at least make her bleed.


    Unfortunately, he had underestimated her hatred towards him. In her anger, the Sea Dragon Empress stopped thinking rationally, only justifying her actions.


    If she was truly rational, she would have realized that she can''t fight him and still escape before the Holy Priestess arrived. If she was rational, she would have preferred to run away at the sight of him, especially since she already knew that he met the Holy Priestess.


    ''Love and hatred truly makes people blind. She already has hatred... I wonder if love will work as effectively. I suppose I can only testter. If it doesn''t work, all my ns would go to waste.''


    Silently, Eren watched the battle if it could even be called that. It was more like the Sea Dragon Empress was being toyed with.


    Firstly, the Sea Dragon Empress was already under the effect of a Sealed Bloodline which made her weaker than an Overlord in terms of absolute strength.


    Secondly, she was in the Domain of the Holy Priestess which further weakened her while strengthening the Holy Priestess.


    Andstly, there was no ocean in sight. As the Sea Dragon Empress, she could only disy her true strength in the Ocean which was her home. In thend, she had lost that privilege.


    Everything that could go wrong had gone wrong.


    While fighting, the Sea Dragon Empress always looked at a disadvantage. Eren felt slightly bad for her, especially from the moment he realized why she was actually being hunted.


    It was only after he had talked to the Holy Priestess that he found out how it all started. Only then did he realize that the Holy Priestess had taken the me for his actions without even realizing it.


    ''I am truly the bane for your existence.'' Eren rubbed his forehead, watching the battle drawing to an end.


    From the beginning to the end, the Sea Dragon Empress didn''t even manage to leave a single scratch on the Priestess'' body which was disappointing for Eren. Still, it wasn''t aplete loss.


    He had no one to teach him how to use the Dragon Tongue. He had learned everything himself by analyzing some of the spells. Now that he watched the Sea Dragon Empress use it, his understanding of the Dragon Tongue had only increased.


    Another thing he noticed was that the Sea Dragon Empress had a better understanding of the Dragon Tongue but she wasn''t able to draw out as much strength as he could, even though she was stronger than him.


    He wondered if it was because of the seal which he didn''t have.

 Chapter 336: Chapter 336: Returning the favor

    "If they fought in another continent, the Sea Dragon Empress would still have a little chance. Unfortunately, the oue of the battle appears to have been decided already."


    While the Holy Priestess suppressed the Sea Dragon Empress, the other high ranking priests contained the destructive aura of their battles, protecting the citizens and the infrastructure of the city.


    Even the Archbishop couldn''t avoid working. He was destroying the rubble that flew out of the contained parameters before it could hurt anyone.


    Throughout the time, sounds of explosions resounded in the city which kept all the citizens awake and worried.


    It took twenty minutes before themotion calmed down. And those twenty minutes were like hell filled with uncertainty for the citizens of the city.


    Within twenty minutes, the Holy Priestess took the Sea Dragon''s Empress down while making sure to not kill her.


    It went as per Eren''s expectations. Before he told the Holy Priestess about the whereabouts of the Sea Dragon Empress, he was already certain that the Priestess was not going to kill the Sea Dragon Empress.


    The Sea Dragon Empress was more useful as a hostage than she was dead. If she was killed, there was no saying how the Dragon Empire was going to react. With so much uncertainty around, she didn''t want to create another variable.


    On the other hand, as long as she had the Sea Dragon Empress in her grasp, she could control the Dragon Empire with her life. To save their Queen, the Dragons were going to do anything. That was the extent of loyalties that the Dragons had towards their Queen.


    In the Dragon Empire, there was no sibling rivalry to take the throne. Even though the Sea Dragon Empress had another sibling in the Dragon Empire, it was evident that the throne of the Empress was going to belong to the current ruler until she was killed.


    Holy shackles appeared around the neck, ankles and wrists of the Sea Dragon Empress which carried hundreds of kilograms of weight, keeping the powerful physique strength of the Sea Dragon Empress under strain.


    The Holy Priestess also closed the Dragon Empress'' mouth, preventing her from using the Dragon Tongue anymore.


    "I really thought we could work together in the future. However, with your recent actions against the Empire, you have truly disappointed me," Evengeline grabbed the Sea Dragon Empress by her hair, raising her up to look into her eyes that were still unwilling to surrender.


    She tossed the body of the Sea Dragon Empress at the fear of the Archbishop. "Imprison her and arrange for a passage back to the Holy City. I will be taking her back with me."


    The Archbishop nodded. He grabbed the arm of the Sea Dragon Empress who couldn''t fight back under the suppression of the shackles.


    The Sea Dragon Empress was taken back to the Duke''s Pce.


    Even as she was under the restriction and taken back, she didn''t take her eyes off Eren who was sitting atop the roof, waving at her like someone seeing off their lover.


    The waving hands of Eren changed their motion as he closed all his other fingers, only showing his middle finger to the Sea Dragon Empress, trying to provoke her even more.


    He still remembered how he was almost killed thest time he had met her. If it wasn''t for his escape, he would have been tortured to death.


    While escaping, he had promised her that the next time they met, the oue was going to be different. He had also shown her a middle finger while disappearing.


    Currently, the past was reying itself. The only difference was that it wasn''t him who was at the mercy of someone else. Instead, it was the Sea Dragon Empress.


    With the Archbishop and Sea Dragon Empress disappearing from his sight, Eren finally jumped off the roof,nding in the middle of the crater that had been created during the battle of two fierce women.


    "So, did you like the gift I offered you?" Eren asked while reaching out his hand towards the Holy Priestess who was standing outside the crater.


    Even though he could jump out of the crater as well, he intentionally reached out to her to take help. He didn''t forget to surround his body with the Sword Emperor''s Aura to keep himself free from her restriction.


    The Holy Priestess looked at his hand, her eyes narrowing. There was still the feeling of disgust in her heart. However, she knew she couldn''t make it obvious.


    It was as if she had died multiple times inside from disgust as she finally reached out her hand to grab Eren''s hand, her lips trembling subconsciously.


    She pulled Eren''s hand who didn''t hold back, taking an extra step to get closer to her, enjoying watching her be disgusted while being unable to show it.


    He was also careful about not pushing her too far as he didn''t want to be attacked in case she failed to control himself.


    "We shall return to the Pce. You can spend the night here and tomorrow, you will return with me to the Holy City."


    "I kindly ept your hospitality." Eren nodded in response while raising the woman''s hand, kissing the back of her hand, making her face go pale.


    She quickly pulled her hand back. It was only after Eren turned around to leave that she rubbed the back of her hand repeatedly to clean any remnant of that disgusting aura.


    ''Disgusting! So disgusting! How dare he touch me again? How dare he touch me with the disgusting aura of that man!'' In her mind, she kept repeating the same thing as her lips trembled.


    Eren observed her reaction with his seventh sense but he didn''t make it evident that he could see her. He simply left her alone, disappearing into the distance.


    He soon left the city with no one to stop him from leaving. He was a precious guest of the Holy Empire after all.

 Chapter 337: Chapter 337: Real Envoy

    The Sea Dragon Empress was taken back to the Duke''s Pce where she was kept in a heavily guarded cell.


    In the cell, there was no window, and the walls were made of thick, cold stone that seemed to absorb any unfamiliar essence that touched it.


    Heavy iron bars reinforced the door, which was locked with a mechanism so intricate that only the Duke held the key.


    The cell was dimly lit by a single torch flickering in the corridor outside, casting long shadows. The floor was uneven and cold.


    A small wooden bench, worn and splintered, was the only furniture in the room. Despite its simplicity, the cell was designed with one purpose. It was to make it impossible for anyone to escape.


    Every detail, from the reinforced ceiling to the hidden traps were made with perfection in mind.


    Even the guards outside the cell were chosen for their loyalty and strength. The cell was, in every sense, a fortress within a fortress.


    The Sea Dragon Empress was tossed inside the cell, her arms still tied to the shackles that were attached to the high hooks on the wall.


    The Duke didn''t spare a second nce to the Sea Dragon Empress as he left the hall, not wanting to spend the entire night being a babysitter of someone who had no hope.


    On the way back, he didn''t forget to remind his men to keep an eye on the Sea Dragon Empress throughout the night, his expressions appearing quite pleased.


    At first, he was upset that the False Priestess had managed to escape from his grasp. However, now that they had caught the Sea Dragon Empress, it could be considered to partially make up for that mess.


    His contribution in this was almost negligible but it still happened in his city so he was quite pleased.


    If the Sea Dragon Empress had also escaped from his city and someone had found out, he couldn''t even imagine what was going to happen to him. Being removed from his position was the best case scenario as he might even lose his life.


    He left the cell after arranging everything here. He had to finish establishing a connection to the Holy Empire to send the Sea Dragon Empress back.


    Normally, the Holy Priestess could go back herself in the blink of an eye. She was an Overlord. She didn''t need a connecting formation or any sort of dy.


    Unfortunately, she was not alone this time. She had to take the Sea Dragon Empress back with her.


    That was also possible but things becameplicated as she also had to take people like Eren and the other envoys from the Eastern Empire, not wanting to leave them without an oversight.


    With the number of people she had to take back to the Holy City increasing, she didn''t want to carry the burden herself and chose to take the help of a connecting formation.


    The Archbishop started gathering the materials and creating the formation as he only had a night to finish it.


    On the other hand, the Holy Priestess had entered a shower to cleanse the feeling of Eren''s touch. She repeatedly rubbed her skin, especially ces where Eren had touched.


    Her face was a sight to see as throughout the shower, that disgusting feeling was eminent within her. She kept thinking about the origin of that aura which belonged to none other than that person.


    She also had many questions in her mind. How could Eren have that aura? He was someone from the East, how? This aura was impossible to inherit as it was not a Bloodline Ability but something rted to spirituality.


    Eren was much younger and it was certain that he wasn''t alive in that aura to learn the Sword Emperor''s Aura that needed to be passed from one person to another.


    She wondered if he was a descendant of the Sword Emperor. That was why she had asked him if his ancestors had any link to the Western Continent.


    Eren simply denied it, saying that as far as he remembered, his ancestors were from the east. The Holy Priestess could not continue questioning him but she was sure that she was missing something.


    "Is his existence the reason that the sword has be so unstable recently?" She dried her hair with a towel as she stepped out of the shower, wearing nothing around her slender body.


    "The bad omen... Is it him?" She wondered.


    Everything seemed to be falling into ce, even though she didn''t understand how it was possible.


    There was also an indistinguishable feeling within her heart. It made him feel a sense of danger whenever she looked at Eren. The more she felt it, the more she realized that she couldn''t let this man exist.


    Unfortunately, she couldn''t kill him either. He was not a normal guest. He was a representative sent by Feng Yu. At least that''s what she thought.


    Even if she had to kill him, she had to do it in such a way that it couldn''t be traced back to her. Otherwise, all the chess pieces that she had carefully arranged were going to be destroyed when that crazy woman came to me her.


    ....


    "You want me to enter the Holy City as an envoy?"


    Back in the Great Demon Sect, Xiu Ying had returned from her trip to her ancestral ground.


    She first went to meet Eren, only to find out that he was not there. Then, she went to meet Feng Yu who told her that Eren had gone on a vacation to explore thends. He didn''t tell her where he was going or when he was going to be back.


    Xiu Ying also came to learn about all the conflict that ured with the Ancestral Elders in her absence. In the end, Feng Yu asked her to finish a task that could only be assigned to her.


    "That is right. Although I already have a guess what''s happening there, I want you to go and confirm it." Feng Yu nodded.

 Chapter 338: Chapter 338: Teasing Zia

    Eren returned to the Merchant''s Ship.


    Near the ship, he saw many people who had been traveling with them. They were tied up, as if waiting to be escorted back to prison.


    Unfortunately, the guards tasked with escorting them were lying nearby, passed out in pain. Some even had swollen faces as if they were beaten by someone.


    Despite the Holy Priestess already knowing about the incident, she had not sent anyone to retrieve the unconscious guards.


    Eren could understand her reasoning. Firstly, it was a punishment and a way to distance the Holy Church from their actions.


    Secondly, she did not want to im the guards, as they had been so badly beaten by an outsider. Even though the outsider was strong, it was disrespectful towards the Holy Church.


    Could they really ept their people being beaten without demanding justification?


    For the Holy Priestess, her own pride and self-respect took precedence over everything else. She was unwilling to apologize or take responsibility for her people''s mistakes.


    Eren entered the ship through the broken outer walls as this was a shortcut to the people who made that mess.


    He soon entered the ship, appearing at the entrance of the ship. As the door was already broken, there was no lock there. He simply pushed the door open and stepped inside.


    "Master!"


    Yu Lin was about to attack the person who had suddenly appeared in her room, only to be stunned as she found her master standing there.


    Eren ced his hand on her head. Although he already knew the answer, he still asked, "Are you alright?"


    "I am fine. But..." Yu Lin slightly lowered her head, looking at the destruction of the ship.


    She was different from Great Elder Zia who knew their positions weren''t low enough to warrant troubles in this ce. She was more worried that they might have created troubles for Eren who was traveling silently for some reason.


    As he wasn''t high profile, it was clear that he didn''t want others to know about them. But it was toote now.


    "Did we create problems for you?" she asked.


    "For the Priests toe barging here, did you think the problem wasn''t already created?" Zia stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her body.


    "You do realize that I am here, right?" Eren asked, looking at Zia''s slender figure.


    "What about it?" Zia asked ignorantly, using her Qi to fry her hair.


    Eren rubbed his forehead, being at a loss of words. He would have loved to make her understand the difference but Yu Lin was also here.


    "Yu Lin, can you go and free the people who are tied outside? Tell them that they are free now," he instructed Yu Lin.


    "Yes Master." Yu Lin nodded, albeit looking back and forth between Zia and her master suspiciously.


    With Yu Lin leaving, Eren had the door closed with his Dragon Tongue Magic.


    "And you also realize that I am a man?" he asked Zia, taken aback by Zia who waspletely clueless about his words.


    "Oh? I never could''ve guessed," Zia answered, her tone filled with slight sarcasm as she remained confused about Eren''s obvious questions.


    "Isn''t it a basicmon sense in this world? I am a man, and you are standing there in just a towel? What if I was a bad man?"


    "Aren''t you already a bad man?" Zia rolled her eyes, although for a moment, pride shed in her eyes as she heard Eren''s words.


    "Also, it''s not as if you are an outsider..." she continued, but her voice grew slightly lower, making it hard for anyone else to hear clearly.


    "Also, I am wearing this towel. It''s not as if I ampletely naked." She faced Eren, looking in his eyes, proudly unting her body that was tightly wrapped in the towel.


    "Fall," Eren whispered under his breath. Since this girl was trying to tease him, he decided to teach her a lesson.


    His words, apanied by the Dragon Tongue Magic affected the towel that was wrapped around the slender figure of Zia.


    While Zia was still looking at Eren, teasing him, she felt strange. Suddenly, the surroundings appeared to have grown colder.


    She was able to feel the winds brushing against her skin more clearly, as if she actually wasn''t wearing anything.


    Confused, she lowered her head and the towel lying near her feet. She could also see her breasts and everything elsepletely bare in front of Eren''s eyes.


    "Eeeek?" In the blink of an eye, her face turnedpletely red.


    She quickly bent forward to pick up the towel, only for Eren to step forward and grab her wrists.


    The towel that she had picked fell on the ground again as her grip weakened in shock. With both her wrists in Eren''s hand, he picked her back, pressing the back of her hand against the wall, raising them above her head.


    "What happened?" Eren asked, looking at Zia with a teasing gaze. "You seem a little flustered."


    "Y-you! Don''t look!" Zia asked, her face as red as a tomato. In this moment, her mind waspletely overwhelmed and stepped thinking straight. She had even forgotten that she was actually strong.


    It was as if her strength had left her body to the point that she didn''t even try to push him back.


    "Where should I not look?" Eren asked, his gaze intentionally observing Zia from her head to toe.


    "Anywhere! Don''t look anywhere! Just turn around!" Zia eximed, her face as red as a tomato.


    "Oh?" Eren nodded innocently. He moved back a little. However, just as Zia was about to sigh in relief, he moved forward, bringing her lips closer to her ears.


    "Didn''t I already say that I might be a bad man?" he whispered in her ears before moving his head down, lightly biting on her shoulder.


    Eren freed Zia''s right hand, his fingers touching her neck, slowly sliding down.


    "Mmm..." Zia made an unintentional noise, only to grow even more embarrassed at the kind of noise she was making.

 Chapter 339: Chapter 339: Arrangement

    "I-i am sorry!" Zia eximed, biting her lower lip, her voice barely above a whisper. She felt utterly defeated.


    She could not help but close her eyes as Eren''s fingers slid down her corbone. However, before his hands could touch something else, she felt the touch disappear.


    Her wrists were also released. Suspicious, she opened her eyes and watched Eren''s back facing her. He hadpletely released her.


    She didn''t know how to feel about this. On one side, she felt relieved that she was freed. On the other hand, she felt a sense of loss.


    Zia quickly retrieved her towel, wrapping it around herself with a mix of embarrassment and relief.


    She avoided calling out to Eren, her cheeks still flushed with a mix of emotions she couldn''t quite decipher.


    "You''re quite the troublemaker," Eren remarked, leaning against the wall with a casual air around him. "Next time, I might not be so kind."


    Zia looked at Eren''s back, for a moment there wasplete silence in the room.


    She took off the towel again and properly dressed herself. However, she still couldn''t get herself to call Eren even though she was ready.


    The silence was only broken when there was a knock on the door.


    "Master, I have freed them. However, they appear to be at a loss on what to do next."


    Even though the door''s lock was broken by the Priests, Yu Lin still didn''t barge inside disrespectfully.


    "Tell them to wait. The Merchants are going to be released soon. The ship should also be repaired and ready to leave," Eren answered while pushing the door open.


    Even though he didn''t look back at Zia, it didn''t mean that he didn''t see her get dressed. His seventh sense was quite helpful in that.


    Only after confirming that Zia was dressed, he opened the door and left the room with Zia apanying him.


    In the back of his head, Eren was still thinking if he had gone overboard. Did he upset Zia? He wasn''t sure. Still, he couldn''t show any weakness or embarrassment.


    He was supposed to be a demon. He could not afford to have a weakness like embarrassment or shame that ordinary people had.


    Hended out of the Ship and addressed the other Merchants who weren''t sure about his identity.


    For the guests on the ship, Eren wasn''t one of them. The one who was traveling in the ship with them was an entirely different person with a masked man apanying him.


    Eren, on the other hand, was apanied by two beauties. If it wasn''t for his robe, the people would have thought that they were also a part of the Holy Church.


    It was also because of their attire that they were even more scared than they would have been if they were caught by the Holy Empire.


    Amongst the people in front of them, two were the Great Elders of the Great Demon Sect.


    The Great Demon Sect and its members hated the ones from the Southern Continent. It was the same for the Southern Continent. For them, the people from the Great Demon Sect were absolute demons who had no humanity.


    Looking at Eren and Zia, many people were trembling. Even though they were freed by them, they were still cautious, unable to hide their fear.


    Eren didn''t bother exining himself. The more scared they were, the harder it was to make them understand. No matter what he said, they were not going to believe him.


    In the end, he simply told them what he had to say and left. He told them to stay near the ship unless they wanted to be his food.


    This threat, influenced by their fear, worked miracles. Even the ones who wanted to run away stayed behind, trembling in fear.


    If they were caught, maybe they were going to be used to negotiate with the Southern Continent. But if they offended the Great Elder of the Demon Sect, a quick death could only be called mercy.


    They stayed behind even as Eren left with the two girls. Some were so scared that they didn''t even enter the ship, not moving an inch from their original positions.


    It was only after they watched the Merchants and the others from the ship return that they felt a little hope.


    The Merchants were freed by the Holy Priestess who realized that it was pointless to keep them since they were here to bring the resources that the Holy Empire needed.


    The Merchants quickly returned to the ship and repaired the external walls that were broken by the priests'' bodies flying out.


    Quite a few merchants discussed what to do next. They suggested returning to the Southern Continent but arge majority of them suggested continuing on this trip to deliver their materials in the Holy City.


    Now that they were freed, it was clear that there had been a misunderstanding. If they ran away now, the misunderstanding was only going to grow bigger.


    In the end, the Merchants decided to make no changes to their own. The ships rose in the air and traveled towards the Holy City.


    ....


    Eren entered the Duke''s City with Yu Lin. Zia on the other hand had tied the Priests that she had beaten. She dragged them with a rope like they were sacks of rice.


    Since the Holy Priestess didn''te to bring them back, Eren made sure to bring them back.


    Zia left the unconscious Priests near the entrance where the other Priests could heal them and help them up.


    As the guests of the Holy Priestess, the three of them entered the Duke''s Pce without being restricted.


    They were even assigned three guest rooms in a secure area. However, it was evident that it was done to keep an eye on them throughout the night.


    The Holy Priestess could do the same as well but she didn''t even want to observe that disgusting aura if possible.


    Soon, the three guests had settled down in their own rooms with many eyes watching the corridor without being detected.


    For the most part, the ce was still. It was only in the middle of the night that the door to Eren''s room opened and someone stepped out.

 Chapter 340: Chapter 340: The walls are too thin

    Eren left his room under the watchful gaze of those observing him.


    As he left his roomte at night, several observers were suspicious of his intentions. Yet, he didn''t stray far. He simply walked over to the adjacent room, where Great Elder Zia was staying.


    The observers were curious about why the two Great Elders were meeting at such an hour. Their curiosity quickly turned to difort when the unmistakable sound of loud moans began emanating from the room, echoing through the hallway without restraint.


    "What a man," one of the watchers remarked, "Even in someone else''s home, he doesn''t hold back from satisfying his lust."


    The corridor was filled with the sounds, though fortunately, the moans did not enter the room where Yu Lin was staying, thanks to the soundproofing designed to ensure the guests'' undisturbed rest.


    Interestingly, the rooms were constructed to allow sounds from within to escape. It was said that it was done to ensure that the Guests were safe and could call for help if needed, but the real intentions were simply observations.


    ....


    While the moans kepting from Zia''s room, a portal opened in the depths of the Pce.


    From the portal, a young man stepped out, donning a dark robe that was worn by Devourer when he left the Mythical Hero Academy. The man also had the same facial features as Devourer.


    His face appeared a little pale as he stepped out of the portal. He stood with the help of the wall, taking deep breaths to calm his messed up heartbeat.


    "Who are you? What are you doing he-"


    While Eren was catching a breath, he heard a man''s voice. Without a second of dy, his figure disappeared as he used eleration, appearing behind the Guard.


    A sword appeared in his hand that he thrust in the man''s back while closing his mouth with his other hand.


    With the man''s death, his resistance stopped. Eren sent his corpse in his inventory, not making much notice.


    Even when killing the man, Eren only used the abilities that he had stolen from other Heroes as he was not supposed to be a Great Elder of the Demon Sect at this moment.


    Great Elder Ren Necroline was supposed to be in Zia''s room, messing around. How could he be linked to that person?


    The only problem with being Devourer in the Pce was that his abilities were suppressed under the Holy Domain.


    With his presence suppressed, he did not have to worry about being detected by her unless she was specially observing the entire pce to notice even the slightest disturbance.


    As he killed the Guard, he did not forget to use Liyone''s abilities and use the memories of the Guard. With the weak guard, his resistance was insignificant, especially when he was on the verge of death.


    With his help, Eren understood the structure of the depths of the Pce and how the Guards were assigned. It was truly a fortress but ifpared to the protection in the Holy City, he knew that things were much easier here.


    Eren did not even bother to disguise himself as the Guards. With Devourer, he could at least take all the Guards down without being detected, especially with the help of eleration.


    The only problem was the Archbishop and the Priestess. With the Holy Priestess'' arrival, only a fool would dare to attack them. With that kind of confidence, Eren was sure that this was the perfect opportunity.


    He walked towards the Prison Cell as his long robe fluttered in the wind.


    The dimly lit corridor was silent, except for the asional sound of footsteps from the Guards patrolling.


    The sound of footsteps that Eren came across, quickly ceased as he killed them to avoid any unnecessary problems.


    ....


    While Eren was approaching the prison, Zia wasying on her bed, her face read as she was making unnecessarily lewd voices.


    She asionally facepalmed herself as she thought about people hearing her voice. However, she could do nothing about it.


    This was what Eren requested before he disappeared after entering the bathroom in her room. From that moment, he didn''te back. She was sure that he had already left the room.


    She didn''t know why Eren wanted her to do this. Just what was he nning? Even with so many questions, she kept moaning.


    To make it more realistic, she even started touching herself while imagining Eren doing it.


    ....


    "Your Holiness, the preparation will bepleted by early morning."


    The Archbishop that Eren was worried about, had entered the room of the Holy Priestess. However, he remainedpletely ignorant that he was being fooled.


    "How are our guests doing? Anything suspicious?" The Holy Priestess asked while standing in front of the window, looking at the distant moon.


    "The disciple seems to be sleeping. She hasn''t left her room. As for Great Elder Ren and Zia..." The Archbishop was a little hesitant, not knowing how to start this topic with the Holy Priestess who was supposed to be the holiest person.


    "What about them? What did they do?" The Holy Priestess asked while taking a sip from a ss of wine.


    "Great Elder Ren appears to have entered the room of Great Elder Zia. Inside the room, he seems to be doing..." The Archbishop again paused, unable to continue.


    "Doing what? Do I need to see myself?" The Holy Priestess asked, raising her eyebrows.


    "Ah, he seems to be doing... Great Elder Zia!" The Archbishop eximed. "It seems he doesn''t know that the sounds from the room can be heard outside.


    The Holy Priestess was about to use her observation skill to look into Zia''s room when she heard the words of the Archbishop. She quickly stopped, being at aplete loss.


    "Those vulgar people!" She rolled her eyes, not wanting to see such a thing. She didn''t use her observation skills anymore.


    "Should I stop them?" The Archbishop asked, realizing that the Holy Priestess was disgusted. It was well known throughout the empire that the Holy Priestess hated such things.

 Chapter 341: Chapter 341: The Heir of Celestial Dragon

    Even mentioning something like this was forbidden as it could only attract her wrath. That was why the Archbishop was so hesitant when mentioning it, worried about getting punished.


    If it wasn''t because the Priestess asked him to report everything of significance rted to the Guests, he would never have mentioned it.


    "There''s no need for that. Let those beasts do what they please. It''s none of my concern. Just finish the preparation for departure." The Holy Priestess didn''t turn back towards the Archbishop, her gaze remaining on the moon outside.


    She simply waved her hand, sending the Archbishop flying out of her room.


    The Archbishop mmed against the wall in the corridor. Even though he only answered her because she asked, it didn''t mean that he wasn''t going to get punished for mentioning such vile things.


    cing his hand on his aching back, the Archbishop stood up while the door to the room of the Priestess closed.


    The Archbishop respectfully bowed in the direction of the room before leaving to check up on the progress on the connection formation.


    ....


    The Holy Priestess, aftering across Eren''s disgusting aura and now hearing about his questionable actions, found herself at a crossroads with him.


    Her opinion of him had already soured, leaving her disinterested in observing him any longer. She had no interest in watching a man y around in bed.


    Meanwhile, the Archbishop was engrossed inpleting the formation with the artificers. Both he and the Priestess were so distracted that they failed to notice the rming disappearance of several guards.


    These guards were unable to alert others before meeting their deaths.


    Their deaths went undetected by the Holy Priestess, as the guards possessed only a faint trace of the holy blessing, far below Archbishop Nathaniel''s level of awareness.


    It was like expecting an aircraft detector to pick up the presence of a mere fly.


    It was also because Eren had been extremely cautious while approaching the prison. He was already very experienced when it came to using the abilities that he had stolen.


    Moreover, his level was also increasing, albeit very slowly with the more people he killed. On top, his Dragon Tongue Magic also came to use.


    Before long, there were no guards left outside the prison, all of them disappearing into the unknown. Not even a single drop of blood could even be detected along the corridor where the Guards were supposed to be assigned.


    After taking out the Guards, Eren came across the entrance whose key was only with the Archbishop. However, the key was thest thing that he could need with all the abilities he had collected.


    With a light touch, he opened the locked door and went past it. There were a few more guards present here, some being much farther than him. Fortunately, Yelen was just as useful as ever.


    While Yelen took out the Priests who were far from Eren, he took out the close ones.


    "What is that noise outside?"


    "Is someone here?"


    "Why are the Guards lying on the ground?"


    The noises starteding out from the prison cells as the prisoners woke up. However, Eren didn''t feel the need to kill them. At the end of the day, they were just prisoners who also hated the Holy Priestess.


    He walked past various cells, looking inside through the gaps between the metal rods. It was only when he reached thest cell that he stepped as he found a familiar figure inside the cell.


    Inside the cell, the Sea Dragon Empress was standing with her hands tied and raised above her head. She was just like a helpless doll that was left hanging there, unable to free herself.


    "Are you the Sea Dragon Empress?" Eren stopped in front of the cell.


    The Sea Dragon Empress opened her eyes narrowly, taking a nce at Eren who was apletely different person now.


    Not just this aura but his entire presence was different. Even as the Sea Dragon Empress, she could not form any link between the two.


    That''s why there was no hatred in her eyes that was present for Ren Necroline when she saw him.


    Looking at the reaction of the Sea Dragon Empress, Eren also sighed in relief inwardly. It appeared as if his disguise had worked. He was able to fool her.


    The Sea Dragon Empress had a lot of questions in her eyes but she could not ask them as her mouth was closed to prevent her from using the Dragon Tongue.


    "I understand that you don''t know me. However, I am here to save you. I have already taken out the Guards here, but I''m not sure how long we have until we are discovered," Eren told the Sea Dragon Empress while looking at the lock of the cell.


    Although the Sea Dragon Empress couldn''t speak, her gaze made her thoughts clear. She was curious as to why someone would help her to the point that he would go against the Holy Priestess?


    In the back of her kind, she even wondered if it was a trap set by the Holy Priestess. How else could someone get here with such ease, especially since the area was under the observation of the Sea Dragon Empress?


    Eren already expected this question. That''s why he already had an answer prepared. However, he didn''t have to utter his answer. He simply showed that answer with her actions.


    He whispered a few words while touching the bar.


    Instantly, the lock was open. At the same time, the eyes of the Holy Priestess widened in disbelief. That was definitely Dragon Tongue!


    She was even more shocked as the Dragon Tongue that Eren used was elementary yet more powerful and pure. Normally, a Sea Dragon more experienced than Eren couldn''t open that door with just Dragon Tongue.


    It was also when Eren used the Dragon Tongue that she was able to feel his Dragon Bloodline. With such close proximity, she was even more clear about it than anything else.


    It was the purest Bloodline that she had ever seen, even more pure than the Royal Bloodline! This Bloodline was closer to the Celestial Dragon Bloodline than the branched Royal Sea Dragon Bloodline!

 Chapter 342: Chapter 342: Forgotten Dagger

    Eren stepped into the dimly lit cell of the Sea Dragon Empress, his appearance drawing a stunned gaze from the Sea Dragon Empress.


    "As you can see, we are on the same side," Eren stated calmly, reaching for the shackles crafted by the Holy Priestess. "I have no intention of harming you."


    He refrained from breaking the magical shackles themselves, aware that doing so would alert the Holy Priestess.


    Instead, he focused on the chains attached to the old walls. With a strong force, he pulled out the shackles from the wall. He freed the Sea Dragon Empress, granting her partial freedom.


    Exhausted, the Sea Dragon Empress lost her bnce as soon as her hands were freed. She was almost about to fall to her knees when Eren grabbed her by the shoulder, supporting her.


    "Are you alright?" he asked, guiding her gently to the ground to rest. Her body still carried the weight of the Holy Priestess''s shackles around her ankles, wrists, and neck, putting a heavy strain.


    "Mmm!" The Sea Dragon Empress tried to speak, but the gag prevented her from uttering a word.


    "Oh, right," Eren responded, "I need to remove your shackles, but doing so will alert the Holy Priestess. Once they''re off, you must escape immediately. Do you understand?"


    The Sea Dragon Emperor was confused about Eren''s identity but she still nodded her head.


    She sensed the purity of his dragon bloodline, even purer than her own. The essence of the Celestial Dragon could be felt in his use of Dragon Tongue, hinting at his purer lineage.


    To her, he seemed like the true heir of the Celestial Dragon that the sea dragons worshiped. His aura emitted a familial warmth,pletely unaware that this very man had yed a role in her capture.


    Even though the Sea Dragon Empress wanted freedom, she also didn''t want to put the person in front of him at risk. If he was the real descendant of the Celestial Dragon then she had to protect him.


    She nodded, agreeing to follow his instructions for now.


    "On the count of three..." Eren said as he started using the Dragon Tongue again.


    He made sure that the Sea Dragon Empress could see him use the Dragon Tongue but not hear what he was actually saying.


    If she could hear him, she would have realized that he wasn''t using the magic for what he imed he was.


    Instead, he only used the Dragon Tongue to bury the Sea Dragon Empress'' aura with his purer aura, making her unable to sense Yelen creating connection portals.


    It was akin to spraying a stronger scent to hide the weaker scent, simr to what he had done when he killed Archbishop Nathaniel.


    Just as he expected, the Sea Dragon Empress couldn''t feel anything strange. Eren was further helped by the fact that she was already restricted by the Holy Priestess'' aura.


    Yelen created portals connecting to the Spirit Realm, further connecting that portal to the final destination which was near the Holy City of the Empire.


    With the connection portals and the spatial turbulence, the Sea Dragon Empress could not detect a connecting point that they traveled through. And even if she did, it had nothing to do with spirits as was the work of Dragon Tongue in her eyes.


    The moment Eren looked at the connecting portals, his blood almost grew cold. Small portals were harmful for him, but he had to travel through connecting portals to keep the act.


    He was already conflicted if he should actually do it or not. Unfortunately, he had no other choice but to do it as the Holy Priestess was going to arrive here, not giving him another chance.


    He had to leave this ce first, and he had to do that in front of the Holy Priestess.


    After the portals were connected, Eren stopped looking at it. His back was still drenched in the cold, thinking about the future.


    "Now I will break these shackles. So don''t resist," he told the Sea Dragon Empress while drawing out a treasure dagger that he took in the Southern Empire.


    With just the Dragon Tongue, he could not break these shackles. He could use his pendant of poison but it was apanied by the Sword Emperor''s Aura which could expose his identity.


    He also could not leave the shackles behind. Although they were useful in keeping Sea Dragon Empress under his control, they could also help the Holy Priestess detect herter on.


    He had to break them and leave them right here, unless he wanted to be in an even bigger messter on. He could only use treasures, apanied by his raw strength.


    Putting his strength behind the dagger, he struck the shackles to shatter them and free the Sea Dragon Empress.


    nk~


    His treasured dagger hit the shackle.


    "Huh?" Eren''s eyes narrowed as he watched the treasured dagger shatter into small pieces, flying everywhere. Meanwhile, the shackles had not even a single scratch behind them.


    ''Not even a scratch?'' Eren was taken aback by the strength of these shackles. The problem wasn''t in his strength but the durability of the treasured dagger.


    Even the high grade dagger could not break these shackles? He wondered if he had no other choice but to use his abilities that might risk exposing his real identity.


    He quickly shook his head, rejecting these thoughts. If he exposed his identity, then more than the Holy Priestess, he had to worry about the Sea Dragon Empress stabbing him.


    As much as he preferred him because of his pure aura, she hated Great Elder Ren with even more passion.


    Eren opened his inventory, looking through his items to see if there was anything else he could use.


    ''This iplete dagger...''


    His gaze soon fell on a dagger that he had taken in the Coastal City. It was also because of this dagger that he had to face Aster, which brought a disaster upon the Celestial City.


    This was the Overlord Killing Dagger which was still iplete. However, even in this iplete form, it was a legendary rank dagger.

 Chapter 343: Chapter 343: Return Gift

    If the problem was the durability of the weapon, then Eren believed that this problem could easily be solved by using something that had extremely high durability.


    Even if the Overlord Killing Dagger was iplete, it was still a legendary tier weapon. Even more important was the fact that it could not be linked to his other identity.


    The only people who knew that this dagger was in the hands of Ren Necroline were dead or ving under him.


    Even if it was iplete, Eren could still feel how extraordinary this dagger was the moment he held it.


    It truly made him wonder just what kind of weapon it could be if it was everpleted. Unfortunately, only the Holy Priestess knew the process toplete this dagger and she was not kind enough to tell this to outsiders.


    Eren firmly held the Overlord Killing Dagger firmly and thrust it down, striking first at the shackles that were keeping the Sea Dragon Empress'' mouth sealed.


    As the dagger came in contact with the shackles, there was no sound. It was as if something had struck a void where all noise was devoured. Eren didn''t even feel any resistance as he struck, unlike what he felt when he used the previous dagger.


    Despite no resistance, the shackles did take a massive impact. Cracks started spreading throughout the shackles before the shackles keeping her mouth restrained shattered into thousands of pieces.


    With the shackles gone, the Sea Dragon Empress spat out the gag that was put in her mouth. Meanwhile, Eren continued striking the shackles around her hands, feet and legs.


    He was extremely careful when striking as a little mistake and he might actually slice her limbs off.


    Fortunately, in his caution, he did not miss even once. One after another, the shackles kept breaking their pieces disappearing into nothingness as they returned to their original  form of holy essence.


    ....


    As the shackles broke, the Holy Priestess felt slight pain in her head. The ss of wine in her hand fell to the ground as she looked back, her expressions darkening.


    She quickly rushed to the cell where she had kept the Holy Priestess, not even sparing a single second to observe what was happening. The more she dyed, the worse it could be.


    In the cell, she stepped out of a portal, only to catch the sight of the guards lying on the ground, passed out. Meanwhile, the Sea Dragons Empress was standingpletely free of her restrictions with a man standing next to her.


    "You... How can it be...?" As much as she was stunned to see the Sea Dragon Empress freed, she was even more shocked when she saw the person next to her.


    Not just her but the other Overlords could never forget that face either, as all of them had hunted that person together.


    Although they hadn''t actually killed him right then, his face was worse than death. So how could he be standing in front of her?


    While she was stunned, Eren, who was still in disguise as Devourer , winked at the Holy Priestess. He swiftly grabbed the Sea Dragons Empress'' hand while the Holy Priestess was distracted.


    Holding her hand, he rushed inside the portal which closed right away. The Sea Dragon Empress didn''t forget to leave a gift for the Holy Priestess either.


    Using Dragon Tongue, she opened the locks of the other cells which kept the remaining prisoners.


    Their locks were not as strong as her as they weren''t as threatening as her. Still, they could at least create some troubles for the Holy Priestess, enough to keep her distracted.


    "Freedom after so long!" As the cells opened, men starteding out one after another. Quite a few of them looked at the Holy Priestess, licking their lips.


    They were not strong enough toe in contact with the Holy Priestess before. Most of them did not even recognise her as she was not in her original attire.


    "What a beauty... Shall we celebrate our freedom with beauty in our arms?" One of the men asked while approaching the Holy Priestess.


    "We should run fast. The Archbishop might be here anytime. If you want to waste your time, then that''s your problem."


    While a group of criminals were distracted by the beauty of the Holy Priestess, there were also others who were more interested in running away. They did not want to put their freedom on the line for a mere woman, no matter how beautiful she was.


    "Tsk, what cowards. With so many of us here, do you still worry about a mere Archbishop? It''s not as if he is the Holy Pri-" the man spoke arrogantly, but before he could finish his sentence, he felt a pain around his neck.


    His head slid to the side as his head was sliced with the holy essence. He wasn''t the only one. Even the ones who were running away faced the same as their bodies froze while their heads rolled on the ground.


    This level of strength, there was no doubt in their mind about the woman''s identity anymore.


    "Priestess...?" The man who talked about tasting the Holy Priestess could not believe his bad luck even as his head fell on the ground with life sucked out of his eyes.


    The Holy Priestess did not move but her emotional turbulence was evident. She had received one shock after another today, the freedom of the Sea Dragon Empress was the least of which.


    More concerning was the fact that she had seen Devourer! She had only heard rumors about his appearance in the Southern Continent but he had thought that it was only an exaggerated rumor.


    Now that she saw with her own eyes, there were no doubts about it. It was Devourer.


    The most shocking was still the fact that he was holding the Overlord Killing Weapon that she has created to kill the other Overlords in the future.


    When it disappeared, she was certain that it was the work of other Overlords. Without her, they couldn''tplete it. Hence she didn''t lose her sleep over it. But it was Devourer, then he actually didn''t need her help toplete it if he knew the right way.


    For the first time in a long while, she felt a throbbing headache.


    "How could he enter the Holy Domain without me noticing? Until he was already inside?"


    That was also a thought that appeared in her mind, her gaze turning towards Eren''s room. They were the only outsiders that she had brought inside her Domain.

 Chapter 344: Chapter 344: Conflicting

    Far away from the Duke''s City, there existed the Holy City that was at the heart of the Western Continent.


    The city was not only the residence of the Holy Emperor but also the spiritual center of the Religion of Freya.


    It housed the main church of Freya, a sacred ce that received unwavering devotion from everyone within the continent. Even the Holy Emperor was said to be a devout believer.


    Being such an important city, the Holy City was also the most protected ce in the entire Western Continent. That''s why it had stood for so long, despite being targeted by the Necromancer Tower.


    Everyone knew that if the Holy City fell, so would the unwavering faith of the citizens. Those who were at the absolute peak of the world knew how the Holy Priestess was so strong in the Western Continent.


    They understood that as long as she lost the faith of people, her strength was going to waver quite a lot. That''s why, many had been trying to bring down the Holy City.


    Still, the Holy City had managed tost for such a long time with absolute dominance.


    The entire Holy City was covered in a Holy Domain that didn''t rely on the Holy Priestess.


    It was a domain which was directly connected to the Church that kept it running, using the power of faith. Thanks to that, the Holy Priestess didn''t have to carry the burden of keeping the barrier working.


    With the barrier covering the entire city, a lot of restrictions were ced on the city but the citizens didn''t care about minor inconveniences.


    The first restriction inside the Holy City was that the space was absolutely restricted. Even if another Overlord entered the city, they could not open a spatial passage unless they destroyed the Holy Barrier first.


    For the Overlords, it was easy to destroy the barrier and leave. That''s why the barrier wasn''t intended for them. Instead, it was intended for everyone else.


    The only one who could open a spatial passage on her own inside the Holy City was the Holy Priestess herself.


    Using external help, the Cardinals were also able to open the spatial passage, but that was only as long as the Holy Priestess didn''t restrict them.


    It was also because of this restriction that the Holy Priestess used external means to connect a passage to the Holy City to carry the prisoner and the guest back to the Holy City.


    It was also because of this barrier that Yelen couldn''t open the passage inside the Holy City. Instead, she opened the exit passage around hundred kilometers away from the Holy City, keeping enough distance to be discovered.


    With the passage opening away from the Holy City, Eren rushed out, still holding the hand of the Sea Dragon Empress.


    This was also the first time that Eren wasn''t personally guided by Yelen, not wanting to be discovered. Instead, he carried the entire pressure on his own physique which was almost on the same level as the Sea Dragon Empress.


    The Sea Dragon Empress stepped out of the portal, surprised to find herself near the Holy City. She was slightly curious why it took so long to leave the spatial tunnel if they were only going to travel this small distance.


    She wanted to ask Eren, only to stop as she looked at his pale face. She was still holding onto his hands, being able to feel that his blood flow was also in a mess.


    Blood trickled down Eren''s nose, staining his lips red.


    "Are you alright?" she asked Eren. She was supposed to be hurt, so why was Eren bleeding? Did the Holy Priestess hurt him while they were leaving? That''s the only possibility she could think about.


    "I am fine." Eren freed his hand before pushing the Sea Dragon Empress away. "I have something else to finish, so wait for me here. I will tell you everything then."


    He tossed a smallmunication crystal to the Sea Dragon Empress. With the Crystal, not only could he talk to her but also locate her. On the other hand, she could not locate him.


    As his vision was blurry, he didn''t even toss the stone right. Still, the Sea Dragon Empress caught him, looking at Eren with concern.


    As much as she hated outsiders, she did care about her own people. In her eyes, Eren was even above the Dragons in her empire as he was the Celestial Dragon''s Heir.


    Even though he hadn''t confirmed it, she had already believed it. She even wanted to ask him about that but he didn''t appear to be in the right state of mind to answer.


    "You should wai-" she tried saying something, only for Eren to use Dragon Tongue even when he was in such a bad condition.


    Another portal opened, with the destination being unknown to the Sea Dragon Empress.


    Eren entered the portal, leaving the Sea Dragon Empress behind. The portal closed behind him while the Empress could only reach out her hand, only to retract itter.


    She was near the Holy City, which was not far from the destination where the Celestial Dragon''s Heart was supposed to be.


    Eren had brought her so close to her destination, yet he told her to stay here. As she didn''t want to lose the heir of the Celestial Dragon, she hesitated about the thought of entering the ruins alone.


    Her mind was conflicted as she looked in the direction of the ruins of the Celestial Dragon.


    While the Sea Dragon Empress was hundred kilometers to the north of the Holy Empire, there was another group which was just as far from the Holy Empire but on the south.


    It was also a group which was just as much wanted by the Holy Empire as the Sea Dragon Empress if not more. It was the group of Aster and the false Priestess.


    Meanwhile, back in the Duke''s Pce, the Holy Priestess appeared in front of Eren''s room, apanied by the Archbishop.

 Chapter 345: Chapter 345: The Same Person

    The sound of moaning was stilling from inside the room, without any rest for even a minute. Even the ones who had to listen to these voices were wondering if the man was going to take a break or not.


    Their attention was only shifted when they watched the Holy Priestess appear in front of Eren''s room, apanied by the Archbishop.


    The Guards made their presence known, not wanting to be disrespected, especially since there was no way they could actually hide from the Holy Priestess.


    "Shadow Guard number three present."


    "Shadow Guard number four present."


    The two guards identified themselves while greeting the Archbishop and the Holy Priestess, whopletely ignored them.


    "Did anyone leave the room?" The Archbishop asked the Guards.


    The guards shook their heads. "Let alone leaving the room, that man didn''t even leave the bed for a single moment. He is truly a beast in bed."


    The guardplimented Eren without even realizing, only to have his face grow pale as he watched the Archbishop''s eyes narrow. He realized that he had spoken a little too much and apologized while lowering his head.


    "Your Holiness, I don''t think it is their work. As per my men, he had been in his room all this time. Moreover, isn''t he the one who helped you catch that woman? She hates him the most. Why will he help her?"


    The Archbishop was still finding it hard to believe that this was the work of the guests from the east. Still, he had to follow the Holy Priestess.


    "I hope that is the case. Because if it isn''t, then I might have to kill the envoys right here," the Holy Priestess said, her eyes narrowing as she knocked on the door.


    Even though she hated the disgusting aura of Eren, she was still willing to let him live for now. It was because she still had use for him. The envoys from the Demon Sect were her key to getting the Eastern Continent involved in her battle against the North.


    Still, if Eren was the person who helped the Sea Dragon Empress, she could not let him live for a moment longer. It would mean that he was Devourer in disguise. Even more dangerous was the fact that he had the Overlord Killing Dagger.


    If it wasn''t for the dagger, she wouldn''t have been so restless. While the dagger was still iplete, she had to kill Devourer before he found a way toplete it.


    Although she didn''t have any evidence that it was the work of Eren, there was a strong feeling in her heart that it had something to do with him.


    The day he appeared in the city, Aster appeared and took away the false Priestess. He also found the Sea Dragon Empress and helped catch her. Devourer also appeared on the same day.


    Three people from apletely different spectrum of life, appearing in the same ce at the same time, was too much for it to be a mere coincidence.


    She had also heard that Aster had died. If the person that people assumed to be Aster was also Devourer in disguise, then it would have made even more sense.


    He could also use the abilities of those that he killed. If Aster was actually dead, it meant Devourer killed him and stole his abilities. The person who took the false Priestess was also Devourer.


    She had been curious as to why Aster would take a step that could affect the rtionship of two continents, but if it was Devourer, then it made sense as he couldn''t care any less about the rtionship of the Overlords.


    If anything, he would have been more pleased to have the four kill each other.


    Half a minute passed since the Holy Priestess knocked on the door. The sound had also stopped but the door was not opened, which made the Holy Priestess even more suspicious.


    Inside the room, Great Elder Zia was at a loss as well. Eren had left the room secretly. It was clear that he didn''t want anyone to know about his disappearance.


    If she opened the door, then it was going to be exposed that Eren was not in the room.


    "We are busy,eter!" Zia called out from the other side of the door, not opening the door.


    "I''m afraid I would have to deny your kind offer. I hope you won''t mind my transgression as I have no other choice."


    The Holy Priestess gave them the opportunity to open the door. The moment they refused to open the door, her suspicions were turned into partial confirmation.


    The Holy Priestess didn''t hesitate anymore. Using her divine essence, she unlocked the door and pushed the door open.


    "What are you doing?" Flustered at the fact that she was stillpletely dressed while pretending to be done, Great Elder Zia pulled the bedsheet up, covering her body.


    She made sure that no one could see that she was wearing her clothes.


    "I apologize for intruding while you were resting, but an intruder has entered the pce. I''m afraid he might be trying to harm you. Hence, I had no choice but to check on you myself," the Holy Priestess gave an innocent excuse while her gaze roamed over the surroundings, clearly looking for someone.


    In the room, there were supposed to be two people but she could only see one person. Unless Eren was hiding under the bed, it was clear that he was not here.


    "Now that you have confirmed that I am fine, you can leave," Zia sharply responded.


    "Wasn''t Elder Ren in the room with you?" The Holy Priestess ignored Zia''s words, instead asking a question of her own.


    ''As if I know where he ran off to!'' Zia cursed in her mind.


    She was also just as curious about Eren''s whereabouts. Since the Holy Priestess hade here personally, she could only wonder what kind of mess he had created?


    They were not in the Great Demon Sect. Even though they were strong, they weren''t strong enough to beparable to the Holy Priestess. If they took a single wrong step, they could be in huge trouble.

 Chapter 346: Chapter 346: Join us in bed?

    "Why are you silent?" The Holy Priestess pressed on, her voice echoing in the silent room. "I asked where he was."


    In response, there was only silence. Zia couldn''t fool her anymore. Eren wasn''t in the room after all.


    The Holy Priestess sighed, her gaze settling on Zia with a mix of disappointment. She had weed them as the representatives of the Eastern Continent, only for them to scheme against her?


    "In that case, there''s no need for further discussion." With a decisive gesture, she signaled the Archbishop to capture Zia while strengthening her Holy Domain.


    The Archbishop, catching her intent, stepped forward.


    "Was the Holy Priestess missing me?" Abruptly, a voice sliced through the silence, freezing the Archbishop mid-step.


    Both the Archbishop and the Priestess turned sharply to the left, their eyesnding on a young man. He stood casually, his back against the wall near the open bathroom door.


    A towel was loosely wrapped around his bare body that was covered in sweat appearingpletely pale.


    Despite his nonchnt pose that made him look like he was ying it cool, only he knew that he was leaning on the wall for support, struggling to maintain his bnce.


    "Did the Priestess want to join us as well?" Eren asked with a yful tilt of his head. His vision was blurry, making the Holy Priestess appear like a blurry shadow that he could barely see.


    Though he appeared stylish andposed, only he knew that the wall was his anchor, preventing him from copsing on the floor.


    The Holy Priestess observed Eren, her eyes were still filled with suspicions even though he was standing right before her.


    Was it really her misunderstanding? She was not sure. Deep down, she was still convinced that Eren was suspicious.


    "You appear to be quite pale and weak. Your heartbeat is also irregr. May I ask why that is?" she asked, gaining obvious clues from him despite him maintaining hisposure.


    Fortunately, she couldn''t observe his body more closely because he was protecting it with the Sword Emperor''s Aura.


    "What can I say?" Eren scratched the back of his head, looking at Zia. "Although she doesn''t look like it, she is quite a freak in bed. I can''t even tell you how many times she sucked me dry."


    Eren had already prepared an excuse in advance, but his words left Zia stunned. He was calling her a freak in bed? Her face was a sight to see.


    "Although I am exhausted, I''m sure I can go a few more rounds. How about you join us as well?" Eren swiftly changed the topic, turning the question back to the Holy Priestess.


    The Holy Priestess had her gaze darkened. This man was inviting her for something like this? She wanted to p him right away but she controlled herself.


    "Darling, am I not enough for you? Why are you inviting other women?" Zia controlled her embarrassment and yed along with Eren.


    "I am sure she has better things to do." She didn''t forget to give Eren an exnation and an opportunity to send the Holy Priestess back. "Apparently there has been an intruder in the pce. She just came here to confirm if we were fine or not."


    "Oh, an intruder?" Eren pretended to be surprised. "Are there still fools who think that they can survive while going against an Overlord?"


    "Wait, since you are here, it seems that you haven''t caught that intruder? Don''t tell me the intruder managed to escape? Do you need my help again?"


    The more he thought, the more shocked he appeared.


    "If it was the Great Demon Sect, our Sect Master would have destroyed the intruder the moment they stepped inside the Demon Sect. However, I can understand if you''re not that capable," he added.


    His tone was brimming with innocence but carrying daggers hidden within which didn''t miss their mark. "I won''t mind helping you again. You just have to ask me."


    The Holy Priestess'' lips twitched as she heard Eren''s condescending tone. She needed to ask him for help? He was already flexing the fact that he helped her catch the Sea Dragon Empress?


    "There is no need for your help. I will find that person myself." She didn''t take his condescending look anymore. "You two can continue ying around."


    Turning around, she left the room, realizing that she might actually kill him if she stayed behind longer.


    Although she was suspicious about Eren, everything pointed in a different direction. It was clear that he had been in the room with Zia.


    His exhaustion also confirmed what kind of activities he was performing. Meanwhile, Devoured was perfectly fine when he escaped from her. The weakness of Eren created a stark contrast, especially since it didn''t look like he was faking it.


    At this point, she started doubting her own conclusion. Was she wrong? Did Eren and Zia really have nothing to do with Devourer? She wasn''t sure.


    Although she still wanted to kill Eren, she wasn''t in a hurry anymore. If he wasn''t Devourer then she could afford to take her time while killing him. Her first priority for now was to find Devourer.


    The Archbishop and the others also left the room, closing the door behind.


    ....


    As the door clicked shut, Eren could finally let go of the facade.


    Only he understood the sheer willpower it had taken to endure those few minutes. His body was in a turbulent storm and so was his blood.


    His heart was beating so fast that he was sure he would have long been dead if his body was weaker.


    A single connection portal was hellish enough, yet he had taken two in quick session to make it back on time.


    Though he seeded, the toll it took on his body was far from trivial.


    "She''s finally gone," he mumbled, sitting weakly to the floor, blood trickling from his nose and the corner of his lips.


    With a weary sigh, he closed his eyes while eating a healing pill, even though he knew that it wasn''t very useful.


    More than healing him, it worked to put him to sleep as he didn''t want to pass out from the pain itself.

 Chapter 347: Chapter 347: Rumours to reality

    ....


    An unknown amount of time had passed before Eren appeared to regain his senses, feeling as if his body was lying on something soft.


    Despite that, his body ached terribly, as if he had been in a brutal battle where he had taken severe beatings.


    Even the slightest movement was painful, with the difort stemming more from his nerves than his physical body.


    "This is really going to be the death of me one day," he softly mumbled as his eyes fluttered open, greeted by a familiar, dimly lit ceiling.


    He blinked several times, trying to clear the haze that clung to his vision. Eren tried to raise his hand to rub his eyes, immediately regretting it as a sharp pain shot through his ribs.


    He tried to move his arms, finding them heavy and unresponsive at first. With quite some effort, he managed to bring one hand to his face. His fingers trembled slightly, and he wondered just how long he had been out.


    He groaned softly, attempting to shift his position on what felt like a soft andfortable bed. Every muscle in his body protested, aching with a dull throb that seemed to prate through his bones.


    "Should I ask who beat you up so badly?"


    Eren was still groaning in pain when he heard Zia''s voice. His face turned red in embarrassment. He had momentarily forgotten that he was in Zia''s room.


    Without realizing her presence, he had been crying in pain like a child. This was just embarrassing for someone who had maintained a strong persona.


    He was someone who hadn''t made the slightest noise in front of the Holy Priestess even when his body was in a much worse condition before. However, now that he became morefortable with his surroundings, he had forgotten that act.


    "Nonsense. I was not beaten by anyone," Eren eximed, forcing his body up, even though it felt like every bone in his body was hurting.


    "Definitely. I was the one beaten to the point that I passed out while bleeding. It definitely has nothing to do with you," Zia sarcastically answered.


    Although she was being sarcastic and slightly ignorant to Eren''s pain, she was also the one who had been concerned about Eren throughout the night.


    As an Alchemist, she knew all too well about the condition Eren''s body was in. Even the healing pill didn''t work on him, only relieving some of the pain temporarily.


    She was truly happy when Eren woke up but she didn''t reveal her real thoughts.


    Instead, she used her sarcasm, appearing like she was mocking him. It was also a way for her to get back at him for the things he made her dost night.


    She didn''t leave her room throughout the night but she was sure that every person working in this Pce already knew what she did with Eren throughout the night. At least that''s what they believed.


    Only she knew how she was going to show her face outside while knowing what all of them must be thinking about.


    The only good thing was that it happened far away from the Great Demon Sect. The chances of this rumor spreading to the Eastern Continent were close to none, until someone went out of this way to have this insignificant rumor spread.


    For now, the rumor was restricted to this city. With that, the chances of Xiu Ying or others hearing about this were close to none.


    Hearing Zia''s sarcasticments, Eren flicked her forehead with his finger. "That''s enough. Did anything else happen after I passed out?"


    Zia rubbed her forehead, ring at Eren as if she had been wronged.


    "You mean other than everyone believing us to be a bunch of perverts? Nothing significant happened. No one showed up in the room throughout the night, fortunately."


    "Cough." Eren coughed abruptly. "I only told you to moan. I didn''t tell you to moan to the point that the entire pce could hear. It''s not my fault that you took your role so seriously."


    "You!" Zia red at Eren, pushing him down on the bed while sitting on top of him. "You dare mock me?"


    Even when he was hurt, Eren didn''t show any pain. That disy of crying like a child was enough embarrassment for one day which he didn''t want any more of.


    Instead, he still teased Zia which was the best way to get back at her. "Little girl, I think you should get off me. Or I might make the rumors into reality."


    The moment Zia realized the meaning of his words, she quickly moved back, getting off him. Her gaze still remained on Eren acted innocent as if he didn''t know the meaning behind his words.


    Eren forced his body to sit up, ignoring the pain that made him clench his fist at times.


    "Did you take my clothes off?" he asked Zia, noticing that he wasn''t wearing anything beneath the bedsheet. "You know, you could have just asked me if you wanted to see me like this."


    "Bah, I only took off your clothes because you were sweating through the night while groaning in pain like a baby!" Zia scoffed back at Eren, not even looking at him.


    However, she still remembered everything that she had seen when he was taking off his clothes. It was a memory that had somehow been imprinted in her mind.


    Eren didn''t even know what to say. He would have loved to tease this girl more if he wasn''t almost dying in pain. He also had to meet the Holy Priestess as it was already morning to confirm that she wasn''t close to catching the Sea Dragon Empress anymore.


    He brought more clothes out of his storage ring and started getting dressed right there. He didn''t tell Zia to turn around as if he didn''t care about it. In any case, she had already seen everything.


    If he acted embarrassed now, it was only going to make her feel victorious which he didn''t want.

 Chapter 348: Chapter 348: Unexpected Guest

    Eren donned his clothes, his gaze falling upon the Great Elder''s robe, a significant part of his attire as an envoy. However, he hesitated slightly, for the robe was quite heavy.


    Normally, this would not have been an issue. But his body was already aching at the moment. He considered using the Dragon Tongue Magic to make the robe lighter, but after the events of the previous night, that option seemed even more risky.


    In the end, Eren had no choice but to drape the robe over his shoulders, bearing the difort.


    ''God, I will have to take another portal to enter the Holy City with that woman. Just kill me already...'' Rubbing his forehead, he pushed the door open and stepped out of the room.


    He wanted to reach the Holy City on the Merchant Ship. However, he had never expected so much to happen along the way.


    Instead of avoiding the portals, he had to take even more. Unfortunately, he couldn''t even have any regrets about it as it was his decision.


    Leaving the room, Eren caught sight of the Guards that were standing in both ends of the hallway. Unlikest night, they weren''t stealthy anymore, making their presence well known.


    It was clear that the Holy Priestess was still suspicious about them. However, she didn''t attack him, which was good enough for Eren. As long as she wasn''t certain about his position, she didn''t have much choice in the matter.


    He walked over to the neighboring room where his disciple was resting. Just like his room, he had also cast a barrier inside Yu Lin''s room to make sure that he could sense if anyone entered her room.


    With the barrier being intact, it was clear that no one disturbed her. No one would even think that such a young brat was behind it after all.


    Eren knocked on the door and called Yu Lin out. Merely seconds had passed before Yu Lin opened the door, already appearing prepared.


    Her preparedness even surprised Eren as he wondered if she was waiting on the other side of the door for him? He didn''t ask her about it, believing it to be a coincidence.


    Apanying Eren and Zia, she left with the Guards to meet the Holy Priestess who was said to be waiting for them already.


    With Yu Lin''s departure, the door of her room closed. The room returned to silence, albeit for only a brief moment as a figure appeared to be standing in the room at a spot that wasn''t visible from outside.


    If Eren had noticed the woman, he would have been surprised, especially since the woman couldn''t be detected by his barrier around the room at all.


    She had somehow managed to enter this ce without being detected. Even more shocking was that the Holy Domain couldn''t detect the woman either, even though she had no shred of divine blessing.


    Although Eren couldn''t see the woman from outside the room, Yu Lin could see her. Still, she didn''t tell Eren about it. It looked less like she was afraid of this woman and more like there was something else between them.


    The woman had long hair that was dark blue in shade. Even her pupils were in the crystalline shade of ice, looking in the direction of the closed door.


    The woman''s icy gaze softened slightly as she turned her attention to the portrait in her hand. Her lips slightly curved up as a beautiful smile appeared on her lips, her fingers brushing against the person depicted in the portrait with a sense of longing.


    "Not long..." she mumbled, the temperature in the room suddenly reducing to the point that it was freezing, all because of a few words.


    The walls were covered in a thickyer of ice and so was everything else. Only the woman and the portrait in her hand appeared to be unaffected.


    ....


    Outside, Eren and Yu Lin moved through the corridors apanied by guards who were looking at them with weird gazes.


    Zia knew why that was the case. If she was in their ce, she might have done the same after the kind of sounds she had madest night.


    Subconsciously, she reached out her hand and pinched Eren''s waist, still feeling embarrassed about it.


    As they approached the end of the hallway, Yu Lin cast a fleeting nce back towards her room. The gesture went unnoticed by Eren, whose focus was firmly set on the task ahead.


    Soon, they reached the grand hall at the core of the Duke''s Pce which was the most secure ce. It was as if all the guards in the Duke''s Pce were brought to this ce to protect it.


    It was also understandable as a passage to the Holy City was about to be opened, especially one that surpassed the barrier around the Holy City.


    Even though the Holy Priestess was here, the Archbishop didn''t take any risks after what happenedst night.


    Only he knew what kind of disaster it was going to be if someone like Devourer managed to enter the Holy City.


    The Holy Priestess waited inside the Grand Hall, standing in front of a formation that was connected to the Holy City.


    The formation appeared so intricate andplicated that even someone who had memorized it perfectly would struggle to recreate it.


    Moreover, even if someone could memorize the formation and found the materials needed to create it, it was still going to be impossible for them to activate it.


    The only person who could activate the formation was the Holy Priestess or someone who was authorized by her.


    "Greetings to the Western Overlord," Eren greeted the Holy Priestess as soon as he stepped inside the hall. However, the Holy Priestess simply ignored him, not forgetting his disrespect ofst night.


    "Now that everyone is here, I will open the passage," she said as she started activating the formation.


    With the formation lightning up, a portal started materializing in the center of the Grand Hall.

 Chapter 349: Chapter 349: Holy City of forgotten past

    Within a few moments, the portal stabilized and stopped flickering. It was just as stable as the portals opened by Yelen, even though there was a different principle behind it.


    The Holy Priestess stepped aside once she had stabilized the portal, clearing the path for Eren.


    "As our guest, you have the honor of going first," she said.


    ''What kind of honor is this? Isn''t it just that she''s worried we might not enter after her?'' Eren thought, though he didn''t let it show on his face.


    "How considerate of you," he said as he held the hands of Zia and Yu Lin, stepping towards the portal.


    Gathering every bit of courage he had, he stepped inside the portal with the two girls, disappearing within.


    It was only after he vanished into the portal that the Holy Priestess also entered, leaving everyone else behind.


    The portal closed as soon as the Holy Priestess returned.


    With everyone gone, the Archbishop finally sat on the ground, wiping sweat off his forehead. Throughout this time, his back had been drenched in cold sweat as he worried the Holy Priestess might kill him on her way out.


    He had lost the opportunity to impress her, making one mistake after another.


    Not only had he lost the False Priestess, but he also failed to secure his pce, allowing someone to free the prisoners while he remainedpletely ignorant.


    Despite his failures, he felt quite lucky to have survived the ordeal. The longest night of his life was finally over, and he had managed to make it through.


    He felt quite lucky that at least he was alive. The longest night of his life was finally over and he had managed to survive it.


    ....


    The Holy City was known as the oldest city of the Holy Empire, being the first city where civilization on the Western Continent was said to have begun.


    Nestled within a sacred valley, the city was shrouded by a holy barrier that protected it throughout the year. It wasmonly believed that this barrier was a gift from Goddess Freya herself, bestowed upon the children closest to her heart.


    Even though the city was the oldest in the Holy Empire, its recorded history was surprisingly brief, for reasons shrouded in mystery. It was as if the city''s true past had been intentionally erased.


    Unfortunately, those who once knew the real history of the Western Continent had long since passed away. Only a few powerful beings, such as the Overlords of the other Continents, were privy to the true nature of this region, but they showed little interest in it.


    For the people of the Western Continent, the w in historical records didn''t matter. They were absolute believers in Freya who was their Goddess and the true creator of this world in their eyes.


    Many people within the Holy Empire aspired to live in the Holy City, but only a few were granted this privilege, if they were fortunate enough.


    For those outside the Holy City, there were two other options to be a resident.


    The first was to demonstrate exceptional talent in wielding the Divine Essence of the Goddess. Those who could showcase their devotion were epted into the Holy Church as trainee Priests.


    They were allowed to live in the Holy City with their families. Even if they wereter assigned to other cities within the Holy Empire, their families could still remain in the Holy City and enjoy all the privileges.


    This opportunity made many families eager to have their children selected by the Holy Church, and they were often disappointed if their children failed to meet the requirements.


    Some families even went so far as to kill their children in anger and disappointment, though the Holy Church showed little to no concern for such incidents.


    The second method to be a resident of the Holy City was a globally epted practice. It was bribery. Only the wealthiest and most affluent beings within the Western Continent were able to purchase their way in.


    Despite the high cost, the wealthy were willing to pay, as the protection and benefits of being a resident of the Holy City were unparalleled. It was even rumored that no one could fall ill within the Holy City, making the price worth the investment.


    In such a heavily protected city, three guests from the Eastern Continent had suddenly arrived, brought by the Holy Priestess herself.


    In the heavily fortified Holy City, three guests from the Eastern Continent had suddenly arrived, brought by the Holy Priestess herself.


    Within the Central Hall of the Holy Church, a young man stepped out of the spatial portal, holding the hands of two girls tightly.


    As Eren entered the Holy City for the first time; in another ce, a sword wrapped in holy shackles deep within the Royal Pce began to buzz fiercely.


    All the shackles keeping the sword trapped shattered into thousands of pieces as the weapon reached an even more violent state.


    If not for the barrier around the sword, it was unclear how many people in the Royal Pce would have died from the poison emitting from the Holy Sword.


    Meanwhile, the Pendant of Poison around Eren''s neck began to glow brightly. Fortunately, it was hidden behind Eren''s clothes, so no one else could sense the pendant''s radiance.


    Even the Sword Emperor''s Aura that Eren possessed started reacting strangely. Eren''s mind was already clouded as his body was in disarray. It took even more effort to restrict the Sword Emperor''s Aura.


    He felt the urge to release the Sword Emperor''s Aura to the fullest, but he knew that it might be perceived as a threat at that moment. Eren restricted his aura, even though it caused him more harm.


    As for why this was happening, he attributed it to his apparent allergy to Spatial Travel. By now, he hade to me everything on this supposed weakness.


    "He is a Great Elder?"


    "He doesn''t look anything special."


    "Did the standard of the Demon Sect fall? I thought they used to beparable to us? Was I wrong?"


    Many Cardinals voiced their sharp opinions, eyeing Eren, who appeared weak as if he could copse at any moment.

 Chapter 350: Chapter 350: Twisted Casuality

    Eren felt the critical gazes of the Cardinals upon him. Every person present in this ce was among the strongest Cardinals in the Holy Empire, serving the main church.


    Even whenpared to the Great Demon Sect, these Cardinals could be considered as powerful as their strongest members.


    "Are all Cardinals of the Holy Empire as childish as you? I suppose the standard did fall."


    Even though Eren didn''t care about their taunts, he also didn''t ignore their words. He wasn''t scared of them. Even if he wasn''t in the right state of mind, he was still capable of standing his own ground.


    In any case, he was sure that there were going to be no battles even if he was rude. As he was here as a guest, it would be foolish of them to challenge him for a fight at the moment especially since the Holy Priestess brought him here.


    "You!" The Cardinals who had been moving Eren felt flustered in the moment. Some took a step forward, as if wanting to teach Eren a lesson.


    It was only after they saw the Holy Priestess step out of the portal that they controlled their steps, taking a step back.


    "Your Holiness," all the Cardinals greeted the Holy Priestess respectfully.


    The Holy Priestess simply nodded before introducing Eren and the others.


    "They are from the Demon Sect. They are here to investigate the disappearance of their envoys. Treniel, you will be responsible for guiding them."


    "As Her Holiness desires," the Cardinal, who had been the calmest in the ce, responded, epting the authority he was granted.


    He was already sure of what the Holy Priestess actually wanted, as he had also been responsible for the disappearance of the previous envoys. If anyone understood the Holy Priestess the most here, it was him.


    "I will take care of everything," he said, his words carrying a hidden meaning.


    "I expect no less from you." The Holy Priestess nodded before turning to Eren. "As you are here to investigate, Treniel will be your guide. If you need anything, just ask him."


    "Does that mean we won''t see you anymore?" It was to be expected, but Eren still asked the Holy Priestess, who appeared to be trying to run away after shifting her responsibility to others.


    "I have other matters to attend to," the Holy Priestess replied, without even ncing back at Eren as her figure disappeared into the distance.


    She soon returned to the Chamber where the statue of the Goddess had been standing tall, as this was the room that was only essible to her.


    The calmness on her face disappeared as soon as she entered the room where she couldn''t be seen by anyone else. Here, she didn''t have to fake her personality.


    In this ce, she could be her true self.


    She sat in front of the statue of the goddess, bathing under the divine light that emanated from the gem embedded in the forehead of the statue.


    Her expressions were grim as she finally had time to think about everything. The appearances of Devourer and Aster hade as a surprise to her.


    She had also thought that Eren was Devourer, but now she wasn''t so certain. If Eren was Devourer, how could Feng Yu not have noticed it? She was also involved in his downfall, after all.


    Even though her suspicions on Eren had lessened, she was almost certain that Aster was Devourer. It meant Devourer had the False Priestess as well as the Sea Dragon Empress.


    An even bigger threat was the dagger that Devourer had been carrying.


    She talked through everything that had happened out loud, as if talking to herself. However, after she finished her thoughts, she looked towards the statue and asked, "What do you think?"


    After a period of silence, the Holy Priestess sighed. "If I wanted to know that, why would I ask you? Can''t you look into the causality and see what''s actually happening?"


    Once again, there was a long period of silence. The silence was broken when the temper of the Holy Priestess red up.


    "What do you mean by that? How can the causality of this world get so twisted that even you can''t see through it?''


    ....


    "It is truly twisted. To think that the Necromancer Tower would do something like this. They have truly lost all reasoning," Treniel said as he guided Eren through the Holy Church, talking about the disappearance of the Envoys.


    "If we had known that something like this could happen, we would have sent our people to escort them safely. I am truly regretful about the oversight on our part," he continued.


    Eren simply listened to the Cardinal''s words, not having the slightest interest. If anything, he simply wanted silence for now as his head was throbbing.


    He felt extremely sleepy ever since he ate the healing pill, but at least it had controlled some of the pain.


    "Shall I take you to the ce where the remnants of the ship were found? As it is inside the territory of the Northern Continent, we would have to be extremely careful and quick," Treniel offered.


    "There is no need to hurry. Where are our rooms? We would like to rest for now if possible," Eren finally said, after Treniel didn''t seem to be stopping anytime soon.


    "Oh, your rooms have been arranged in the Royal Pce. Although you are our guests, the Church has its own rules. Outsiders cannot stay here," Treniel exined as he momentarily stopped near the window.


    From the window, a magnificent sight could be seen outside. Thousands of people had gathered in front of the Holy Church of Freya, many even carrying their newborn babies to receive their first blessings.


    The children hadn''t even been held by their mothers yet before they were brought here by their family.


    Even more of them just wanted to catch a single sight of the Holy Priestess, appearing as if they had be obsessed in their devotion.


    Looking at the scene, Eren was even more certain about the workings of the Holy City. It was truly a ce that was filled with darkness beneath that glittering light.


    "Still, as our guests, we have made all the preparations in the Royal Pce," Treniel added. "There is even a weing banquet arranged by the Holy Emperor to wee the friends who came from far away."

 Chapter 351: Chapter 351: Fiction and Reality

    "A weing banquet, you say?" Eren asked. "Isn''t that rather excessive, especially since we are here to investigate the disappearance of our people and not to enjoy?"


    "I don''t think it is excessive at all," Treniel answered. "You are here representing the Eastern Overlord. As the Ruler of the Western Continent, the Holy Emperor wants to extend a warm wee to you."


    Hearing the Cardinal refer to the Holy Emperor as the Ruler of the Western Continent, Eren couldn''t help but frown.


    Although the Holy Emperor was said to be the Ruler of the Holy Empire, it was no secret that the absolute power was in someone else''s hand.


    The real power center was not in the Royal Pce. Instead it was right where he was standing right now.


    Treniel seemed to be shifting the responsibility to the Holy Emperor, creating a separation between their actions. Eren couldn''t help but wonder if there were other undercurrents at y that were hidden from the world.


    The Holy Church and the Holy Empire were supposed to be on the same side, but Eren had a feeling that the Holy Priestess didn''t just want to use them as a sword against the Northern Continent.


    He wasn''t certain if it was actually the case or he was just overthinking because his mind was cloudy at the moment.


    Even if the Holy Priestess wanted to get rid of the Holy Emperor, why would need someone else''s help for that? All she needed was a singlemand and it could be done.


    At least that was the case unless the Holy Emperor had something that prevented the Holy Priestess from doing it.


    ....


    "...esty?"


    "Your Majesty?" A vague voice fell upon the man''s ears. The voice felt old yet iplete.


    As the man started regaining his senses, the voice became clearer.


    "Your Majesty?" The voice was apanied by a constant knocking sound.


    The man rubbed his eyes and let out a yawn.


    "Mother,  can''t you lower the volume when you watch period movies? I''m trying to sleep!"


    Even though the man replied, the knocking sound didn''t stop.


    Instead, it intensified. "Your Majesty, the envoys from the East have arrived. They are apanied by a Cardinal. Please wake up!"


    "Urgh, can''t she lower the volume?" Irritated, the man opened his eyes. In anger, he got off the bed and rushed towards the door, his vision still blurry as he wasn''t fully awake.


    "Hmm? Where''s the doorknob?" The moment he reached the door, he noticed that he couldn''t even open it. There was no doorknob. The opening mechanism of the door felt different.


    It took him a moment to register that it wasn''t just the doorknob that was different. Instead, the entire door was different.


    He appeared confused, wondering how the entire door had changed overnight. It was only after he observed the rest of the room that he noticed the entire room was different.


    The room feltpletely different. Not only was it bigger, but it was even more luxurious. Just the bed alone was so muchrger than his room.


    "Am I still dreaming?" the man scratched the back of his head, confused. He believed he had just woken up. How could he be dreaming? Was it a dream within a dream?


    He pinched his face to wake himself up, but the pain he felt couldn''t be any more real.


    "Ouch, that hurt!"


    He became convinced that this wasn''t a dream. It was absolute reality. But how could this be his reality?


    He quickly approached the distant mirror, his gaze fixed on his reflection. His finger brushed against his cheek, which was still faintly red from the harsh pinching.


    Dressed in a royal attire that blended medieval elegance with modernity, he was captivated by his appearance.


    His golden hair came down to his waist, shining with a silky smoothness, as if extreme care had been taken to maintain it. Even his skin was wless, devoid of any blemishes.


    Looking at his reflection, he was almost amazed by his own striking features. If this was how he looked on Earth, he could only imagine the number of women who would have been charmed by him.


    For someone who had once carried the scars on his face that he received during his service in the army, this was apletely different experience.


    He opened his shirt and examined his chest, finding no trace of the scars that had once covered his body. It was as if the evidence and punishments of his time in the war had beenpletely erased.


    "What is happening here?" The more he thought, the more confused he became.


    He remembered that he had taken a leave from the army to spend a few days with his family. However, the time away from the war had been extremely dull. Even his family seemed increasingly estranged.


    Feeling conflicted about his scars, he had chosen to stay in his room for the most part, unwilling to show his face outside. During this period, he had upied himself by reading a few novels, helping him pass the days.


    That was how his days had unfolded. There was only one day left before his leave was over, and he had to return to his duties.


    Unfortunately, that final night had brought about a dramatic change, as he now found himself in this unfamiliar ce.


    "Your Majesty, are you awake?" the voice came again.


    "Majesty? Envoys from the east? Cardinal? Why does that sound familiar?" The man tried to remember where he had heard these words. However, the memory evaded him.


    It took him quite a lot of effort to remember where he heard these words.


    "Isn''t this from the starting chapters of that novel?" His expressions twisted the moment he remembered.


    Although it sounded impossible, all the evidence pointed toward the same thing. He wasn''t on earth. He had entered that novel.


    "How could it happen? Transmigration can''t be reality! It should have been impossible. So how? How am I here?"


    ¡­.

 Chapter 352: Chapter 352: New Life

    The man took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of thoughts causing chaos in his mind.


    If he truly was within the world of a novel, logic as he knew it no longer applied. He needed to adapt quickly to survive in this world,, if that was even possible.


    The moment he came to terms with reality, he realized what he had to do. He had to find a way to survive in this world. As for returning to his real world, he didn''t care about that.


    In this world, he could have everything he wanted. Here, he didn''t have to worry about the disgusted gaze of strangers. In this world, he was as handsome as he could be.


    Even more important was the fact that he had taken the body of the Emperor in this world.


    He focused on the immediate situation. The voice outside the door had mentioned envoys and a Cardinal.


    He vaguely remembered that in the novel, the character he had be was the Holy Emperor. He was a figurehead with little real power but significant ceremonial importance.


    The Emperor that he knew in the novel had a terrifying end. Now that he had taken that position, he believed that he could change the fate with the knowledge that he carried with him.


    He could definitely change the fate of the Holy Emperor for the sake of his own future. The first step in the right direction was through this meeting with the Eastern Envoy.


    As he remembered the novel, this was the first step behind the Emperor''s downfall. He had to make sure he didn''t fall into that trap now.


    "Alright, one step at a time," he muttered to himself. "First, I need to confirm if this world is actually what I remember."


    He approached the door, taking a deep breath before opening it.


    A well-dressed servant bowed deeply upon seeing him. "Your Majesty, the envoys from the East are waiting in the grand hall, apanied by Cardinal Treniel. Shall I escort you there?"


    "Yes, lead the way," he replied, trying to sound authoritative despite the inner turmoil.


    As he walked through the corridors of the pce, he absorbed every detail. The grandeur was overwhelming, yet it felt oddly familiar, as if he had walked these corridors countless times, thanks to the novel.


    It was as if the words that he had read came to life. Everything felt so surreal yet real at the same time. The more he immersed in the grand scenery, the more he remembered about this part of the novel.


    Upon reaching the grand hall, he was greeted by a scene that seemed to leap straight off the chapter he had read. It was the most important room of the Royal Pce.


    It was the Grand Hall where the throne of the Emperor was present. There were also seats arranged for the Ministers of the Holy Empire, most of whom were loyal to the Holy Church with only a few being loyal to the Emperor.


    Normally those seats were taken by the Ministers with the foremost seat being taken by the Minister of War. However presently, different people could be seen sitting on the seats.


    The person in the foremost seat after the throne appeared familiar. Even though it was his first time seeing that person, the Emperor recognised him as Treniel, the Cardinal of the Holy Church.


    The features of that man matched the Cardinal perfectly. Looking at the man''s calm exterior, the Emperor felt a deep dread in his heart as he knew exactly what kind of a person Treniel was.


    Even the other Cardinals didn''t know the true position of Treniel. They thought he was an average cardinal who had managed to win the trust of the Holy Priestess. At least that''s what the novel also made him appear at the start.


    It was only during theter parts of the novel that more and more threads about Treniel were exposed.


    Even amongst the Cardinals, Treniel was the most brutal one. Behind his calm and innocent exterior, it was truly a bloody reality.


    ''Hmm? Isn''t this a little different?'' The Holy Emperor nced at the people sitting next to Treniel who were in eastern attire.


    From what he remembered about the novel, there was only one Envoy from the Great Demon Sect. Why were there three of them now?


    Amongst the three, only two wore the attire that represented the Great Elders of the Demon Sect. As Eren was a man, the Holy Emperor didn''t think that he was the representative that he had read about.


    The representative was supposed to be a woman after all.


    He shifted his focus to the other Grand Elder, growing even more confused.


    ''Wasn''t the representative supposed to be a beautiful woman who was wearing a veil? I am sure her physique was described in great detail.''


    ''How could she look like a child in reality? Why is it so different from what I read? Or is it that I don''t remember correctly?''


    The Holy Emperor appeared quite estranged, not saying a single word as he slowly approached the throne, his gaze shifting between Eren and Zia.


    Cardinal Treniel stood up, his demeanor respectful yet subtly maniptive.


    "Your Majesty," he greeted with a slight bow. "The envoys have been escorted here as you wanted. I hope all the necessary arrangements have been prepared?"


    ''As I wanted? Hmph, you snake. Since you want to y, then let''s y. I will show how a single soldier from earth ruins your n. I will let nothing disrupt my life in this world, not even the Holy Church!'' the Holy Emperor thought while maintaining a calm exterior with a smile.


    He nodded, not letting his real thoughts show on his face. "Thank you, Cardinal."


    He approached Eren who appeared like he was leading the group. "You there must be the guests from the Demon Sect. You havee from far away. I hope I don''t disappoint our guests with our hospitality."

 Chapter 353: Chapter 353: The Strange Emperor

    "We have heard a lot about the hospitality of the Holy Empire. Unfortunately, those who came before us were not able to experience it," Eren said, shaking the Holy Emperor''s hand with a hint of intrigue at the strangely familiar gesture.


    The handshake of the Holy Emperor felt slightly stiff. It was clear that he was putting a little too much strength behind that handshake, albeit not intentionally.


    For Eren, this amount of strength was not enough to seriously hurt him but it was also ufortable, especially since the Holy Emperor was not weak either.


    From what he remembered, the Holy Emperor was supposed to be as strong as a Cardinal. With just his raw strength, it did not seem like an exaggeration.


    He didn''t dwell on it further and continued, "But it doesn''t matter. Those who took this opportunity from them will soon pay."


    Eren''s words were not directed at anyone in particr, but he had conveyed the message he intended to send.


    As soon as he finished speaking, Eren noticed a brief, almost imperceptible change in the expression of Cardinal Treniel, which quickly returned to normal.


    The Holy Emperor also appeared quite serious, especially since he remembered quite a lot about the Great Demon Sect which had an important role in the story of the Western Continent.


    The Demon Sect was notorious for its brutality. That''s why, even though he had the knowledge from the novel, he did not take the envoys from the Demon Sect lightly, especially since they were not the envoys that hade in the novel.


    Even the Envoy who hade in the novel was cold and ruthless when she was annoyed. As for the personality of Eren, he was not sure about it yet.


    From the initial impressions, he appeared somewhat more weingpared to the original envoy that was supposed toe as per his memories. Still, he knew that he could not lower his guard.


    Although Eren looked pale and weak, he was able to reach the position of the Great Elder. It was clear that he was strong.


    As he was sent by the Eastern Overlord, it was enough to show that his position wasn''t lowerpared to any other Great Elders either.


    At least he was on the same level as the envoy that hade in the novel that he read, especially when it came to strength.


    As the formalities continued, the Holy Emperor''s gaze subtly shifted to the young girl, Zia, who stood beside Eren.


    Her presence was also unexpected, yet there was an aura about her that made her feel even stronger than Eren who didn''t stand out much because of his seemingly pale physique.


    It was only because she was standing behind Eren that he was able to learn that she was actually weaker than Eren. In the Demon Sect, influence was only received through strength after all.


    The Holy Emperor made a light conversation with Great Elder Zia, asking her name. With that, he was finally able to confirm that she was not the woman that was supposed toe.


    From what he remembered, the woman who came in the novel was known as Xiu Ying.


    Although it was at the beginning of the novel, he still remembered it as it had left a deep impact on him with how much the author had hyped the beauty of that woman. It left even more of an impact with what the woman didter on.


    Next, he talked to Yu Lin who was the only one that looked normal and non threatening here. Not only was the girl young but her presence was also mild, as if someone who had nearly started her journey in this world.


    It was only after Yu Lin introduced herself, the Holy Emperor came to learn that she was the disciple of Eren which surprised him.


    He took another nce at Eren. Just what kind of person was he? Why would he bring his disciple to such a dangerous ce where he was to investigate the disappearance of his people?


    Was it because he didn''t even consider the involvement of the Holy Empire in that matter? Why else would he be rxed enough to bring his disciple? If that was the case, the Holy Emperor could only sigh as he knew the reality of this Empire.


    After giving a slight nod, he walked towards his throne. He sat on his throne, taking his rightful ce as the Emperor.


    The real Emperor had sat on this throne thousands of times. For him, this was the first time he was sitting on the throne of an Emperor that overlooked the entirely grand hall.


    He tried to be as natural as possible, still appearing somewhat different. That difference was not noticeable by Eren who was seeing the Emperor for the first time.


    On the contrary, the eunuch that served the Emperor and Cardinal Treniel were more perceptive. Although confused about the strange behavior from the Emperor, they didn''t think too much of it.


    The Emperor talked a little more with the three guests before telling a servant to lead them to the rooms that had been arranged for them to rest.


    He also reminded them about the banquet that was supposed to be heldter to wee them.


    Eren didn''t react to the Emperor''s offer. If anything, he himself was not interested in talking more with the Emperor since he was extremely sleepy, only wanting to give rest to his body. His mind was also quite hazy.


    Despite that, the moment he stood up to leave, he used his identification skill on the Emperor, simply out of caution. Even though he wasn''t in the right mind, he was still able to feel that something was going on with the Holy Emperor.


    The moment Eren read the description, it was as if he immediately woke up. His eyes momentarily widened before his expressions recovered.


    Smiling, he bid the Emperor farewell before leaving with the others.


    The Cardinal appeared like he wanted to stay behind and talk with the Emperor but the Holy Emperor swiftly left the hall as well, saying that he was having a minor headache and needed some rest as well.

 Chapter 354: Chapter 354: The Red World

    Eren was escorted by the Servant to the rooms that were arranged for them.


    The rooms arranged for the three of them were situated next to each other, but they were located in apletely different part of the Pce. They were far away from the Grand Hall and the section where the Emperor resided.


    This area was also less guarded, likely to make the guests feel more at ease. Instead of being made to feel like prisoners under constant surveince, they were left rtively free, with guards assigned sparingly.


    Although it made sense from the Emperor''s perspective, Eren had a feeling that this was not his decision.


    Although it was good to make the guests feelfortable, why would the Emperor take such a risk? If something happened to the guests in the Royal Pce, the me was going to fall on him.


    Either he was confident that nothing was going to happen to them or it was the work of someone else.


    While Eren was thinking about the arrangements of the guards, he also could not help but remember what he had seen on the status screen of the Emperor.


    .................


    Name: Damien Valerian (Jake Razenhall)


    Identity: Emperor of the Holy Empire


    Status: Possessed by a soul from Earth


    Description: Error.


    .................


    Eren already knew the Holy Emperor was an important figure, but he never expected the Emperor to be possessed by someone from Earth.


    With this discovery, he had now located the Transmigrator from Earth in the Western Continent as well. He now had a rough idea of the Transmigrators'' positions across almost every continent.


    The only Transmigrator in the Eastern Continent was Eren himself. In the Southern Continent, there were Aster and the Prophet, both of whom held significant positions originally.


    In the Northern Continent, there was Fey, who had already interacted with Eren. And finally, in the Western Continent, it was the Holy Emperor himself.


    Amongst these four Transmigrators, only Fey had possessed someone without much of an influence. He was the heir of the Wind Tower that was already destroyed. As for the remnants, they were killed by him.


    Despite that, he was also the most dangerous one ording to Eren, especially since his enving ability was quite frustrating.


    Amongst the four Transmigrators, Fey was the one that Eren certainly wanted to kill.


    While Eren could not be certain if there was only one Transmigrator in the North and West, or if there were more, this information was still better than living in the dark.


    With this knowledge, Eren no longer needed to waste a question on the Author. He felt prepared for a meeting, having gathered quite a lot of valuable information.


    Eren also had a specific question he wanted to ask the Author. But before that, he wanted to get some much-needed rest, as his mind was exhausted to even consider the revtions about the Holy Emperor.


    Even with this new discovery, he couldn''t dwell on it too much in his current sleepy state. He was already starting to feel as if he was walking in a lucid dream, almost failing to differentiate between reality and dreams.


    Soon, he was brought to a room that was assigned to him. Without wasting a second, he entered the room. However, he didn''t leave the two girls behind either.


    He held their hands and took them inside the room as well, telling the Servant that they won''t be needing extra rooms.


    With the door mmed on his face, the servant was left stunned.


    ''I can understand the Great Elder but wasn''t the other girl supposed to be his disciple? He... even with her...? As expected from a Demon.''


    The Servant appeared disgusted as he turned around to leave.


    ''It does not matter. Enjoy while you still can. The Cardinal will make sure your good days don''tst long.''


    ....


    The room assigned to Eren was just as pretty as the room in the Duke''s Pce. If anything, it looked even more luxurious with a unique scent of its own.


    Eren didn''t care about appreciating its beauty. He simply fell on the bed, burying his face in the pillow as he fell asleep like a child.


    As for bringing the other women to his room, it was just his way of protecting them. If something went wrong, they could at least wake him up.


    Now that he understood that the Holy Church was nning something, he could not leave the two of them alone.


    ....


    Cardinal Treniel exited the Royal Pce, having failed to speak with the Emperor. He asionally nced back at the Pce, his gaze filled with suspicion.


    "I wonder if he knows something," he mused. "But even if he does, there''s nothing he can do to change his destiny. It''s time to remove the Holy Emperor and the Necromancer Tower."


    A grin spread on Treniel''s lips as he looked towards the cloudy sky. "Soon, all four continents will experience the grace of the Goddess


    ....


    An unknown amount of time had passed before Eren seemingly came to his senses. His brows furrowed, and before he could even open his eyes, he was frowning.


    The surface he was lying on felt rough, unlike the soft bed he had expected.


    "Why does my bed feel like rocks?" he wondered, unsure if his body was so messed up that even a soft bed felt unpleasant.


    Slowly, he opened his eyes, and noticed that the world around him was tinted in a deep red hue, as if the entirendscape had been painted crimson. This was not the room where he had fallen asleep.


    Pushing himself up, Eren took in his unfamiliar surroundings. He was not on a bed, but rather lying on a rocky surface in the center of a massive crater, the size of a city.


    As far as he could see, there was no sign of nature or any familiarndmarks.


    "Where am I?" Eren asked aloud, pinching the back of his hand in an attempt to wake up from what he assumed must be a dream. However, the pain felt all too real.

 Chapter 355: Chapter 355: Sword of the Forgotten Emperor

    "Yelen?" Eren called out, but he received no answer. It took him a moment to realize that the spirit contract mark was missing.


    The mark on the back of his hand was gone. Even the mark from his contract with Felona had disappeared.


    "Identification!" He tried to use the Identification skill on a simple rock, hoping to find a clue, but the skill did not activate.


    "Inventory!" He called out his inventory, but the oue was the same. The inventory screen he had be extremely familiar with didn''t appear.


    "Flight."


    "Strengthen."


    "Speed."


    Eren tried using the Dragon Tongue, but the result didn''t change. No matter which skill he used, nothing worked. It was as if he had lost everything he hade to rely on.


    "Is this the work of the Holy Church?" he wondered, his expression darkening.


    He already knew the Holy Church was nning a trap, but this looked too surreal to be their work. Moreover, he had a guardian to protect him or at least wake him up.


    The Guardian was connected not only to his body but also to his soul. So how could he fall for this trap with such ease?


    Lost in thoughts, Eren stepped forward. To understand just what kind of ce this was, he had to at least step out of the crater first, which was no different than a grand valley for someone of his size.


    If one were to measure the depths of this crater, Eren was sure it was more than a few hundred meters at least. Compared to the sheer diameter of this crater, the depth felt almost insignificant.


    It took him several hours before he finally managed to w his way out of the crater.


    His clothes were covered in dust, and his body feltpletely exhausted, but a sense of aplishment washed over him as he surveyed the world beyond the crater''s rim.


    Unfortunately, the world that he saw left him even more stunned. The world outside the crater was a stark, destend filled with even more craters.


    As far as the eye could see, the ground was covered in these craters, as if some heavenly punishment had rained down from the heavens.


    Some of these craters were even filled with blood to the brim, appearing likekes in the barren world. Unfortunately, no one could drink from thosekes as they didn''t carry water.


    Amidst the sea of craters, one in particr caught Eren''s eye. There, in the center of the deepest crater, a sword stood embedded in the earth, its de shining in the fading light of this world.


    "What in the world happened here?" Eren wondered, his voice barely above a whisper.


    He jumped into the crater where the sword was present. His body glided down the slopes which guided him deeper until he reached the bottom.


    As he descended into the crater''s depths, he was able to feel a sense of attraction which drew him toward the sword. It was as if the sword itself was calling out to him.


    Eren noticed the sword''s color shifting as he approached. What had once been a dull gray was gradually transforming into a dark green hue that felt simr to his Pendant of Poison.


    The moment he stepped within five meters of the sword, an inexplicable force rose from within his body. The Sword Emperor''s Aura rushed out of his body, shooting out towards the sword.


    In this world where he couldn''t even use any abilities, the appearance of the Sword Emperor''s Aura left Eren stunned.


    As the Sword Emperor''s Aura touched the sword, it started trembling. It was as if the sword was struggling against an unknown force to free itself.


    In that moment, thousands of golden shackles appeared to be wrapped around the green sword, keeping it restricted.


    The trembling of the Sword intensified, but the sword failed to break through the restrictions.


    Eren didn''t know why, but he felt a sense of sadness as he watched the sword struggle. It was as if the sword was calling to him for help.


    Unable to control himself, Eren stepped closer to the sword until there was only half a meter of distance between them.


    He reached out his hand, grabbing onto the Sword to pull it out, despite the presence of the shackles. Unfortunately, he wasn''t strong enough to pull the Sword.


    Even as his muscles bulged, the sword didn''t evene out an inch from the ground.


    At that moment, it made sense to give up. It was impossible to pull out the sword, especially without his abilities. Still, he refused to give up.


    If he could use the Sword Emperor''s Aura, that meant this world wasn''t as restricted as he thought.


    "No matter what happens, I will pull you out today!" Eren eximed as he strengthened the Sword Emperor''s Aura even more.


    He was certain that this ce held some meaning for him. There was a nagging feeling inside his heart that if he gave up now, he might regret it a lot.


    He still had one use of the Pendant of Poison left. Eren didn''t know if he could use that in this world when he couldn''t even see the pendant of poison around his neck.


    He tried to connect to the Pendant of Poison, simr to what he had done when he used it to kill the Sea Dragon Prince.


    To his surprise, a pendant started materializing around his neck, as if listening to his desires. The pendant of poison started shining, just as brightly as the sword.


    More importantly, it boosted his Sword Emperor''s Aura, merging it with the poison aura which unlocked the true potential of the Sword Emperor''s Aura.


    His aura became absolutely poisoned. As Eren pulled the sword with all his might, his poisonous aura started decaying the shackles around the Sword.


    The sword''s humming intensified while the shackles started breaking, one after another.


    With thest shackle breaking, the sword came out with such force that Eren almost stumbled a few steps back before falling on his butt.


    At the same time, he noticed a bright green light shoot out of his Sword that flew straight to the sky, as if targeting heaven itself.


    Eren''s body was momentarily frozen as he saw a crack appear in the sky, as if space itself was sliced in two.

 Chapter 356: Chapter 356: Absolute strength

    The crack in the sky widened as if a split in space and reality was created. The surroundings that were feeling warm until now, started feeling colder.


    The destend around him began to transform. The craters filled with blood began to evaporate, blood rising into the air like mist.


    The sword in Eren''s hand felt warm, as if alive. The sword was slightly trembling as if matching the beat of his own heart. He could sense its power that felt simr to the Pendant of Poison but stronger.


    It was as if the pendant of poison only carried a small drop of the strength that this sword possessed. While the Sword ended up in Eren''s hand, the pendant around his neck started disintegrating with thest bit of its strength being used up.


    The crack in the sky continued to grow until it appeared like a doorway to a world beyond. Through it, Eren could see a realm of light that was almost blinding.


    The lighting from the giant spatial crack started to dim as something unknown took its ce. Eren felt his entire body go cold, as if something scary was looking at him.


    He could only look at the spatial crack, unable to take his eyes off the giant opening in the sky. Through the crack, he saw what felt like a giant eyeball that was observing him.


    When he looked at that eye, he felt fear. It was a fear like nothing he ever felt before. It was something that went beyond death.


    He felt as if his life and death was in that thing''s  control. As long as it desired, he was going to be obliterated like a puppet.


    His mental protection had almost started breaking apart at the sight of that eye, his hands started trembling.


    Eren didn''t even understand what kind of world this was or how he even ended up here. But at this rate, he regretteding here. He even wondered if this was the ce where he was going to die.


    "You are scared of that little thing?"


    While Eren was starting to have a mental copse, he heard a voice that sounded like a man''s voice.


    This was the first time he was hearing that voice as he didn''t recognise it. He really wanted to turn around to see who was speaking. Unfortunately, he couldn''t even move his body anymore.


    His body was simply refusing to listen to him.


    While he was still confused, he felt someone''s fingers touch his hand. Or rather, it was touching the sword in his hand. The weight in his hand disappeared as the unknown man picked up the sword.


    The man took a few steps forward. Eren lowered his pupils, catching a glimpse of the person.


    Unfortunately, he could only see the back of that person. From the back, Eren couldn''t even guess what the person looked like or his age.


    He couldn''t even see the physique of that person as there was a dark green robe wrapped around his shoulder with ancient characters that appeared to be alive, shifting positions with each passing second. The robe came down to the man''s ankles.


    The man was holding the sword as if it was perfectly natural for him. In his hand, the sword felt even stronger as a stronger shade of green rose from the sword.


    The scent of poison around that sword felt so strong that just a whiff of it could kill an ordinary person. However, Eren remained unaffected for some reason.


    The man did not say another word to Eren. Only his grip around the sword''s hilt tightened. Soon, he raised his sword. Every movement of his sword felt like it was apanied by thews of the world, being in perfect sync with it.


    The red mist of this world started gathering around the man''s sword. Soon, the man swung the sword towards heaven.


    As the de arced towards the heavens, the crack in the sky reacted. The great eye that had instilled such fear in Eren widened momentarily, almost in shock or recognition. The light from the crack intensified, casting sharp shadows across the barrenndscape.


    A thunderous sound erupted, not from the sh of the sword against any physical object, but from the sheer force of its movement through the air. It was like a wrathful roar against the entity watching from beyond the crack.


    The swing of the sword seemed to tear through the very fabric of reality. The crack in the sky began to tremble, the eye flickering and then narrowing in what could only be described as a reaction of pain or retreat.


    The crack began to seal, the blinding light retreating like a tide. The eye, now merely a glint in the diminishing void, appeared to blink before vanishingpletely. The sky returned to its previous state,pletely calm.


    The blood mist dissipated, leaving the air clear. Eren felt the warmth returning, not just to the surroundings but to his very core.


    The fear that had gripped his body disappeared and he felt like he was finally able to move.


    The man turned, and for the first time, Eren could see his face.


    As Eren saw the man properly for the first time, he was absolutely stunned. The man truly looked extraordinary.


    His face was absolutely wless and his green pupils stood out, matching his deep green hair that was tied into a ponytail behind his back.


    There was a strange calmness around him, even though he had faced something so strange.


    The man stepped closer to Eren, going down on a knee in front of him to look straight in his eyes as if trying to see through something.


    "It is just as I thought." He rubbed his forehead after a brief period of pause, appearing somewhat disappointed. "I suppose it''s still too early."


    "In that case, let me help you." A smile spread across his lips as he reached out his hand, cing a finger on Eren''s forehead.

 Chapter 357: Chapter 357: The gift

    Eren was momentarily stunned. He had a lot of questions he wanted to ask the man, but an overwhelming sense of sleepiness suddenly overcame him.


    His eyelids grew heavy, and he found it increasingly difficult to maintain his focus. It was as if an unseen force was pulling him into a deep slumber.


    "It is going to be painful. So you better sleep for now," the man said, his voice fading into the distance.


    Eren''s eyes slowly closed, and the world around him descended intoplete silence as he fell asleep.


    ....


    "''Wait, I have something to ask!'' Eren suddenly eximed as he came to his senses.


    Reaching out his hand, he sat up. Unfortunately, he was only able to catch thin air and nothing else.


    Opening his eyes, he found himself in apletely different ce. The barren world was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he was inside the room where he remembered sleeping initially.


    He was inside the Holy Emperor''s Pce where he was a guest. Looking around, he found Yu Lin and Zia looking at him.


    "Are you alright?" Zia asked, looking at him weirdly.


    Eren didn''t respond. He was at a loss of words, appearing even more confused. Was that barren world truly nothing but a dream? Did he fail to recognise a dream?


    "But it felt so real." he mumbled, rubbing his forehead while getting off the bed. He felt covered in sweat even though the room wasn''t hot. Was it because of the nightmare? He wasn''t sure.


    Confused, he walked in the shower to freshen up and calm his head. He took off his robe and walked under the cold shower, letting water droplets trickle down his body.


    "Even my dreams are getting weirder now." Shaking his head, he decided toe to terms with it. There was no other justification.


    After a long and cold shower, he used the Dragon Tongue Magic to dry his body. Now that he could use the Dragon Tongue again, it felt truly like a blessing. He never wanted to go back to being unable to use his skills.


    "Hmm? Wait? Where is the Pendant of Poison?"


    The moment he thought about his ability, he noticed that he was missing an important essory. The pendant of poison wasn''t around his neck anymore.


    He was sure he used that in the dream but that shouldn''t have affected the reality. Or did he identally use the pendant in real life while using that in the dream? He wasn''t sure. If that was the case, it was truly the biggest waste.


    He wrapped a towel around his waist and stepped out of the shower.


    "Have any of you seen my green pendant?" he asked while looking all over the bed. Although the pendant couldn''t fall, he still didn''t reject the possibility.


    "I haven''t," Zia answered.


    "Wasn''t it around your neckst night, master?" Yu Lin also shook her head.


    "Did I really use it then?" Eren wondered, his face filled with confusion.


    "Did you always have that tattoo over your body?"


    While Eren was lost in thoughts, he heard Zia''s words which brought him out of his daze.


    "Hmm? What?"


    Zia appeared in front of him and pointed at his left arm near his shoulder. On his upper arm, there was a green mark that felt like it was making a sword symbol.


    When Eren came to notice that mark, even he was left stunned. He didn''t remember seeing that before. Still, as far as he remembered, he didn''t have a mark like that.


    Moreover, his current avatar was one that he falsified using the ring received from Devourer. He was sure that the avatar didn''t have any marks. So how could one appear?


    Frowning, he thought of something and quickly rushed inside the shower. He stopped using the ring and returned to his real avatar as Ren Necroline but the mark was still here.


    With that, he was able to confirm that the mark was actually ced on his real body and it could be seen on all of his disguises.


    "No, no, no!" Eren repeated as he used his bloodline abilities to change his looks again but that mark remained the same.


    Even the Bloodline Ability couldn''t hide that mark for some reason, creating a big w in his disguise that could help it easier to identify him.


    Fortunately, it was on his upper arm. With proper clothing, he could hide that mark but it was still a w nheless. It was the same as his Sword Emperor''s Aura. If other personalities used that aura, it could easily link back to him.


    "Wait a minute. Sword Emperor''s Aura... That dream... Sword Mark..."


    Eren''s expressions darkened as he thought of something. What if that actually wasn''t a dream? And what if this mark wasn''t actually a simple mark?


    ....


    While Eren was growing concerned about the mark on his arm, there were people who were panicking.


    The people who were responsible for keeping an eye on the Sword Emperor''s Sword came to observe the sword as was their duty. Unfortunately, the sword was nowhere to be found.


    All the shackles around the sword were found broken. The barrier around the hall was still intact but the sword was nowhere to be found.


    The Guards quickly ran out to inform the Holy Emperor and the Holy Church simultaneously. The most terrifying weapon in the history of the Holy Empire had disappeared.


    If it wasn''t recovered, then they could only imagine their fates.


    ....


    In the unknown barren world, a man was sitting at the edge of the crater, looking at the sky that was a lot clearer.


    The red hue around the world had reduced by a lot but the world was still just as lifeless.


    "Are you here to scold me because I interfered?" the man asked.


    Following his question, the sound of footsteps appeared behind him. A man, holding an umbre walked closer to the green haired man, stopping only one step behind.

 Chapter 358: Chapter 358: Lucky Star

    "I was not the one who brought him here. He came here himself, even surprising me. Isn''t his growth a little too fast?" the green-haired man asked, his expression remaining calm.


    "You should have stopped him. Instead, you helped him take your sword. Isn''t that going overboard, Sword Emperor?" the man with the umbre said.


    If Eren was here, he would have been surprised at the sight of the person. It was none other than the person he addressed as the author.


    "I should have stopped him? I am already dead. Even when I was alive, I couldn''t stop him. How do you expect me to stop him when I''m dead?" the Sword Emperor replied.


    "I am sure you know what I mean." The man with the umbre said.


    "Why would I understand what you big people think?" the Sword Emperor said. "If you wanted to stop him, you should have done that yourself."


    The man with the umbre simply sighed in response. He turned around, his footsteps growing distant.


    "Are you leaving already?" The Sword Emperor asked, finally turning around to look at the distant figure of the person.


    "I need to prepare..."


    ....


    Eren continued to examine the mark on his upper arm,pletely unaware of the significance it held and the events that had unfolded because of what he had initially dismissed as a mere dream.


    He was eager to test the mark and see if he could still use the power of the poison pendant, but he knew he couldn''t do so in the Holy City unless he wanted to be discovered.


    "Identity."


    He used the identification on the unknown mark to get more information.


    The Identification screen took his entire existence into consideration. Instead of just giving the description of the mark, it showed his entire status screen.


    ..................


    [Name: Eren (Ren Necroline)]


    [Level: 36]


    [Identity: Great Elder at the Great Demon Sect, Spy of Mythical Hero Academy, Owner of Devourer Bloodline, Heir of the Necromancer Tower, Ruler of Spirit Realm]


    [Main Bloodlines: Unknown (25%), Devourer, Celestial Dragon (Partial)]


    [Guardian: First Spirit Queen Yelen]


    [Contracted Spirit: Spirit Queen Felona]


    [Age: 21]


    [Traits: Ambitious, ???]


    [Stats]


    [Strength: 995]


    [Agility: 1310]


    [Stamina: 1198]


    [Intelligence :87]


    [Mana: 4448]


    [Cultivation: Unknown (Sealed)]


    [Hero Grade: SSS]


    [Goddess Protection: Unknown (5%)]


    [Death Walking: 1 Percent]


    [Main Physiques: Lunar Frost Physique, Destiny Physique]


    [Unique items in possession: Modified Mana Weapon, Overlord Killing Dagger (Iplete), Pendant of Prediction, Question Voucher, Favor Token (Feng Yu), ###### Box (3/4 Seals), Map of Celestial Dragon''s Heart, Sword of Retribution/ Sword Emperor''s Sword]


    [Unique skills: Sword Emperor''s Aura, Aura Control Method, Identification, Devouring, Aquatic Mastery, Flight, Dragon Language, Dragon Transformation, Skill Unification, Frost Domain, Disguise, eleration, Mind Maniption, Heightened Senses, Blood Maniption]


    ..................


    Eren wasn''t trying to open his status screen, only being interested in the mark. Still, now that the status screen had appeared, he grew somewhat interested in checking his own growth.


    The growth in his stats was not too impressive. As he hadn''t crossed the next great wall, it was to be expected. Still, there were some changes in the status screen that surprised him.


    The first change he noticed was in his Bloodline sections. His Sea Dragon Bloodline appeared to have transformed for some reason.


    Although it had been the purest in the past, it had now changed into a partial Celestial Dragon''s Bloodline for an unknown reason.


    Unlike being aplete pure sea dragon Bloodline, it was now an iplete celestial dragon bloodline.


    Eren had thought that such a change would only ur if he devoured the Celestial Dragon''s heart. However, the transformation had already taken ce.


    He was curious as to what had caused this shift. The only thing he had done was to save the Sea Dragon Empress.


    Still, he knew that he had toplete the Bloodline. Now that his sea dragon Bloodline had be a high-rank celestial dragon Bloodline, it hadpleted the trio of high ranking Bloodlines for him.


    With that, the high-rank Bloodlines were now disyed separately in his Status Screen.


    Another change in his status screen was the Goddess'' Protection. From one percent, it had now reached five percent.


    As for the other changes, they were the ones that were truly confusing for him. The most surprising change was that a new section had appeared.


    It was called Death Walking. He didn''t understand what it meant but it showed a percentage in front of it. Unlike other sections, this one didn''t make any sense for him.


    He even felt like using identification on his status screen sections to get more information but it was impossible for this one.


    As for thest change, it was the Sword of Retribution which had appeared in the items that he possessed. It was a sword that was also called the Sword Emperor''s Sword.


    The Sword Emperor''s Sword made him think about the Sword Emperor''s Aura and the pendant of poison that were able to sync perfectly.


    He also thought about the dream that he recently had where he picked up a sword that was in perfect sync with his pendant of poison and Sword Emperor''s Aura as well.


    "Is that the sword?"


    Eren wasn''t sure if he was right, but if that was the case, he could only thank his lucky stars as he remembered seeing how powerful that sword actually was.


    The most pleasing part about it all was that he didn''t have toplete any annoying system tasks to receive the Sword Emperor''s Sword.


    Recently, he noticed that his luck had been quite different. At least, that had been the case ever since he had defeated the Main Character of the Eastern Continent.


    Although he wasn''t certain, he truly hoped that this change in fortune would continue.


    He soon opened his inventory to see if the sword was indeed the same one he had seen in his dream.


    "Hmm? It''s not here?" He looked at the inventory in confusion, as there was no new sword. All it contained were the old swords he had gathered.


    While those swords were strong, they were nowhere near the caliber of a Legendary Rank Weapon.

 Chapter 359: Chapter 359: Stuck as a pawn

    Eren stepped out of the shower, appearing to be a little too well dressed. Zia was still curious about the mark on Eren''s arm but because of him getting dressed, she couldn''t see it anymore.


    She wondered just what was the significance of that mark for Eren that he would get it imprinted on his arm. She waspletely unaware that it wasn''t there until yesterday.


    She wanted to ask Eren about it but he had already ignored her question once. If he didn''t feelfortable talking about it, she didn''t question him.


    Unlike Zia, Yu Lin didn''t have even the slightest of curiosity for some reason. She just asionally looked at Eren, holding a meaningful gaze that she lowered whoever Eren was looking towards her.


    From that point on, none of them talked about the mark that had appeared on Eren''s arm.


    "Shall we take a walk outside? It''s not often that wee to the Holy City," Eren told the twodies who immediately agreed.


    The three of them soon stepped out of their rooms, immediately growing surprised to see the number of guards stationed outside.


    Unlike before, there were just too many guests this time. For a moment, Eren even thought that they were here to capture them but there was no hostility. They were simply observing him.


    From the back, an old man stepped forward. "Greetings to the Eastern Envoys. I believe we haven''t met before. I am Yen, the Minister of War of the Holy Empire."


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Minister of War." Eren responded with a calm demeanor before asking, "May I ask why you have gathered so many guards there? I hope the Minister of War isn''t nning on going to war with us."


    "I don''t believe I would ever have that opportunity." Instead of refuting Eren''s words, the Minister of War answered in a straightforward manner as if he was actually disappointed that he couldn''t.


    The Minister of War turned around without saying anything else. The other guards cleared the path for him.


    Although he didn''t tell Eren to follow him, the meaning behind his actions was clear.


    Eren followed the old man, apanied by the two women.


    "Something important was stolenst night. The stolen object holds great significance to the Holy Empire. I suppose you wouldn''t know anything about that?" The Minister of War asked, without looking back at Eren.


    "Something was stolen? What?"


    Eren was just as confused as everyone else. This time, he didn''t steal anything. Was there someone else in the Holy City who was able to mess with the Holy Empire to this extent?


    He was also curious about the item that was stolen. If the Holy Empire reacted like this, then he could only imagine the importance of the item that was stolen.


    "You are the only outsider that entered the Holy City yesterday and something like this happened. Isn''t it an interesting coincidence?" The Minister of War asked, his presence bing fainter with each passing second to the point that Eren couldn''t even hear the sound of his footsteps.


    "Are you doubting me?" Eren asked, rubbing his forehead in frustration.


    There were times when he did something himself but no one could doubt him because he used a false persona. Meanwhile, this time he didn''t do anything and the suspicions were already on him?


    Now he finally understood what the Sea Dragon Empress must have felt when she took the me for his actions without even realizing.


    "I simply called out a coincidence. Why did you think I was doubting you? Unless you also think that makes sense?" The Minister of War eximed, his words carrying a hidden meaning beneath.


    For the first time, Eren felt a slight hint of killing intent. It wasn''ting from one person either. He felt more people that were clearly hiding in the surroundings.


    "I hope you won''t do anything that you might regret. Some things have far reaching consequences." Eren told the man,ing to a halt.


    He also sent a signal to Zia to protect Yu Lin, telling her that it might be time for them to be enemies of the Holy Empire.


    "Unfortunately I know the consequences far too well. That''s exactly why you need to die." The Minister of War came to a halt as well, his voice barely audible. A sword appeared in his hand that shone brightly.


    The sword looked like a treasure from the North as it was using Mana. There was not even the slightest trace of the Holy Aura as if intentional.


    "And here I was looking forward to some sightseeing..." Eren scratched the back of his head, calling forth a sword as well.


    He didn''t want to be a pawn in the game between the Holy Emperor and the Priestess but it has actuallye to this.


    Although he expected the Holy Priestess to do something to frame the Emperor, he didn''t expect it to be this deliberate.


    If the highest ranking subordinate of the Holy Emperor attacked the envoys from the East with a Mana weapon, that was enough to link him to the Northern Empire.


    There was already a w in the disappearance of the previous envoys from the East. How would the Northern Empires know where they were going and at what time?


    The only ones knowing you were the Holy Church who sent the invitation and the Demon Sect which epted.


    That was the only thing that linked the Holy Church to this disappearance. However, if the Holy Emperor was proven to be a traitor, the leak of information could be exined.


    In any case, it was far too crude to be the n of the Holy Emperor even if he was possessed. If that man actually came after reading the novel, there was no way that he was going to be foolish enough to think that the Minister of War could kill two great elders.


    It was more like a suicide mission for an extreme fanatic. And whenever Eren thought about Fanatic Followers, he could only think of one person.

 Chapter 360: Chapter 360: Life on line

    Even if someone wanted to me the Holy Church for this, they couldn''t. The Minister of War did not use the Holy Essence.


    He also did not serve the Holy Church, but rather worked for the Holy Emperor. Everything was carefully arranged to implicate the Holy Emperor.


    If there was another envoy, they may have fallen for this trap, potentially even executing the Holy Emperor.


    Unlike Eren, the other Great Elders were more ruthless and uncaring. If someone attempted to kill them, they would not hesitate to eliminate that person and their entire family.


    If there was truly an Envoy from the Great Demon Sect, they would not have cared that they were in the Western Empire or within the reach of the Western Overlord.


    Eren was still slightly surprised that the Holy Church was using someone like the Minister of War who held such a high position. They were truly willing to sacrifice a lot to drag the Demon Sect into this mess, even using such a significant pawn.


    "Die for our Emperor!" The Minister of War eximed. Turning around, he suddenly swung his sword at Eren.


    The other assassins also jumped out of their hiding positions, attacking Yu Lin and Zia. Their attacks were quite crude, as if they weren''t too capable.


    Zia stepped in front of Yu Lin, her aura ring. It was time for her to show her strength.


    Until now, she had been stuck in a weird role where her responsibility had been moaning to distract people or being a babysitter to Yu Lin. After a long time, she could finally go out and kill people.


    Even though she had a small stature and didn''t look like it, she was quite strong.


    "Hmm?" Zia was prepared to crack a few skulls, but before she could even make a move, she felt the temperature turn colder.


    The bodies of the assassins suddenly froze in thick blocks of ice while they were still in the middle of the air. With a thud, the blocks of ice fell on the ground, shattering into small pieces along with the bodies of the assassins.


    In the blink of an eye, all the assassins were killed which surprised Zia. She looked back at Yu Lin whose eyes were shining in a beautiful blue shade. Her eyes soon recovered to their normal, as if nothing had changed.


    Even though the assassins weren''t too strong, they weren''t weak either. To have them killed in an instant was definitely something impressive, especially for someone like Yu Lin who had only been learning in the sect for a short time.


    Zia, despite being a Great Elder in the sect, couldn''t recognise the skill that Yu Lin used as it was not one of the skills that were in the sect library. She knew all significant skills like that after all.


    As an Alchemist, it was her responsibility to know about the skills that the Sect taught the Disciples so she could prepare medicines ordingly.


    Not only was Yu Lin''s skill not something that belonged to the sect but it was also quite a high tier skill from the looks of it.


    Even Zia wasn''t sure if she could actually protect herself from this skill if Yu Lin was in the same realm as her in the future.


    Although she had seen Zia Yu Lin train in the past, this was the first time she saw this skill being used.


    While Zia was surprised by the skill disyed by Yu Lin, the Minister of War was also surprised to see his men being killed with such ease. These people were definitely stronger than he had thought, which didn''t frighten him.


    If anything, he appeared more pleased as it meant that he was going to die more swiftly without much pain.


    ''Soon, I will be able to meet the goddess in the afterlife!'' he thought as his determination became even stronger.


    With all his might, he swung his sword while Eren simply observed. The attack was too slow for him, especially when he could use the Bloodline Ability of eleration.


    He could easily dodge the attack at any time but he was curious about something else, especially since he could feel the presence of another person approaching.


    With his heightened senses, he could feel that the person wasn''t alone. He was being followed by the armored warriors.


    Eren wasn''t sure if there were more peopleing to attack him. If it was a trap by the Holy Church then it was unlikely as the trap was going toplete the moment the Minister of War was killed.


    Even if Eren didn''t kill him, he was certain that the Minister of War had prepared to kill himself through unknown means.


    In that case, the person who wasing could only be the Holy Emperor. It was evident that the Emperor knew that the Monster of War was a traitor if he read the novel.


    The only thing that he couldn''t be certain of was the time of attack on Eren since his presence here had changed the entire plot. Normally, this was supposed to happen with the actual envoy which he was not.


    He was only posing as the Envoy to use the Holy Empire while the real Envoy was probably on his way.


    "Stop right there!" Soon, the Holy Emperor came into Eren''s sight. He called out with all his might but he felt that he was toote.


    From what he remembered, the attack on the envoy happened after the banquet. That''s why he wasn''t as alert. Moreover, the sword had disappeared which wasn''t supposed to happen in the original novel.


    Because of the disappearance of the Sword, his guards were stretched thin. This allowed the Minister of War an opportunity to attack Eren, recing the original guards who had gone searching throughout the city.


    Looking at the panicked expressions of the Holy Emperor, Eren became more certain that the Holy Emperor had nothing to do with it. It was just as he expected.


    The Holy Emperor was running in his direction as if his life depended on stopping this.

 Chapter 361: Chapter 361: Long time

    The Minister of War swung his sword at Eren, the attack appearing powerful enough to sever even the head of a skilled warrior. However, for Eren, it felt almost insignificant.


    Effortlessly, he stepped to the side as the sword came close to his throat, dodging it by a hair''s breadth. The sword missed, leaving not even the slightest mark on his neck.


    Simultaneously, a dagger materialized in Eren''s left hand, which he swiftly plunged into the Minister''s shoulder.


    The Minister of War let out a pained groan as the de sank into his flesh, his grip on the sword weakening.


    Losing his bnce, he tumbled to the ground, the sword ttering down beside him, the sound echoing through the corridor.


    The Holy Emperor also reached Eren, his face etched with concern.


    "Are you alright?" he asked, his eyes scanning Eren for any signs of injury.


    Eren nced at the Holy Emperor, his eyes narrowing. Although he knew that the Holy Emperor didn''t have a hand in this assassination attempt, that didn''t mean he wasn''t going to y his cards right.


    At the moment, the initiative was in his hands, especially since the Holy Emperor didn''t know that he was also from another world.


    For now, he was just the Great Elder of the Great Demon Sect who had all the reason to take this incident as evidence of the Empire''s hostility towards him.


    "That''s an interesting thing to ask after asking your subordinates to attack me, isn''t it?"


    Even though Eren didn''t move an inch from his position, his voice was dripping with a heavy trace of hostility to make the Emperor realize what kind of situation he was in.


    The Minister of Wary on the ground, clutching his wounded shoulder. He red up at Eren, his expression twisted with hatred.


    His mouth was filled with an unknown ck liquid that was spilling out of his mouth akin to overflowing poison. Although Eren already expected something like this, he still couldn''t help but subconsciously praise the Minister of War.


    He made it appear that he was identally poisoned when he fell, not actually wanting to crush the poison pill in his mouth.


    "Your Majesty, I have failed!" he said as his body started growing pale, once again putting the me on the Emperor.


    With how hard he was trying to pin the me on the Holy Emperor, it was a little too obvious. Eren wasn''t sure if it was because the Minister of War was just so flustered with the appearance of the Holy Emperor or something else.


    "How dare you frame me? I never gave such instructions!" the Holy Emperor eximed, clearly panicked.


    Looking at his response, Eren was able to gain a little more understanding about the Holy Emperor. It became evident that he was only recently possessed so he wasn''t able toe to terms with the sudden changes.


    Eren ignored the Holy Emperor and walked towards the minister of war who was lying on the ground.


    The Holy Emperor tried to approach him, only to be blocked by Zia who appeared as if she was actually going to attack him if he took another step forward.


    Unlike Eren, Zia hadn''t managed to properly analyze the  situation. On top, Eren had med the Holy Emperor which further strengthened her assumption.


    She was really holding herself back from killing the Holy Emperor as she wanted Eren to have this opportunity.


    Yu Lin, on the contrary, was more focused on the Guards that apanied the Emperor.


    Seeing the killing intent being directed at the Emperor, the Royal Guards had also raised their weapons to protect the emperor.


    "Lower your weapons! Don''t cause any further misunderstanding!" The Holy Emperormanded the Royal Guards that were still loyal to him.


    "But Your Majesty...?" The Guards hesitated. If they weren''t prepared to protect the Emperor, then weren''t they all no different than sitting ducks in front of these people?


    "Do as I said!" The Holy Emperor eximed while taking a step back. He knew that there was no point in crying over the spilled milk.


    All he could do was try to convince Eren that he really had no hand in it. For that, he had to tell them the secret that only he knew.


    Although telling such things to people from an enemy continent was foolish, that was the only method he had.


    While the Holy Priestess wanted to use them against him, he also had the exact option if he wanted to survive. To throw out the Holy Priestess and save his life, he needed the help of another organization which was simrly strong.


    He has also considered taking the help of the Necromancer Tower but he didn''t have any ess to them. Moreover, if he was exposed, even his loyal servants were going to be hostile to him.


    There was nothing that the people of Western Continent hated more than the Necromancer Tower. The only option he had was the Great Demon Sect.


    "All of the guards, leave! I want absolute privacy!" The Holy Emperor told the Guards who grew even more confident.


    Unfortunately, they couldn''t ignore the Emperor''s orders. After slight hesitation, they lowered their weapons and left.


    The Holy Emperor was left with the guests from the East, alone. The Holy Emperor also cast a barrier around the entire section of the pce after making sure that no guards or servants were here.


    What he was about to say next, could only be heard by Eren.


    "You really thought you could have a quick death after attacking me? How sweet." Eren sat on a knee in front of the Minister of War.


    He brought out a ninth grade healing pill from his inventory and forcefully shoved it inside the mouth of the Minister of War, using the Dragon Tongue Magic to have the man consume it.


    The moment the Minister of War noticed the Dragon Magic, his body froze. He tried speaking but Eren used the Dragon Tongue Magic again to seal the man''s ability to speak.


    "We are going to have quite some fun," Eren told the man, lightly tapping his cheeks while the man simply trembled in fear.

 Chapter 362: Chapter 362: The Holy Emperors End?

    The Minister of War had been on the verge of death, but he was forcefully pulled back to life. The effects of the poison had been eliminated.


    Instead, his vitality was only growing stronger but the pain from the poison had not yet disappeared.


    The Minister of War knew that he could afford anything, but he could not afford to be caught alive. He was more scared of Cardinal Treniel than he was of Eren.


    Even after being brought back to life, he still tried to kill himself by biting down on his tongue. But before he could, Eren shoved a piece of cloth in his mouth to prevent him.


    Eren then tied the man''s hands behind his back and grabbed him by the cor.


    "If he tries to move, freeze his legs. As long as he''s still breathing, that''s fine," he told Yu Lin, tossing the man in her direction.


    He stood up and finally shifted his attention to the Holy Emperor who had just been standing there silently, waiting for an opportunity to speak.


    The entire ce was shrouded in a barrier, preventing anyone from listening to the conversation that was to take ce here. The Holy Emperor was extremely cautious.


    He took a deep breath, watching Eren approach him. At this moment, he couldn''t afford to be scared. He was someone who had gone through multiple wars. How could he be scared of one person? Unfortunately, that one person was not ordinary.


    Just the aura around Eren itself was dangerous, making every instinct in his body scream.


    "I know that you might not believe me, but I really had no hand in this attack," he said after calming his beating heart.


    "You have five minutes." Eren stood merely a few meters away from the Holy Emperor, his arms wrapped around his chest. "If I''m not satisfied with your answer, things are going to get really messy for both of us."


    The Holy Emperor believed Eren''s words, especially since he knew what kind of people were in the Great Demon Sect. Just the way Eren had talked about torturing the Minister of War alone was enough to give him a rough impression of what kind of person Eren was.


    The Holy Emperor rubbed his forehead, wondering how he could phrase his words properly.


    "Your time is running out," Eren said, giving the Holy Emperor another push.


    The Holy Emperor didn''t care anymore. He started telling Eren everything.


    "The person who ordered this attack was not me. The orders that the Minister of War was following, came from the Holy Church."


    Eren didn''t interfere while the man was speaking but it was clear what he wanted to hear. He didn''t care who the Emperor med. All he wanted to know was how the Holy Emperor was going to convince him about the involvement of the Holy Church.


    "As you already know, I have no incentive to hurt you, especially inside my own pce. If you died here, I would have been the one who faced the wrath of the Demon Sect."


    "Moreover, even if I wanted to kill you, why would I use the Minister of War? I am not foolish enough to think that only these few people could kill you."


    "If I wanted to kill you, wouldn''t I have set a trap far away from the Holy City where you could die while investigating the disappearance of your people?"


    The Holy Emperor used his time wisely. First, he gave the name of the real culprit and then exined why he wouldn''t have done such a foolish thing.


    It also made sense. Unless he was a fool, he wouldn''t have done it in this manner.


    "Why would the Holy Church want me dead?" Eren finally spoke, directing a question.


    "They have two reasons. The first is that they want to hide their own involvement. The only people who knew about the arrival of the eastern envoys were from the Holy Church who sent the invitation."


    "They know that it''s only a matter of time before this question rises up in your head if it hasn''t already. Hence, they needed a scapegoat, which became me."


    "If they wanted a scapegoat, couldn''t they have used the Archbishop that delivered the invitation? They had so many ways to shift the me. Why choose you?" Eren asked, even though he already knew the answer.


    It was because they specifically wanted the Holy Emperor dead with good justification.


    "That''s the second reason. It is because they want me dead. Currently, there are two power centers in the Holy Empire," the Holy Emperor exined.


    "The Royal Family and the Holy Church?" Eren chimed in.


    "That is right. Normally, it doesn''t matter. However, the Holy Priestess wants to change the status quo now. That''s why she needs me dead. But if she killed me herself, my younger brother is going to be the next emperor."


    "If she wants to remove us, she would have to remove the entire Royal Family. If she did that herself, it would be bad for the reputation of the Holy Church."


    "Can''t she kill you secretly, and then shift the me to the Necromancer Tower?"


    "That won''t work either. If the Necromancer Tower can kill the Holy Emperor in the Holy City, it is also going to shake people''s trust in the Holy Church and the barrier that protects us. Their strengthes from faith, and they can''t let that faith waver."


    "The only way for them to get rid of me is to do it when I''m not in the Holy City. That''s why, I never leave the Holy City. It seems they have run out of patience. Your appearance also gave them another opportunity."


    "If they can link me with the Necromancer Tower thanks to your help, and if you kill me, they can just make up a number of excuses to eradicate the entire Royal Family with the excuse."


    "With that, they can put the me of the leaking information on me, and win the trust of the Demon Sect. You can''t let them seed. Because if they did, it''s only a matter of time before the Eastern Continue also falls..."


    With that, the Holy Emperor went silent. The time he had received to speak was over. He had also said everything he wanted to say, believing that he had done a good job.


    "So it''s just that?" Eren scratched the back of his head, feeling slightly taken aback.


    He had thought that the reason the Holy Priestess was not attacking the Holy Emperor was because he had some secret weapon that could threaten her. Unfortunately, it was just about the reputation?


    "How childish..." Shaking his head, Eren stepped forward. "However, I trust you. There is no way you would make such ame excuse."


    "It also makes things easier for me." Eren reached out his hand, cing it on the man''s shoulder. There remained a friendly smile on his lips.


    "Makes things easier for you?" The Holy Emperor didn''t understand what Eren was talking about. But from his expressions, it became clear that he wasn''t hostile anymore.


    With that, he had won the support of Eren. Now he had a weapon that he could also use to protect his future.


    "Huh?"


    As the man had rxed, he suddenly felt Eren''s grip on his shoulders tighten. Eren suddenly pulled him closer, hugging him.


    The Holy Emperor''s face grew pale, filled with horror. He lowered his gaze, noticing a few inches of gap between him and Eren. There was a dagger stabbed in his chest which had started to bleed.


    "You...?" He looked at Eren in disbelief. "...why?"

 Chapter 363: Chapter 363: New Holy Emperor; Erens Era

    Eren plunged the dagger into the Holy Emperor''s chest, stunning the man who had thought his words had managed to convince Eren.


    Did Eren not believe him at all? That didn''t make sense. When he looked into Eren''s eyes, there was no anger or hatred, only a frightening calm like the ocean before a storm.


    It was clear he did not act out of anger or hatred. If anything, there was pity in his eyes. Then why? This was the only question in the Holy Emperor''s mind.


    Eren didn''t answer the question of the Holy Emperor. The Holy Emperor only felt more pain as Eren''s hand transformed into a w, stabbing into his chest.


    The Holy Emperor coughed out a mouthful of blood while his heart was ripped out from his chest in front of his eyes.


    The pain didn''tst long as a strange poison spread inside his body, as if trying to make hisst moments a little easier. He was also unable to move an inch, his body growing more and more paralyzed with each passing second.


    The heart disappeared from Eren''s hand, being kept in his inventory.


    The Holy Emperor tried speaking but even his lips refused to move now. His entire body was growing heavier. He was barely able to stand with Eren''s support.


    Eren''s lips moved as he used the Dragon Tongue Magic to make sure that only the Holy Emperor could hear his words.


    From that moment onwards, the twodies in the back didn''t hear anything while the Holy Emperor''s expressions kept twisting in pain and more so in shock.


    "I am sorry, but there are already too many variables that came from earth. At this moment, I can''t afford to keep any more of you alive, especially one who hasn''t learned to use his abilities yet "


    The Holy Emperor was a powerful existence. Even if he was not careful, he was still not someone that Eren could kill easily. Fortunately, the Holy Emperor was not himself at the moment.


    Moreover, the Transmigrator had onlye recently which made it a perfect opportunity that Eren didn''t believe he was going to receive again.


    If he didn''t take care of the Holy Emperor now, then when the man actually managed to learn the Holy Emperor''s abilities to perfection, he could be a true strength.


    Eren didn''t want the appearance of another Prophet who was working for his own goals or Fey who had learned how to use the Author.


    This was the easier opportunity for him to kill the Transmigrator from the Western Continent, erasing a future threat before it actually awakened a golden finger or a system.


    Eren had already thought about doing it from the moment he came to learn that the Holy Emperor was a transmigrator but he was hesitant.


    He didn''t know why the Holy Priestess was cautious against the Holy Emperor. If he was needed to keep her at bay then he couldn''t kill him.


    He didn''t want to kill the Holy Emperor, only to help the Holy Priestess. To his pleasant surprise, the Holy Emperor wasn''t all that important.


    Although he still needed a Holy Emperor to keep the Holy Priestess from takingplete control over the Western Continent, that was much easier to achieve.


    "If all we need is the Holy Emperor, then I will be one..." Eren said as his appearance started changing.


    He took the Holy Emperor''s storage ring while he couldn''t even resist. In the storage ring, Eren found the royal attire of the Heavenly Emperor.


    Right there, Eren changed his clothes while his body finished transforming.


    The Holy Emperor''s pupils trembled while his breathing became even more haggard. His vision had already started growing darker.


    Eren released the Holy Emperor who fell on his knees with a thud, the floor being stained with his blood.


    "I don''t know what kind of life you had on earth. I don''t know what will happen after your death. Will you return back to Earth? Or will you forever cease to exist?" Eren mumbled, cing his head on the Holy Emperor''s head.


    "I don''t want to find out either. As long as I exist, I will not let anyone kill me. I will make this a world that shall belong to me."


    "I will make it a world where nothing can threaten me. And in that journey, I will need your memories. So let me see... Just which novel it was that you read."


    He used the abilities that he had devoured in the Southern Continent to forcefully read the Transmigrator''s memories.


    The Holy Emperor''s body trembled in pain as he felt his mind being fragments. More than the pain of his body, he felt the pain of his soul being ripped apart as an unknown force was going through his memories.


    The moment his memories were devoured was also the moment where he took hisst breath.


    Until hisst moment, the man didn''t understand what had happened. Just yesterday, he was brought to this new world without the physical ws that he had in the real world.


    He thought this world was going to be his heaven as long as he used his memories well. So how? How was he dying within the first twenty four hours?


    Even more shocking was Eren mentioning earth as if knew all too well about it. Was he also from earth? In that case, why? Why couldn''t the two of them help each other?


    Even as he took hisst breath, he never understood Eren''s actions. Just where did he go wrong? Did he really have no other option but to die from the beginning?


    He could only curse his luck for being born as the Holy Emperor who was fated for death. With a thud, his lifeless body fell on the ground.


    This time, Eren didn''t make the same mistake he had done with Aster. He used his Dragon Tongue to burn the Emperor''s body and any remnant soul to ashes so even in his wildest dreams he couldn''te back to life.


    This world didn''t need two Holy Emperors! From now on, he was the Holy Emperor. It was time for the so-called puppet leader to be a real leader.

 Chapter 364: Chapter 364: Reputation is Useless

    The Holy Emperor''s body was burning in his own pce.


    Unfortunately, the Guards that were supposed to protect him weren''t even there anymore. They were sent away by the Holy Emperor himself who had never expected an oue like this.


    Soon, his body turned into ash, leaving barely any remnant of the person that was called the Holy Emperor. All he became was some dust on the floor.


    Even though the Holy Emperor had turned to ashes, there was another person standing next to the ashes who looked just like the Holy Emperor, wearing identical clothes.


    The ashes of the Holy Emperor flew with the wind, before disappearing into the unknown. Not even a speck of that ashnded on Eren''s clean attire that looked magnificent.


    He truly looked like the Holy Emperor who had been untouched by the passage of time. With the real Holy Emperor''s death, the barrier that was cast around the hallway had also started disintegrating slowly.


    While it was yet topletely disappear, Eren turned to the two women behind him.


    As for the Minister of War, he had long passed out the moment Eren tossed him towards Yu Lin who froze most of his body, including all his nerves.


    "Are you really going to do this?"


    Eren didn''t have to exin anything. Just his disguise alone exined that he was nning to take the ce of the Holy Emperor.


    "How are we going to exin the disappearance of a Great Elder?" Zia asked Eren the question that was urgently needed to answer.


    As Eren had taken the ce of the Holy Emperor, Eren himself was supposed to be missing. How could that absence be exined, especially when Cardinal Treniel was here?


    As teleportation couldn''t be used inside the Holy City, unless permitted by the Holy Priestess, they couldn''t even say that Eren had returned to the Eastern Continent after opening a Portal.


    The Holy Priestess was already suspicious about Eren and his disappearance wasn''t going to be ignored.


    "Isn''t that what you are here for?" Eren smiled, looking at Zia.


    Zia''s eyes narrowed, wondering why Eren was looking at her like that. Just what was he nning? Why did she feel like a sheep that was on the radar of a wolf?


    "Everyone knows that Great Elder Ren is a lecherous person, just like the other Great Elder." Eren''s words gave Zia a hint as to what he was suggesting.


    Even though Zia wasn''t the cleverest person, even she understood what he was implying.


    "Absolutely not! Almost everyone in that Duke''s Pce thinks that I am a perverted woman! You want the Royal Pce of the Holy Empire to think the same? If it''s here, this news won''t be limited to the Western Continent itself!"


    Unlike the Duke''s Pce which was only filled with guards after the arrival of the Holy Priestess, the Royal Pce was filled with many servants aside from the Guards.


    While the Guards were still careful about what they leaked, the servants were different. They didn''t control their lips.


    If she pulled the same act here, then it was going to spread beyond the walls of the pce. It might even be heard by the Merchants that wereing from the Southern Continent.


    As it was rted to two Great Elders of the Demon Sect, they were definitely going to take interest in it. Zia absolutely didn''t want this news to spread everywhere, especially since it wasn''t even true.


    "What''s the point of having a reputation?" Eren simply shrugged.


    He couldn''t care less about his reputation, especially since it was already as bad as it could be. It was already rumored that he ate the raw flesh of his enemies after giving them gruesome death.


    Although it partially became true after the spread of the rumor because of his devouring hearts, it was still an exaggerated rumor.


    Itpletely ruined his reputation while also creating a new reputation for him which was much stronger.


    By now, the barrier had almostpletely disappeared. Eren was able to hear the footsteps of the Royal Guards that were approaching again.


    "Won''t you help me with this onest time?" Eren asked Zia who felt at a loss. He was requesting her. Also, this was for the good of the Great Demon Sect. If they took over the Holy Empire, it also made things a lot easier for them.


    Although she didn''t want to do it, she thought of the reasons to convince herself. More importantly, she agreed to do this because the person asking her was Eren.


    "Fine. I will do it." She agreed, sounding a little grumpy. Why did she have to do something like that alone? Why did she have to fake it when she was still inexperienced?


    Unfortunately, she couldn''t say anything else. She simply turned around and left as she was supposed to be with Eren in his room.


    Yu Lin was left behind as per Eren''s instructions, still handling the Minister of War who was unconscious.


    Now that Eren didn''t have to worry about his other personality''s whereabouts, he could finally focus on establishing his own domain. And in that, Yu Lin was going to help him.


    "Your Majesty, are you alright?" The Royal Guards arrived, sighing in relief to see that the Holy Emperor was perfectly fine.


    It appeared as if he had managed to convince the two great elders since they weren''t anywhere to see either.


    "You don''t have to worry about me. It was just a misunderstanding with the Minister of War acting on his own to frame me. Now the misunderstanding is over," Eren told the Guards as he walked past them, holding his hand behind his back like a surreal expert.


    This was what he learned from the memories of the Transmigrator who possessed the Holy Emperor.


    Although he hadn''t inherited the memories of the person he possessed, he knew about the way the Holy Emperor behaved through the book that he had read.


    Thanks to the memories he had stolen, Eren also knew about the content of the book which gave him an even better understanding of the world and the plot regarding the False Priestess.


    It waspletely contrary to his assumptions. Even now, he couldn''t believe it.

 Chapter 365: Chapter 365: Taking control

    "That is good," the Royal Guards sighed in relief.


    If anything had happened to the Holy Emperor, they knew they would also be killed for failing in their duty to protect him.


    With the Holy Emperor''s death, his brother was in line to take the position. And with the kind of personality he had, he was likely to have them executed publicly.


    Compared to his brother, the current Holy Emperor was like an angel from heaven.


    Eren also understood their thoughts. It was fortunate that the guards were distracted, not having time to doubt what had actually transpired here.


    Eren informed the Guards that the Minister of War had betrayed him, attempting to assassinate the envoys.


    As a result, the Minister was stripped of his position, and Eren announced that a new Minister of War would be appointed.


    However, he did not immediately name a recement, leaving the position open like a carrot dangling in front of the Royal Guards. The Guards all had a chance to im the role, as long as they performed well in the future.


    With this carrot, Eren temporarily removed all possible threats of the Royal Guards going against him, at least those who were loyal to him.


    There were also those who were not loyal to him. There were many traitors in the Royal Army who had absolute loyalty towards the Holy Church.


    Even if Eren now knew the contents of the novel of Western Continent, he couldn''t know about those traitors as they were too insignificant to even be mentioned by names in the novel.


    The Minister of War was the only exception as he held an important position in the first ce.


    Eren knew that he also had to remove these potential threats. Now that he was the Holy Emperor, he was going to remold the army in his shade, that was going to be loyal to only him.


    The first step in that direction was to cleanse the Royal Guards, especially the Pce Guards that had ess to him.


    Eren told the guards around him to send a message to all Royal Guards present in the Royal City. All of them were to be gathered in the training ground by afternoon for an audience with him.


    "Your Majesty, it would be hard for them to gather. They are busy searching through the city for the missing sword," one of the Pce Guards exined, wondering if the Holy Emperor forgot this.


    "Stop the search if you have to. If I said I want to see everyone there, then I want to see everyone there. Tell them to stop the search and return," Eren told the one who had questioned him.


    "But if we do that, the Holy Church..." Another guard tried speaking, only to close his mouth when he felt Eren looking at him.


    "I am the Holy Emperor. If you can''t follow my others, then you don''t belong here" he told the Guard who hastily lowered his head.


    The Guards were all confused as to why the Holy Emperor was suddenly so strong-willed. Normally, he had been more amodating when it came to the Holy Church, as it was supported by the Western Overlord after all.


    This time, however, he was much more stubborn. Even after knowing that the sword was important for the Holy Church, he was willing to stop the search.


    Eren didn''t tell the Guards his true purpose. Nevertheless, it was the Holy Emperor''s order, and it couldn''t be ignored.


    One of the Pce Guards left swiftly to deliver the royal decree to the other Guards.


    "How is the preparation for the banquet?" Eren grabbed the unconscious Minister of War by his cor before walking towards the grand hall where the other Ministers were supposed to be present.


    Yu Lin also followed him silently, attracting quite a lot of attention as she was supposed to be a disciple of the Great Elder.


    "All the invitations have been delivered. Many important guests will be in attendance, including the Holy Priestess and all Cardinals that are still in the city."


    Eren nodded silently. This banquet was an event he could not avoid, but he had no intention of doing so in the first ce.


    Instead, he nned to use it to his advantage. The time hade for a significant shakeup in the Holy Empire.


    With the Minister of War being dragged by his cor, Eren entered the Throne Room.


    All the ministers present stood up in shock, their eyes fixed on the bloodied figure of the Minister of War being dragged by the Holy Emperor, whose gaze was unusually cold.


    A few ministers wore strange expressions on their faces.


    "Your Majesty, what is the meaning of this?" The Minister of Commerce asked, appearing absolutely stunned.


    The other Ministers also started asking questions, only to be ignored as Eren walked past them, leaving a trail of blood everywhere the Minister of War''s body was dragged through.


    It was only after Eren reached near the throne, he released the cor of the Minister of War, letting his unconscious body lie unmoving on the ground.


    Eren walked to the throne. His robe swung behind him as he turned to face all the Ministers, sitting on the throne with great dignity.


    Looking at the cold look of the Holy Emperor, all the Ministers grew silent. Those who had stood up to question him, sat back silently, their backs drenched in cold.


    They wondered just what mistake the Minister of War had made to receive such a treatment.


    "There are traitors from the Necromancer Tower in our midst," Eren finally spoke, sending a shockwave down the entire hall.


    He knew that amongst those ministers who were sitting here, quite a few were on the side of the Holy Church. They also knew the n about framing the Holy Emperor as a traitor for the Necromancer Tower.


    Instead of being med as the traitor, he was going to be the person who was catching the traitors. He wasn''t going to make the same mistake as the real Holy Emperor had done.


    Just as he promised himself, he was not going to let anyone else have control over his future.

 Chapter 366: Chapter 366: Slow poison

    While Eren had taken his first step towardspletely controlling the Holy Empire, Zia was pacing back and forth in her room, unsure of how she ended up in this situation.


    She knew she had to act, but felt embarrassed even though she had already done it once before.


    Inwardly, she cursed Eren''s name as she began undressing, stripping downpletely before getting into bed.


    Zia started the act, which was not entirely an act. As she feigned moans, her mind kept returning to the thoughts of Eren. She wondered if she would sound the same if he was above her and it was not just an act.


    The moment she realized what she was thinking, Zia''s face flushed slightly. What nonsense was she even considering? She wondered.


    Yet, even as she tried, she couldn''t shake Eren from her mind. Without even realizing it, her fingers began to wander downwards.


    ....


    "Traitors from the Necromancer Tower? That''s impossible. With the Holy Barrier''s existence, how can it happen?"


    "That is right. The Necromancer Tower can''t infiltrate the Holy City! So that''s impossible."


    "Even if they somehow managed to get in contact with people of the Western Continent, no one would listen to them! Everyone knows what kind of monsters they are!"


    One after another, the ministers expressed their shock at Eren''s words. Even though these were the words of the Holy Emperor, they found it difficult for them to ept.


    While most of the dissenting voices belonged to ministers loyal to the Holy Priestess, a few were from those loyal to the Holy Emperor.


    Even for them, the idea of someone from the Holy Empire siding with the evil people from the North was unthinkable.


    The hatred towards the Necromancer Tower ran deep, even among the ordinary citizens of the Holy Empire, let alone those living in the Holy City.


    Even if one assumed that the Necromancer Tower used dark magic to manipte people outside the Holy City, it didn''t make sense.


    Once someone passed through the Holy Barrier and entered the Holy City, all maniption or evil magic was supposed to be cleansed.


    Therefore, it was impossible for people inside the Holy City to be manipted by magic, unless those from the Necromancer Tower had passed through the barrier and used their magic within the city itself.


    If that happened, wouldn''t they have been detected by the Holy Church? Saying there were traitors here was indirectly saying that the Holy Church had failed in preventing the spread of the Necromancer Tower''s influence in the Royal City.


    "Even though I don''t want to believe it, I have seen the evidence myself. The Minister of War is also one of those traitors," Eren told the Ministers, who were even more taken aback. "This problem is more widespread than many of you imagine."


    "Even amongst you, there might be a few people who have turned to the side of the Necromancer Tower, betraying our homnd!" he further added.


    He didn''t know exactly who was on his side and who was a traitor for the Holy Church. However, this was the perfect opportunity to weed the traitors out.


    From the moment Eren had entered the Grand Hall, he had been observing even the more minute fluctuations in the expressions of the Ministers. By now, he had gained quite a good understanding of what he was dealing with.


    Even he couldn''t believe how widespread this infestation actually was. Amongst the fifteen ministers present here, eleven were those who sided with the Holy Priestess.


    "You say that you have seen the evidence. May I ask what that evidence might be?" One of the Ministers asked, being one who was siding with the Holy Priestess.


    He wanted to know just how much the Holy Emperor found out and if there was a need to take any drastic steps. For now, it didn''t feel like he doubted the Holy Priestess but he wanted to be sure.


    "The Minister of War used dark mana to assassinate the envoys of the Demon Sect. I''m sure you can assume who benefits the most if that had happened? If our potential alliance with the Demon Sect falls apart, who does it benefit the most?"


    "Fortunately, the envoys were strong and weren''t harmed. They have also seen the Minister of War use dark mana. The Royal Guards were also able to witness it. I''m sure that is enough evidence about this infestation."


    Hearing his words, the entire hall became silent. Even those who didn''t support the Emperor couldn''t question him. There were just too many witnesses this time.


    Not only did the Emperor see it but the Royal Guards and the envoys have done the same. If it was just guards, they could have turned them to their side and made them lie but the involvement of the Great Elders of Demon Sect made things moreplicated.


    ''Can you make it any more obvious?'' Eren thought, observing the flustered and angry expressions of the eleven traitorous Ministers who were at a loss of words.


    Some were looking at the Minister of War with hostility, wondering how he could fail to this extent. He had one job to do and he even failed in that.


    As if to poke the traitors even more, Eren sympathetically said, "Although I don''t want to ept it, it seems that the Holy Church has failed this time.''


    ''You...''


    The majority of Elders grew pale, looking at the Holy Emperor with a stunned look on their faces.


    Did he already find out that the Holy Church was behind it and they had failed this time? They couldn''t let the Holy Emperor live. Although it was problematic, they had to kill him.


    "They failed in stopping the influence of the Necromancer Tower from reaching the Holy City. However, I am sure that together, we can solve this problem. The Holy Church is still our greatest shield," Eren further exined, having enough of messing with the traitors.


    Although he knew what the Holy Church wanted, he still couldn''t afford to expose them. Instead of making it a blunt attack on the Holy Church, he wanted to be a slow poison that devoured the Holy Church from within.

 Chapter 367: Chapter 367: Cleansing

    The Ministers looked at each other''s faces, thinking about the Holy Emperor''s words.


    Most of them already knew that Eren was talking absolute nonsense since the Minister of War was not a puppet of the Necromancer Tower in the first ce.


    They knew that the Minister of War was following the instructions of Cardinal Treniel. It wasn''t the Holy Church that had failed but the Minister of War who had failed.


    There were only four ministers who had no idea about it as they weren''t supported by the Holy Church. As the Holy Emperor was saying it with such confidence, they didn''t doubt his words.


    They simply wondered who else was a traitor to the Holy Empire. If even the Minister of War had fallen then who could they trust? They even wondered if there were traitors amongst the Ministers who were present here.


    This also exined why the Holy Emperor was so furious. Because of these Traitors, the Holy Empire had almost entered a war with the Great Demon Sect which they could not afford.


    While they still had to worry about the Necromancer Tower, they couldn''t afford any more enemies. If they were in his ce, they were sure that they would have been even more upset.


    "Your Majesty, do you believe that some of us arepromised as well?" A minister loyal to the Holy Emperor asked.


    He already knew the answer to that question but he still wanted to hear that from the Holy Emperor''s mouth.


    Eren didn''t answer right away. His gaze swept over all the Ministers. Even those who were on the side of the Holy Church looked around, as if wanting to guess who could be the traitor. Unfortunately, it was toote for them to put on an act.


    "There are indeed more traitors." After a period of silence, Eren nodded as he broke the silence. "The Minister of War has already confessed the names of the other traitors."


    The Minister of War had passed out before he could be interrogated but the ministers here didn''t know that. Eren could easily fool them with the story of a confession.


    Even the Royal Guards couldn''t doubt Eren as they hadn''t been with the Holy Emperor for quite some time. They didn''t even know that the real Holy Emperor was dead.


    "The number of traitors is quite higher than I expected. To cleanse this ce, I''m afraid I would have to spill a lot of blood today."


    Eren lowered his head, appearing really sad that he was betrayed by the people he trusted. As he was about to kill most of the Ministers, he wanted to put on a nice act.


    "Your Majesty, if there are indeed traitors, we should inform the Holy Church first. With their help, it would be much easier to verify the presence of dark magic. You can''t believe the words of a traitor."


    The Ministers who sided with the Holy Priestess found it hard to believe that the Minister of War exposed everything.


    They all knew how scared he was of the Holy Church. He also had a family he loved after all. He would rather die than expose the Holy Church.


    They didn''t know why the Holy Emperor was lying about this but they knew that they had to control the situation while they still could. They had to bring Cardinal Treniel here.


    "Informing the Holy Church?"


    Eren stood up, stepping down from the throne. He walked over to the Minister who had spoken with his hands behind his back.


    "T-that is right. It''s important for them to know," The Minister said, even though he was slightly taken aback by the Holy Emperor''s close proximity to him.


    "You know that the Holy Church is busy trying to find the lost sword. Still, you want them to be informed now? Aren''t you just trying to buy some time so you can escape?" Eren asked, tilting his head sideways like a child looking at an amusing toy.


    "Escape? Why would I-" the Minister tried responding as his eyes narrowed. However, before he couldplete his sentence, he saw a beautiful silver light sh in front of his eyes.


    The silver light belonged to the sharp de of a sword that soon turned red. The man watched the sword covered in fresh blood while gently touching his neck, a warm liquid slowly spilling out and staining his blood.


    He opened his lips and no words came out, as if his vocal cords itself were sliced. Soon, his entire world turned upside down as his head rolled to the side, falling at the Holy Emperor''s feet.


    His vision turned dark, watching the Holy Emperor''s feet turn in another direction, leaving him behind. Soon, he lost his life as the rest of his body also dropped on the ground with a thud.


    "What?"


    "You killed him?"


    The Ministers who were supported by the Holy Church were absolutely stunned, watching one of them die. Some even wondered if they were dreaming.


    Was it really the same Holy Emperor that always took the opinion of the Holy Church before even taking decisions of small importance? He had killed a Minister?


    "All the Traitors shall be killed today. No one will be given an opportunity to escape!"


    As Eren spoke, the Ministers who were against him realized that the Emperor already knew about their loyalties. He had really gone crazy, wanting to go against the Holy Church with the excuse of betrayal.


    Now that it hade to this, they couldn''t just let themselves be killed. They had to fight back.


    The Ministers were ready to fight back. Even though the Holy Emperor was strong but with theirbined strength, they could still suppress him and wait for Cardinal Treniel to arrive.


    "Huh?"


    The traitorous Ministers had already decided to fight back, only to grow stunned as they noticed that their bodies had frozen in a thickyer of ice. Only their head was free, as if left that way intentionally so they could watch their own execution.

 Chapter 368: Chapter 368: The Scent of Blood

    Ev the Ministers who were loyal to the Holy Emperor were froz in a simr manner for some reason.


    Er walked from one minister to the other, swinging his bloody swords as he removed the poisonous weed that was trying to devour the Royal Family whole.


    The Royal Guards simply watched from a distance, not interfering. They were just as shocked but they didn''t do anything.


    "The seeds of the Necromancer Tower must be erased before they grow up to be a tree that devours everything in its path. Today, I shall cleanse this ce with your blood."


    As more of them died, the Ministers had started growing scared. Some ev started begging the Royal Guards, saying that the Holy Emperor had gone crazy.


    They ev said that it was the Holy Emperor who was a traitor. Unfortunately, that was far from believable now that the Holy Emperor was punishing people who tried to sabotage the cooperation deal with the Demon Sect.


    It was a deal that was supported by the Holy Church and the Holy Emperor. If the Holy Emperor was a traitor, why would he stop the Minister of War?


    This was exactly what Er wanted. With that, their excuses had be useless.


    "If you kill us, the Church will never let you go!"


    Some Ministers came clean and said that they were supported by the Holy Church.


    "If you want to lie, you should pick lies that are more believable. There is no way the Holy Church would support the traitors of the Empire!" Er eximed as he kept killing the Ministers, ignoring their warnings.


    Finally, there were only four Ministers who were left alive. They were loyal to the Holy Emperor but they were also froz, only able to watch death that was slowly creeping up on them.


    They didn''t know why the Holy Emperor said that they were traitors. Was there a misunderstanding? They could only close their eyes in fear of death.


    "With that, all Traitors in the cab are killed."


    The Ministers oped their eyes, not knowing how to react. All the traitors were killed? Did that mean the Emperor knew that they were not traitors?


    They watched Er who walked back to the throne, his Sword dripping the fresh blood of the Ministers. Ev his footsteps left a bloody imprint behind as puddles of blood were formed a each corpse.


    His clothes were also stained in blood but he didn''t appear to care about that.


    Er ced the sword next to the throne, and sat down. The ice that had froz the four ministers melted, freeing the ministers who immediately dropped to their knees, their bodies still feeling the fear.


    "I know that the four of you are absolutely loyal to the Empire, unlike those dogs of the Necromancer Tower."


    The Ministers felt relieved, their backs still drched in cold sweat. They didn''t ev ask why Er had restricted them if that was the case. Was it a test to see if they resisted his decision? They wer''t sure.


    The only thing they knew was that the Holy Emperor felt differt. He had left a deep imprint on their soul, which was crafted with fear. If they were loyal before, th their loyalty was only stronger now.


    They didn''t ever want to offd the Holy Emperor who didn''t hesitate ev the slightest wh killing. Ev though he must have felt pain wh he killed his people, he still did that to protect the Empire.


    "Long live the emperor!"


    "Long live the Emperor!"


    The Ministers started chanting, praising the Holy Emperor.


    Ev though Er maintained a calm exterior, he was quite pleased on the inside. With that, he had tak control of the upper echelon of the Holy Empire, removing the unnecessary weed.


    Although there were still the Dukes and other Royals who were on the side of the Holy Priestess, that could all be dealt withter. For now, it was a good step.


    Er looked at the corpse of the dead Ministers. He knew that it was only a matter of time before Cardinal Triel was going to arrive. Before that happed, he had to prepare. He couldn''t meet Cardinal Triel like this.


    Ev though he didn''t have the holy essce of the Holy Emperor, he could still fool the Ministers and the Guards. The Cardinal was differt.


    The Cardinal was from the Holy Church. He was easily able to feel the essce of holiness that a person carried. Before meeting with the Cardinal, Er had to solve that problem. He had to gather the holy essce without the help of the Holy Processes.


    He told the Guards to clean the bodies from the throne room while he left the ce after telling the remaining ministers to rest.


    Er walked to the bedroom of the Holy Emperor where he was going to be alone. To make sure no one else disturbed him, he let Yu Lin stay at the trance of the room.


    Inside the room, Er sat on the bed. He oped his invtory and brought out the heart of the Holy Emperor that was brimming with his holy essce.


    As he had already stol some holy essce wh he killed Archbishop Nathaniel, he was able to confirm that he could steal the essce with devouring. As for how much he could steal from the Emperor, it was to be se.


    Taking a deep breath, he took a bite of the forbidd fruit.


    ....


    Cardinal Triel arrived at the trance of the Royal Pce. Ev wh he was yet to ter the pce, he was able to feel the sct of blood.


    A smile appeared on his lips. He believed that his n was sessful. As the sct of blood was so strong, it meant the Great Elders had killed quite a lot of people in anger. It was exactly what he wanted.


    Thinking that everything was going ording to n, he tered the pce with a pleasing look on his face.


    Only a few seconds were ough for his expressions to dark as he watched lifeless bodies being carried away, all belonging to the Ministers that were loyal to him.

 Chapter 369: Chapter 369: Meeting the Cardinal

    Cardinal Triel was at a loss, unable to understand why the ones who had died were the Ministers. As per his instructions, they were supposed to be far away from the ce of assassination. So how could they be caught in it?


    If anything, it should have be the Royal Guards and the Holy Emperor who should have be hurt which would have caused oughmotion to make the Holy Church interfere.


    It would have be understandable if the Ministers had died at random but almost all those who supported him were dead. Unfortunately, those who were not on his side were walking out of the Royal Pce, perfectly fine.


    "Greetings, Cardinal." The Ministers who had survived, greeted the cardinal.


    "What happed here? How did the Ministers die?" The Cardinal asked the surviving Ministers.


    Although the Ministers didn''t know that the Holy Church was involved in this matter, they could still not tell the Cardinal everything that they had se.


    None of them were courageous ough to tell the Cardinal that the Necromancer Tower had infiltrated the Holy City, highlighting the failure of the Holy Church.


    The only person who could say that to the face of a cardinal was a Holy Emperor.


    "Please forgive us, Cardinal Triel. But it would be better if you hear this from Your Majesty himself."


    The Ministers quickly asked for forgivess as they rushed past the Cardinal who looked at their backs that soon disappeared into the distance.


    Cardinal Triel didn''t know why but he had a bad feeling about it. Just what happed here? Did something go wrong with the n that he had formed?


    "Just what is happing today? First, the sword simply disappeared. And now, this strange thing?"


    Confused, he decided to hear it from the Holy Emperor himself. He wanted to learn everything so he could understand exactly what wt wrong.


    He walked to the throne room where the blood of the Ministers was still fresh. The Minister of War was still lying on the g, a chain tied a his neck which was further tied to the feet of the throne as if he was nothing but a dog.


    He was just left there with only the Royal Guards ced in the throne room.


    "Is this the Minister of War?" Triel''s expressions darked. Whether the mission seeded or failed, the Minister of War should have be dead. So how was he still alive? Was this the reason everything had gone downhill?


    Not only did the Minister of War fail, but he was also caught alive? The more Triel thought about it, the more his expressions darked.


    He wondered if the Minister of War had already exposed everything. Was this the reason the Ministers loyal to him had died?


    ''If that''s the case, it means the voys from the Demon Sect also know about it?'' He didn''t ev notice wh he started biting his lips to the point that they started bleeding.


    The Cardinal wanted to hear that from the Minister of War himself. Did he already expose everything to save his own skin? If that was the case, th things had already gott out of hand.


    He walked closer to the Minister of War, who was lying on the g, unconscious.


    "Are you nning to use your healing on that traitor?"


    Cardinal Triel had just ced his hand on the man''s forehead, prepared to use his healing to wake him up. However, before he could ev use a shred of his divine powers, he heard a voiceing from behind.


    The sound of footsteps approaching echoed in the hall. He didn''t ev have to turn a to find out the idtity of that person. It was the voice that belonged to the Holy Emperor.


    Although there was something differt about the way he talked, it was still the same. Moreover, the aura of the Holy Emperor waspletely idtical. There was no doubt about it.


    The person who was approaching him was from the Royal Family of the Holy Empire. The Royal Family was inhertly differt from any other family in the Empire.


    While the other families received divine blessing from the Goddess as a gift, the Royal Family members were born with it.


    Their Divine Essce didn''te from the goddess but it was said to be a condsation of the fortune of the Empire that granted them the blessing.


    That was also why the Royal Family was so distinct from the Holy Church.


    While the Holy Church received strgth from the faith of its followers, the Holy Emperor and the Royal Family received their strgth from the existce of the Empire and its citizs.


    This was also why the Royal Family couldn''t tirely be considered the followers of the Holy Church, despite following the Holy Church for the most part.


    There was no way to fake this distinct Holy Essce. The person who was approaching was  other than the Holy Emperor.


    "Traitor? May I ask why you are calling him a traitor?" Cardinal Triel retracted his hand and stood up slowly while the sound of footsteps drew ev closer.


    Soon, Er walked past the Cardinal and reached the throne. Ev though the Cardinal hadn''t se the face of the Holy Emperor yet, he felt a strange sse of unease in his heart.


    The Holy Emperor''s physique was still the same but he felt like an tirely differt person.


    Er soon turned a and sat on the throne, asking the Cardinal to take a seat as well.


    The Cardinal ignored the instructions and the Emperor''s courtesy as he noticed another presce in the hall. It belonged to Yu Lin who also walked past him to stand next to the Emperor''s throne.


    "Also, why is that girl following you?" he asked.


    "I can''t do anything about it. The two Great Elders said that they needed some private time with each other, so they wt back to their room. They left the girl with me so I could show her a."


    Er rubbed his forehead like a troubled uncle. "They are really treating me like a babysitter. But after what happed today, I couldn''t dy this small request."

 Chapter 370: Chapter 370: Contrary to expectations

    "After what happed today?" The Cardinal asked, frowning.


    He had be extremely observant from the momt the Holy Emperor turned a to face him but he hadn''t ssed ev the slightest of hostility from him.


    He wondered if it meant that the Holy Emperor actually hadn''t yet known about the actions of the Holy Church. Either that was the case, or he was really good at acting.


    While the cardinal wanted Er to expose his real thoughts, Er was ev more cunning. He had be prepared for it as well.


    Er told the Cardinal the same story that he had told the Ministers. He told the Cardinal that the Minister of War used the mana that was mainly used in the Northern Contint.


    He also talked about the assassination attempt on the two great elders which had failed spectacrly. Up to that point, he told everything honestly. However, from this point onwards, he started lying.


    He told the Cardinal that the Minister of War had confessed that he was working with the Necromancer Tower while also exposing his other allies.


    Er started with the truth and by the time he reached the d of his story, there was nothing but lies in his words.


    Unfortunately, it was impossible for the Cardinal to recognise his lies as Er had already used the Dragon Tongue Magic on his own body to make it impossible for anyone to decipher anything from his physical reaction.


    As he used the Dragon''s Tongue Magic on his own body, and that too to a very small extt, it couldn''t be ssed either.


    The Cardinal was tak aback as he heard the tire story. It made sse that Great Elder R stopped the Minister of War from dying.


    It also made sse that the Minister of War, having no other choice, stuck with the story about working for the Necromancer Tower to protect the Holy Church.


    What didn''t make sse was him naming the other people that were involved. Why did he name the Ministers who were working for the Holy Church?


    Ev if he gave a few names away to make sure that they didn''t think much about the information he was giving them, why did he have the name of everyone?


    Triel could feel that something was amiss but he wasn''t sure exactly what. There was a strong feeling in his heart that kept nagging at him.


    The only person who could answer the question was the Minister of War. To that point, he was still d that the Minister of War was kept alive ev now. At any cost, he had to take the Minister of War with him.


    "We can''t believe that the Necromancer Tower was able to extd its influce to the Holy City. I am really d that no harm came to the Envoys, or it would have be really bad." He pretded to be relieved, putting on the same fake act.


    ''As if you really thought this insect could kill me? If you really wanted to kill me or Zia, you should havee yourself. Maybe you might have an opportunity. However, we both know that wasn''t what you wanted.'' Er thought to himself, not exposing it on his face.


    "I urgtly need to inform the Holy Priestess about this," The Cardinal eximed. Without ev asking the Holy Emperor''s permission, he grabbed the Minister of War by his cor, breaking off the shackles that were tied a his neck like a dog''s cor.


    He thought that the Holy Emperor might say anything about him taking away the Minister of War, but to his surprise, Er didn''t react in the least.


    "That would be for the best. I believe the church can extract more information from him," Er simply said, watching the Cardinal put the unconscious Minister of War over his shoulder.


    The Cardinal still had a bad feeling about this. Although it made sse for the ignorant Holy Emperor to agree with him, he still felt like something was wrong with his reaction.


    Shaking these unnecessary thoughts off, he turned a and left with the Minister of War. With such a drastic disturbance in their n, he had to inform the Holy Priestess at the earliest.


    It was especially the case since it seemed to work in favor of the Holy Emperor who appeared to have gott closer to the voy to the point that he was willing to leave his disciple to be with him in their absce.


    While leaving the Royal Hall, the Cardinal thought about checking up on the two voys as well, just to make sure that he didn''t miss anything important.


    After an attack like this, they were all alone? Just what were they doing?


    With the Minister of War still on his shoulder he quickly approached the room that was assigned to the Great Elders of the Demon Sect.


    The closer he came to the room, the stranger expressions of guards and servants in this area became, some ev having their faces red in embarrassmt for some reason.


    Soon, he reached the room that belonged to Elder R. He didn''t ev have to op the room to understand what was happing on the other side.


    He wanted to check the room using his consciousness but he understood that it could be detected by two great elders, no matter how distracted they were in their pleasure.


    To not be misunderstood, he resisted the thought. Turning a, he swiftly left the Royal Pce, believing the Holy Emperor''s words about the two voys.


    He had already heard the stories about them from the Duke''s Mansion. It wasn''t shocking that they were still doing the same. What was truly shocking was that they were doing this after an assassination attempt on them.


    Just how perverted could these brutes from the East be? He wondered as he left the Pce.


    He quickly reached the Holy Church where many priests were looking at him in confusion, watching him carry a bloody figure on his shoulders.


    Although he could heal the Minister of War, he didn''t do that. He wanted the Holy Priestess to see him as he was found by him.

 Chapter 371: Chapter 371: Gift from Eren

    Cardinal Triel stopped outside the door of the Priestess'' Temple. He knocked on the door and siltly waited for a response.


    "Speak." After a few seconds had passed, a voice came from the other side of the door.


    The Cardinal confessed everything to the Priestess, including his failure. He set aside the Minister of War and knelt down afterpleting his exnation, as if he were a sinner.


    "It was an oversight from me. Please punish me."


    The door of the sacred room slowly creaked op. Though the Cardinal was right there, he was unable to see inside the chamber.


    As soon as the door oped, a blinding light erupted from within, forcing the Cardinal to close his eyes. Ev with his eyes closed, the sheer intsity of the light was almost overwhelming, strong ough to make an ordinary person go blind.


    After a few seconds, the door swung shut and the light vanished. The Cardinal carefully oped his eyes, blinking rapidly to readjust to the normal lighting.


    The door had closed once more, but the Cardinal noticed the Minister of War was nowhere to be se. He did not question the man''s disappearance, certain the Holy Priestess had tak him into the sacred room.


    He didn''t ev feel any pity for the Minister of War, who was fated for death.


    Throughout the years, the Holy Priestess had brought a few people inside the Chamber but not a single one of them was able to leave alive.


    That was why no one knew what was on the other side of the door and no one ev dared to sneak inside.


    He remained on his knees, but moving an inch.


    ....


    Inside the Sacred Chamber, the Holy Priestess was looking at the Minister of War, who was still unconscious.


    She ced a finger on the man''s forehead, using her healing. Although she had heard everything from Triel, he wanted to hear from the Minister of War personally, especially since it involved quite a lot of important people.


    The Minister of War was healed rapidly. All the wounds on his body disappear at a speed visible to the naked eye. Ev the blood that had stained his body, returned to his body.


    Slowly, the Minister of War oped his eyes.


    "Y-your Holiness?" he eximed, catching sight of the Holy Priestess.


    Shocked, he quickly stood up and backed away, only to be forced to stop as his back reached the feet of the statue behind him.


    "Everyone makes mistakes. There is no need to be afraid. I just want you to tell me everything that happed," the Holy Priestess stated calmly, her expression unreadable. "So you can tell me without worrying."


    The Minister of War was overwhelmed since the Holy Priestess was in front of him. Not only did she not appear angry at his failure but she was also nning to forgive him?


    His eyes were filled with gratitude. He was also ashamed that he had failed this saintly woman.


    "I just need one more opportunity! This time I will not fail!" With his motivation ignited, he asked for another opportunity.


    The Holy Priestess narrowed her eyes. Her patice was running out but she still maintained her calm.


    "We can talk about thatter. First, I want to hear everything that happed. How did you fail? And what did you tell them after you were caught?" she said, her expressions turning soft inpassion.


    "R-right." Now that the Holy Priestess asked again, he couldn''t talk about anything else.


    "Everything was going as per the n. I was about to be killed by Great Elder R, but just th, the Holy Emperor arrived for some reason. I believe it was because of his appearance that the voy felt confused and didn''t kill me."


    "He didn''t kill me. Instead, he tried to catch me alive. I used poison to kill myself but he used some healing pill to prevt me from dying. It was so painful."


    The Minister of War still felt his hands tremble wh he thought about the pain he felt at that momt.


    The Holy Priestess already heard that from Cardinal Triel. She wanted to hear what happed after that.


    The Minister of War took a deep breath, calming his trembling body.


    "After that, I-" he tried speaking, only to stop abruptly. He suddly started frowning, growing more confused with time.


    "Why did you stop? Continue," the Holy Priestess insisted, certain that he must have said something that he shouldn''t have spok.


    The Minister of War''s face had grown pale. His body started trembling ev more intsely. He felt a sharp pain rising from within his heart.


    It was as if his heart had suddly started burning for some reason. The ssation of burning spread through his tire body.


    He oped his lips to call for help, but only blood came out. The once-pale face turned red as cracks developed across his skin.


    The Holy Priestess was surprised. She had just healed this man, so why was he now vomiting blood? What was happing?


    She raised her hand to use her healing powers again, but before she could release her holy essce, an explosion rocked the Holy Church.


    Blood and pieces of flesh flew everywhere. The statue behind the Minister of War was also affected, its foot caught in the st.


    "Argh!" the Holy Priestess screamed in rage. Disgusting blood had tainted her body, covering her clothes and face.


    Though the explosion had not harmed her, it had left her deeply disturbed, angrier than she had ever be.


    The Minister of War had died, being left as nothing more than flesh and blood that was spilled everywhere.


    Let alone healing, ev finding all his pieces appeared impossible now.


    ....


    Inside the Royal Pce, Er was lying on the Throne, using it as a bed.


    He was looking at the roof, appearing to be lost in some thought.


    "I wonder if she would like my gift." As he thought about the reaction of the Holy Priestess, a smile formed on his lips.

 Chapter 372: Chapter 372: New Ability

    Eren was starting to enjoy ying the Holy Emperor. It was especially good since the Holy Priestess had a handicap. She had to maintain people''s perception about her to protect her powers.


    If he wanted to destroy the Holy Priestess, he had to destroy people''s faith in her. Unfortunately it was easier said than done.


    For now, he knew that this was merely the beginning. The Holy Priestess had to be cautious about the actions she could take while the Holy Emperor was in the Holy City. How well he utilized this handicap without going overboard would be the deciding factor.


    He was quite disappointed that he did not get to witness the Holy Priestess''s reaction when the person exploded in her face.


    She was someone who hated even the slightest touch from him. He wondered how she would handle being covered in someone else''s blood.


    The only reason he had allowed the Cardinal to take the Minister of War was so that the person could be brought before the Holy Priestess. He had already given that man a special pill in preparation.


    As long as the person remained wounded by his poison, the pill would not activate. However, the moment he was healed, the pill would start to react.


    That was also why he was against the Cardinal healing the Minister of War there. As for how well his n worked, it all hinged on one crucial factor.


    If the Cardinal took the Minister of War to the Holy Priestess without healing him first, it was going to be for the best. He knew the chances of that were low, but any chance was better than none.


    Fortunately, the Cardinal did exactly as Eren wanted.


    ....


    "Your Majesty, the Royal Guards are waiting for you."


    While Eren was distracted by the thoughts of the Holy Priestess, he heard the voice of the Guard who had left to deliver the Royal Decree.


    It was already afternoon and all the Royal Guards who were present in the city were made to gather in front of the Royal Pce, numbering in tens of thousands.


    "I aming." Eren sat up. He stretched his arms, yawning while getting off the throne.


    He left the Throne Room, apanying the Royal Guards.


    It was time to cleanse the Royal Army, which was much harder as he didn''t know exactly who the traitors were. If the number of traitors was as high as it was amongst the Ministers, then it was truly for the worse.


    Fortunately, the Royal Guards were weaker than the Ministers and even the Priests in their mental protection.


    Although he could not manipte them when they were in suchrge numbers, he could at least find the traitors with the ability of mental maniption.


    Eren soon left the Royal Pce, only to be greeted by the sight of the Royal Army, standing in neatly formed lines.


    Once again, Eren told the Royal Guards the same story about there being traitors in the Royal Army. He also imed to have a method to identify the traitors.


    Eren moved from one row to another. His hands had grown numb, but the blood continued to flow. A few of the Royal Guards tried to resist, saying the Emperor had gone mad, but they were quickly suppressed.


    When Eren first arrived in this world, the thought of spilling blood was disgusting to him. However, his time in this world had changed him.


    In this world, there were only three kinds of people: those who could benefit him, those who were ignorant or neutral, and those who posed a threat to him.


    For thest group, he was unwilling to take any risks. It was better to eliminate them before they could eliminate him.


    In the eyes of the world, the Royal Guards were the strength of the Emperor. However, in reality, most of them were the strength of the Holy Church who could turn against him and the empire with one instruction from the Holy Church.


    They were not the strength of the Royal Family but the weakness. On the contrary, their absolute loyalty and faith in the Holy Priestess was also her strength.


    Amongst the billions of people who put her faith in the Holy Priestess, their faith was like a bucket of water in a pond but it was still significant at the level where each point of strength made a great difference between Overlords.


    Eren kept killing until the sun started setting. Only after five long hours, he stopped with his hand almost going numb. Fortunately, the ratio of traitors in the Royal Army was not as high as it was amongst the Ministers.


    There were approximately thirty five thousand Royal Guards in the Holy City. Amongst them, only fifteen thousand were traitors, who were killed.


    The Royal Guards who survived, looking at the blood stained robe of the Holy Emperor who walked back inside the pce, his sword stained in blood.


    Many of them started having a newfound respect for the Emperor who was willing to be a demon, all to protect his Empire.


    Many might call him a bloodthirsty emperor after what happened today, but he didn''t care about that. Just to weed out the traitors of the Necromancer Tower, he was willing to be a demon.


    Although the strength of Eren''s army had gone down, those who were alive were absolutely loyal to him. Some had their loyalty strengthened because of his conviction while others due to fear. It worked nheless.


    Tired, Eren kept his sword back in the Holy Emperor''s storage ring. He couldn''t even raise his hand anymore after swinging his sword fifteen thousand times within five hours.


    He was even quite hungry. Unfortunately, he could not even rest for long as there was a banquet tonight. Soon, the guests were going to arrive, including those from the Holy Church and all the nobles.


    Amongst the guests were the Royal Family members as well, who lived in different ces. If anyone knew the real Holy Emperor well, it was them. Hence, it was also risky.


    Despite so much to think about, Eren appeared quite pleased.


    When he thought about killing the Royal Guards, he only thought about weakening the Holy Church. However, the massive amount of experience he had gathered, came as a sweet surprise.


    Not only had he crossed another great wall but he also awakened a sweet new ability. Another surprised was that some new options had appeared for him after a long time.

 Chapter 373: Chapter 373: Changes

    Individually, the Royal Guards were not particrly valuable in terms of the experience they provided to someone like Eren.


    Still, the sheer quantity of Guards he had to eliminate meant that the small amount of experience gained from each one umted rapidly.


    This snowballing effect of the experience points allowed him to gather a significant amount of experience, which in turn allowed him to cross the next great wall in his leveling.


    It couldn''t havee at a better time either, since what he needed the most right now was strength.


    He did not have time to think about his exhaustion or how much blood he had shed at the moment. His entire attention was caught by the statue screen.


    ..................


    [Name: Eren (Ren Necroline)]


    [Level: 41]


    [Identity: Holy Emperor of the Western Continent, Great Elder at the Demon Sect, Spy of Mythical Hero Academy, Owner of Devourer Bloodline, Heir of the Necromancer Tower, Ruler of Spirit Realm]


    [Main Bloodlines: Unknown (25%), Devourer, Celestial Dragon (Partial)]


    [Guardian: First Spirit Queen Yelen]


    [Contracted Spirit: Spirit Queen Felona]


    [Age: 21]


    [Traits: Cold-blooded, ???]


    [Stats]


    [Strength: 2895]


    [Agility: 4310]


    [Stamina: 5393]


    [Intelligence :89]


    [Mana: 13448]


    [Cultivation: Unknown (Sealed)]


    [Hero Grade: SSS+]


    [Goddess Protection: Unknown (39%)]


    [Main Physiques: Lunar Frost Physique, Destiny Physique, Holy Physique]


    [Unique items in possession: Modified Mana Weapon, Overlord Killing Dagger (Iplete), Pendant of Prediction, Question Voucher, Favor Token (Feng Yu), ###### Box (3/4 Seals), Map of Celestial Dragon''s Heart, Sword of Retribution/ Sword Emperor''s Sword]


    [Unique Skills: Sword Emperor''s Aura, Aura Control Method, Identification, Devouring, Aquatic Mastery, Flight, Dragon Language, Dragon Transformation, Skill Unification, Frost Domain, Disguise, eleration, Mind Maniption, Heightened Senses, Blood Maniption, Shadow Clone Creation]


    ..................


    Eren couldn''t help but repeatedly nce at the status screen. The information disyed there was particrly pleasing to his eyes.


    Many things had changed on the status screen. The most significant change was that his stats had increased exponentially. Compared to before, he felt like an entirely different being.


    With his current stats, he was confident he could survive even if he were to face an Overlord. And with the various tricks he had acquired, he might even be able to kill one, provided they let their guard down.


    At the same time, Eren understood he was being overly optimistic. Just as he had his hidden capabilities, the Overlords surely had their own trump cards as well.


    Until he crossed level fifty, he still couldn''t openly fight any Overlord. Only when he reached that level, could his stats beparable to them. At that time, he could be much more confident.


    Another new change was that a new physique had appeared on his status screen. It was the Holy Physique, which he stole from the Holy Emperor.


    It was also because of this physique, he could now pretend to be the Holy Emperor, even before those from the Holy Church.


    He didn''t have to worry about being discovered. Like those from the Western Continent, he could also use the holy essence. The only difference was that his holy essence didn''te from the Holy Church but from the citizens itself.


    The blessing of the goddess had also increased. He still didn''t understand what that stat meant or how it could be increased.


    The most significant change was that a new skill had appeared. It was not particrly useful forbat, but it held great potential in other areas.


    Eren discovered that he could create a clone using this new skill. The clone could mimic his aura, making it nearly indistinguishable from the original.


    However, the clone was incredibly weak, possessing strengthparable to an ordinary human. This limited its usefulness in direct battles.


    After returning to his room, Eren conducted thorough tests on the clone. He found that it could persist indefinitely, or at least until his mana reserves were depleted. With his growing mana capacity, this limitation was less concerning.


    Another notable weakness was that the clone was fragile, easily destroyed if it sustained damage beyond a certain threshold. Given its weak strength, this threshold was quite low, restricting the clone''s practical applications.


    Overall, Eren recognized that this new skill, while not immediately beneficial inbat, could prove valuable in various situations where a decoy might be advantageous.


    "Is this the effect of the Destiny Physique?" Eren wondered, observing the clone with a smile.


    He had often read about the plot armor. When it was used by a main character against him, it was quite annoying. However, now that he was on the receiving end of the plot armor, he found it quite pleasing to the eye.


    Even if the clone was weak, it was what he needed the most.


    "With this, Zia wouldn''t have to act and ruin her reputation," he said, only to shake his head lightly. "Then again, it''s not as if it''s not already ruined."


    Along the way, he had heard quite a lot about the perversion of the two great elders who left their disciple to be protected by the Holy Emperor while they were doing each other in the room.


    "It might already be toote to salvage that reputation." Sighing, he made the clone disappear and decided to check up on Zia.


    He left his room and walked towards the rooms that were assigned to the Great Elders.


    Along the way, he saw quite a few guards and servants. All of them lowered their gaze when they saw him, scared of him after what happened today.


    Eren ignored their reactions and soon reached the rooms of the Great Elders. He hadn''t even entered the room but he was still able to hear the moans of Zia.


    "She is quite good at acting. Even I would''ve been fooled if I didn''t know better."


    He used the Dragon Tongue Magic to open the door, not wanting to bother Zia with opening the door. Pushing the door open, he stepped inside.


    In any case, she was just pretending in his eyes. It wasn''t as if she was actually doing anything? Or so he thought.


    The moment he entered the room, he froze in ce at the sight he was seeing.

 Chapter 374: Chapter 374: A mesmerizing sight

    Even in his wildest dreams, Eren could never have imagined the scene that unfolded before him.


    He had imagined Zia sitting calmly in a chair, perhaps looking bored or annoyed, as she made those false noises. But the reality was far from what he had expected.


    She was not on the chair. Instead, she was lying on the bed. Her legs were towards him, spread. As for being fully dressed, that was far from reality. She was not wearing even a single piece of clothing.


    Her body was covered in sweat as her toes were curled. She moaned in pleasure as her fingers gently moved. asionally, he even heard her calling his name out.


    Eren didn''t know how to react to the scene unfolding in front of him. Should he make a sound so she could realize that he was here? She appeared to be in the middle of something, and disturbing her didn''t feel right.


    In the end, he thought about leaving the room just as silently as he came while the door behind him was still open.


    Slowly, he took a step back, trying his best to avoid any sound. But just as he moved, Zia let out a loud, pleasure-filled cry, her entire body trembling.


    Zia was breathing heavily, as if her soul had left her body at that moment. Her chest heaved up and down while she brought her hand up, licking her finger without noticing Eren''s presence in the room.


    ''This girl...'' Eren facepalmed himself, seeing an unexpected side of Zia. She always looked so proper that it was a truly surprising sight to see her do such things.


    "That bastard, making me do such things. He is so annoying!" Ziained, lying weakly on bed to catch her breath. "Next time I see him, I should really give him a piece of my mind."


    Eren was simply nning to leave, but when he saw herin about him, he stopped. He only told her to fake it. It wasn''t his fault that she was doing such things for real. Why was he to be med for this? He waspletely innocent.


    Since he was already being med, he dropped the thought of silently leaving. In any case, Zia had already finished. Hence, there was no need to leave.


    Instead of leaving the room, he closed the door behind him. After closing the door silently, he walked closer to Zia, who was lying on the bed,pletely bare.


    He also removed his disguise, returning to the face of Great Elder Ren. His hands were wrapped around his chest as he stood next to the bed, watching Zia who had slightly teary eyes.


    It took Zia a moment to notice Eren standing next to him. Her mind was so cloudy that she couldn''t think things through.


    "I have really gone crazy. First I was imagining him in my mind, but now I even imagine him in reality?" she wondered as her chest heaved up and down.


    "Then again, even if it''s an imagination, he does look quite handsome." She reached out his hand, gently touching the person she thought to be her imagination.


    It was only when her fingers touched Eren''s cheeks, her expressions changed. How was she able to touch her imagination? The touch didn''t feel fake either.


    Her eyes, that were a little hazy, soon cleared up. Within those few seconds, her expressions changed multiple times, from shock to denial. In the end, her face turned red. She appeared as if she could cry at any moment


    "You''re really here, aren''t you?" she asked, her voice trembling.


    Eren nodded in response before asking, "Should I thank you for calling me handsome?"


    "You!" Zia was absolutely embarrassed. She still couldn''t believe her eyes. However, she couldn''t deny it anymore. The person was actually in front of her and he had seen everything.


    Although it was toote, she quickly pulled up the bedsheet, covering her sweaty body.


    "H-how long have you been here?" she asked, hiding her face with the bedsheet.


    She was so embarrassed that she wanted to dig a hole and hide inside. She couldn''t believe that she had shown such a perverted sight to a man.


    "I came a few minutes before you started licking your finger," Eren told Zia, finding her embarrassed reaction quite cute.


    "You! Why didn''t you say anything when you came? You perverted man! I will kill you!" Zia eximed, still not daring to show her face that had grown absolutely red.


    It would have been manageable if he came after she was finished, but he saw everything. He even saw her disgraceful act.


    "You looked like you were having fun. I didn''t want to disturb you. I am quite considerate in that way," Eren said as he sat on the bed, next to Zia.


    "Considerate, my a*s! You were probably just enjoying the scene, you... you evil man!"


    "Enjoying the scene?" Eren repeated the question. He moved closer to Zia, bringing his lips closer to her face which was hidden by the nket.


    "Well, I won''t deny that. The scene was mesmerizing indeed," he told Zia. "Especially since you yourself are so beautiful."


    "Liar! You were probablyughing at me!" Zia eximed, her voice growing weak suddenly. "I am not as beautiful as Xiu Ying. My physique isn''t as attractive as the Sect Master either. I am also older than then. I know myself the best.


    You don''t have to lie to me."


    Eren shook his head slowly, a soft smile ying on his lips. "I don''t have any reason to lie, do I? You are really beautiful, even if you don''t want to ept it."


    Zia peeked from behind the nket, her eyes trembling with a hint of disbelief and uncertainty.


    "Do you really mean that?" she asked, her voice almost a whisper.


    "Every word." Eren''s tone was gentle, sincere. He leaned back slightly, giving her space, sensing that she needed it. "I neither have the time, nor the energy to lie about it. You are so beautiful that anyone would be lucky to have you."

 Chapter 375: Chapter 375: Sooner, rather than later

    "Are you not going to get ready for the Banquet?" Eren asked, changing the topic. Even though he had calmed Zia a little, it was clear that she was still embarrassed.


    "Is that even possible? Don''t I need to be here to keep up the act so no one questions your absence?" Zia asked, lowering the nket to reveal her face. Although her face was slightly red, she appeared much more serious.


    Eren and the Holy Emperor were the same people now. If she attended the Banquet with Eren, the Holy Emperor was going to be absent. His absence was going to be questioned.


    If she attended the Banquet alone, Eren''s absence was going to be questioned instead. That was the entire reason she had to keep up the act to justify Eren''s absence.


    "The Banquet is for the envoys that came from the East. It would be more suspicious if none of us attended. As for my absence, I don''t think you need to worry about it anymore." Eren smiled, having found a solution already.


    Zia stared at Eren in confusion, wondering why he was so confident. Still, he didn''t look like he was joking.


    "Since you are so confident, I will get ready." She wrapped the bed sheet around her slender body and sat up.


    She got off the bed and quickly rushed into the shower to clean herself. After a shower, she got properly dressed and stepped out of the bathroom, finding Eren sitting on the bed, gazing at her.


    Under his gaze, she once again felt embarrassed but she tried to not make it so obvious. Although she waspletely seen, at least it was by him.


    "So what''s your n?" she asked Eren while draping the Great Elder''s robe over her shoulder.


    "Why would we need a n? Don''t we have him for that?" Eren answered, pointing behind Zia.


    Curious, Zia turned around, growing even more surprised as she caught sight of Eren who was standing behind her. At the moment, there were two Eren in the room.


    "Is this..." She looked back and forth between the two young men. "...a clone?"


    No matter how much she tried, she couldn''t find out which of them was the real one. Both of them looked and felt extremely real. Their auras were alsopletely identical.


    "It''s the effect of another treasure. With the clone, I can be at two ces at the same time. So you don''t have to worry about us being exposed."


    Eren, who was behind Zia, started transforming into the Holy Emperor. With that, he finally exposed who the real one was.


    After transforming into the Holy Emperor, he walked closer to the clone who was sitting on the bed


    "That''s right. We are both real for now," the clone said, his words and actions being controlled by the real Eren. "Isn''t that right, Holy Emperor?"


    "First, there is the treasure that allows you to disguise into someone else with such perfection. And now, a treasure to make a clone?" Zia asked, growing even more fascinated. "Just how many such treasures do you have?"


    Eren shrugged innocently. Everything that he couldn''t exin with simple martial skills, he med it on being the effect of artifacts to stop others from questioning him any further.


    He could not just tell others that he had the abilities of Devourer and many more. Even though the people around him were somewhat trustworthy, it wasn''t to the point that he could expose his deepest secrets.


    "Elder Ren, would you please attend the Banquet that has been arranged for you?" Eren asked the Clone who carried the same prideful arrogance in his eyes that a Great Elder was supposed to possess.


    "With pleasure," the Clone said, moving ording to Eren''s thoughts.


    He left the room with Great Elder Zia, following after the Holy Emperor. As the three of them walked together, the Holy Emperor could often be seen talking with Great Elder Ren as if they were old friends.


    ....


    Cardinal Treniel was still outside the sacred chamber of the Holy Priestess. From the moment there was an explosion, no one had stepped out of the room. Despite that, he was not worried.


    The person inside the room was the Holy Priestess after all. He simply waited silently for the Holy Priestess to call out to him. It wasn''t until the time for Banquet drew near that he called out to her.


    "Your Holiness, it is time to attend the Banquet."


    Soon, the door opened and a beautiful woman stepped out, dressed in perfectly clean clothes. There was no sign of the blood that had sshed all over her body merely a short time ago.


    She was also much more calm, even though her heart was in turmoil. By now, she had received a lot of the answers that she wanted.


    She understood why the Minister of War had exploded. At first, she had thought that it was because of something done by the Holy Emperor, but it turned out to be because of Great Elder Ren''s medicine.


    She even wondered if he did that because he knew that the Minister of War was going to be brought to her. Then again, she quickly shook that thought off.


    There was no way for that man to know that the Minister of War was going to be brought here. It was most probably because he was angry at the Minister of War.


    He wanted the Minister of War to suffer in pain. That''s why, he didn''t want anyone to heal him. To make sure that no one could heal him, he ced this poisonous pill in the Minister''s heart.


    That exnation also made sense. Despite that, something deep down in her was telling her that it was far too simple of an exnation.


    "Did you find that sword?" she asked Cardinal Treniel, who shook his head. It was as if the Sword had simply disappeared into thin air.


    "The appearance of that man who carries that disgusting aura, and then the disappearance of the sword. I suppose the answer lies with him..."


    Sighing, the Holy Priestess made up her mind that she might have to make Eren disappear sooner than she thought.


    That evening, the Holy Priestess left the Holy Church, apanied by almost all the Cardinals. It was a force that could destroy even the greatest of kingdoms.

 Chapter 376: Chapter 376: Arrival of the unexpected Guest from East

    The Royal City had experienced quite a lot in a single day. In the morning, the Royal Guards and the Priests searched the entire city, as if looking for something.


    In the evening, things were even more hectic as many influential people could be seen, traveling to the Royal Pce. Luxurious carriages could be seen leaving the mansions of prominent families.


    Royal Guards were all over the city, maintaining the traffic which simply meant keepingmoners away from the main streets so the nobles were not disturbed during their journey.


    Contrary to the chaotic city, the scene outside the city was much calmer. The Guards were standing near the city entrance, leaning on their spears, appearing quite bored.


    Some of them were asionally looking inside the bright city, sighing. "There is a Royal Banquet tonight. If only we could also experience it..."


    "Don''t be ridiculous. People like us can never get invited to the Banquet. Don''t you know, it''s for important guests? Only nobles and influential people have been invited."


    "I know. I didn''t say I wanted to attend as a guest. But simply being on guard duty inside the pce would have been incredible. We''re stuck here, doing the most insignificant duty."


    Many of the guards assigned outside the city felt useless, especially since the first line of defense for the city was the barrier itself. No one without a permit from the Holy Church could even pass through the barrier.


    If there was an enemy that could pass through the barrier, then could they even stop someone like that? Instead, they felt they could be much better utilized as Guards of the Pce, which was the dream job of the Royal Guards.


    Not only were the Pce Guards paid more, but they were also much closer to the Holy Emperor, hence carrying more influence.


    "Stop dreaming and forget the banquet," another guard said, shaking his head. "The more you dream, the more disappointing reality gets."


    "Also, the Banquet is for the Envoys from the Great Demon Sect. Even if they are here as a guest, do you really want to be near those crazy people? Haven''t you heard stories about them?"


    "Heh, can''t the stories he exaggerated? I mean do you seriously expect me to believe that they are demons who annihte kingdoms because of even the slightest disrespect? That''s most probably just a rumor spread by them to make people fear them."


    "I agree. My sister works as a maid in the pce. She told me that the Envoys of the Demon Sect are very normal and not crazy in the least. They are also quite close to the Holy Emperor. The one thing about them is that they are very perverted."


    "Perverted how?" Most of the guards who hadn''t heard the stories yet grew curious.


    "Of course the two envoys from the Demon Sect are very perverted. Apparently they were inside the room, going wild all day long," The Guard answered, appearing smug because he knew more than the others here.


    "Did you say there are envoys from the Demon Sect here?"


    While the Guard was expecting more questions from the others, he heard a woman''s voice.


    The voice was so charming that even without looking at that woman, he could feel that she was extremely beautiful. His heartbeat fastened.


    He raised his head and looked at the woman in the distance who had appeared here like a ghost. He couldn''t even feel her presence until she spoke.


    The woman was wearing a ck cloak that covered most of her body, still failing to hide her seductive curves. There was a veil covering the lower half of her face, looking like a treasure in itself.


    The Guards could only see the eyes of the woman. It took them quite some time to regain theirposure. Even if the woman was beautiful, she was extremely suspicious.


    "Who are you?" One of the Guards asked, his heart still beating rapidly.


    ....


    Even though most of the guests had already arrived, the Banquet was yet to begin. A few extremely important guests were still missing after all.


    No one from the Royal Family had arrived yet. It was the same for those from the Holy Church. Without their arrival, the banquet couldn''t begin.


    The Guards who had already arrived, also looked a little scared. They asionally looked at Eren and Zia, swiftly taking their gazes off.


    They were still slightly hesitant about approaching the Great Elders of the Demon Sect, not forgetting the kind of reputation they had.


    It was said that if they made even the slightest mistake in their greetings, the barbarians were going to rip their heads off their bodies. None of them risked it.


    They simply offered their greetings to the Holy Emperor who was sitting on the throne.


    The more these people avoided his clone, the more relieved Eren felt. The less they interacted with the close, the less risky it was for him.


    Unfortunately, the stalemate did notst for long. The door closed as an announcement was made that the Royal Family members had arrived.


    From the entrance, a group of people walked inside. In the lead was the man who was the younger brother of the Holy Emperor and the next in line to be the Emperor as the Holy Emperor didn''t have a descendant.


    Eren was already expecting their arrival. Even though he didn''t have the memories of the original emperor, he knew the kind of rtionships the two brothers shared, thanks to the memories stolen from the Transmigrator.


    The two brothers shared an extremelyplicated rtionship.


    He approached the so-called brother and his family, only toe to a sudden halt when another announcement was made.


    "Her Holiness, the Holy Priestess has arrived!"


    The hall that had been very lively until that point suddenly grew silent. Almost everyone looked towards the entrance while the atmosphere suddenly grew heavy.


    A woman shrouded in the holiest aura entered, apanied by multiple Cardinals, each possessing the purest of aura.

 Chapter 377: Chapter 377: Chaos at the Banquet

    The Holy Priestess entered the grand hall under the idolizing gaze of everyone present. There were only a rare few people in the hall who didn''t look at her as if she was some untouchable goddess.


    The Holy Emperor''s younger brother was one of those rare few people. He only casually nced at the Holy Priestess before his gaze returned to the Holy Emperor.


    It became clear that he didn''t hold any favorable opinion of the Holy Priestess. It was the same case for the Royal Family who had lost almost all their authority and influence, thanks to the Priestess.


    Although they pretended not to notice, they knew what was said about them. The Royal Family was called insignificant. For the world, they were just dogs of the Holy Church.


    With their attention currently caught by the Holy Priestess, no one noticed the most minute fluctuations in Eren''s expressions the moment he saw the Holy Priestess.


    With the arrival of the Holy Priestess, Eren couldn''t help but remember the new options he had received after he finished cleaning the Royal Army.


    After a long time, he had received some new options, all of them having something to do with the Banquet.


    There was only one difference. This time, none of the options mentioned any rewards outright. All that was said was that the rewards will be issued onpletion of the selected option.


    [Option One: Expose the Holy Priestess'' true face at the Banquet]


    [Option Two: Propose the Holy Priestess for marriage at the Banquet]


    [Option Three: End the Banquet with the arrival of the Holy Priestess and send everyone back]


    [Option Four: Kill a Cardinal]


    As Eren had to select an option within a minute of their appearance, he didn''t have much time to deliberate. In the end, he chose the one that made the most sense to him.


    He couldn''t select the easiest option, as the reward was clearly going to be the worst. Hence, he didn''t choose to end the banquet right at the beginning.


    Exposing the Holy Priestess was too risky. He could find an excuse to eliminate a Cardinal, but it was still too early to offend the Holy Church at this point.


    In the end, only one option remained. It was moderately difficult but not to the point of being dangerous for him. After all, he just had to propose the marriage. He didn''t have to actually marry her.


    As long as he proposed to her, the option waspleted. Even after she rejected him, it wasn''t going to count as a failure.


    Moreover, he could propose to her as the Holy Emperor. He didn''t need to involve his other persona in this.


    While Eren was still preparing himself for proposing a marriage with the Holy Priestess, the woman approached him.


    She walked past the Holy Emperor''s brother who coldly nced at her but didn''t show too much hostility.


    §ß$§à?$¦Ó!??-%§à@§á-


    The Holy Priestess stopped in front of Eren who was disguised as the Holy Emperor. As long as he possessed the real aura of the Holy Emperor, Eren didn''t worry about getting caught. Still, he was somewhat cautious.


    "I heard you killed thousands of innocent soldiers today? Don''t you think it was a little too ruthless?"


    Without even giving Eren a chance to speak, the Holy Priestess raised the issue of Eren''s strange reaction.


    Even though she talked as if she was only speaking for the innocent citizens of the Empire, it felt as if she was scolding the Holy Emperor in front of everyone.


    The Holy Emperor''s brother narrowed his eyes, realizing what was happening. The Holy Priestess was intentionally doing it here, establishing her authority over the Royal Family while so many influential people were here.


    ''Tsk, that bitch really knows how to take control of the situation. And then there''s my foolish and cowardly brother. I am sure he would apologize to her in front of everyone, not caring about our prestige.'' The Holy Emperor''s younger brother scoffed, looking down on his brother.


    Even though his brother became the Holy Emperor, he had always been subservient to the Holy Priestess which disappointed him.


    When he heard that his brother had executed thousands of soldiers and multiple ministers, he thought his brother might have changed. But even when he was being scolded, he was not saying anything.


    It clearly disappointed him that his brother was so cowardly, even as a Holy Emperor.


    "I suppose some things never change." Clenching his fists, he stepped forward. If his brother wasn''t going to say anything, then he was going to step in as a Royal Family Member.


    "You-" He opened his lips, only having uttered one word beforeing to a stop.


    Not just him, almost everyone in the hall had grown shocked when they heard the Holy Emperor respond.


    "I don''t understand what you are saying. It can''t be that you are siding with the Traitors who were working with the Necromancer Tower, are you?" Eren asked, carrying a calm and weing smile on his lips.


    The Holy Priestess had heard that the Holy Emperor was behaving differently today. However, she still hadn''t expected him to talk back to him.


    Previously, he didn''t dare overstep boundaries even when they were alone, always treating her like a superior. And now, he was talking back to her in front of everyone?


    "Your Majesty, please be careful about your words. Do you even understand who you are talking to?" A Cardinal arrogantly stepped forward, his eyes filled with hostility.


    In front of everyone, a mere Cardinal was showing hostility to the Holy Emperor. The guests who had attended the Banquet were absolutely stunned, wondering just what they were seeing.


    The Holy Emperor and the Holy Priestess were at odds with each other? This was the first time they had seen something like this.


    Unlike other guests, the Holy Emperor''s brother had a wide grin on his lips. For the first time, he felt proud of his brother. He still couldn''t believe that this person was the same cowardly brother that he hated.


    "Is that a murderous intent that I sense?" Eren asked while ncing at the Cardinal who had spoken, not even trying to keep his voice down.

 Chapter 378: Chapter 378: Waging a war

    Eren could feel the Cardinal''s strong hostility towards him. Amidst that strong hostility, there was also a faint trace of killing intent, as if the Cardinal couldn''t wait to tear him apart.


    This was the same Cardinal who had earlier mocked the Great Demon Sect for having weak Great Elders when Eren had first arrived in the Holy City.


    Observing the Cardinal''s reaction, Eren wondered if he should have really selected the option about killing a Cardinal. They were practically handing him an excuse, after all.


    Before Eren had crossed level 40, a Cardinal could have beenpared to him in raw stats. But now, he was much stronger. After crossing the fourth great wall, his stats had increased a lot.


    Still, this was the domain of the Holy Church, where they were strong and everyone else was weak.


    He could negate the effects of the Holy Domain, but only by utilizing the Sword Emperor''s Aura, which was another problem in itself. If he were to fight, he wanted to do so when he could eliminate them all.


    "You!" The Cardinal''s expression darkened further. He took a step forward, only to stop as he felt a hand on his shoulder.


    "Is the Cardinal trying to harm my brother?" A voice came from behind. The Cardinal looked back, finding the Holy Emperor''s younger brother standing there.


    For some reason, he felt immense pressure on his shoulder. Even with his considerable strength, he couldn''t easily free himself. The man behind him was surprisingly powerful.


    The Holy Emperor''s younger brother, Uriel, was quite famous throughout the Holy City. It was said that he was born with a blessed bloodline. When he entered the world, many strange and auspicious phenomena were witnessed in the sky.


    Even as he grew up, Uriel disyed greater talents than the current Holy Emperor Damien. Not only was his bloodline considered purer than Damien''s, but his abilities were equally impressive.


    At the mere age of ten, Uriel had already defeated his sword instructor. By the time he reached fifteen, he had defeated an Archbishop in a training battle.


    Many believed that Uriel was destined to be the next Holy Emperor. After all, despite being the younger son, his talents surpassed those of his older sibling. It was assumed that the Royal Family would regain their former glory under Uriel''s leadership.


    Unfortunately, the previous Holy Emperor passed away before Uriel could even turn eighteen. Since Uriel was still a minor, the elder son Damien ascended the throne.


    No one knew how the previous Holy Emperor died so suddenly. At that time, there were even some rumors that the Holy Church was behind it.


    As they didn''t want Uriel to take the throne, they killed the previous Holy Emperor so that Damien could ascend who could be controlled more easily by them.


    The rumors were very damaging to the reputation of the Holy Church. Because of those rumors, the Holy Church also grew quite weak at that time.


    Unfortunately, the rumors didn''tst long. Most of the people who were spreading the rumors started disappearing until the rumor simply stopped as well.


    With time, the Holy Church also recovered their previous influence if not more. Now, barely anyone even remembered those rumors. Even if someone heard those rumors, they only considered them to be lies.


    Even though Uriel knew that his brother wasn''t involved in the death of their father, he still couldn''t watch the Royal Authority being abused by the Holy Church through Damien who had simply be a pawn.


    The only solution was to kill his brother and take the throne back, but Uriel also didn''t want to hurt his own brother.


    Even though he didn''t like the cowardice of his brother, it was still his own blood. It was still the same brother who had cared for him when he was little.


    Uriel couldn''t watch Damien work with the Holy Church but he also couldn''t stop him. In the end, he moved out of the Royal Pce and started living separately, only rarely meeting his brother at special asions.


    After a long time, he felt proud of his brother when he watched him stand up to the Holy Church. In his brother, he saw a glimpse of their father. After a long time, he felt his blood, that had frozen, boil.


    "You!"


    The Cardinal felt frustrated that Uriel was trying to stop him. Just what did these brothers treat the Holy Church as? Did they forget their ce? Just because they had the Royal Bloodline, did they think they were really special?


    "That''s enough." Cardinal Treniel intervened, stopping the Cardinal who was about to go overboard. "We are here to attend a Banquet, and not to fight."


    "Lord Uriel, I believe you should also calm down." He turned to Uriel, taking control of the situation. "I believe it is just a misunderstanding. There is no reason for us to have killing intent towards His Majesty. We are the protector of this Empire, not the enemies."


    "Hmph. As sly as always." Uriel took his hands off the Cardinal. He stepped forward, for the first time standing next to his brother.


    The Guards in the hall couldn''t remember thest time they had seen the two brothers standing together. Was it truly an unexpected reunion? They wondered.


    In any case, this was an interesting sight. The Royal Family was consolidating their strength. Now that they thought about it, they wondered if the Holy Emperor''s previous actions were also for this reason?


    The ones he killed in the Royal Army... Were they all traitors of the Necromancer Tower? That looked a little exaggerated. A few insightful guests had already understood the intentions of the Holy Emperor.


    The people that were killed by the Holy Emperor were traitors to him, but they were not traitors who had sided with the Necromancer Tower.


    Even though Eren didn''t outright say it, almost everyone in the hall understood it. It became evident that it were the people who sided with the Holy Church, which was why the Church appeared so upset.


    Was the Holy Emperor waging a war on the Holy Church? Wasn''t it foolish? The Holy Priestess was an Overlord after all. Even if the entire continent went against her, they couldn''t defeat her. They wondered what gave the Holy Emperor the confidence?


    At this point, many guests kept taking subtle nces at the Great Elders of the Demon Sect.

 Chapter 379: Chapter 379: Two Birds in one stone

    The only person who could stop an Overlord was another Overlord. Amongst all the people present in this meeting, only the envoys from the East were here, representing the Eastern Overlord.


    The guests wondered if the Holy Emperor had the backing of the Eastern Overlord? If that was the case, then wasn''t he a traitor? Was he siding with the Eastern Overlord over the Holy Priestess?


    As the guests wondered about this, their gazes turned uneasy. Unfortunately, they had no way to confirm the truth. Perhaps the Holy Emperor was actually right, and the Western Continent had been infiltrated by traitors. In that case, his anger could be justified.


    At this point, they didn''t know which side was actually right. Unlike themoners of the Holy Empire who were fantastically loyal to the Holy Church, the nobles and influential people present in this banquet were much more realistic.


    "Shall we begin the banquet?" Cardinal Treniel took control of the situation. He guided the Holy Priestess to a throne that had been arranged next to the Holy Emperor''s throne.


    The Holy Priestess momentarily nced at the Holy Emperor as she walked past him. Every time there was a banquet, a simr throne was arranged for the Holy Priestess.


    While the Holy Emperor represented the Royal Authority of the Empire, the Holy Priestess represented the Divine Authority, holding the right to sit next to the Holy Emperor on the same level.


    ''She is quite patient. But that''s for the better.'' Eren cast a nce at the Holy Priestess, walking back to his throne as well.


    The Banquet had finally begun, and the guests started introducing themselves while offering toasts to the envoys from the East. Many of them did it from afar, not getting too close to the guests.


    Unlike the explosive beginning of the Banquet, the rest of the evening was rtively calm. Some nobles even approached Eren, gathering their courage. They tried to strike up a conversation.


    Many of them had even heard that Eren was a lecherous man. They offered him some women, saying that everything could be arranged as long as he desired.


    Eren''s clone simply rejected their suggestions, while an angry Zia sharply pinched him.


    Many youngsters who had apanied their parents approached Yu Lin, mesmerized by her beauty and trying to get close to her.


    Even though Yu Lin was not from the Holy Empire, she was still the disciple of a Great Elder, on par with a Cardinal''s personal disciple.


    If they could win her heart and get close to the Great Elder, they could also gain a powerful backing for their families. It was an additional benefit that the girl was so beautiful herself.


    As the group approached the girl, they were met with a sudden, freezing cold that forced them to stop before they could evene within five meters of her. Ovee by the intense cold, they had no choice but to retreat.


    Throughout this time, the girl didn''t even spare a second nce at them, her eyes staying on the Holy Emperor from the beginning to the end.


    ....


    All the guests that had been talking to Eren''s clone, suddenly retreated when they saw the Cardinal approaching him.


    The Cardinal stopped in front of Eren and Zia, holding a ss of wine in his hand.


    "We investigated the Minister of War and we came to learn some truly interesting things from him about the person behind this attack," he told Eren while casting a sound istion barrier around them.


    "And who was the person?" Eren asked the Cardinal, paying quite a lot of interest.


    He was slightly surprised that the Cardinal didn''t talk about the Minister of War exploding, but it was understandable. It was embarrassing for them after all.


    "It seems that you had to suffer because of us. For that, I would like to apologize to you." The Cardinal lowered his head, even surprising Eren.


    He wondered if the Cardinal was epting that the Holy Church was behind it. There was no way he could be such a fool. He was curious to see just what the Cardinal was nning now.


    "The Holy Emperor had always been unhappy with the increasing influence of the Holy Church. It seems like he nned this attack because he wanted to use the excuse regarding the Necromancer Tower to kill the believers of the Holy Church."


    As the Cardinal kept exining, Eren finally understood the full extent of the Cardinal''s n. It was a genuinely wise strategy.


    If the Cardinal had simply insisted that the Holy Emperor wanted Eren dead, only a fool would have believed it. After all, the Holy Emperor had openly tried to save him from the Minister of War.


    Instead, the Cardinal med the Holy Emperor in a more nuanced way.


    ording to the Cardinal, the Holy Emperor had been using Eren as a puppet. The failure was also part of the n. With this one scheme, the Holy Emperor tried to achieve two objectives.


    On one hand, he wanted to get close to Eren, appearing as a savior. On the other hand, he tried to spread stories of the Necromancer Tower''s infiltration so he could eliminate the believers of the Holy Church amongst the Ministers and Royal Guards with that excuse.


    The Cardinal was right about using the Necromancer Tower to remove those loyal to the Holy Church. The only thing he failed to guess was that the person behind this was not the Holy Emperor, but Eren himself.


    "I just hope that you don''t fall victim to this n. Hence I came to inform you," the Cardinal finished his exnation. "As for what you decide to do with this information, I will leave that up to you."


    He turned around to leave, appearing very nonchnt. He didn''t try to guide Eren into attacking the Holy Emperor but he subtly left that suggestion.


    "Oh, and everything is arranged. Tomorrow, we will be leaving to investigate the disappearance of your envoys. So today might be yourst day in the Holy City," he further stated before returning to the other Cardinals.

 Chapter 380: Chapter 380: First Marriage Proposal

    Everything that was discussed with the clone, Eren was able to hear. Sitting on the throne, he couldn''t help but smile, amused at how shamelessly the Cardinal was lying.


    As for leaving tomorrow, he was already prepared for that. He still had to meet with the false Priestess and the Sea Dragon Empress after all. He also wanted to enter the Northern Continent as well.


    As for this being hisst night in the Holy City, he didn''t agree with that. Now that he was the Holy Emperor, this ce was his to devour. He also had the means to pass through the Holy Barrier as the Holy Emperor.


    The Holy Priestess had weed a wolf into her home, but this wolf had no intention of leaving.


    "Do you find something amusing?" The Holy Priestess asked, noticing the slightest smirk on Eren''s lips.


    "I am simply pleased that everyone seems to be enjoying themselves," Eren answered.


    "You have hidden yourself quite deeply. Is this your true self that you had been concealing?" The Holy Priestess asked.


    There was no way for a person to change so drastically. If she couldn''t feel his distinct Royal Aura, she would have even wondered if someone else had reced the Holy Emperor.


    The only other exnation for this drastic change was that this had always been the Holy Emperor. He had been hiding himself, waiting for the right opportunity to strike.


    With the involvement of the Eastern Envoys, he felt like he had found the opportunity, and now he was using it.


    "I don''t understand what you are talking about. I have always been myself," Eren answered, maintaining his calm. He had no reason to tell her the truth. The more she misunderstood, the better it was for him.


    Throughout this conversation, neither of them looked directly at each other. It was as if they had been talking to themselves and not to one another.


    "Since that is the case, I hope you will not regret it." The Holy Priestess stood up.


    If she wanted to kill the Holy Emperor, there was no one here who could stop her. Even the Eastern Envoys were insignificant in front of her. If anything, even Feng Yu couldn''t stop her if she wanted to kill a person in her domain.


    Despite that, she didn''t attack Eren. She was surprisingly calm. At this point in time, she couldn''t afford to make any foolish decisions.


    The Holy Priestess was about to go to war with the Necromancer Tower. She didn''t have much time either since the Hell''s Door was about to be opened.


    If she failed in stopping the Necromancer Tower, then it was going to be disastrous for her.


    She couldn''t let the Necromancer Tower be stronger. At the same time, she couldn''t let herself be weaker at such an important time.


    That was why she couldn''t afford to kill the Holy Emperor in the Holy City. At the same time, the Holy Emperor had to die so she could be the sole authority, receiving even more faith.


    Previously, she was trying to kill him using a borrowed sword. But now that he had directed his fangs at her, she made up her mind that she was going to deal with him.


    Tonight, the Holy Emperor had to die. As for the me, it was going to be ced on Eren. Even if this could put their deal with the Eastern Continent in jeopardy, it was necessary.


    Watching the Holy Priestess stand up to leave, it became clear that the Banquet hade to an end. The Cardinals also started leaving with her.


    "Seraphina!" discover-stories-MVLeMpYr


    "The Holy Priestess was about to step out of the hall when she heard someone call her name.


    At that moment, there was a pin-drop silence in the entire hall. It had been a long time since someone had called the Holy Priestess by her name.


    No one had the courage to use her name as it had be forbidden. And now, someone was calling her by her name in front of her? The person was none other than the Holy Emperor.


    Seraphina''s eyes narrowed as she turned around, her expression cold. She had not expected to be addressed so directly, especially by the Emperor.


    Eren also stood up. Although he didn''t want to do it after antagonizing her so much, he still had toplete the option. Even if it was embarrassing to propose in public, he had to do it.


    It was the first time he was going to propose to someone while expecting a rejection.


    He walked towards Seraphina while everyone was staring at him, including the Holy Emperor''s family. All of them wondered if the Holy Emperor was actually going to dere a war on the Holy Church.


    Uriel also didn''t want the Holy Emperor to be a subordinate of the Holy Church but he also knew that it was not easy to win against the Holy Church as long as the Holy Priestess was alive.


    Despite that, he was prepared to support his brother. His hands were behind his back, holding the hilt of his sword.


    Eren stopped in front of the Holy Priestess who looked at him, wondering what he was scheming now.


    In front of everyone''s shocked gaze, Eren suddenly went down on his knees. A ring appeared in his hand which he raised towards Seraphina.


    After taking a deep breath, he asked, "Will you marry me?"


    In that instant, almost everyone''s jaws dropped. Even the Cardinals who expected some kind of challenge from him went nk. Cardinal Treniel, who had always been extremely calm, also couldn''t hide his shocked reaction.


    The most shocked in this ce was none other than the two girls who had apanied Eren. Yu Lin and Zia didn''t know how to react, their fists clenching even more tightly. Both of them knew that the one proposing wasn''t the Holy Emperor but Eren.


    "Huh?" Eren was expecting a rejection but before he could hear a response from the Holy Priestess, his gaze fell on the veiled woman standing outside the hall.

 Chapter 381: Chapter 381: Rejection

    The moment Eren looked at the girl, his expressions became still. He couldn''t understand what that woman was doing here. She was supposed to be in the Eastern Continent, so how could she be here?


    Even in the novel that the Holy Emperor had read, she was supposed to arrive at ater date. Did something change because of him? She was sent much earlier to investigate?


    If he had known that this was going to happen, he would have done some preparation for it. However, it was toote now.


    At this point, there were three envoys in the Western Continent, and only one of them was supposed to be the real one. It was the one that had arrived.


    Eren observed Xiu Ying, wondering if she was going to recognise him. If she recognised him and saw him proposing to the Holy Priestess, it was going to be a big mess.


    Fortunately, her gaze was less focused on him. Instead, she was looking at his clone who was standing with Zia.


    Eren also followed his gaze and looked at Eren, almost facepalming himself. Zia was standing right next to Eren, her arms wrapped around his arms.


    Although it was something that Eren told her to do so she could protect his clone from getting hurt and disappearing but it couldn''t have been at a worse timing.


    "What do you think you are doing?" the Holy Priestess asked Eren who had just finished proposing to her. She didn''t understand what his intentions were. Just what was he nning?


    It was especially strange since he wasn''t even looking at her after proposing to her. Instead, he was ncing at the Great Elders behind him as if he was looking for their confirmation.


    She wondered if they were the ones who asked him to do something like this.


    At this point, she couldn''t think about it. She simply turned around to leave amidst the watchful gaze of everyone present there.


    The Holy Emperor was left sitting on his knees, as if he had beenpletely rejected by the Holy Priestess.


    While leaving, the Holy Priestess noticed Xiu Ying, who was also dressed in the attire of the Great Elder of the Demon Sect. Once again, she was taken aback. How did a third great eldere here?


    Why was the Demon Sect sending so many great elders here? Just what were they nning?


    She didn''t think that Xiu Ying was the real envoy while the others were fake, simply believing it to be a third envoy who had arrived.


    As for how she was able to enter the city despite the barrier, it also became clear when the Holy Priestess saw another Cardinal who was apanying her.


    The Cardinal had left the city to arrange something. On his way back, he noticed Xiu Ying talking to the border guards. As she was supposed to be an envoy as well, he brought her inside the city with him after confirming her identity.


    He hade here to inform the Holy Priestess about the arrival of the envoy, only to grow surprised when he saw the Holy Emperor sitting on a knee in front of the woman.


    The Holy Priestess simply walked past Xiu Ying and left, being in no mood to talk with her for now. She simply told the Cardinal who brought Xiu Ying inside to follow her.


    There was only one Cardinal who was left behind to handle the rest of the matters, and it was Cardinal Treniel.


    Even after  the Holy Priestess left, there was still absolute silence throughout the Grand Hall. Everyone was looking at the Holy Emperor who had just proposed a marriage to the Holy Priestess out of nowhere.


    No one was shocked that he was rejected. What shocked them more was that the Holy Emperor even tried something like this.


    The Holy Emperor ignored the strange gazes of the other nobles. Despite being rejected, his expressions remained perfectly calm as if it was nothing.


    Eren slowly rose to his feet, brushing off the dust from his knees. His eyes remained focused and just as calm as ever.


    He had expected the rejection. The Holy Priestess should not ept his proposal even if she wanted to. If she agreed to marry him and he died after that, it was going to be even worse for her reputation.


    Not being able to protect her husband was worse than not being able to protect the Emperor.


    For now, more than the rejection, Eren was concerned about the unexpected presence of Xiu Ying.


    As the silent mumblings grew louder in the Grand Hall, any nobles exchanged wary nces. They wondered just what was going on with the Holy Emperor.


    They were aware of the Holy Emperor''s recent chance but they were finding it hard toe to terms with it. He wasn''t even scared when standing before the Holy Priestess and proposing to her.


    He wasn''t worried when killing almost half his army because they supposedly supported the Holy Priestess. What if he targeted them next?


    Those who were close to the Holy Church were starting to worry about their own future, wondering if they needed to maintain some distance from the Holy Church.


    Now that the two powerful sides were against each other, they couldn''t get dragged in the mud. No matter which side they chose, they were going to be in trouble. -verified


    Even though the Holy Church was stronger, no one knew how the equation was going to change with the Demon Sect''s involvement.


    While the guests left the Banquet that hade to an end, they knew they had a lot to think about.


    Before long, the entire grand hall was left empty with only the Royal Family and the guests from the Demon Sect being left behind.


    Xiu Ying was still standing at the entrance of the hall, looking at Eren''s clone with a narrowed gaze. Her eyes were particrly focused on Zia''s hand which was holding onto Eren.

 Chapter 382: Chapter 382: Digging a bigger hole

    From the moment she entered the Holy City, Xiu Ying had heard a lot of rumors. Many people were talking about the two great elders who had arrived as guests, iming they were lovers.


    At that time, she didn''t think much about it. Although the Demon Sect had many Great Elders, none of them were supposed to be here.


    She thought some people might be pretending to be Great Elders of the Demon Sect to take advantage of the Holy Empire. She was even nning to teach them a lesson for faking their identities.


    She arrived at the hall, expecting to make a scene, but the moment she saw those two people, she froze in ce. One of them was Great Elder Zia, and the other was her lover Eren.


    She was informed that Eren had temporarily left the Demon Sect, but his destination was unknown. She never imagined him to be in the Western Continent.


    Even worse, he was not alone. He was with Great Elder Zia? While she was worrying about him, he was having fun with Zia, making a name for himself as a lecherous man?


    When she looked at Eren, all the rumors she had heard along the way appeared in her head. Her heart felt pain like never before.


    She didn''t say anything to Eren. She didn''t even take a single step inside.


    After a long period of silence, she turned around, her face appearingpletely expressionless, as if she had been truly heartbroken.


    "Wait a minute!" Eren, still disguised as the Holy Emperor, chased after Xiu Ying. He understood  what Xiu Ying was thinking, even if she didn''t say anything.


    Xiu Ying walked away from the Royal Pce. Even though she hade to investigate the disappearance of the Elders, she didn''t think about that at the moment. For now, she simply wanted to be alone.


    While she was leaving, she wondered if Eren was going to chase after her to exin. Deep down, even though she was angry, she was hoping for him toe after her to exin.


    After some time, she looked back towards the Pce, hoping to see Erening after her. Unfortunately, she didn''t find him there. It was as if he didn''t even care about her in the slightest.


    Instead, it was the Holy Emperor, who was chasing after her. She didn''t understand why an unknown man wasing after her but she was not in the mood to talk with anyone, even if it was for work.


    The Guards who were stationed outside the Pce watched Eren chase after the woman of the Demon Sect. Once again, they were confused about the Holy Emperor''s strange behavior but they didn''t stop him.


    If anything, it was the Cardinal who tried to approach Eren. Did the Holy Emperor even know the name of the woman? He wondered. Did it mean he was much closer to the Demon Sect than they thought?


    He tried to go after the Holy Emperor, only to be stopped by Eren''s clone and Zia. Both of them started talking to him, saying they wanted to discuss something.


    Even if Cardinal Treniel wanted to leave, he wasn''t allowed to leave. He was kept distracted.


    "Xiu Ying, stop! You are misunderstanding!" Eren called out to Xiu Ying when he reached a ce which was scarcely popted.


    There were no people in the area as they had reached near the exit of the city.


    Xiu Ying, hearing another man call her name, fumed in anger. Turning around, she sliced with her finger, sending out a Qi de, not caring if it was amoner or the Holy Emperor who was chasing after her.


    "Calm down!" Eren barely dodged the de that came for him like lightning. He also increased his speed, using eleration to appear in front of Xiu Ying.


    "That de was a warning for me. Since you don''t appreciate it, then let me send you to the afterlife!" Xiu Ying grew even more serious.


    If the man was trying to antagonize her, then she was willing to teach him manners. All the anger that she had for Eren was now directed towards the Holy Emperor.


    She attacked the Holy Emperor who once again used eleration to dodge the attack. Instead, the attack hit nearby buildings, making many of them crumbling down.


    "Stop attacking!" Eren appeared right behind Xiu Ying, grabbing both her hands, holding them restricted behind her.


    Even though Xiu Ying was previously stronger than him, after his recent streak of leveling, Eren''s stats had increased by a lot. They were much higher than Xiu Ying who was taken aback that she couldn''t even free her hand from this man''s grip.


    "I will kill you!" Xiu Ying eximed, only for Eren to spank her butt.


    "Are you seriously talking about killing your husband? Since when did you be so bad?" he asked, his tone being extremely familiar.


    Eren also changed his disguise to a small extent, making his voice return to normal so Xiu Ying could recognise him.


    "That voice... How...?" Xiu Ying recognised that voice, growing shocked. She remembered seeing Eren with Xia. How could this person be Eren?


    At the same time, the way this person talked was also identical. It was as if he was really Eren.


    Eren brought his lips closer to Xiu Ying''s ears and whispered, "I am Eren. The person who was standing with Zia was just a clone."


    He exined, "A lot of things had happened and I can''t tell you here. However, none of the rumors about me are true. They were intentionally spread by me."


    "So that was not you?" Xiu Ying''s eyes lit up as she heard the confirmation that the person with Zia wasn''t him. Her jealousy slowly calmed down and her resistance stopped.


    "Of course that was not me. That was just an act," Eren told her before releasing her hand.


    Xiu Ying turned back to him, feeling very relieved. However when she looked at him, her expressions again darkened.


    "If you''re... That means the one proposing to the Holy Priestess was you?!" she asked, her temper ring even more.


    While trying to escape from Zia''s situation, Eren had confessed that he was the one proposing to the Holy Priestess, something which he hadn''t even done to her yet.


    When he heard her question, Eren was also at a loss.

 Chapter 383: Chapter 383: Taking out the Cardinal?

    There was only one reason he proposed to the Holy Priestess. It was to get the optional reward. It had nothing to do with his n to drag her down.


    He could not tell Xiu Ying the real reason as it was no different than exposing his system. Even if he trusted her to the point that she knew about his identity as a former spy of the Hero Academy, it still wasn''t safe for him to tell her everything.


    "Can we talk about itter? Soon, this ce will be filled with the Priests." He changed the topic for now, telling Xiu Ying to return to the Pce with him.


    Multiple buildings hade crashing down with Xiu Ying''s attack. It was only a matter of time before someone from the Holy Church came to investigate.


    "There are a lot of things that I have to tell you, but this is not the right ce for that," he added, noticing a fewmoners also sneakily observing this ce from a distance.


    Even if they couldn''t hear their conversation, it was still better to not engage with a guest from the east as the Holy Emperor in front of everyone else.


    Having released Xiu Ying, Eren walked past her. Xiu Ying was still confused about his actions but from his words, she felt that he had a n which made him do it.


    Moreover, why was he even in the Western Continent in the first ce? She wanted to know that. If there was anything she could do to help him, she wanted to do that now that her anger had calmed down.


    She followed Eren back to the Royal Pce. Last time, she was apanying a Cardinal so the Guards didn''t stop her. But this time, she came with the Holy Emperor. The Royal Guards were more respectful towards her than before.


    As soon as Eren reached the banquet hall, he froze in ce just like Xiu Ying had frozen before. Inside the hall, he saw a strange scene take ce.


    Cardinal Treniel was lying on the ground, unconscious. His clone was sitting on the Cardinal''s back as if the Cardinal was nothing but a couch for him to use.


    There were no signs of battle which confused Eren even more. Just how did his clone take the Cardinal out when he was so weak? However, it didn''t take him long to find an answer.


    Not far from them, there was a gold bar that was stained with some blood while the back of Cardinal''s head appeared to be visibly swollen.


    Eren scratched the back of his head, still in disbelief. He could already guess what happened. He also retrieved the clone''s memories which he had stopped as he chased Xiu Ying.


    As he had told his clone to stop the Cardinal from following him, that''s exactly what he did. It was only the method that was different.


    First, Zia tried to engage him in a conversation about the disappearance of the envoy. That worked only for a little as the Cardinal was still trying to leave. Without fighting, they couldn''t stop him.


    In the end, it was Eren''s clone who came up with this ce. While Treniel was distracted by Zia, he picked up a gold bar and smacked the head of the Cardinal hard.


    The Cardinal, who had never expected something like this, was not ready to be attacked. All his defenses were down as well. Being struck by a gold bar, the Cardinal passed out.


    Normally, his clone would have been attacked by the Royal Guards or the nobles for attacking a Cardinal. However, the Royal Guards present in the hall didn''t do anything.


    They had noticed that the Holy Emperor was close to the guests, so he left it for the Holy Emperor to decide. The Royal Family Members were also carefree as they didn''t like the cardinal either.


    Instead of helping the Cardinal, Uriel simplyughed heartily. He had even forgotten how long it had been since heughed like that.


    It was especially amusing for him as Eren, known as the Demon, had used such a simplistic method to deal with the Cardinal. He was surprised that it even worked on someone of the Cardinal''s Caliber.


    "This is...." Eren rubbed his forehead as he came to learn everything, his expressions iprehensible.


    He wondered if this counted as waging a war on the Holy Church. Even though it was an innocent mistake, he had to take care of it.


    He approached the Cardinal who was lying on the floor and ced his hand on the Cardinal''s forehead. He made it look like he was checking the Cardinal''s temperature to see if he was fine.


    On the contrary, he was using his mind maniption on the Cardinal.


    Normally, even if his stats were high, it was hard to manipte the consciousness of a cardinal level existence. He had a lot of protection on his consciousness which was even harder to manipte when he was awake and aware.


    Now that he was passed out, it became a little easier for him. Even now, it was hard to manipte him on arge scale but he could at least make him forget a few small things like him chasing after Xiu Ying or his clone attacking him.


    After erasing those two insignificant but important memories that hadn''t taken a deep root in his mind yet, he picked up the Cardinal and helped him sit on one of the nearby seats.


    He assigned a Guard to keep an eye on the cardinal and make up a story when he woke up.


    After arranging for the Cardinal, Eren told his clone, Zia and Yu Lin to follow him.


    "Brother, can I talk to you for a minute?"


    Eren was leaving with everyone when Uriel called out to him. However, he didn''t have time to deal with it yet. He had to get Xiu Ying up to the n before anything else could go wrong.

 Chapter 384: Chapter 384: Brothers

    "You can go ahead. I will meet up with youter," Eren told the girls, deciding to stay behind.


    Zia led Xiu Ying and Yu Lin to the room assigned to them, leaving Eren behind.


    Despite theplicated rtionship between the Royal Family, Uriel was still an extremely important person. Not only was he the Holy Emperor''s brother, but he also had incredible strength and an important role to y in the story of the Western Continent.


    ording to the original narrative of the Western Continent, the False Priestess was supposed to be captured by the Duke.


    Uriel, who had been keeping a close eye on the Holy Church, discovered that a prisoner was being escorted to the Holy City. He then intervened and saved the False Priestess from captivity, in turn getting closer to her.


    It was with the help of Uriel and a few others that the story of the False Priestess was able to progress.


    Without realizing the original plot, Eren had already changed a significant plot point. While the False Priestess was supposed to be captured by the Duke, she was instead rescued by Aster due to Eren''s interference.


    As a result, Uriel''s role waspletely removed from the story, as his intended encounter with the False Priestess had been erased.


    It was only when Eren consumed the Holy Emperor''s memories that he came to understand how he had drastically changed the course of events in this timeline.


    Instead of a single Great Elder serving as an envoy in the Holy City, there were now three. Even the Dragon Empress was present outside the Holy City. Aster and the False Priestess were also deeply involved in the events.


    The plotlines of three separate novels had converged in the Western Continent, and Eren found himself at the very center of it all.


    Only the Northern Continent was left out and Eren was d about it. Three plot points were already hard to handle and he didn''t want a fourth one at this point.


    He didn''t realize that the fourth plot point had already entered the Western Continent, bringing with it a lot of trouble for him.


    "Shall we take a walk?" he asked Uriel, not wanting to be here when the Cardinal woke up. He didn''t want to have to exin all the mess, leaving it for the Guard to exin.


    He followed Eren to the balcony of the Royal Pce that was overlooking the entire Holy City. Even though it waste at night, the city was still brightly lit, creating beautiful and calming scenery.


    "Even though so many years have passed, the city still looks the same." Uriel ced his hand on the railing, taking a deep breath of the fresh air.


    He didn''t even remember how long it had been since he had spent time with his brother like this. Most of the time, he felt angry at his brother for working with the Holy Priestess.


    He knew that his brother had no choice but to work for the Holy Priestess as the Royal Family was extremely weak after their father''s death. His actions were fully justified and even made sense to some extent b


    He also knew that it was wrong for him to get angry at his brother who had his own troubles to think about. While he was thinking about the pride of the Royal Family, his brother was thinking about the existence of the Royal Family itself.


    He had long known that he was in the wrong for ming his brother only. Despite that, he still couldn''t let go of his anger and disappointment. He knew that he was angry and disappointed at his own weakness which he was ming his brother for.


    Despite that, he couldn''t get himself to acknowledge his brother''s actions.


    In silence, Eren observed the scenery. He didn''t know how this city looked in Uriel''s childhood so he couldn''tment.


    He simply agreed with his brother. "Some things never change, but some things change more than we would like them to."


    Uriel looked at his brother, who had a serene look on his face. He wondered if his brother was talking about him.


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    "Why did you do it? Why did you go against the Holy Priestess, only to propose to herter? Were you trying to make her angry?" he asked. "Do you really have a secret deal with the Eastern Overlord?"


    "There is no deal," Eren answered. "The Eastern Overlord probably doesn''t even know what''s happening here."


    "Then why? Why did you oppose the Holy Priestess? You are different from me. I don''t care if I was killed, but if it''s you...?"


    Even though Uriel always wanted his brother to be brave, now that he actually saw his brother''s bravery, he felt scared. He felt scared for his brother''s safety.


    "If I''m killed, then you can take the throne. Isn''t that what you always wanted? Then you can run the Empire as you want. Finally, this Empire won''t have an unworthy emperor like me," Eren said, his voice slightly breaking as if he was extremely emotional.


    He didn''t have the memories of the Holy Emperor but he had the memories that he had stolen from the Transmigrator which contained the contents of the book, at least to the point that he had read.


    In the book, Uriel''s emotions were exined more clearly than ever, especially after the Holy Emperor was killed by Xiu Ying.


    From that point on, he had made up his mind to have revenge on the Holy Priestess, as well as the Eastern Continent.


    With that, Eren knew exactly how to y the emotional card to make sure Uriel didn''t doubt his identity.


    "Stop with that absurd thought! Nothing will happen to you!" Uriel''s voice grew louder as if he was almost scolding his brother for talking nonsense. "As long as I am alive, nothing will happen to you!"


    Even though the two brothers had a lot of conflict in the past, deep down, they were always close. They just didn''t know how to express their feelings until the moment the Holy Emperor died.


    Now, Eren wanted to bring those feelings out without having to die.

 Chapter 385: Chapter 385: Feys Control

    ....


    Even though the Necromancer Tower had destroyed all other magic towers in the Northern Continent, it didn''t mean they destroyed all lives. There were many families who had risen during the chaos while supporting the Necromancer Tower.


    Each of those families were rewarded with territories of their own. While the real ruler was still the Necromancer Tower, the families were allowed to manage thend for the Necromancer Tower.


    With all the resources of their territories being monopolized by them, the families prospered even more.


    Even as they sent most of the resources to the Necromancer Tower, they were able to save enough to be stronger.


    The families that were like ants before other magic towers, were nowparable to them in strength. There were even some families that had grown stronger than what used to be the Wind Magic Tower of the past.


    There were twenty such families, collectively called the Magic Families, holding most influence in the Northern Continent if one was to exclude the Necromancer Tower.


    Amongst the twenty Magic Families, the weakest one was the family which had received territory near the Western Continent''s Border.


    Being immersed in constant conflict with the Western Continent, they had received a worse bargain than the other Magic Families. Still, even if they were weaker than the other family, they were still lords of the region.


    For the people of their province, just bing a mere guard for the Kiel Family was an achievement worth being proud of.


    In the eyes of the people of this territory, the Kiel Family''s Patriarch was an existential akin to a god who could change control of heaven and earth with a single wave of his hand.


    None of the citizens could have imagined that the Patriarch of the Kiel Family, the godlike existence, was currently on his knees, sitting in front of a young man like an ordinary servant.


    The old man''s eyes were somewhat nk and hazy, his thoughts being extremely cloudy.


    "To think that I would have to struggle so much, just to control the weakest of the twenty..." The young man on the throne mumbled, looking arrogantly at the Kiel Family Patriarch.


    If Eren was here, he would have been surprised to see the man. It was the Transmigrator of the Northern Continent who had escaped from his grasp.


    The young man on the throne was Fey, who was the heir of the Wind Tower. He was also someone who had received a skill that allowed him to turn any person into a ve as long as certain criterias were met.


    He had first turned his mother, the Wind Tower Master, into a ve. He even went to the Eastern Continent to enve Feng Yu, using the trick he learned from the Author.


    Everything was going as per his n and it was only a matter of time before he seeded, takingplete control over the Eastern Continent.


    Unfortunately for him, a stranger came and ruined his entire n, even killing his only avatar while also injuring him.


    Fey was still concerned about Eren, especially since Eren knew about him being a Transmigrator. He still didn''t know how Eren could know about it. Was he also a Transmigrator or did he have other methods to see through a person''s past?


    Whatever the case, he understood that Eren was a dangerous existence for him, maybe even more dangerous than the Overlords. Unlike Overlords who were unaware about his existence and his means, Eren knew everything.


    Unaware about Eren''s identity, Fey avoided entering the Eastern Continent anymore as it was the ce where he came across Eren.


    For now, he ignored Eren''s existence and focused on his main n of enving the Four Overlords with his next target being the Holy Priestess.


    For that, he needed more subordinates as his old ves were taken away by Eren. Not overestimating himself, he came for the weakest of the twenty families. find-more-stories-on-MVLeMpYr


    After a lot of nning, he had finally managed to enve the Kiel Family Patriarch. As the Kiel Family''s Territory was connected to the Western Continent, this was also the perfect ce for him as per the n he learned from the author.


    "Send an invitation to the Patriarch of the neenth ranked family," hemanded the Kiel Family Patriarch.


    Now that he had control over one patriarch, he could finally focus on controlling the twenty families, before turning his sights to his real goal, the Holy Priestess and the Necromancer Tower Master.


    "Master''s will shall be fulfilled." The Kiel Family Patriarch nodded, still staying on his knees.


    Fey stood up from the Patriarch''s seat. He walked closer to the Kiel Family Patriarch and patted his head lightly.


    "Good boy," he said, as if talking to a little pet.


    "Also, your daughter was very arrogant when I first came here," he added, remembering the Princess of the Kiel Family. "Now that this entire family belongs to me, doesn''t it mean that she also belongs to me? Send her to my bedroom tonight. I will ''personally'' teach her some manners."


    He released the Kiel Family Patriarch''s head and walked away, the sound of his footsteps getting distant.


    ....


    "Don''t ever talk about dying again!" Uriel told Eren, clearly being angry at his brother''s words. "If someone wants to hurt you, they will have to hurt me first."


    Eren expected a response like this from Uriel who was described as the epitome of loyalty. Even when the False Priestess went against the entire world, he was always on her side without fear of death.


    "Let''s not talk about that for now," Eren changed the topic after getting the confirmation that Uriel was on his side. "When are you moving back to the Royal Pce?"


    "Moving back?" Uriel looked at his brother, confused.


    "The Pce is your home as well. How long are you going to live separately?" Eren turned around, walking back inside the Pce, only leaving his words behind. "It is time for you to return home, brother."


    Uriel watched his brother''s back growing distant, his heart feeling strange emotions. It was as if there was happiness, as well as sadness within.

 Chapter 386: Chapter 386: Pride

    When he had first left home in anger, deep down, he had hoped that his brother would try to stop him. I


    If his brother had asked him to stay, even in the midst of his anger, he might have stayed. Unfortunately, his brother had not evene to see him off.


    Now that his brother was calling him back home, he felt a mix of emotions. There was happiness, but also a sense of unease.


    He knew that his brother was in a dangerous situation, and to protect him, he needed to be by his side. With that realization, he made up his mind. His family was going to return to the Royal Pce.


    He nced at the city from the balcony onest time before leaving the balcony as well. Even though the city looked extremely peaceful now, it was just calm before the storm.


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    The Holy City had already split into two factions and things could erupt at any time. Not only that, but even the continental war didn''t look too far away.


    ....


    While Uriel was preparing for the inevitable, Eren went back to the room where Xiu Ying, Zia and Yu Lin were supposed to be waiting for him.


    He wondered if Zia had already exined everything properly. Then again, even Zia didn''t know everything that had happened.


    After reaching the room, he knocked on the door, waiting for it to be open. Soon, the door was opened by Yu Lin who weed him back.


    Eren entered the room while removing his disguise, returning to his normal self.


    "You went to the Hero Academy to save them? How could you do something so dangerous?!" Eren didn''t even have the time to breathe when he heard Xiu Ying.


    Zia had actually told her everything, from the moment where the sect was betrayed by the Ancestral Elders. She told Xiu Ying about her being kidnapped with Yu Lin and being taken to the Hero Academy.


    Zia didn''t know how Eren had saved them, but she was certain that it was his doing as he had been there when they came to their senses. At that time, they were outside the Hero Academy and on merchant ships already.


    From that point on, the exnation simply became that Eren hade to the Western Continent to investigate the disappearance of the Elders after hearing the rumors.


    Even Zia herself didn''t know that Eren''s actual reason was to find the Celestial Dragon''s heart and obtain the Holy Priestess'' blood.


    She also didn''t know that it was supposed to be Devourer who saved her and not Eren. If she had known, she would have been even more shocked.


    Then again, Eren had already prepared an exnation for her if that ever happened. He had already told her that he had a treasure which could help him disguise, which became a weapon to be used for exnation in the future.


    Eren had entered the room, expecting to be the one to exin the story from his perspective with slight maniption. He didn''t expect everything to already be over by the time he came here.


    Instead of having to exin, he was only here to be scolded. For Xiu Ying, Eren had entered an extremely dangerous situation. It was lucky that he survived even after going to the Hero Academy, but what would have happened if something had gone wrong?


    She understood that Eren had to save his disciple but he didn''t even tell Feng Yu about it. Feng Yu still thought that Eren had simply left on a short vacation.


    If Feng Yu was to find out that Eren had gone to the Hero Academy and then right over to the Holy City, her expressions would have been a sight to see as well, especially since she wasn''t as distant towards Eren as before.


    "Why didn''t you tell the Sect Master if they were kidnapped? She would have brought them back!" Feng Yu asked Eren.


    ''Why would I tell her when I did all this to make sure Feng Yu doesn''t meet that woman? Can''t risk exposing my identity now that I have started winning her trust!'' Eren thought, but he didn''t say that out loud.


    He also had another reason for doing that. Going to the Southern Continent was an opportunity for him to get stronger.


    Now, he waspletely iparable to how he had been before entering the Southern Continent. Moreover, he wanted to save his disciples himself.


    "As a teacher, what is the point if I can''t even save my disciples myself?" he asked Xiu Ying, making her go silent.


    "I care about my people. Even if it''s the god who takes them from me, I will fight my way to heaven to take them back. So what if it''s dangerous? How long can I rely on others to protect what''s mine? "


    His voice grew louder, as if reverberating in the hearts of those who heard him. At this moment, he was the only person they could see and hear.


    His words touched both his disciples. Eren was willing to go so far to protect them, even if it meant putting his own life on the line. It was his pride as well as his courage that allowed him toe alone and seed in saving them.


    It was Xiu Ying who had questioned him, but when she heard his answer and looked at the determination in her eyes, she received the answer.


    Even if she didn''t like the fact that he put himself in danger, there was still something charming about those eyes that were as prideful as ever.


    "I-" Xiu Ying didn''t know how to respond. Was it really right for her to scold Eren over it? She wondered.


    He had worries of his own. Did she really need to make things more troublesome for him, instead of being supportive?


    She lowered her head like a child who had been wronged, apologizing to Eren. "I am sorry for ming you."

 Chapter 387: Chapter 387: Need of death

    ....


    The Holy Priestess returned to the sacred chamber where no one else could see her.


    Throughout the night, she had maintained a calm exterior even when the Holy Emperor went against her. However, as soon as she returned to the privacy of the sacred chamber, she revealed her real self.


    She started throwing things left and right, her expressions so dark that it looked like she wanted to rip the Holy Emperor apart with her bare hands.


    If the Holy existence of the Necromancer Tower wasn''t something that she had to worry about, she wouldn''t have cared about anything else and killed the Holy Emperor during the banquet itself.


    The Holy Emperor lived so long, thanks to her mercy. And now that she needed him to die, he was acting up?


    "That foolish man! Does he think he can go against me if he gets the help from the Eastern Continent? That bastard doesn''t know that even those from the Eastern Continent are nothing more than pawns for me!"


    She initially wanted to use Eren and then kill him. But now that Eren was clearly working with the Holy Emperor, there was no need for him to live a second longer.


    She soon left the sacred chamber and met with Cardinal Treniel who was going to escort Eren to investigate the Northern Continent.


    Cardinal Treniel had just returned to the Sacred Church, looking a little confused. For some reason, he didn''t remember what happened. It was as if he had forgotten something really important. Did he really fall asleep? Was he that tired?


    He could feel that something was wrong, but he didn''t have time to think about it. As soon as he returned, he was summoned by the Holy Priestess.


    When reached the meeting room, he noticed that no other Cardinals were here. Only the Holy Priestess was sitting in the room that was barely lit with a few candles.


    He greeted the Holy Priestess, remaining standing and waiting for her instructions.


    "Tomorrow, you are going to the Northern Continent''s territory with the Eastern Envoys?" The Holy Priestess asked.


    "That is correct." Treniel nodded.


    "None of them should return alive, especially that man. At the same time, you should die as well..." The Holy Priestess said without a shift in her reaction.


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    Hearing her words, Treniel went nk. Did she really want him to die? Was it to convince the Demon Sect that it was the work of the Necromancer Tower?


    Even though he was instructed to die, he was willing to do it. If it was for the Holy Priestess, everything was worth it.


    "I will make it happen." He agreed without even the slightest of resistance. He turned around to leave after having received his instructions.


    "There is one more thing..." The Holy Priestess said, making Treniel, who was just at the threshold of the exit, stop.


    As Treniel heard what the Holy Priestess said, his eyes narrowed. A strange smile spread across his lips. Silently nodding, he left the room and disappeared into the maze of hallways spread throughout the Holy Church.


    The Holy Priestess was left alone in the room, talking to herself, "The Holy Emperor, huh. I look forward to seeing how you react when your entire world falls apart tomorrow."


    ....


    Throughout the night, the Cardinal prepared as per the instructions of the Holy Priestess. Tomorrow was going to be a big day for him as he had to kill two Great Elders.


    Even for him, it was not easy to kill two Great Elders when he was in the Territory of the Northern Continent.


    In the Northern Continent, he couldn''t receive the blessing of the goddess. In the Northern Continent, he was weaker than he was in the Western Continent.


    On the contrary, Eren and Zia weren''t affected by territories. Their strength was the same, no matter which continent they entered, as long as they weren''t affected by an Overlord''s domain like the Holy Priestess'' domain that Eren experienced before.


    Treniel knew that it was not easy to have Eren and Zia killed in the Northern Continent. It would have been even harder if the third great elder had also apanied them.


    Fortunately, the Holy Priestess had already arranged for Xiu Ying, deciding to meet her tomorrow, keeping her back.


    Only Eren and Zia were going to apany him to this trip, which made this n a lot more usible. Only his death was theplicated factor in all of this.


    The night felt extremely long since tomorrow was going to be such a big day for the Cardinal.


    While he was busy preparing to take down Eren, the man in question was more carefree.


    Eren let his clone take the position of the Holy Emperor as it was able to use the same aura as him. Now that he had also removed all Traitors, the Royal Pce also became a lot safer for his clone.


    While leaving his clone to take the position of the Holy Emperor for now, he stayed behind with Xiu Ying.


    It had been a long time since he met Xiu Ying. The girl was also quite stubborn about staying in his room, to the point that he had to send others back to their rooms.


    Unlike the other nights, there were no moaning sounds that could be heard through the corridor,as a silencing barrier was cast this time. No one heard what was happening inside the room.


    After so long, Xiu Ying was finally able to sleep in Eren''s embrace. As she was away from him for a long time, she had been longing for him. She felt an extreme sense of separation.


    After a long time, she was finally able to taint Eren''s body with her scent again, marking her territory.


    Throughout the night, she didn''t let Eren rest for even a minute. Or was it Eren who didn''t let her rest? It was impossible to find the right answer as both of them were just as passionate throughout the night with Eren exploring every inch of Xiu Ying''s body.

 Chapter 388: Chapter 388: Uninvited Author

    Eren didn''t know when he had fallen asleep the previous night. It felt as though he had barely slept when he opened his eyes in the morning.


    The first person he saw upon waking was none other than Xiu Ying, who was using his arm as a pillow, still asleep and looking stunningly beautiful.


    Eren remained motionless, simply watching Xiu Ying as she slept peacefully, like a child. He reached out his other hand and gently tucked a stray lock of her hair behind her ear.


    "Uhmm." As if reacting to his touch, Xiu Ying made a subconscious noise. She moved closer to Eren, cing her arm over his chest, feeling the warmthing from his body.


    She felt safe in his embrace, a feeling which had been a luxury for someone like her ever since she was born. Even though she was an important figure in the Great Demon Sect, it was still rare to have moments like this.


    After another hour passed, Xiu Ying finally started waking up. She opened her eyes, noticing Eren right next to her. She couldn''t help but smile as if it was a beautiful dream that she didn''t want to end.


    She brought her lips close to Eren''s lips, kissing him.


    "Why didn''t you wake me up if you were awake?" she asked Eren.


    "I just woke up a few seconds ago," Eren lied to her, not telling her that he had been awake for close to an hour. He just didn''t want to disturb her when she was sleeping.


    "Do you really have to be the one to go?" Xiu Ying snuggled into Eren''s embrace like a little kitten. "I can go to your ce."


    Eren was supposed to enter the Northern Continent with Cardinal Treniel. She wanted to go with him but he simply rejected her, saying that someone needed to stay behind.


    She told him to leave Zia behind, only for Eren to confirm that Zia was also staying behind. It was also what worried Xiu Ying even more.


    Eren wanted to go with Cardinal Treniel alone, leaving the other two Great Elders behind to protect the Holy Emperor, which was simply his clone that was extremely fragile.


    When he was not in the city, if his clone was hurt even the slightest, it was going to disappear. If that happened, then everything he worked for, was going to end up being useless.


    At the same time, it was going to be exposed that the real Holy Emperor had long been dead. As important as it was for him to leave the Holy City for now, it was just as important to protect his clone and his authority in the Holy City.


    For that, he couldn''t just rely on Uriel. He had to rely on Xiu Ying and Zia, both. His disciple was also staying behind, so it made it even more important for the Royal Pce to be secure.


    "You don''t have to worry about me. If it''s just one Cardinal, I will return safely. It''s his safety that one should be worried about." Eren innocently said.


    He knew that as long as he was in the Western Continent, the Cardinal was not going to hurt him. If he was going to try anything, it could only be in the Northern Continent where the me could be shifted.


    At the same time, it was beneficial for Eren as well. If he killed the Cardinal in the Northern Continent, beyond the control of the Holy Church, they couldn''t even detect his death right away.


    The only reason they knew about Archbishop Nathaniel''s death so fast, was only because he died within the border of the Western Continent.


    Eren also couldn''t let Xiu Ying leave the Holy Empire in his ce as he had a lot of things to handle outside the Holy Empire, other than just going to the Northern Continent.


    Everyone believed that he wanted to go to the Northern Continent to investigate the disappearance of the envoys of the Demon Sect, but he already knew where the envoys were kept captive.


    For now, they were safe. Hence, he wasn''t in a hurry to save them. Instead, he was just using this investigation as a smokescreen.


    His real goal was none other than finding the Celestial Dragon''s heart with the Sea Dragon Empress. For that he had to leave the city and kill Treniel so he could have some freedom to maneuver.


    "I will be back before you know it." He gently brushed his fingers against Xiu Ying''s cheeks. After giving her one more kiss, he retracted his hand and stood up.


    He entered the shower to get prepared for departure. In the shower, he observed the sword mark on his arm, not noticing any change for now. After the dream where he received the sword, he didn''t have any other weird dreams either.


    He was still confused about the meaning behind those dreams. After a short shower, he dried his body with the Dragon Tongue Magic.


    He covered the sword mark with a ck cloth strip before wearing clothes. On top, he draped the robe of the Great Elder of the Demon Sect, returning to his main identity.


    After gettingpletely dressed, he left the shower.


    "Are you angry?" he asked, finding Xiu Ying sitting on the bed, her back facing him. It was as if she was really upset that he wasn''t taking her with him.


    He approached her, only to grow stunned when he looked at her properly. She was not moving, as if she had been turned into a statue.


    It was also just now that he noticed other strange things. It was as if time itself had been stopped for Xiu Ying.


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    "What brought you here?" Realizing what was happening, Eren asked while slowly turning around.


    When Eren looked back, he noticed a familiar person, holding an umbre even indoors. There was a strange mist covering the person which made it impossible to see him properly, but his presence was undeniable.


    Normally, Eren had to partially activate the question voucher to bring the person down, but this time he came on his own?

 Chapter 389: Chapter 389: Prophecy of Death

    The entire pce had been frozen in time, as if it had been removed from the reality itself. Only two people were allowed to move inside the frozen territory; Eren and the creator of this world.


    Eren appeared very confused when he saw the person who could only be called down with the help of the Question Voucher. At least that''s how he believed it worked.


    Let alone using the Question Voucher, Eren hadn''t even brought it out of his inventory for as long as he remembered. So why was this person here? That was the biggest question in Eren''s mind.


    "What are you doing here?" he asked the mysterious man who refused to ept the title of the author, no matter how many times he was called that.


    It was less about rejection and more as if he was scared of taking the title for some reason.


    Eren didn''t know if it was his misconception, but every time he called this person the author, he saw a strange sense of fear and rejection appear in the man''s eyes.


    After some time, he had stopped calling him the author, even though he still believed that this person was the creator of those books.


    "Am I not allowed to be here?" The mysterious person asked, taking a step closer to Eren.


    Even though the man only took a small step forward, for some strange reason, it felt as if he had covered the distance of an entire gxy in that single step.


    "It seems you have a Question Voucher. Why haven''t you used it in such a long time?" The mysterious person asked.


    Even though Eren couldn''t see the man''s face through the mist, he felt as if the person was looking straight in his eyes. Eren feltpletely defenseless in front of the person, as if he was able to look straight into his soul.


    When Eren first met this person, he felt like an ordinary person. He had even tried to punch this person as he hadn''t felt much fear.


    Now that Eren had be stronger, he could truly feel the vast distance between the two of them.


    The person... He was apletely different existence than anything he had seen before. He was like an endless void that was strong enough to devour the entire world, including all four Overlords if he wanted.


    "I will use it when I want to use it," Eren answered the mysterious person. "Are you in a hurry to make me use it?"


    For a long time, there was only silence. The mysterious person did not answer, staying still akin to a statue.


    The silence was only broken when the man sighed. "You are very troublesome."


    He turned around and walked back to the throne that had appeared in the distance. He took a seat on the throne while conjuring another for Eren to sit.


    "You should return to the Eastern Continent. Don''t involve yourself in the matters of the Holy Empire and the Necromancer Tower."


    Eren didn''t understand why the person was warning him. Why was he being so kind suddenly? It couldn''t be that he was worried about him. That wasn''t the impression he received from this person.


    Eren sat on the other throne, facing the author.


    "Isn''t it toote to warn me now?" he asked the author.


    He was already deeply involved with the two continents now. He had the iplete Overlord Killing Weapon that could only bepleted in the Western Continent as far as he knew.


    At the same time, he had also intervened in the plot of the Western Continent. If he left now, the entire plot of the False Priestess was going to fall apart.


    The Sea Dragon Empress was also a troublesome existence. He had to take the Celestial Dragon''s Heart. He also had the Hell''s Pass. If he missed getting involved with Hell, wasn''t it a waste of that reward from the system?


    Most of these interventions happened because of the options he had received from the system as well. It was as if the system was guiding him towards the plot of these Continent, so why did the Author want him to abandon these plots.


    "If you do not stop now, you are going to die. I came here because I believe it is still too early for you to die. So take my warning and return. Otherwise, it will all end for you, and you will only be left with regret," the Author told Eren who was grimacing at the warning.


    The Author was not saying that he might die. Instead, he felt absolutely confident that death was the only oue for him.


    From the moment Eren came to this world, he had gone from one deadly situation to another deadly situation. Not once did the Authore to stop him, so why now?


    "How will I die if I don''t return?" Eren asked the man, wanting to get more answers. read-on-NovelFire


    To his surprise, the Author simply shrugged his shoulders.


    "That is something I can''t tell you. Unless..." He stopped speaking, but his hidden meaning was clear. If Eren wanted this answer, he had to use the Question Voucher.


    Looking at the Author, Eren wasn''t sure if this was a trap or not. Something felt amiss. Was this person simply trying to scare him into wasting a question since he was worried that the voucher could be used for a question that shouldn''t be answered?


    Eren had so many questions that he wanted to ask. Some of those questions were about the existence of the author himself. Did he know about them, which made hime down to waste the voucher?


    Eren felt suspicious, feeling a headache from thinking about it.


    While he was already distracted by everything else, he was given another choice. This time, the choice didn''te from the System but from the author himself.


    Eren closed his eyes, taking deep breaths to calm his mind. After a long time, he slowly opened his eyes which looked much calmer.

 Chapter 390: Chapter 390: The Unacceptable Question

    "Before I use the Question Voucher, I want to ask you one question," Eren said, his expressionpletely serious.


    This question had been weighing on his mind for a long time, and he believed only the person before him could provide the answer he needed.


    "Why was I brought to this world?" Eren asked. He had been wondering why, out of all the billions of people on Earth, he had been the one selected.


    Was it truly a coincidence? Was it really because he was the first person to leave a review on the book? Eren had always felt that something was amiss.


    Was it really a coincidence that the advertisement for a non-existent website appeared in front of him? Even though he was the one who decided to leave the review, was it really because of that?


    "If I hadn''t left that review, would I still be brought here?" he modified the question, noticing the author''s silence.


    "Some things are inevitable in this world," the Author told Eren, vaguely confirming his notion.


    Eren understood that his arrival didn''t have anything to do with the review. It probably didn''t even have anything to do with the fact that he had read the book.


    Then why? Why did it have to be him who was supposed to be here? He wondered.


    "Why was it me then? If you can answer that one question, I will use the question voucher to ask the question you want me to ask," Eren told the person, making his stance clear.


    "I can''t answer that question." The Author once again went silent. It was unclear if he didn''t want to answer or he just couldn''t answer.


    "In that case, there is nothing to discuss. I don''t want to use the Question Voucher yet. If death is waiting for me, I will find a way out of it myself," Eren told the Author, standing up from the seat. "I will not run away."


    With that, the conversation hade to a sudden end. Eren decided against using the Question Voucher, simply to get an answer about the inevitable.


    "Since you don''t want to know, then I will take my leave. I really hope you will not regret this decision." The Author also stood up, not trying to convince Eren.


    He prepared to leave now that the conversation had fallen apart. However, just as he was about to return, his expressions turned grim.


    He noticed the question voucher appearing in Eren''s hands. The voucher started shining, turning into golden shackles that wrapped around the author''s body.


    As long as he was under the effect of the chains, he had to answer the one question that was asked from him.


    The Question had to be answered, unless it went against thews of the world to the point that even his entire existence could be torn apart before he could answer.


    The Author''s eyes narrowed, watching Eren turn back towards him. The person had just imed that he was not going to use the question voucher, only to change his mind in the end.


    He wondered what this person was going to ask. Was he really going to ask him to list all the things that were about to go wrong that would lead to his death? Or was he going to go for an even moreplicated answer about his existence?


    Eren walked closer to the author, the chains tightly wrapping around the author''s body to prevent him from leaving.


    Eren stopped merely a few meters away from the author. His lips slowly parted as he asked his question.


    As soon as the Author heard the question, his expressions went absolutely dark. Even when he had heard the potential questions Eren wanted to ask, he hadn''t reacted this strongly.


    It was the first time the author resisted so much when it came to answering a question. Unfortunately, his lips moved on their own as the answer came out from his mouth.


    At the same time, the sky above the Holy City turned dark, as if some unknown taboo was broken in this world. Thunder roared in the sky, making the entire city tremble.


    After the Author finished answering, the chains around his body disappeared. The author appeared much weaker. Even the mist that had wrapped around his body, became thinner, barely hiding his existence.


    "This was something you never should have asked!" The Author told Eren, his gone getting louder for the first time since as long as Eren remembered.


    He wasn''t the only one who appeared shocked. Eren looked just as shocked, not expecting the answer that he had received. stay-updated-with-NovelFire


    The Author didn''t stay behind for even a second longer. Now that he had finished answering the question, he was freed from the restriction of the shackles.


    Eren had also used the question voucher and he couldn''t use it anymore, at least until he received another one.


    The author appeared very frustrated even as he turned around, his body disappearing into the unknown as he returned where he came from.


    Before he left, he still left a few sentences behind for Eren.


    "Since you wasted that opportunity to get involved in something even moreplicated, I can''t tell you what I came down for. Still, if you want to change the fate I wanted to avoid, ept that sword of that fool..."


    He didn''t tell what wasn''t supposed to be told. However, he still left a hint behind for Eren which was vague yet clear at the same time.


    There was only one sword that could help him if the situation was so dangerous that even the author believed that he was going to die.


    Eren rubbed his left arm, which was hiding a sword mark.


    With the departure of the author, the flow of time inside the pce returned to normal.


    "How are you back so fast? Didn''t you just enter to have a shower?" Xiu Ying''s voice came from behind, bringing Eren out of his daze.


    As time had stopped for her while he could move, it was as if she had skipped time.

 Chapter 391: Chapter 391: Unknown Bloodline; Paradox

    "You look worried about something. Did something happen?" Xiu Ying asked, sensing that something was troubling Eren.


    Eren turned around, giving Xiu Ying a forced smile. His eyes still appeared to be filled with confusion as he thought about the answer he had received.


    [A few minutes earlier]


    "What is my unknown bloodline?" Eren asked the author, who was restricted by the shackles.


    Even though he didn''t know everything about this world, he had at least gained a rough understanding about a lot of things.


    He was at a point where he understood that he had to be stronger if he wanted to survive in this world. There were two ways for him to be stronger and break through his limits.


    He could either go against all the Overlords and take their blood to unseal his cultivation, or he could give priority to hunting the Main Characters and unsealing his unknown bloodline.


    He had already seen a glimpse of Ren Necroline''s Cultivation when he had used the temporary unseal talisman to fight Aster.


    The strength that he was able to use, was nothing sort of a miracle. Without the seal, he felt that he wasparable to an Overlord.


    Allmon sense guided him towards giving priority to unsealing his cultivation. However, he also knew that it was not enough.


    In the past, Ren Necroline was able to use his Cultivation. Even if he was so strong, he couldn''t protect himself. He had his Cultivation sealed. Even Devourer was killed.


    If he couldn''t deal with the Overlords in the past, despite his Cultivation, could he do that now?


    Even though Eren had more help from the various Bloodlines he had stolen, it still didn''t guarantee the oue that he wanted.


    In this world, there weren''t just Overlords after all. There were also unknown existences like the goddess that the Holy Priestess worked for, as well as the author himself.


    The second option was the true wild card as he didn''t even have a rough idea about what it was capable of.


    When he first used the Question Voucher, he was told that he had to kill the Main Characters to be strong enough to tear through void.


    Was it really a coincidence that killing the four main characters alsopletely awakened his Bloodline? Or was there a rtionship between the two?


    He couldn''te to an answer without knowing more about the Bloodline.


    He wanted to know just how important this Bloodline was for his future, and if it was actually more important than unsealing and going after the Overlords.


    Even when it was asleep, the unknown Bloodline was still able to suppress the Devourer and the Sea Dragon Bloodlines, causing them to exist within his body without conflicting with each other.


    The Devourer Bloodline was a bloodline that could devour every other bloodline in the world, cing it at the absolute pinnacle.


    The Sea Dragon Bloodline was also a supreme bloodline. As his Sea Dragon Bloodline had evolved into a partial Celestial Dragon Bloodline, it had already broken through its limits.


    Both of these Bloodlines should have be strong enough to suppress the unknown bloodline, but the reality waspletely different.


    Even the supposedly omnipotent system couldn''t actually identify the Bloodline yet while it had no problem identifying the Celestial Dragon Bloodline or giving a potential reward of Time Bloodline.


    Was this unknown Bloodline beyond even the bounds of time?


    Eren was even more surprised by the strong reaction from the author, which was nothing like he had ever seen before.


    It was as if the person had not expected Eren to ask something like that. He resisted the bounds of the shackles but thews could not be changed by him.


    "The bloodline is called Paradox," the Author answered, feeling his existence itself shake when he named the Bloodline.


    As the author finished his first sentence, the sound of thunder crackling was heard.


    At the same time, a status screen appeared in front of Eren. Everything in the status screen was the same for Eren, except for a few small yet significant changes.


    .........


    [Name: Eren (Ren Necroline)]


    [Level: 41]


    [Identity: Holy Emperor of the Western Continent, Great Elder at the Demon Sect, Spy of Mythical Hero Academy, Owner of Devourer Bloodline, Heir of the Necromancer Tower, Ruler of Spirit Realm]


    [Primary Main Bloodline: Paradox? (25%)]


    [Secondary Main Bloodlines: Devourer, Celestial Dragon (Partial)]


    [Guardian: First Spirit Queen Yelen]


    [Contracted Spirit: Spirit Queen Felona]


    [Age: 21]


    [Traits: Cold-blooded, ???]


    [Stats]


    [Strength: 2895]


    [Agility: 4310]


    [Stamina: 5393]


    [Intelligence :89]


    [Mana: 13448]


    [Cultivation: Unknown (Sealed)]


    [Hero Grade: SSS+]


    [Goddess Protection: Unknown (39%)]


    [Main Physiques: Lunar Frost Physique, Destiny Physique, Holy Physique]


    [Unique items in possession: Modified Mana Weapon, Overlord Killing Dagger (Iplete), Pendant of Prediction, Question Voucher, Favor Token (Feng Yu), ###### Box (3/4 Seals), Map of Celestial Dragon''s Heart, Sword of Retribution/ Sword Emperor''s Sword]


    [Unique Skills: Sword Emperor''s Aura, Aura Control Method, Identification, Devouring, Aquatic Mastery, Flight, Dragon Language, Dragon Transformation, Skill Unification, Frost Domain, Disguise, eleration, Mind Maniption, Heightened Senses, Blood Maniption, Shadow Clone Creation]


    .........


    In his Status Screen, the word unknown had been changed with Paradox, which was apanied by a question mark for some reason, as if the system itself could not verify this.


    "Paradox is something that exists outside the bounds of time, space and reality. It is also the reason that you were brought to this world..." The author continued answering Eren''s first question without being able to control himself.


    Even though Eren was surprised by the author''sst sentence, he did not interrupt him. He wanted to know more about this bloodline. Unfortunately, the author was already unable to speak any further.


    Just giving a vague description of the Bloodline was able to bring him to the realm of casualty, threatening theplete disappearance of his existence.


    Even Eren didn''t expect it to take such a drastic turn. Fortunately, the shackles didn''t force him any further.


    Just as his existence was on the verge of getting seriously injured, the shackles disappeared.


    The question had been answered to the best of the author''s abilities. If he spoke further, he was going to disappear without being able toplete even a single sentence.

 Chapter 392: Chapter 392: The Lesser Mythical Beast

    .....


    "Paradox." That was the only thought going through Eren''s mind as he watched the author disappear.


    Even though he had remembered the author''s suggestion to use the sword to protect himself, Eren couldn''t shake his thoughts about the Paradox bloodline. Just what kind of bloodline was it exactly?


    It was known that a person could possess multiple bloodlines. Even Devourer had gathered several strong bloodlines over time. However, it was different when it came to supreme bloodlines.


    Even Devourer had been cautious about taking on another supreme bloodline, knowing it would risk destroying his own body.


    Yet, Eren had managed to obtain not one, but two supreme bloodlines, not counting Paradox. The first one was Devourer while the second was the Celestial Dragon Bloodline which had recently evolved from the Sea Dragon Bloodline.


    Despite this, his body was still functioning. Eren couldn''t help but wonder if this was yet another paradox. Just what was he bing?


    He didn''t want Xiu Ying to see through his concerns. He gave her a forced smile before quickly changing the topic.


    "Get dressed fast. Aren''t you going to escort me out?" he asked the girl, who was only wrapping a bed sheet around her body.


    Even though Eren was warned that he might meet his death if he was not careful, he still decided to leave the Holy City.


    He waited for Xiu Ying to get ready before leaving the room, meeting up with Zia and Yu Lin. The threedies escorted him out of the Pce where the Cardinal was supposed to be waiting for him.


    Even his clone, who was pretending to be the Holy Emperor, came across him along the way. Eren talked to his own clone, which was slightly awkward as he was answering himself.


    Still, he kept up with the facade as the Holy Emperor was supposed to be an entirely different person in front of the people within the Pce.


    "You are here." Cardinal Treniel said, catching sight of Eren. He had been waiting next to a Pegasus that was the mount that he had selected for his journey.


    Even though he was quite hostile towards Eren, he still didn''t let it show on his face. Deep down, he knew that this was going to be Eren''sst journey.


    "Is it the mount you have selected?" Eren asked, approaching the beautiful Pegasus which felt like it hade straight out of a myth.


    Even though it wasn''t a Mythical Beast on the level of a phoenix, it was still an extraordinary beast that was only found in the Western Continent.


    It was said that all of the Pegasus in the Western Continent were already controlled by the Holy Church. It was almost impossible to find one in the wild.


    "It is faster than flying ourselves," the Cardinal told Eren, not losing hisposure in the least. "We could also take our Warship, but that can be seen from miles away. It would be like alerting the enemy of our arrival."


    "As we are just nning to sneak inside the Northern Continent to investigate, there is no need to take the risk, right?" he asked.


    "That is true." Eren agreed with the Cardinal''s suggestion. If he didn''t know any better, he really would have believed that the Cardinal seriously wanted to investigate the disappearance of the envoys.


    "Oh right, how could I forget." The Cardinal pretended to have remembered something really important.


    "It seems that our Holy Priestess wanted to talk with the envoy that arrived yesterday. Last night, she wasn''t able to talk properly. She probably wants to wee her properly," he told Eren while directing his words towards Xiu Ying.


    Eren already understood that he was doing that because he didn''t want other Great Elders toe with him. He didn''t mind that as he was not nning on taking them in the first ce.


    At the same time, he didn''t want the twodies to meet the Holy Priestess without him. He didn''t want to take any risk where they could get hurt.


    "I''m afraid that they can''t meet the Holy Priestess. The two of them are feeling a little sick. That''s why they are not even apanying me," Eren exined while climbing the Pegasus.


    "Both of them?" The Cardinal asked, trying his best to hide the glee in his voice. "What an unfortunate timing. However, it''s better for them to rest in that case. We will be back in no time."


    It didn''t matter if the two of them were actually sick or not. The only thing that mattered was that none of them wereing with Eren, which made things a lot easier.


    "If you do feel betterter, please visit the Holy Church. You would receive a great wee," he said, extending a weing invitation before climbing on the back of the Pegasus as well.


    After he finished speaking, he nced towards Eren, "Have you used a Pegasus before?"


    "What do you think?" Eren sarcastically answered. How could he ride a Pegasus when all of them were controlled by the Holy Church.


    "You don''t have to be trained to ride them. You don''t even have to use the Holy Aura to control them, as long as you have our permission. It is extremely easy to control them," the Cardinal exined.


    He gently ced his palm on the back of the Pegasus'' neck. The Pegasus spread out its wings.


    "Just ce your hand on the back of their neck, and instruct them using your thoughts. They will follow it." As soon as he finished speaking, the Pegasus started running forward until its feet were no longer on the ground.


    Eren looked at the three girls in his life, not knowing if the author''s warning was going toe here.


    "I will definitely be back," he told them before his Pegasus also spread out its wings, rushing forward and rising in the air.


    Eren followed the Cardinal, chasing after him in the sky, as if the two of them were racing in the sky.

 Chapter 393: Chapter 393: Convincing to Betray

    As the Cardinal reached near the barrier that had been shrouding the city, he brought a token out of his pocket.


    The token started shining with the same aura as the barrier. An opening appeared in the barrier,rge enough for the Pegasus to easily pass.


    .


    The Cardinal left the city through the opening in the barrier with Eren following closely behind.


    As the Holy Emperor, Eren also had a token of his own that could create an opening in the barrier. If anything, his pass had even more authority than the Cardinal, albeit not as much as the Holy Priestess had.


    After he and Eren passed through the hole in the barrier, it closed and the Holy City was sealed again.


    Eren had experienced flying in the sky. He even rode a Phoenix, but the experience of rising a Pegasus was quite unique in itself.


    Strangely enough, it felt no different than riding a horse on the ground for some reason. It was as if the Pegasus was actually running in the air. The only difference was that he didn''t have to guide the Pegasus using the reigns.


    As Eren soared through the sky on the Pegasus, he took a moment to appreciate the breathtaking view. The vast sky stretched endlessly, covered with clouds that seemed so close he could almost touch them.


    It was at moments like this that he didn''t regreting into this world at all. He could never experience things like these back on earth.


    Even though this world was dangerous, he had subconsciously started epting and appreciating it more than he did when he first came here.


    It was a calming experience, but Eren understood that this was the calm before the storm. It was the first time he was going to step foot inside the Northern Continent, which was the homnd of Ren Necroline.


    It was the continent that had been conquered by the Necromancer Tower which ruled over the dead.


    It was said that the Northern Continent was an entirely different worldpared to the other three continents.


    There were even rumors that if a person died in the Northern Continent, they couldn''t even receive a good afterlife. Their souls were enved by the Necromancer Tower for an eternity.


    Eren didn''t know how true these rumors were. He had a rough idea about the plots of the other three continents, but the Necromancer Tower was an absolute mystery even now.


    The Northern Continent was the only continent whose Main Character was unknown, even to him. All he knew about the Northern Continent was the title; Necromancer who returned from Hell.


    He was quite curious about the Main Character. Just what kind of person was he? Since the Necromancer Tower was trying to open Hell, were they trying to bring him out? Or was his freedom going to be the unexpected oue of the Necromancer Tower''s opening of hell?


    No matter what kind of person he was, Eren understood that he had to kill the person. For his survival, he had to awaken Paradoxpletely. He had to kill the three remaining main characters as soon as he could.


    The Northern Continent was also the ce where another Transmigrator, Fey, was supposed to be hiding. He didn''t expect toe across Fey anytime soon, but he was still curious what that person was doing.


    Eren still felt regretful that he couldn''t kill that person and steal his ability which would have given him a chance of using any treasure beyond its limits as long as luck allowed it.


    ....


    Not far from the Holy City, a young girl was sitting on a rock, absentmindedly eating a piece of fruit. Her gaze was fixed on the distant holy city, which looked like a small dot on the horizon.


    "How long are we going to wait for him?" she asked the young man nearby, who was pacing back and forth.


    "Maybe he''s been caught and killed already?" she suggested. "If he''s dead, that''s bad. But if he''s been caught alive, it might even be worse. He could expose our location. Are you sure we shouldn''t just leave?"


    She knew that Aster had saved her on instructions from Eren. It proved to her that Aster didn''t have any ulterior motives. If anything, he didn''t even know why they saved her.


    If anyone could have ulterior motives, it was Eren. If possible, she didn''t want to meet that person again.


    She had been trying to convince Aster to leave with her, but the person was really stubborn. She realized that he was loyal to Eren, so even if she tried to leave alone, he was not going to let her leave.


    She could only turn him against Eren by suggesting a possible betrayal. Eren''s dy in arriving also gave her a good opportunity to make stories that might as well be true.


    It had been over a day since she had escaped the Duke''s City with Aster. They had been waiting for Eren, but there was still no sign of him.


    "He won''t be caught by the Duke," Aster answered while shaking his head lightly. He knew what kind of person Eren was. After all, he had died at that person''s hands once.


    Eren was also someone who faced the Southern Overlord and managed to leave alive. How many people in the world could kidnap an Overlord''s daughter and still survive?


    If Eren could survive all of that, then could a mere Duke really stop him? He had been so influenced by Eren''s actions, he believed that even if the Holy Priestess had tried to kill him, she might fail as well. So what was a mere Duke?


    "He will get here soon." He said while getting back to another rock to rest. Just as he was about to sit on the rock, he noticed a folded piece of paper lying on the rock.


    "How did it get here?" Curious, he picked up the folded piece of paper and unfolded it.

 Chapter 394: Chapter 394: Celestes Evolution

    As Aster opened the folded piece of paper, he noticed that it was a letter written by Eren himself.


    The letter told him that Eren was going to take at least three to four days before getting back there. It told Aster to wait without doing anything foolish.


    It also advised him to keep a close eye on the girl, making sure that no one found her.


    Although he didn''t understand how Eren managed to deliver the letter, he still kept it in his pocket. If they had to wait, then it was fine.


    In any case, he couldn''t leave. Eren controlled his life and death after all. It was just a few days in any case.


    A few kilometers away from Aster''s location, a Spirit portal opened. After delivering the letter, a Spirit Warrior returned to thend of Spirits.


    ....


    In another ce, the Sea Dragon Empress was just about to give up on waiting for Eren and try to enter the ruins of Celestial Dragon herself.


    She wanted to take Eren with her since he had the blood of the Celestial Dragon, believing him to be useful while exploring the ruins.


    Unfortunately, she has had enough of waiting. If Eren wanted toe here, he would have been here already. He was either captured or killed, so there was no point in waiting.


    If she wanted to save him, she had to find the Celestial Dragon''s heart and be stronger. She stood up and started leaving, only to have a folded paper falling before her feet.


    Confused, she looked around but she couldn''t find anyone nearby who might have thrown the paper. She bent forward and picked up the paper, reading the letter which carried the Celestial Dragon''s Aura.


    Eren intentionally used the aura while writing this letter to convince the Sea Dragon Empress of his identity.


    After the woman finished reading the letter, she walked back and started waiting again.


    She had waited for an eternity to find the Celestial Dragon''s Heart. Three more days of wait was fine, as long as it increased the chance of her sess.


    Not far from her, the Spirit Empire Felona also confirmed that the letter had been sessfully read. She stepped back and entered the portal, returning to thend of Spirits.


    ....


    "The letters have been delivered, and the two sides seem to have agreed to wait," Eren heard the voice of Spirit Ancestor Yelen, who brought him good news.


    "That is good." Eren nodded. He had been worried about beingte to the meeting, but now he could travel to the Northern Continent without any concerns.


    "I have one more piece of good news to share with you," Yelen said, leaving Eren to guess what it could be.


    "Is it about Celestepleting her first evolution?" Eren asked, ncing at the system notification screen that had appeared in front of him.


    He was pleasantly surprised. He had truly thought that it was going to take longer, even with the help of the Spirit Realm''s essence and the Spirit Queen''s guidance.


    "H-how did you find out?" Yelen was surprised that Eren already knew about this. Even she herself came to know about this a few seconds ago, so how could he know?


    She couldn''t understand how Eren could know something that had happened in the Spirit Realm, given that he hadn''t been there in a long time. Was his connection with Celeste so strong?


    Eren didn''t answer Yelen. He couldn''t tell her that it was because he just received a notification from the system that Celeste hadpleted her first evolution.


    "Can I bring her back now?" Eren asked Yelen, using his thoughts. "It has been a long time since I saw the little one."


    "I will keep her a little longer. When shees back, I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised." Yelen told Eren to look forward to it before she stopped speaking.


    Eren didn''t argue with her. If anything, he didn''t even understand what this evolution meant. All he knew was that Yelen seemed to know something about Celeste.


    Eren didn''t even know what Celeste actually was. She was simr to the Spirits but even the Spirits couldn''t see Celeste.


    That''s why he asked Yelen about it. Even the first time he told Yelen about Celeste and introduced them, the Spirit Queen Ancestor looked pleasantly surprised.


    Ever since then, she had been keeping Celeste in the Spirit Realm, saying that it was something good for the little Pixie.


    Eren wanted to go to the Spirit Realm to see Celeste but he was quite hesitant about using the portals, unless absolutely necessary. He could only wait, knowing that Yelen was trustworthy and wasn''t going to do anything harmful for Celeste.


    Without Celeste, it had been quite peaceful. However, there were often times when he missed the light fairy-like creature which had made a house in his pocket.


    He really wanted to ask Yelen what this evolution meant. The system only said that the evolution waspleted but it didn''t say what evolution meant for Celeste.


    In the end, he controlled his curiosity. He was quite looking forward to getting the little one back. He had already stockpiled a lot of variety when it came to cakes that she loved.


    While Eren was immersed in his own thoughts, the Cardinal was leading the way silently, not saying even a single word along the way.


    For now, he just wanted to enter the Northern Continent as soon as possible, so he could turn that ce into Eren''s graveyard.


    Even though the Pegasus were not as fast as the Warships, they still only took a little over a day before reaching the border of the Western Continent.


    The Western Continent was separated from the Northern Continent by a three thousand meters wide river, which was flowing in different directions.


    The left side of the river was connected to the Western Continent and it was flowing upwards. The water was filled with the aura of life, appearing sparkling clear.


    The right half of the river was connected to the Northern Continent, flowing downward. The water on this side was pitch ck, filled with the aura of death.


    The stark contrast within the river created a mesmerizing sight between the two continents.

 Chapter 395: Chapter 395: The Sea of Life and Death

    "This is where the border of the Western Continent lies," Cardinal Treniel infored Eren. "Beyond this river is the Northern Continent."


    The Cardinal knew that he was going to be weaker the moment he left the borders of the Western Continent as the blessing of the goddess couldn''t reach the Northern Continent.


    Still, he didn''t tell Eren about it. He didn''t want Eren to know that he was weaker, not wanting him to think about returning to bring more people to be safer.


    He didn''t realize that Eren already knew about it. In fact, it was the reason he was apanying the Cardinal in the first ce.


    "Do we need to take any special measures before entering the Northern Continent?" Eren asked the Cardinal. "Can they detect us the moment we cross the border?"


    "There are quite a few detection formations spread throughout the border, but you don''t have to worry about it," the Cardinal answered. "Throughout our investigation, we have detected quite a few blind spots. We will be using one of them."


    With that, the Cardinal flew over the river while advising Eren to not look down when he was right above the river.


    Although Eren didn''t understand why he was advising against it, he followed through. He could also feel danger when he was above the two faced river as if an unknown beast was looking at him.


    He felt as if he was going to be in real danger if he looked down, with all his senses warning him against doing that.


    He also didn''t quite understand this feeling. Why was he able to look at the river when he was above thend but not when he was right above the river?


    This sensation only disappeared when he passed over the river and reached the Northern Continent.


    After passing over the river, Eren finally looked back at the river. The river looked just as mesmerizing as before, but he couldn''t sense any danger anymore.


    "What is in that river?" he asked, growing quite fascinated. He had crossed the rivers between the Eastern, Southern and Western Continents but this was the first time he experienced something like this.


    thanks for reading on m|v|l|e|m|p|y|r


    "It is better if we don''t know," Treniel told Eren, making it clear that even he didn''t know the correct answer. "There are some things in the world that are better left unknown."


    "Strange..." Eren couldn''t do anything about it. Even when he asked Yelen about it, he didn''t get an answer. She also didn''t know the answer.


    She told him that it was the same in the long forgotten era. No one actually knows what''s at the bottom of the river, and those who tried to find out never returned to the surface.


    Even the Overlords didn''t know about this, and they didn''t try to find the answer either. At this point, Eren wondered if the author was the only person that knew about it.


    As someone who loved his life, Eren also stopped thinking about the river. He didn''t want to try finding something that even those stronger than him failed to find.


    He simply followed the Cardinal and disappeared into the distant horizon.


    ....


    "This is the Demon Sect''s Warship."


    Not far from the border of the Northern Continent, the Cardinal stopped in front of a warship that looked like it had crashed on the ground harshly.


    Even though the Warship was still intact, it looked like it couldn''t be used anymore. The power source as well as the weapons were all stolen from the ship. Some cracks could also be seen on the surface of the ship.


    This was the ship, on which the three Elders of the Demon Sect were traveling towards the Western Continent


    Looking at the ship, Eren could feel that the ship came crashing because of attacks from the Northern Continent''s forces. There were clear signs of it, that couldn''t be faked.


    If he hadn''t known better, he really would have assumed that the Demon Sect''s envoys were attacked by the forces of the Northern Continent.


    He nced at the back of the Cardinal, amused by the depths of the nning. Even after the Holy Church kidnapped the envoys, they weren''t rxed.


    They took control of the Warship and brought it to the Northern Continent, forcing the Northern Forces to attack the Warship and bring it crashing down.


    He even wondered if they had intentionally triggered those detecting formations to make it easier for them to find this Warship.


    The Pegasusnded on the deck of the Warship with Eren getting down from it. He searched through the ship, as if investigating properly.


    Along the way, he found a lot of corpses littered around. Most of them belonged to the crew of the ship, as well as the pilot.


    "Did you find the envoys?" The Cardinal asked Eren withpassion, even though he already knew the answer.


    Eren also acted ignorant to y along with the Cardinal. "They are not here. It seems like they have been taken elsewhere by the forces of the Northern Continent."


    "At this point, it is more or less confirmed that this is the work of the Northern Continent. There is no point in investigating anymore. I will return to the Demon Sect and inform the Sect Master. This will not be forgiven." Eren said, looking at the corpses of the Demon Sect''s members.


    He appeared to be truly enraged as he turned around to return to the Pegasus.


    The Cardinal was shocked to hear Eren''s words. He couldn''t let Eren return like that. He still had more to do before he could kill Eren.


    "H-how can we return? Since the envoys are not on the ship, isn''t there a good chance that they are still alive? If they have been taken by the attackers, shouldn''t we try to save them? If you return, then it might be toote to save them," the Cardinal suggested, truly sounding desperate at the moment.


    Eren already expected the Cardinal to react like this. With this, he had confirmed his guess. The Cardinal wanted Eren to die in the hands of the Northerners.

 Chapter 396: Chapter 396: Targeting the North

    If the Cardinal wanted hi dead, he could have attacked him the moment they entered the Northern Continent. However, the Cardinal''s actions suggested otherwise.


    Eren understood that the Cardinal''s n was not as simple as just killing him. The reason he brought Eren here and allowed him to witness the gruesome ending of the Demon Sect members was for a single purpose.


    The Cardinal wanted Eren to feel hatred towards the Northerners. The Elders of the Demon Sect were known for taking revenge, even for the slightest of grievances.


    The Cardinal expected Eren to go berserk and attack the Major Families of the Demon Sect that ruled over this area, ultimately leading to his death at the hands of the Necromancer Tower.


    This way, the Cardinal could establish an undeniable grudge between the Necromancer Tower and the Demon Sect.


    It was truly unexpected for Eren to simply suggest returning without seeking any revenge. Was he really the same person who had destroyed multiple sects because a Sect Master offended a random disciple of the sect?


    When Eren suggested returning, he momentarily lost hisposure. To stop Eren, he outright suggested what he wanted Eren to do, telling him that there was hope of saving the envoys who might still be alive in captivity.


    "Even if they are alive, they could have been taken to the Necromancer Tower. It will be foolish to attack the Necromancer Tower alone," Eren told the Cardinal, enjoying the panicked look on his face.


    He climbed on the Pegasus, implying that he was already prepared to leave.


    "T-that is not true. It is most likely that the Major Family that controls this area is keeping the envoys," Treniel said, cing his hand on Eren''s Pegasus to stop it from flying.


    "How do you know that the Necromancer Tower doesn''t have them?"


    "I-i have some spies working for the Kiel family that rule this area." The Cardinal made up a story. "The spies informed me just this morning that the family is holding some hostages, waiting for the Necromancer Tower to send a representative to take them back."


    As long as the story was believable, it didn''t have to be true. It wasn''t as if Eren was going to return alive. By the time he found the truth, it was going to be toote. Explore worlds on mp-y,r.


    "It was said that the envoy from the Necromancer Tower is going to arrive in two days. We only have two days to save your people. Otherwise, it might be toote," Treniel continued, making it feel like the time was running out.


    "If you knew about this, why didn''t you tell me before? If I knew better, I would have brought the other Great Elders with me." Eren narrowed his eyes, not letting the Cardinal breathe easy.


    "The spies can''tmunicate directly with the Holy Continent. It was only when I entered the Northern Continent that I received this message through themunication jade," the Cardinal answered with his quick thinking.


    "If I knew about it before, I would have brought a few Cardinals to help you as well. Unfortunately, it would be toote if we return to bring help. For now, it''s only us if we want to save them."


    The Cardinal made his story very convincing. He even sounded like he was sad that he couldn''t help Eren before. He was truly a master when it came to acting.


    Unfortunately for him, Eren understood that almost every word that the Cardinal said was a lie. Still, he didn''t expose the Cardinal.


    The Cardinal wanted to use him to establish an enmity between the Demon Sect and Necromancer Tower? In that case, he could only respond in kind.


    If he wanted to take the Holy Priestess down, he needed the help of a force just as powerful. He could take the help of the Demon Sect, but that could only weaken the Demon Sect even if they won.


    It was no different than giving a heavenly opportunity to the Hero Academy. Instead, he wanted to use the Necromancer Tower.


    He wanted to draw out the Necromancer Tower Master, even if it meant starting a grand war. And the key to starting that war was none other than the Cardinal.


    ''My dear Priestess, since you went through so much effort to set me up, then don''t mind me if I return the favor just as kindly.''


    It didn''t matter if the Holy Priestess won or the Necromancer Tower Master. The real winner was going to be him, as long as he could get their blood.


    Eren made it clear to the Cardinal that he was somewhat conflicted about epting this suggestion.


    It was only after taking his sweet time, he agreed, "In that case, I will ept your suggestion. We are taking down the Kiel Family."


    The Cardinal felt extremely happy in his heart, even though his expressions remained just as calm. His n had almost failed, but eventually, he seeded.


    He released Eren''s Pegasus and walked over to his Pegasus. He sat on his Pegasus which started rising in the air, advancing towards the Kiel Family.


    ....


    Inside the Kiel Family, the Patriarch was sitting on his knees. Meanwhile, Fey was sitting on the Family Head''s Seat.


    "Did you find the girl?" Fey asked the Kiel Family Head, who meekly shook his head.


    "Useless! You couldn''t even control your own daughter? How dare you let her run away instead of sending her to my bedroom like I asked?!" His tone grew angrier as he kept scolding the Family Head.


    "I have instructed people to search for her," the Family Head answered, unable to control his own actions. Even though he had his consciousness, his body was truly treating Fey like his lord.


    "Find her. I want to teach her a lesson for making me wait! If you fail to find her, I might as well have you destroy this useless family with your own hands."


    The Family Head nodded.


    Fey then changed the subject. "Also, how long until the other Family Heads arrive?"


    "By tonight, the leaders of all major families in the Northern Continent should be here," the Family Head replied.

 Chapter 397: Chapter 397: Anya

    ....


    "Mother, look!" A young child near the Kiel Family''s territory looked into the sky, his eyes filled with shock and horror as he saw an unknown creature flying through the sky.


    The night was dark, with the moon hidden behind the massive figure of the dragon-like creature that soared towards the Kiel Family''s domain.


    The child tugged at his mother''s sleeve, his voice trembling a little. "Mother, what is that? It''s so big! I''ve never seen anything like it before."


    "D-don''t look at it!" The Mother quickly took her child into her embrace, stopping him from looking at the sky.


    She appeared as if she was truly scared of the creature in the sky. Or rather, she was scared of the people who could afford to travel on such a frightening creature.


    As the creature passed through the area, arge gust of wind was following him which uprooted many trees along the way. The people traveling on the creature didn''t seem to care about the destruction they were causing along the way.


    It wasn''t the first phenomenon of such a creature being seen near the Kiel Family''s territory that night. From other directions, creatures that were just as frightening could be seen flying towards the Kiel Family.


    "You are hungry?" A young girl was sitting on the undead dragon, patting his back. It was as if she was able to talk to the undead dragon that didn''t even make the slightest noise.


    "I think I saw a city along the way. If you''re hungry, I allow you to have a feast." The woman smiled in response as she felt the aura of her undead dragon growing more fierce.


    ....


    The mother had barely held on against the fierce winds. It was only when the winds passed through that she finally sighed in relief.


    She was just about to ce her son on the ground, telling him to sleep. Unfortunately, her entire body suddenly froze in fear. The sky turned dark again, a sense of dread spreading throughout her body.


    Trembling, she looked back. The earth itself trembled as a corpse dragon, whose flesh appeared to be rotting,nded in the middle of the town.


    She couldn''t even react. All she saw was the Corpse Dragon opening its mouth,ing to devour her and her son whole.


    "Run!" She yelled at her son, but it was toote. To her horror, the dragon ripped through her son''s flesh, devouring him whole.


    "My baby only likes fresh and tender meat. You can leave." An arrogant voice came, as a young girl jumped down from the Corpse Dragon''s back.


    She spoke as if she were doing the mother a favor, even after her dragon had devoured the woman''s child.


    The Corpse Dragon didn''t stop. From one house to another, it began causing destruction, drawing families out and devouring the children.


    Ovee with grief and rage, the mother rushed towards the girl.


    "Foolish. Why don''t these insects ept my kindness?" The girl, who appeared to be in her early twenties, simply sighed.


    .


    She waved her hand gently, and an unknown force surrounded the mother, causing her flesh to start decaying until only a skeleton remained, which fell at the girl''s feet.


    "You really should have epted my kindness," the girl said, shaking her head before stomping on the woman''s skull, leaving only crushed pieces behind.


    Within a few minutes, the entire town was left in ruins. Not a single person in the town was left alive.


    Even if the town came in the territory of the Kiel Family, the girl didn''t appear to care. She appeared extremely carefree as she walked back to the Corpse Dragon, whose aura had stabilized.


    She stepped in the air,nding on the Corpse Dragon which spread its rotten wings, rising in the sky. Only death and carnage was left behind as the corpse dragon left the city.


    It wasn''t the only town where such an incident took ce. During this night, many other ces suffered through a simr incident. All these ces appeared to be in the territory of the Kiel n which had invited these families.


    None of the family representatives cared about the Kiel n''s integrity. It was the weakest out of all major families after all.


    If they hadn''t imed to have something important about the Holy Church to discuss, many families wouldn''t even care abouting to this godforsaken territory.


    Even then, some family heads didn''t care about going personally, sending their children instead. Only a few family heads hade personally, being from the lower echelon of the major families.


    ....


    A few hours passed when the Corpse Dragon entered the city where the Kiel Family''s base was established.


    The Kiel Family Guards grew alert at the sight of the approaching corpse dragon. The Captain of the Kiel Family Guards personally went out to wee the person riding the corpse dragon.


    The Captain was more cautious than ever. Even though the girl was not a family head, she was representing the strongest of the Major Families.


    While the Kiel Family''s Territory was on the borders of the Northern Continent, her family''s territory was closest to the Necromancer Tower.


    In terms of strength, the difference between the Greyndor family and Kiel Family was like heaven and earth.


    That alone was frightening enough, but what was even scarier was the fact that the girl had been selected by the Necromancer Tower.


    She was a disciple of the Left Guardian of the Necromancer Tower, who was rumored to have taken an interest in her talent.


    "Greetings, Lady Anya."


    "Hmph, why is your family head not here to wee me? Are you looking down on the Greyndor Family?" The woman asked, her eyes observing the Captain of the Guardszily.


    The Captain of the Guards didn''t know how to react. Wasn''t she being too disrespectful? Even if her family was strong, she was not the family head. She wanted the Kiel Family Head to wee her personally? Wasn''t it her who was looking down on them?

 Chapter 398: Chapter 398: Teaching of Goddess

    "We could never look down on the Greyndor Family. It is just that the Family Head ispleting the preparations, so as to not waste your timeter," the Captain said, lowering his head apologetically.


    Even though he was upset at the way the Kiel Family was being treated, he couldn''t afford to be disrespectful to the woman.


    If the Greyndor Family wanted, they could annihte the Kiel Familypletely. He had to bear with it, even if it was disrespectful.


    Anya narrowed her gaze. She opened her cherry lips to speak, but before she could, a lion''s roar came from a distance.


    Frowning, she looked towards her left, noticing a shadow creature that was made purely from the aura of death, rushing towards her. The creature was shrouded by the dark aura to the point that even its flesh couldn''t be seen anymore.


    On the back of the giant shadowy creature, a young man was standing, with his arms wrapped around his chest. His eyes were closed while winds brushed against his skin, letting his long hair flutter in the wind.


    As the shadowy beast reached near the city, it showed down. The young man on the back of the beast slowly opened his eyes.


    Hezily nced at the Captain of the Kiel Family Guards, who was not worth his attention. The only person here who could catch his attention was Anya Greyndor.


    Their families had beenpeting for a long time after all. Her family was considered as the strongest major family in the Northern Continent, while his family, Rottenheim, was considered a close second.


    If she was a disciple of the Left Guardian, then he wasn''t behind either. He had been selected by the Right Guardian. Even when it came to strength, it was unclear which of the two was actually stronger.


    "Do you have nothing better to do, than to bully these insects?" Leo asked the girl, his gaze extremely cold as he looked down on the girl.


    "You talk a lot for someone who always avoids a fight like a coward." Anya shook her head lightly, not even amused by the taunt.


    "You are too weak. I don''t want to crush you just yet. It is no fun," Leo replied. "Be stronger, so that it would be more fun to crush that skull of yours beneath my feet."


    Hearing the exchange between the two heirs, the Captain of the Kiel Family Guards, had his back drenched in cold. He didn''t want to be caught between their fights.


    Fortunately, Leo didn''t even wait for Anya to respond before his shadowy beast jumped over the wall of the city,nding inside the city.


    "Lead the way," he told the Captain of the Kiel Family Guard.


    In his eyes, the Kiel Family was insignificant. It didn''t matter who they sent to wee them, as all of them were just as insignificant for him, even if it was the Patriarch himself.


    The Captain of the Kiel Family Guards looked at Anya before nodding. He turned around and escorted the two of them back to the main house.


    One after another, more and more family representatives started arriving.


    The family heads of the bottom fifteen families were personally present for this meeting, but it wasn''t shocking.


    Only the top five families were represented by their heirs. The top five families were in a different league in itself. If all the remaining fifteen families were to join forces, they couldn''t defeat even one of the top five families.


    Even though all of them were called major families, in reality, the title was suited more for just five families.


    Even the Family Heads of the remaining families felt a little cautious in the presence of the heirs of the top five families.


    While the guests had started to gather, the Kiel Family Patriarch was still with Fey, informing him about the guests that had arrived.


    "So the top five family heads didn''te? What a pity." Fey looked a little disappointed, but not too much. Even if the five families were represented by their heirs, it was better than nothing.


    Through them, he might even gain ess to the Necromancer Tower which was even better. He was really looking forward to controlling all of them.


    ....


    "Such a strong scent of death and blood."


    In another ce, two beautiful Pegasus flew through the beautiful moon-lit sky.


    Even though Eren was so high, he could still smell the scent of blood that was striking his senses that had be even stronger with his leveling. .


    The only thing that was stronger than the scent of blood was the scent of death, which gave him a familiar feeling.


    It was a simr aura to what he remembered in the memories of the Necromancer Tower that he gained from the Memory Fragment.


    In the memory, he was near the Necromancer Tower, being carried away by Devourer. He remembered the Necromancer Tower being surrounded by a simr aura. It was the aura of death.


    A few momentster, he caught sight of the wreckage in the distance. It was a ce that looked like it used to be a town until a storm destroyed it.


    The Pegasusnded in the middle of the down which was painted red in blood.


    Eren had killed many people as well. He wasn''t scared or disgusted by blood anymore, but this ce truly felt evil. He watched the corpses that were ripped in half by the teeth of an unknown monster.


    "Isn''t this the territory of the Kiel Family? Why are they attacking their own people?" Eren asked the Cardinal.


    Even though there were signs of a monster attack, it looked very controlled. He could also feel a powerful presence that clearly belonged to a human. It hadn''t been long since that person left this ce either.


    "This is what happens when you don''t have a goddess to guide you. The entire world starts falling apart," the Cardinal stated. "If only they had epted the teachings of our goddess, they wouldn''t have be such beasts."

 Chapter 399: Chapter 399: Cowardly

    For the Cardinal, the people of the Northern Continent were no different than beasts.


    Nothing that happened in this city looked out of ce for him. It was just a stronger beast destroying some weaker beasts. What was there to even think about it?


    Eren thought differently. Was it really the Kiel Family that attacked their own people? Or was something else going on? Did it have something to do with the warning of the author?


    While gazing over the battlefield, he gently rubbed his upper arm, where the mark of the sword was hiding. As the author had previously reminded him, this sword was something that could help him.


    The only problem was that he did not know how to bring out the sword. He had attempted various methods, from visualizing the sword materializing to calling it out directly.


    Unfortunately, none of those methods worked. He could not even sense the presence of the sword. It was as if the mark on his arm was nothing more than an ordinary tattoo.


    Eren appeared to be lost in some deep thought, not even noticing the Cardinal looking at him weirdly.


    The Cardinal was very confused. He didn''t understand why Eren was paying such an importance to this insignificant ce. Did he really feel pity for these people? How was that even possible?


    With the kind of reputation the Demonic Sect had, it wasn''t wrong to say that he might have done things even worse than this, for even smaller reasons.


    "Are you alright?" Treniel called out, sensing a noticeable difference between Eren''s demeanor and the rumors he had heard about him.


    "I am fine. I was just thinking... What if this isn''t the work of the Kiel Family?" Talking out loud, Eren walked back to the Pegasus. "If I''m not wrong, someone even stronger might be here."


    "Someone even stronger?" The Cardinal looked at Eren curiously. Was this person concerned that the Necromancer Tower might have sent someone here already?


    Inwardly, heughed.


    He had simply lied to Eren that the Necromancer Tower was going to send a representative to take the Demon Sect Elders back to the Tower. Did this person take the rumor seriously, growing worried that the representative might be here already?


    ''What a fool. The Kiel Family doesn''t have any Demon Sect Elders. Why would someone from the Necromancer Towere here personally?'' Treniel thought, amused by the fact that someone from the Demon Sect was so scared.


    enjoy on m|v|l|e-m|p|y|r


    The more he thought about it, the more he realized that the rumors about the Demon Sect might be exaggerated. Their people appeared to be overly cautious and scared.


    "Are you concerned?" he asked Eren in a taunting tone. "If you are scared, you can return. I promise, I won''t tell anyone that Great Elder Ren was so scared."


    "I never said I was going back," Eren climbed on the Pegasus.


    Even though he knew why Treniel was provoking him, it didn''t matter. He truly couldn''t return at this point. He had to drag the Holy Church into this war, at any cost.


    "You really don''t have to act brave. If you want to run away, I can keep your secret," The Cardinal poked Eren even more while also climbing on the Pegasus, making sure Eren was so angry that he didn''t even think about turning around.


    "Are you saying that a follower of the goddess will lie for me? Is your faith that weak?" Eren fired back, making the Cardinal''s expressions momentarily darken.


    He didn''t care what others said about him but he couldn''t ept them doubting his faith when he was even willing to die for it.


    Before he could respond, Eren''s Pegasus started running, soon rising in the air. The Cardinal swallowed his words and followed Eren, not forgetting his purpose.


    ....


    "Young miss, please stop! There is nowhere left for you to run!" one of the men called out, his voice pleading.


    "Please listen to the Family Head''s instructions and return home with us. We do not wish to harm you," another man said.


    "Please, do not create more trouble for the Family Head. Come back peacefully, otherwise..." a third man added, his words appearing like a warning.


    All three men were facing a young girl, who stood on the edge of the cliff. Her clothes were covered with sweat, as if she had been running for an eternity.


    She was standing right on the edge of the cliff. A single step back and she was going to fall to her death.


    On the other side were the men, sent by her father to take her back. Even though the men were respectful, she didn''t want to go back with them.


    "You will never understand..."


    The girl felt like she was at the end of her rope. She had already told the guards following her that something was wrong with her father, as if he was under someone''s control.


    At first, she didn''t know who was manipting her father. However, the moment her father told her to go to Fey''s bedroom at night, she realized who that person was.


    She knew that she couldn''t stop her father or free him from the control. Within the Kiel Family territory, there was no one who could overpower her father. No one even believed her when she cried out for help.


    Even with no other choice, she refused to go to Fey. If the family was not going to help her, then she was determined to find someone who could stop her father.


    She ran away from her home, trying to reach the Necromancer Tower. Only they could stop her father, freeing him from this control without harming his mind.


    She never expected to be caught before she could travel halfway through the Kiel Family''s Territory.


    Her beastpanion was killed by the guards to stop her. Even then, she tried to escape, only to end up at a dead end.


    She closed her eyes, whispering an apology to her father for being unable to help him. She took a step back, letting her body fall off the cliff.

 Chapter 400: Chapter 400: Knight in Shining Armor

    "The girl took a step back, letting her body fall off the cliff. In that moment, everything seemed to be meaningless as she closed her eyes, epting her fate.


    "Stop!" The guards were frozen in shock, never expecting the girl to actually jump. Was she so stubborn that instead of going back with them, she was willing to die?


    They rushed towards the cliff and looked down, their faces filled with horror. They were already dreading how the Family Head would punish them for their failure.


    "What is that?" One of the guards abruptly eximed, watching a strange winged creature in the distance. His shocked voice caught the attention of the other guards, who also noticed the unfamiliar creature.


    "Isn''t that a Pegasus?" Their expressions darkened as they remembered where they heard about a creature with these features.


    It was something only found in the Western Continent. Even more shocking was that it was a beast used by those from the Holy Church.


    "What are they doing here?"


    Their faces grew even more pale as they realized the origin of these beasts. The Holy Church was an existence that was on the same level as the Necromancer Tower after all.


    Not far from them, they noticed another Pegasus. This one was also carrying a man. The only difference was that the attire of the man was different.


    The man was wearing the attire that belonged to the Cardinals of the Holy Church. The guards simply froze when they gazed at the person in the back.


    They could feel their souls tremble. Without a second flight, they turned around and started running back.


    They had to inform the family about this. For a Cardinal to enter the Northern Continent, it was enough for their family to contact the Necromancer Tower!


    The Cardinal could stop the three guards from escaping. For him, it was child''s y to kill them. However, he didn''t even try to do that.


    If anything, he wanted them to escape safely. If they didn''t inform the Kiel Family, how could his n seed? Not only the Kiel Family, but even the Necromancer Tower had to get involved.


    He simply watched the guards escape.


    The world seemed to slow down as the girl fell, the wind rushing past her. Her eyes remained closed as she wondered what the moment of death would feel like. She was even a little scared as she felt herself getting closer to the ground.


    She didn''t even notice what was happening around here, especially the arrival of the people from the Western Continent.


    Suddenly, she felt a strong force grab her arm, pulling her. Before she knew it, she found herself in someone''s warm embrace. A man''s scent assaulted her senses.


    She was taken aback, and even scared, thinking that she was caught by the guards of her family.


    She fiercely pushed the person who had protected her. Unfortunately, she wasn''t strong enough. She couldn''t even free herself from the man''s embrace.


    "Youngdy, are you trying to kill me as well?" Eren asked softly, looking at the face of the girl who was quite scared.


    "Is this how you thank your white knight in shining armor?" he jokingly asked, wondering why she was more scared of being protected than she was of falling to her death.


    Curious, he used Identification to check the identity of the girl.


    A status screen appeared in front of him, making him pleasantly surprised as he went through the description.


    .................


    Name: Ruby Kiel


    Unique Identity: Daughter of the Kiel Family Head


    Level: 23


    Description: The princess of the Kiel Family, who ran away from home after her father''s mind was enved by an unknown guest.


    .................


    ''Hmm? The Kiel Family''s daughter who ran away from home?''


    He found her identity to be quite useful, but even more interesting was thest line that talked about her father being enved by someone.


    When he thought about the envement of the mind, there was only one person who came to his mind. It was also a person who was staying in the Northern Continent.


    He didn''t know how many people in the world could use the same skill, but was it really a coincidence? He didn''t feel like it was. .


    ''After Fey lost his ves because of me, it would make sense for him to want to create more. The Kiel Family Head is also important enough to be targeted by him.''


    He wondered if Fey was the reason for the Author to warn him?


    ''Even if Fey controlled the Fey Family Patriarch, he isn''t strong enough. Unless...''


    Eren''s thoughts focused on the destructive scene that he had seen along the way. It wasn''t just the Kiel Family Patriarch! He finally understood what this uneasy feeling was.


    Even the Cardinal didn''t know exactly what was going on in the Kiel Family. If Fey was involved, it made sense why even stronger people were going to be here.


    Eren thought from the perspective of Fey. If he controlled the Kiel Family Patriarch, he would have tried to use him to gather more ves as the Kiel Family could contact the other families as well. Maybe even people from the Necromancer Tower were here.


    Eren finally understood why the author warned him. If he went to the Kiel Family foolishly, it was truly impossible to return alive.


    While Eren was lost in thoughts, the Pegasus soared in the sky.


    Ruby heard his voice, growing confused. It wasn''t the voice of her guards. This person even talked about saving her.


    She opened her eyes and looked at the face of the charming person, momentarily entering a daze. How could someone like this exist?


    In his embrace, she felt safe for some reason. It was as if he could truly roam through thend carefree.


    "You are from the Holy Church?" she asked, noticing what kind of beast they were on.


    "I am from the Demon Sect," Eren answered, shifting her attention to the girl.


    His gaze narrowed and he looked in the direction of the Kiel Family''s base.


    "Let''s talkter. I need to finish something first," he told the girl.


    The Pegasus suddenly increased its speed, even shocking the girl who tightly hugged him, preventing her from falling.

 Chapter 401: Chapter 401: First Law of being a Villain

    "Why did you save her?" The Cardinal asked Eren as he flew towards him. However, Eren did not answer and simply flew past him.


    Eren''s Pegasus soared through the sky, racing as fast as it could. Meanwhile, the Cardinal followed him, growing increasingly confused.


    Was Eren nning to attack the Kiel Family directly because of this girl? If that was the case, the Cardinal couldn''t have been more pleased.


    Suddenly, the Cardinal''s expression darkened as he watched Eren''s Pegasus descend. Eren then jumped down from the Pegasus, leaving the girl behind on the beast.


    The ground trembled as Erennded safely, blocking the path for the Guards of the Kiel Family that were rushing back to inform the family.


    The Cardinal intentionally let them run away, wanting the Kiel Family to know about their appearance. He didn''t expect Eren to chase after them.


    "This guy..." He frowned, watching Eren draw out a sword from his storage ring.


    It wasn''t the Sword Emperor''s Sword but another Sword that Eren had received in the Great Demon Sect, being a treasure in itself.


    Before he could even blink, he saw Eren appear behind the Guards, his back facing them. Slowly, a thin red liquid appeared on the de of the sword, slowly dripping on the ground.


    The guards rubbed their neck, still in disbelief as they felt a sharp pain rise. They wanted to look back, but their bodies were beyond their control. The world itself turned upside down as their head rolled off their bodies, falling on the ground.


    They had thought that the Cardinal was dangerous, but this young man was even more iprehensible for them. Even when they died, they didn''t understand just what actually happened.


    Even the Cardinal was taken aback. How was Eren so fast? It was on the verge of teleportation. If he didn''t know that Eren was from the Demon Sect, he would have even wondered that Eren used some superpower from the Southern Continent.


    Subconsciously, he rubbed his neck. He wondered if he could have reacted fast enough if Eren had attacked him with the same speed.


    Eren''s Pegasusnded behind him, still carrying the girl who was looking at him in disbelief. She had heard Eren tell him that he was from the Demon Sect, a force that wasparable to the Necromancer Tower.


    Even then, she was surprised at how easily he took down Kiel Family''s guards with just a sword.


    Eren used the clothes of the Guards to clean the de of his sword before keeping it back in his storage ring. Only a few seconds after that, the rest of the bodies of the guards also fell down with a thud, blood spilling everywhere.


    The Cardinal alsonded on the ground, not far from Eren.


    "Why did you attack them?" he asked. "And who is this girl?"


    "A better question would be, why did you let them run away?" Eren asked the Treniel, walking closer to the Cardinal.


    Treniel narrowed his eyes, thinking that Eren was scheming to attack him. He was extremely cautious to have Eren approach him.


    He also stepped down from the Pegasus,nding on the ground. "We are not here to kill random people. We are here to take the envoys back from the Kiel Family."


    "I am new to the Northern Continent, so it makes sense for me to not know about it. However, shouldn''t you be aware about the attire of the Kiel Family, if you have a spy nted within them?" Eren asked, tilting his head to the side.


    Initially, he wanted to use the Cardinal against the Kiel Family, keeping him alive as long as possible. However, things are different now.


    Fey was involved, and maybe even stronger people from all over the Northern Continent. He couldn''t carry a dagger that might backstab him at any time. For now,  Treniel was just an ufortable variable that had to be removed.


    "Are you implying that they are guards of the Kiel Family? It is impossible. The Guards have a different attire as far as I remember." Treniel acted ignorant, keeping his hands behind his back.


    A dagger materialized in his hand, made purely from the Holy Essence. As long as the dagger struck a person, it could leave them paralyzed, no matter how minor the wound.


    "Ah, that makes sense. They must have changed their uniform recently. No wonder you didn''t know about it. It seems I was overthinking." Eren pped his forehead, apologizing to the Cardinal.


    Shaking his head at his foolishness, he turned around.


    The Cardinal didn''t know how to react. Should he attack Eren? Or should he kill him right now? He felt a little hesitant. After some time, he decided to go with the original n. And the dagger in his hand disappeared.


    The moment that dagger disappeared, his body froze. He saw Eren turn around at a speed that was barely noticeable to him.


    He quickly jumped back, watching the silver deing for his neck. Barely, by the width of a hair, he managed to dodge Eren''s sword.


    The dagger again materialized in his hand. At the same time, holy chains came out of thin air, wrapping around Eren''s body. He was trapped in the chains like a prisoner.


    "You really shouldn''t have attacked me. I wanted to let you live a little longer, but it seems that it would no longer be necessary." The Cardinal narrowed his gaze, stepping closer to Eren.


    He aimed the dagger at Eren''s heart, only a few millimeters of distance left between his dagger and Eren''s skin.


    .


    The two people that were working with each other, had suddenly turned on one another. Ruby was at a loss as to what was happening. All she knew was that Eren was a good person. She didn''t want him to be hurt, but she couldn''t even save him.


    She was a little confused as to why Eren didn''t seem worried. He was simply looking at the Cardinal in pity. Was he pretending to be strong? She wondered.


    "Don''t you know the firstw of being a viin?" Eren asked the Cardinal.

 Chapter 402: Chapter 402: Reinforcements?

    "Firstw?" The Cardinal frowned, not understanding what Eren was talking about. However, in the next moment, his expressions suddenly changed. He felt an overwhelming sense of danger.


    His instincts were screaming, telling him to get away from Eren. Unfortunately, it was toote. In front of his eyes, Eren broke the chains, grabbing the Cardinal''s wrists.


    "The firstw of being a viin... Talking too much can lead to death," Eren said, his voiceced with a scary calmness.


    The Cardinal struggled to free his arms, but he couldn''t break Eren''s iron grip. Before he could try anything else, Eren kicked his chest, sending him flying back.


    The Cardinal''s arms were ripped off from his body, leaving them in Eren''s hands. Eren tossed the arms aside, but not before taking the dagger from them.


    He swung his arm, sending the dagger towards the Cardinal, as if it was a dart while the cardinal was the target board.


    Before evennding on the ground, the Cardinal controlled his body. He used the holy essence to remove the pain that he was feeling, making sure his kind was still calm.


    He regained control of his body to dodge the dagger. However, just as he was about to move, he felt something strange.


    Suddenly, something had tightly wrapped around his body. It felt no different from his holy chains. The only difference was that he couldn''t see these chains.


    His ankles, his waist and even his neck was caught by these chains.


    "Spirits?!" He asked in disbelief, realizing what was happening. "How could a Spirit be strong enough to hold me back?"


    The dagger soon struck his shoulder,pletely immobilizing his body. Even though it was a dagger created by him, he wasn''t immune to its effects either.


    "You are right. A spirit can''t hold you back, but that only applies in the Holy Continent, especially if the Spirit is..." Eren didn''t finish his sentence, only ncing at Yelen who was silently standing behind the Cardinal, controlling those chains.


    Eren didn''t talk with the Cardinal any longer, calling out his Sword.


    "Her Holiness will not let you live! You will die a gruesome death!" The Cardinal screamed at the top of his lungs, watching the same silver de sh in front of his eyes.


    "Your Holiness should worry about her own future now." Eren softly said, watching the bloodied Sword.


    He once again cleaned the sword from the Cardinal''s clothes before keeping it back. The chains around the Cardinals body also freed him, his body falling on the ground at the same time as his head.


    [Level +1]


    Eren received a notification, which brought a smile to his face. Although he was still far from crossing the next great wall, it was still something pleasant.


    He kept the Cardinal''s body in his inventory, saving it for the future. Even if the Cardinal was dead, he still had to use him against the Holy Church.


    "Good work," Eren told Yelen, who was called here at a short notice.


    The moment he nned to attack the Cardinal, he understood that he couldn''t go all out. If the two of them fought properly, it was enough to cause arge-scalemotion and alert the Kiel Family and all their guests.


    He had to take out the Cardinal swiftly, and for that, he needed Yelen. He didn''t even have to tell her what to do, with her understanding the assignment easily.


    "This ce is as disgusting as ever," Yelen told Eren, feeling the rotten energy of the Northern Continent.


    Amongst the four continents, this was the ce that the Spirits hated the most. It was also because Spirits were targeted in the Northern Continent, especially by the Necromancer Tower.


    "I don''t feel particrly good about this ce either," Eren told her. Even though he was supposed to be the heir of the Necromancer Tower, he wasn''t fond of this ce.


    "Oh right, can you connect a portal to the Wind Tower Mistress and send her here? I might be needing her help with what I''m about to do next. It''s also about her ''son'' after all."


    "Give me ten minutes." Yelen told Eren before disappearing.


    She went to the Eastern Continent where the Wind Tower Master had been staying, ever since Eren freed her from her son''s control.


    Yelen appeared in front of the Wind Tower Master and told her that Eren wanted her help. Before even hearing what help Eren wanted, she agreed. That young man had freed her from the shackles of very. If possible, she wanted to return the favor.


    Her resolve only strengthened when Yelen told her about the involvement of the person who had possessed the body of her son.


    Once the Wind Tower Master agreed, Yelen connected a portal to the Spirit Realm and further connected that portal to the Northern Continent.


    She held the Wind Tower Master''s hand and entered the portal to guide her.


    ....


    Meanwhile in the Northern Continent, Eren had finished dealing with the aftermath of his battle.


    He walked back to Ruby, who was looking at him in disbelief. In front of her eyes, a Cardinal of the Holy Church had been killed. It wasparable to the Guardians of the Necromancer Tower being killed.


    If she was impressed by Eren when he killed the guards of her family, then she was truly looking at him like a god now.


    ''If it is him, he can definitely save her father.'' She thought.


    She quickly came down off the Pegasus andnded on her knees, touching her forehead on the ground like she was begging him for help.


    "Please save my father! I am willing to do anything in return!" she eximed.


    Eren didn''t care about saving her father. He only had two goals for now.


    One of his goals was to kill Fey, the Transmigrator who had the ability to enve people. His other goal was to start a war between the Necromancer Tower and the Western Continent.


    Both of these goals were connected to the Kiel Family. Even if the girl hadn''t asked him for help, he was willing to involve himself. This was a war he couldn''t ignore, as things were going to be even more dangerous if he let them be.

 Chapter 403: Chapter 403: Not a Rumor

    ....


    The Kiel Family Patriarch entered the meeting hall, where arge round table was arranged. Chairs were ced around the table for the guests to be seated.


    On the table, sses filled to the brim with alcohol were arranged for the guests that were yet to be brought here.


    The Kiel Family Patriarch walked around the table, carrying a small vial of an unknown liquid in his hand. He carefully added a drop of the liquid to each of the sses of alcohol.


    As the drops blended into the alcohol, they becamepletely undetectable. There was no change in color or scent to indicate anything had been added.


    The Family Head looked quite pleased with himself as he had finished everything as per instructions from Fey. Now all that was left was for the guests to drink so that their mental defense could be lowered.


    His pleasant expressions didn''tst for long as he felt the entire group tremble, which was apanied by an explosion.


    Frowning, he left the meeting hall and rushed towards the source ofmotion. As soon as he reached there, he noticed that a part of his mansion had beenpletely ttened.


    Looking at the scene, it was unclear exactly how many people were buried under the rubble. One thing was certain, that the Leader of the Kiel Family Guards was dead.


    Only one half of his body was left behind, the other half beingpletely evaporated in the attack. It was clear that the person couldn''t even resist when he was killed.


    The Kiel Family Head looked at the source of this destruction. Not far from him, there was a girl standing with a cold look on her face.


    "What do you think you are doing?" The Kiel Family Head asked the girl from the Greyndor family, still maintaining a calm tone. He still had to lure the girl to drink, so he couldn''t afford to offend her yet.


    As for the people who died in her attack, it didn''t matter to him. All that he cared about was fulfilling his master''s orders. His mind and thoughts werepletely under Fey''s control.


    "I told him that he would die if he wasted my time." Anya jumped down from the Undead Dragon,nding in front of the Kiel Family Patriarch without the slightest hesitation.


    "It seems that I should have done this much sooner. You are finally out." She walked past the Kiel Family Patriarch, without sparing a second nce at him. "I don''t know about him, but my time is limited."


    As she spoke, she cast a shadow at Leo Rottenheim, who was simply watching her as if observing a child act out.


    "Shall we hear why you invited us here? What is it about the Holy Continent?" He didn''t react to her taunting, and focused on the Kiel Family Patriarch.


    The Kiel Family Head noticed the other heirs and Family Leaders, who were also waiting.


    "I was just about to invite you as well. Please follow me," he told the guests while walking back inside the mansion.


    Leo followed the man, appearing much more calm than Anya. However, along the way, he couldn''t help but raise his head, casting a nce towards a window on the first floor.


    He soon entered the mansion.


    Meanwhile, Fey was hiding behind a curtain that hung around the window that Leo was observing. However, he had hidden himself quite quickly.


    "These people... They are quite perceptive. They would make for good ves." In the silent room, only Fey''s voice could be heard. "Failure is not an option. Still, why do I feel so uneasy?"


    ....


    The guests followed after the Kiel Family Head who brought them inside the meeting hall.


    "Please take seats. The exnation will be long, and might take some time." He gestured for the guests to take seats ording to their will.


    Even though no seats were assigned, the families knew their own ce. Seats were taken as per the strength of the families and not the person.


    The first two seats were taken by Anya and Leo, with the seat between them being left for the Kiel Family Head who was the host.


    The Kiel Family Head pulled out stacks of papers and ced them in front of the guests, right next to the drinks.


    "Please go through the documents while I exin. Also, I have arranged a very unique alcohol that is the speciality of our region. You must be tired, so please give it a try as well "


    He didn''t forget the guests to drink but simply suggested. It was only a matter of time before they started drinking as he intentionally had his people drag them around so they would be thirsty by the time they came here.


    Just as he expected, quite a few family heads started drinking the alcohol while they read through the pages that were ced in front of them.


    Anya and Leo also took a sip while focusing on the papers.


    At the same time, the Kiel Family Head started exining, "I am sure that you have also heard about the growing closeness between the Holy Church and the Demon Sect."


    "That is right. What about it?" One of the Family Heads asked.


    "Isn''t that just a rumor?" Another Family Head chimed in. "The Demon Sect have enough to worry about with the presence of the Heroes on their borders. Would they still have time to work with the Holy Church?''


    "What if I say that it isn''t a rumor?" The Kiel Family Head said, making even Anya frown.


    She had also heard these rumors, but even she hadn''t expected the East and West to work together.


    If this was really true, it might develop into a reallyplicated situation with the opening of hell being right around the corner.


    "Are you saying that they have reached an agreement?" Leo frowned. "Why would the East do something like that? Do they want to fight other people''s war? Are they trying to start a continental war?"

 Chapter 404: Chapter 404: The Crazy Elder

    "I believe they have. A few days ago, a Warship of the Demon Sect entered deep into our territory, which is the first time such an incident has taken ce."


    "A Warship? Why were we not informed about that?" Many of the family heads grew concerned as soon as the matter of the Warship was brought to their attention.


    "If the Demon Sect is sending Warships, that means they have gone beyond their understanding with the Holy Church. Could this be a warning from them?"


    "Does it have something to do with the seclusion of those from the Necromancer Tower?''


    The Family Heads were confused, talking to each other. They didn''t know why the Necromancer Tower had suddenly stopped involving itself from the matters of the outright world.


    In recent weeks, it had been almost impossible to even arrange a meeting with the Necromancer Tower. And now, the Demon Sect and Holy Church was getting active?


    All of them were growing concerned about what it meant. Their mind was even more hazy as a subtle influence of the drug had started taking hold, albeit to a very weak extent.


    "We shot down the warship, losing a lot of people in the process. Unfortunately, all of the people on the ship were already dead by the time it came crashing down, so we couldn''t interrogate anyone," the Kiel Family Patriarch continued, dragging the conversation to make them drink more.


    He also made sure to tell only the truth to not make them suspicious. In any case, this matter had nothing to do with him so he didn''t need to lie.


    "Did they kill each other because they didn''t want to be caught alive by us," a family head thought out loud, making otherse to the same conclusion. "The Demons are just as ruthless to each other as rumored."


    "We sent all this information to the Necromancer Tower, but we haven''t received any response yet. As you know, the Necromancer Tower has entered seclusion." The Kiel Family Head took a sip of the alcohol ced in front of him, which was the only ss that was not drugged.


    "I had no other choice but to contact all of you," he gave a justification, not telling them the real reason he had called them. "If the two continents are about to attack us, we need to be prepared. It might as well be a fight for our existence if the Necromancer Tower doesn''t help us on time."


    "With something so serious taking ce, why is the Necromancer Tower not responding?"


    "Why are they staying silent? What do the other two continents know that we don''t?"


    "It is truly a threat for our future. We can''t face the Holy Church, let alone the Demon Sect. I even heard they have elders that eat the flesh of those they kill."


    The Family Heads, despite being one of the strongest existences in the Northern Continent, knew that they weren''t strong enough to face thebined onught of two superpowers, especially when they wereparable to the Necromancer Tower.


    The Heir of the third strongest family turned to Anya and Leo, asking them directly "You two are disciples of left and right guardians of the Necromancer Tower. Do you know something?"


    Anya and Leo didn''t answer. For the most part, they had been silent, lost in some deep thought. It was true that they knew why the Necromancer Tower had entered seclusion.


    They were busy preparing for the opening of hell, which was the most important thing for the Necromancer Tower.


    Even the Tower Master was paying special attention to it. They couldn''t afford to get distracted by anything else at a time like this.


    Anya and Leo nced at each other, thinking that same thing. The reason that the two unlikely forces were working together was most probably because they found out about the intentions of the Necromancer Tower.


    It was the only thing that could bring them together, as they didn''t want the Necromancer Tower to be stronger and break the bnce of the four Overlords.


    If that was the case, it was not unlikely for the Hero Continent to also enter the mix, trying to stop them. Instead of bing a continental war, it might turn into an invasion of the North if it was true.


    Both of them had the same question in their minds. Should they inform the Necromancer Tower? But if this caused them to be distracted, leading to the failure of the opening of hell, could they afford the consequences?


    "We can''t distract the Necromancer Tower at a time like this. Even if the other Continents want to fight, we have to stop them," Anya said, for the first time not showing any hostility towards Leo.


    For them, nothing was greater than the Necromancer Tower. There was nopetition when the question was about the safety of the Necromancer Tower.


    "How are we going to stop them? It is not going to be easy," Leo replied, frowning. There were things that he couldn''t talk about in front of everyone, something that only Anya could understand.


    Anya stood up, followed by him. The two of them left his meeting to discuss amongst themselves, without having to be worried about exposing too much.


    The two of them walked out of the mansion, lost in their conversation.


    They were discussing special measures that they could take with the help of the Major Families to dy the two continents, or maybe even start a conflict between the two continents.


    While walking, they didn''t even notice when they left the Kiel Family''s Mansion, their mind being distracted by the matter entirely.


    Leo only came out of his thoughts when his shoulder shed against another person''s shoulder.


    Frowning, he raised his head and noticed a young man next to him, who was walking with a young girl that wore the symbol of the Kiel Family.


    He didn''t know that the person next to him was the same elder who was mentioned in the meeting merely moments ago.

 Chapter 405: Chapter 405: Controlling the North

    ....


    Anya and Leo had left the meeting hall, and the meeting had temporarilye to a halt.


    All of the guests here could sense that Anya and Leo knew something about this matter. It made them understand that something was truly going on with the Necromancer Tower.


    "How can they ignore us? Do they think that we don''t deserve to know?" The family head of a weaker family asked.


    Even though his family wasn''t strong enough to beparable to the Greyndor or Rottenheim Family, it was still irritating to be ignored by juniors from the younger generations.


    Theirplete ignorance of the other families had managed to upset a lot of families'' heads, whose mental alertness was growing weaker without them even realizing.


    "Even if they are the disciples of two Guardians of Necromancer Tower, they can''t ignore us. This is a matter about our survival. You should drag them back!" Another Family Head told the Kiel Family Patriarch, his eyes growing dizzy.


    Suddenly, the sleepiness had started taking over his kind. The weaker family heads were affected first, already cing their heads on the table as they fell asleep.


    There were a few others who started feeling suspicious when they felt a sudden wave of drowsiness, but it was toote for them to react.


    To strengthen the effect of the drug, a strange gas had also started filling the chamber, making them even more sleepy.


    "What did you do?" One of them asked as he stood up. He walked towards the Kiel Family Patriarch, weakly grabbing him by the cor, struggling to keep his eyes open.


    The Kiel Family Patriarch simply smiled and said, "I did what I had to do to protect my master''s interests."


    He then pushed the man away, causing him to stumble and fall back onto the table, struggling to keep his eyes open. The other members of the table were in an even worse condition.


    The heirs of the third, fourth and the fifth families had long fallen asleep, having even weaker resistance than the Family Heads of weaker families.


    Before long, everyone in the meeting hall was sleeping. Only one person was awake, being none other than the Kiel Family Head.


    "How frustrating. The two most important birds escaped the cage before they could bepletely affected," the Kiel Family Head walked out of the room, leaving the other guests inside the meeting room, sleeping.


    He was sure that the other family heads couldn''t resist the effect of the drugs, but Anya and Leo were different. They weren''t just heirs of powerful Families like the other three youngsters.


    They were also disciples of the two Guardians of the Necromancer Tower, as well as mages of death themselves. For someone like them, drugs were more or less ineffective, hence he had arranged more surprises for them.


    He didn''t expect them to leave the meeting so suddenly, not even giving him a chance.


    Outside the meeting hall, he watched a hooded figure. He lowered his head in front of the hooded figure, apologizing for his partial failure.


    Fey didn''t dwell on the matters. For now, time was of the utmost importance. Even if Anya and Leo couldn''t be controlled right away, it was still better than nothing.


    "They can''t run from their fates. They are just dying the inevitable," he whispered while pulling open the door. He entered the meeting hall.


    In his own territory, the Kiel Family Head was reduced to nothing more than a guard who was here to make sure that no one could disturb his master.


    The door of the meeting hall closed with a thud.


    ....


    Inside the meeting room, Fey observed the sleeping guests with an amused smile on his face.


    "Until recently, I had to be scared of you people. I couldn''t even approach you, without worrying about my life. Look at yourselves now, being at my mercy."


    He walked around the round table, tapping everyone''s shoulder lightly once. With each of his taps, a mark was left on the body of the family heads which worked as a thread between them and him.


    "If I want, I can kill all of you here. But don''t worry. I will not take your lives. You are more useful to me alive, than dead. I will give your lives a new purpose... A purpose grand enough to make your lives worth living."


    He kept circling around the round table, his skin growing paler. The color of his eyes also started changing colors, turning into a shade of silver that asionally made him look blind.


    With the changes inside his body, his aura was also growing more unstable. He had previously enved people stronger than the ones that were present in the hall.


    His mother was also stronger than all these family heads. The only difference was that he was trying to enve all of them at the same time, which ced a significant burden on his body.


    Fortunately, none of them were as strong as the Necromancer Tower Members. To make things easier, all of them were drugged, which mostly removed all the mental defense they had. By the time they came to their senses, everything was going to be over.


    Even as blood trickled down the corner of his lips, Fey didn''t stop checking around the round table, using his cheat ability to the fullest.


    "After I control you all, the majority of the Northern Continent will bend to my will. You will be a stepping stone for me to reach my ultimate ve... The Western Overlord."


    "So listen to your master! Stop resisting and ept me into your hearts! Be one in your desire to serve your master! ept the seal, and achieve greatness with me! Or I will kill you right here!"


    The family heads couldn''t hear him, but he still threatened him, giving suggestions to their subconscious to remove even the slightest of resistance.


    Merely a few minutes had passed since Fey started envement, but his body was almost broken. Blood had started trickling out of his eyes, nose and ears.


    At the same time, permanent envement seals had also started appearing around the bodies of the family heads. One after another, the ceremony kept seeding.


    "Rise!" Feymanded, barely controlling his fall with the support of the table.


    All the guests who were sleeping, opened their eyes at the same time.

 Chapter 406: Chapter 406: Erens affinity with death

    Leo came out of his thoughts when his shoulder shed against another person''s shoulder. Frowning, he raised his head and noticed a young man next to him, who was walking with a young girl.


    The girl''s attire was covered with dirt, but still, the Kiel Family''s symbol was clearly visible. She was part of the Kiel Family.


    Leo simply assumed that Eren was also a part of the Kiel Family, even though his clothes didn''t carry even the slightest of symbolism of the Kiel Family.


    "Sorry, I didn''t watch where I was going," Eren casually told Leo, walking past him without wasting any time on him.


    Leo watched Eren''s distant back, frowning. Normally, it was almost impossible for an ordinary person to get close to him, even if he wasn''t paying attention.


    Just the aura of death around his body was enough to make ordinary people freeze in fear when they came close to him. So how was this man able to get so close that their shoulders bumped?


    "Don''t waste any time on these insignificant people. If you want to kill him, just do it fast so we can discuss more important things," Anya told Leo who was momentarily observing Eren.


    If she was the one who was touched by Eren, she would have destroyed him already, ripping his flesh off his body. As Leo was the recipient, she gave him that opportunity.


    "How interesting... It seems that he can''t even feel it. He seems to have a good affinity with death."


    Leo couldn''t even think that Eren was stronger than him, or even a threat. Even the Kiel Family Head couldn''t threaten him, let alone a servant of the family.


    Despite that, it was undeniable that Eren had managed to get close to him. Even when Eren left, it was as if he couldn''t even feel the slightest suppression from his aura of death.


    There were only two reasons for something like this to happen. The first reason was that the other person had an aura which was even stronger than his aura, and even more supreme.


    That was just impossible in his eyes. His aura was inherited from the Guardian of the Necromancer Tower. The only person in the Northern Continent with a purer aura was the Necromancer Tower Master.


    He didn''t think Eren had an aura as pure as the Necromancer Tower Master. After all, there were only three more people who were on the same level as the Necromancer Tower Master.


    All three of those people were women, each living in their own continent. Moreover, as per the treaty of the Overlords, none of them could personally step foot inside the Northern Continent.


    For Leo, only the second possibility made sense. It was that Eren had an extreme affinity with the aura of death. It was the most essential trait for selection in the Necromancer Tower.


    Even he was selected by the Right Guardian because his affinity with death was strong. Eren''s affinity felt even stronger.


    For a brief moment, greed shed in his eyes. If he could bring Eren back to the Necromancer Tower with him, and introduce him to the right Guardian, he was certainly going to be praised by his master.


    Not only that, he might even receive a junior brother. With the two of them, the left guardian couldn''t keep the same level of influence on the Necromancer Tower.


    He watched Eren disappear into the Kiel Family''s Mansion with the girl apanying him. There remained a smile on his lips that was hidden from Anya.


    He was d that Anya hadn''t noticed how special Eren was. If he didn''t have to worry about the other Continents'' potential attack, he would have rushed to Eren right away.


    "You don''t have to worry about my matters. I don''t want to kill him," he told Anya, turning his back on the Kiel Family''s Mansion.


    Before she could wonder why he was being merciful towards Eren, he exined, "If there is going to be a war with the other Continents, we would need these cannon fodders. There is no point in killing them."


    Appearing carefree, he walked away from the Mansion and changed the topic back to the matters of the other Continents.


    "Also, before deciding on anything, shall we go see the Warship of the Demon Sect?" he asked Anya, raising his hand.


    From the endless shadow that had been following him, the shadowy beast jumped out again. Leo jumped higher,nding on the back of the shadow beast.


    Anya felt like something was wrong with Leo''s exnation. Was he really letting an insignificant person live because of the war?


    Even though she found it hard to believe, she couldn''t find anything particrly wrong with his exnation either. After all, Eren had looked quite ordinary in her eyes.


    She didn''t know that Eren had used the Aura Controlling Method to perfectly hide all his auras, including the Holy Aura that the people of the North Continent were so sensitive about.


    In the eyes of others, he was like an ordinary young man who was only good enough to be a servant and nothing more.


    "Fine." She didn''t think much about it and raised her hand.


    Clouds in the sky split apart while an undead dragon came flying down, his entire body being covered in what felt like ck mes. Instead of being warm, the mes were freezing cold.


    Anyanded on the back of the undead dragon. The two heirs rushed towards the coordinates where the Warship had crashed as per the words of the Kiel Family Patriarch.


    Even though the family patriarch had confirmed it, they couldn''t believe it entirely. Both of them wanted to confirm such a significant thing with their own eyes.


    While the undead dragon was flying away, the Kiel Family Patriarch was observing through a window while protecting the meeting room.


    "It seems like they won''t be disturbing master anytime soon." He smiled, watching the two annoying heirs leave the city. "Now, there is nothing for my master to worry about."

 Chapter 407: Chapter 407: Glimpse of Death

    ....


    Inside the meeting room, Fey was sitting on the table, resting one leg over the other. In front of him, all the leaders of the major families in the Northern Continent were sitting on their knees.


    Some of them were even cleaning Fey''s shoes with their hands, appearing like dogs that might even start licking his shoes clean as long as hemanded.


    Fey appeared very pleased with the oue. Even though he was slightly injured and exhausted, he had seeded. He had controlled most of the Northern Continent''s forces with just the seventeen people present inside the room.


    Even though the family heads of the top five families weren''t here for him to control them, their children could easily lead him to them, so he didn''t think much about them.


    That alone wasn''t what made him happy. Instead, what made him happy was that a notification had appeared before him.


    [Congrattions on unlocking a new achievement]


    [At the same time, you have enved more than fifteen people stronger than you]


    [You have been rewarded with one random reward voucher]


    A voucher that looked like a small piece of paper appeared in front of him, out of thin air.


    Even though the voucher looked like it was made from an ordinary piece of paper, he could feel that it was extraordinary. Even if he was to give it his all, he couldn''t tear this voucher.


    Soon, the vouchernded in his palm, revealing his name that was written on it. It wasn''t the name he had received in this world, but a name he used when he was on earth.


    "Interesting. Is it for marking ownership? It seems that no one else can use it, even if they were to steal it. Not bad, but one voucher isn''t enough for me.


    He raised his other hand, revealing a small coin that was tied to his innate skill. With a simple toss, he could multiply the number of times he could use an item.


    The effect was not limited to the rank of the item. Even if it was a God-Tier item, his skill could still affect it. The only problem was that this skill was rted to random luck.


    If the coin did notnd on the face he had selected, the effects would not take ce. If he seeded, he could use the coin on the same item again, but if he failed, that would also be impossible.


    Fey tossed the coin into the air while naming the reward voucher. The coin was still flipping through the air when he called out a face, waiting for it tond.


    The small yet significant coin soonnded next to him on the table, bringing a smile to his face.


    "Everything is going well for me. It seems that I am truly the main character of this world," Fey said, watching the coin. "Nothing can stop me."


    Although he had failed in controlling the Eastern Overlord, he believed that it was simply a slight obstruction in his n.


    After all, even the main characters faced such obstructions in their quest to conquer the world. Only after failing once was the main character supposed to rise, and he had already experienced that one failure.


    His toss had seeded, allowing him the opportunity to use the random reward voucher twice. Meanwhile, the coin rose in the air and flew straight for his pocket, disappearing inside.


    Fey activated the Random Reward Voucher. A spinning circle materialized in front of him, with six rewards, all of which were hidden by a blue.


    Normally, when the spinning wheel appeared, the question voucher was supposed to disappear. However, under the effect of the coin, the voucher remained unaffected for now.


    The wheel started spinning with an arrow aiming upwards to point at the prize.


    After spinning for a few seconds, the wheel finally slowed down. As the wheel stopped, the reward at which the arrow was aiming became clear. The blur disappeared, revealing two words.


    "Question Voucher? Not bad." Fey smiled, epting the reward. As he had no question vouchers left, ever since he used one in the mountain of loss, he had been waiting for one.


    Finally, it was here. He could bring that person down, and ask him about the person that had spoiled his nst time.


    He kept the question voucher safely, and brought out the coin. Again, he used the coin on the random reward voucher, once again seeding.


    He used the reward voucher one more time, smiling from ear to ear. This time, the reward was entirely different as he received an artifact.


    "The Robe of Invincibility? It can block three life threatening attacks, even from the gods? Are there even gods in this world? What''s with this description?"


    Although he didn''t know why he would need to block attacks from gods, he still wore the robe. Anything was better, as long as it provided him with more protection.


    Once more, he used the coin on the reward voucher, testing his lucky streak.


    Unfortunately, this time, the coin didn''tnd as per his will. The face he chose was facing downward when the coinnded.


    The effects didn''t work. The coin flew back inside his pocket, unable to be used on the voucher anymore.


    Although slightly disappointed, Fey was still not frustrated. It had worked twice in a row. Any more was just an additional reward.


    Onest time, he used the reward voucher. This time, the piece of paper disappeared when the spinning wheel materialized in front of him.


    Even though there were more people in the hall, only he could see the wheel that started spinning. Within a few seconds, it also revealed a reward.


    Noticing the reward, Fey frowned. The name of the reward itself surprised him.


    "Glimpse of Death?" He reached out his hand, epting the confusion reward.


    A small red box appeared in his hand, being the size of a small poker card, albeit much thicker. He quickly opened the box.

 Chapter 408: Chapter 408: Destined for greatness

    "The youngdy has returned! Someone quickly informed the Family Head."


    "She hase back, but where are the people who were sent to bring her back? And who is the man apanying her?"


    "That is not for us to worry about. Just let the Family Head know that she has returned."


    As soon as the servants witnessed Ruby''s return, a greatmotion ensued. Many felt relieved that she was back, especially since the Patriarch had already warned them.


    He had med them for failing to prevent his daughter from running away, threatening punishment if she was not brought back soon.


    Now that she had returned, most of the servants could breathe a sigh of relief.


    The estate manager hurried through the grand halls of the estate, as if his life depended on it. He knew the Family Head would want to be informed immediately of Ruby''s return.


    The only thing that concerned the manager was the possibility that the Patriarch might be in a meeting, which could mean he would have to wait to deliver the news.


    However, as approached the ce where the meeting was supposed to take ce, he was surprised to find the Patriarch waiting outside the meeting hall for some unknown reason.


    "Family Head, your daughter has returned," he announced, trying to keep his voice steady. "She hase back, but the others who were sent to retrieve her are not with her. There is also an unknown man apanying her."


    The estate manager waited anxiously, wondering how the patriarch would react to this news. Was he going to be happy that she was back? Or was he going to rush back to her to punish her for running away in the first ce?


    To his surprise, the Family Head''s reaction was very muted. He simply gestured for the man to stay silent, as if he was worried that his loud voice might disturb someone.


    The estate manager didn''t understand why the Family Head was reacting as if he was scared of someone. Still, he nodded. He didn''t say anything else, only silently waiting for further instructions.


    "Keep an eye on her. I will meet herter," Kiel Family Head told the Estate Manager before sending him away.


    The Estate Manager turned around and started walking away. He had imagined many ways the family head could react to this news, but this was definitely not a part of his imagination.


    Halfway through the corridor, he curiously looked back at the Family Head, his pupils widening. He watched the Family Head sitting on his knees in front of a young man who had stepped out of the meeting room.


    The young man was none other than the guest who had been living in the estate for thest few days. Just who was that young man? He wondered.


    At the same time, he understood that there were some things that were better left unknown. He had lived long enough to understand that trying to know too much was a shortcut leading to death.


    He pretended as if he didn''t see anything and left.


    "Master, my daughter had been found and brought back," the Kiel Family Head informed Fey, who was looking like he was lost in some deep thought.


    "Uh, right. Send her to my roomter tonight. I am leaving." Fey simply waved his hands and left as well, appearing somewhat serious.


    Strangely enough, all the newly turned ves also followed him, with only the Kiel Family Patriarch left behind.


    The Kiel Family Patriarch wondered why Fey was so nonchnt with him. Was he being abandoned now that his master had strong ves?


    His mind was controlled to such an extent that he was willing to do anything to win the favor of his master.


    "That is right! If my daughter can win the favor of Master, then I will also..."


    He quickly stood up and left to meet his daughter. Even though his most cherished daughter had returned home after running away, he was less worried about her and more worried about her master''s favor.


    ....


    The Family Head traveled through the estate, which was missing arge section that had been destroyed in Anya''s wrath.


    He soon reached his daughter''s room, which was heavily guarded at the moment.


    The security of this one room was even stronger than the main entrance of the estate. It was as if everyone was worried that she might run away again, leaving them in an even bigger mess.


    When the Family Head approached the room, all the guards dropped to their knees, greeting him in unison.


    The Family Head paid no attention to them. He opened the door and stepped inside his daughter''s room, where she was supposed to be staying.


    Inside the room, he noticed his daughter sitting on a chair, calmly drinking what appeared like herbal tea.


    "You are very wise to return. You will never find a man better than Young Master Fey."


    Just as Ruby had expected, her father didn''t ask her if she was alright or what she went through when she was outside.


    He was still talking about the young master Fey, as if she didn''t know that he had already manipted his thoughts.


    "Tonight, you will go to Young Master Fey''s room to keep himpany. Alright?" Kiel Family Head asked, his tone appearing more like amand than a request.


    "I agree with father''s arrangements," Ruby answered without even the slightest hesitation.


    Her words left her father shocked. He had thought that she might resist again to the point that he would have to forcefully take her there. On the contrary, she agreed so easily?


    "When I was running away, I had a lot of time to think about it. And I realized that father wants what''s best for me. Young Master Fey might truly be the best man for me. He is brave, handsome as well as talented," Ruby stated, her words bringing a smile to her father''s lips.


    The Kiel Family Patriarch nodded with her assessment. His Master was truly a great person, who was destined to rule over this entire world.

 Chapter 409: Chapter 409: The Sunset of Morality

    "The more I thought about him, the more I realized that he is the person that I want to be with. Even if you hadn''t asked me to go to his room, I would still do that. I can''t stay away from Young Master Fey anymore."


    Ruby ced the cup of tea to the side, looking straight in her father''s eyes, appearing truly determined.


    "Hahaha, great! That''s really great! You are truly my good daughter!" The Kiel Family Head eximed, his face brightening up with happiness as he patted his daughter''s head.


    "Young Master Fey will be waiting for you." Laughing, he turned around to leave. "Make sure to do anything you can to win his heart."


    With his daughter''s agreement, everything was set. He didn''t have to worry about anything. As long as his daughter could steal the heart of Fey, then she was going to be the queen of this when Fey achieved his goal.


    He was about to step out of the room when he suddenly remembered another thing that he wanted to ask her.


    He stopped and turned around. "I heard that there was a stranger apanying you? Who was he? Also, why don''t I see him?"


    "What do you mean by stranger? It was a Kiel Family Guard who escorted me back. It seems the servants confused him with a stranger since they don''t know the faces of all the guards properly."


    The girl simply shrugged innocently. Her father didn''t question her words either. It was true that the Kiel Family had recently been recruiting many guards, and even the estate manager didn''t know the faces of all of them.


    The Leader of the Kiel Family Guards knew them, but he had already been killed by Anya.


    "It seems I would have to select a new leader of the guards soon, or it might get confusing if people start suspecting each other because they don''t know better," he said, shaking his head as he left the room.


    The door was closed behind him.


    Only after the Kiel Family Patriarch left the room, Eren appeared behind the girl, revealing that he had always been here.


    It was just that the Kiel Family Patriarch was too weak to see through his dragon magic which had been growing stronger with his increasedprehension.


    "Your acting skills are not bad," Eren said, taking a seat near the girl. He picked up the cup of tea, taking a sip from it.


    Ruby watched him in a daze, slightly embarrassed. It was the same cup from which she had taken a sip in front of her father. She couldn''t help but wonder if this could be called an indirect kiss.


    "I only followed your instructions. But do you really want me to go to his room?" she asked with slight hesitation, wondering if Eren wanted her to assassinate Fey.


    Fey was someone who was able to control her father. Was she strong enough to defeat him, even if he didn''t have his guard against her?


    She even worried that he might control her the same way he controlled her father before she could even do anything to him.


    "I will be the one going to his room. I still have an old score to settle with that guy," Eren stated before putting the empty cup back on the table.


    He casually nced towards the door, thinking about the reaction of the Kiel Family Head.


    "I wonder if his envement skill had grown stronger," he mumbled, realizing that the Kiel Family Head''s reaction was quite strange.


    He had dealt with Fey in the past. Previously, his ves couldn''t reject his others. Despite that, their real emotions or resistance could be seen in their eyes. It was clear that they didn''t want to follow his instructions but they had no choice.


    This time, it was different. It was as if the Kiel Family Patriarch was trying his best to please Fey. It wasn''t just his body that was being controlled but his kind and consciousness as well, which made his skill even more dangerous.


    "What a peculiar skill. If only I could steal it."


    "Did you say something?" Ruby asked, watching Eren talk to himself.


    "It was nothing. You don''t have to worry about it. Just stay here and rx. I will deal with that man myself." Eren stood up and walked over to the window, overlooking the entire city.


    The sun had already started setting with the night drawing closer. It was not long before he was going to meet Fey once more.


    This time, it was clear that the person was not a clone. As he was controlling so many people who were not on the level of an overlord, it made sense for him toe here personally.


    Moreover, as per the Wind Tower Master, her son couldn''t create a second clone since hisst one was killed by Eren, which injured the real one.


    At least that was the case until he broke through the next realm, which was impossible for someone who relied on the strength of other people.


    ''If I was back on earth, just the thought of killing people would be seen as wrong.'' Eren thought, looking at the setting sun in the distance.


    Just like the sun was setting, bringing the onught of the night; his morals from earth had also long disappeared.


    His hands were stained in blood, but he didn''t feel even the slightest regret, as if this was perfectly normal for him.


    He had killed for survival. Everything he did was to protect himself. At least that was the justification he gave himself for such things.


    He couldn''t help but wonder how many people he might have to kill in this long journey. He was strong, but still he had to worry about his life constantly. Just where was the end of this journey?


    Just when was he going to reach a point when he didn''t have to worry about death? He wondered.

 Chapter 410: Chapter 410: Meeting Fey

    As the sun disappeared in the horizon, signaling the arrival of night; Eren turned his back on the distant moon.


    "Are you leaving?" Ruby watched Eren approach the door without saying anything to her.


    "Stay inside the room," Eren told the girl, reaching out his hand towards the doorknob. Before he could swing it, he felt someone''s warm embrace from behind him.


    "What do you think you are doing?" he asked with a slight frown.


    "Please return safely," Ruby said, unable to hide the worry in her tone.


    Eren was herst hope. To save her family, he was cing his life in danger. As a Great Elder from the Demon Sect, he didn''t have to worry about strangers from the Northern Continent, but still he was going so far.


    Meanwhile, she had nothing to repay him. She didn''t even know if he was going to return safely. Was it thest time she was going to see her? Just the thought alone scared him, and she couldn''t help but hug him from behind.


    "I don''t n to die." Eren slowly removed her hands from his chest, freeing himself from her embrace.


    He opened the door and stepped out of the room, leaving Ruby behind. The door slowly closed and the room returned to the normal silence.


    Eren walked through the long corridor amidst the watchful gaze of the servants of the Kiel Family. Strangely enough, none of the servants reacted strangely when they saw him.


    Instead, they greeted him as the youngdy, as they could only see an illusion carved by the Dragon Tongue. They weren''t strong enough to see through the illusion either.


    "Why is it that everywhere you go, you find a girl to keep youpany and warm you up?"


    Eren was walking away when he heard theining tone of Yelen.


    "Please don''t say words that can easily be misunderstood. When did I find someone to warm me up?" Eren innocently answered.


    "Hmph." Yelen simply snorted in response, not liking the fact that Eren was surrounded by women everywhere.


    "Are you jealous?" After a brief period of silence, Eren asked.


    "Why would I be jealous?" Yelen sounded a little grumpy even as she denied.


    Although Eren wasn''t an expert in understanding a woman''s emotions, even he wasn''t ignorant enough to not understand Yelen''s thoughts.


    "Although Ruby is beautiful, she is not even close to you. If I want someone to embrace me, I would much rather choose you," he told Yelen, making her go absolutely silent.


    "You! You are truly shameless!" Yelen eximed, her voice appearing a little panicked.


    With a smile on his lips, Eren shook his head lightly. He couldn''t believe he was still in the mood to mess around with Yelen, even as he was about to face Fey.


    Soon, he reached the part of the Mansion reserved for Fey. The entire corridor was heavily protected, with guards stationed every few meters.


    Eren was about to enter the corridor, expecting the guards to step aside. While the ordinary guards moved to clear his path, a middle-aged man stepped forward, blocking his way.


    "I''m here to meet young master Fey. Why are you obstructing my path?" Eren asked the man while using his Identification skill.


    However, the moment he did so, his gaze narrowed. The middle-aged man was the next leader of the Kiel Family Guards.


    It wasn''t his position that surprised Eren, but the unique trait that allowed him to see through all forms of illusion.


    "Just when I thought there wouldn''t be any unnecessary trouble," Eren sighed, scratching the back of his head as he realized why he had been stopped.


    "Outsiders are not allowed here! All outsiders are to be killed without questions!" The Leader of the Guards reached out his hand, grabbing Eren by his neck.


    He applied even more force to crush Eren''s neck. Unfortunately, it didn''t matter how much strength he applied. He wasn''t able to crush Eren''s neck, which felt like it was made from some hardened material.


    Even with all his strength, he wasn''t able to break through Eren''s defense.


    "That''s not how you do it," Eren answered as he grabbed the middle aged man''s neck. In the neck moment, a cracking sound resounded in the hall.


    The middle aged man''s eyes widened as his neck was crushed, blood sttering all over Eren''s n. He was still in disbelief as he lost his life.


    His grip around Eren''s neck weakened while his body fell on the ground with a thud.


    The other guards in the hallway were also momentarily frozen. Many of them reached fast enough to attack Eren at the same time.


    "eleration," Eren stated, his figure disappearing from sight with only a reflection left behind. A sword materialized in his hand which could asionally be seen shing through the corridor at random ces.


    The sword only appeared properly when Eren stopped moving after reaching the end of the corridor. His sword was covered in fresh blood of the guards which was dropping on the floor near his feet.


    One after another, the sound of bodies falling on the ground echoed in the corridor. Eren nced back, watching multiple heads roll on the ground, the entire hallway being painted red.


    Eren turned towards Fey''s room. The room''s door was the only thing left standing between him and Fey.


    Eren stood in front of the door in silence, remembering the Author''s warning.


    "If death is waiting for me on the other side of that door, then I will just have to destroy that death myself."


    Eren pushed the door, which opened easily as it had been left unlocked. The room waspletely dark with only moonlighting in front of the window which was lighting it up.


    "You made me wait long," Fey''s voice came from inside the room before Eren could even step inside.


    He was standing next to the window, facing the beautiful moon outside. There was a ss of wine in his hand, half emptied already.

 Chapter 411: Chapter 411: I shouldve known

    "You made me wait long," Fey said, wearing nothing but an ordinary white robe that was tied loosely around his waist.


    It was as if he didn''t want to waste time taking off his clothes, so he wore something morefortable and easier to remove. Seeing his attire, it felt as if he was truly expecting Ruby.


    Eren slowly entered the room, frowning. This was the perfect opportunity to kill Fey. So far, nothing had gone wrong.


    If anything, everything had gone a little too smoothly, which gave Eren a bad feeling. Was it because of his Destiny Physique? He couldn''t help but feel that something was amiss.


    In the past, Eren often experienced bad luck in situations like these. Although his luck had started changing ever since he received the Destiny Physique of the Eastern Main Character, that physique wasn''t invincible.


    If that was the case, the main character wouldn''t have died in his hands.


    Every time things went smoothly, Eren grew suspicious. It was even more suspicious since the author had especially warned him.


    Although he didn''t explicitly say that the danger was rted to Fey, still he couldn''t lower his guard.


    "Take off your clothes and get on the bed. I will join you after finishing my wine," Fey further said, still assuming the guest to be Ruby.


    Eren approached Fey instead of going for the bed.


    "You naughty girl, are you really that excited that you can''t wait?" Feyughed, hearing the footsteps getting closer.


    "In that case, I will make your night tonight." In a single sip, he finished his wine.


    Hearing the words of Fey, nothing felt out of ce. Still, that sense of danger was only growing stronger with each passing second. Eren''s grip on his sword strengthened.


    He swung his Sword, but it wasn''t targeting Fey. Instead of attacking Fey, Eren turned around.


    nk~


    A metallic sound rang out, echoing throughout the room. It was as if two strong metals had shed with each other.


    "How did you find out?" Eren asked, pushing the attacker back.


    The attackernded in the distance, gently brushing his fingers on the de of his sword. He felt a little disappointed. If Eren was a little slow, his sword would have sliced through the young man''s neck.


    He truly didn''t expect Eren to react so fast.


    "How did I know that you were going to attack me?" Fey slowly turned around, revealing an amused smile on his lips.


    He tossed a small red box at Eren''s feet which waspletely empty as the item inside it had been used.


    "Why don''t you take a guess?" he asked as more people made their presence known inside the room.


    Therge room, where only two people were present before, was now filled with many more people. There were a total of fifteen family heads of the major northern families.


    "You really went out of your way to arrange a weing party for me. Should I be d to receive such a wee?" Eren asked, his gaze observing all newly arrived guests.


    He didn''t know their identities but he could feel that they were not weak. Although they weren''t as strong as the Cardinal, they weren''t much weaker inparison either.


    Even more problematic was their number, as well as the fact that they were leaders of powerful families with long histories.


    Almost every family head was carrying artifacts that increased their fighting abilities. This had truly be a troublesome situation.


    Even with the identification skill, there were just too many artifacts in their possession for him to go through all their details.


    "You know, I really hate you," Fey told Eren while the Kiel Family Head refilled his ss with more wine. "It''s because of you, I lost the Eastern Overlord. If I had enved her, I wouldn''t have bothered enving these weaklings."


    "With a ve like that woman, I would have already conquered the Western Overlord, instead of wasting my time here. I even lost my dear mother because of you. I hadn''t even tasted them yet, but you freed them from my control. You are truly evil."


    Fey''s voice was brimming with his hate towards Eren. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Eren had made him lose so much. He even lost a clone that he hadn''t been able to recreate yet.


    He took a deep breath, his expressions returning to normal.


    Instead of hate, he looked at Eren with a mocking gaze as he continued, "However, I should also thank you. It''s because of you, I managed to grow my enving abilities to remove the weakness that you exploited before."


    "My old ves had a real w which you managed to exploit, but I have long since removed that w. You are really lucky to be dying in the hands of my improved ves."


    He took a sip from the ss, taunting him as he gave all the credit to Eren.


    "Are you not going to say anything? That is very boring. Fine. I will answer your question if you also answer a question of mine."


    Fey didn''tmand his men to kill Eren yet. As Eren was already surrounded by the family heads, there was no escape for him. Fey wasn''t in any hurry. If anything, he was more curious about Eren''s identity.


    "How did you find out about my system? How did you know that I was a Transmigrator?" Fey asked Eren.


    Eren simply raised a middle finger in response. "Why don''t you call the author and ask him that question?"


    "Author?" Fey tilted his head sideways, gazing at Eren with great interest. "Did you also meet him? Doesn''t that mean you are also...?"


    "Ha...hahahaha! Now it makes more sense! No wonder you knew about me! So you are the same!"


    Fey grabbed his forehead, unable to control hisughter. Everything started making sense for him. He also understood why Eren wanted to stop him.


    After a long time, hisughter abruptly stopped. He revealed his bloodshot eyes. "You know, that makes me even more upset."

 Chapter 412: Chapter 412: Last wish

    "And here I thought I was special." Fey''s expressions were distraught, as he red at Eren.


    He had thought that he was special. He was the main character of this world who was brought here from earth. He was a Transmigrator.


    He never thought that there were more people like him, especially those who were being guided in a simr manner.


    He finally understood why Eren had be an obstruction for him. Since all of them were in a race against each other, they couldn''t allow the other person to get ahead.


    "I should have known." He covered his face with his hands, looking at Eren through the gap between his fingers, his eyes being void of anypassion.


    "If I hadn''t used the Glimpse of Death to see the scene of me dying in my room at your hands, I never would''ve known that such was the case."


    He felt quite frustrated. He had met the author many times, but that person never once hinted about there being more people like him.


    If he wasn''t lucky enough to get the item called Glimpse of Death, he would have remained ignorant even in his death.


    Just thinking about the scene he saw through that item sent a chill down his spine. He was waiting in his room for Ruby, but it was Eren who came.


    Before he could react, he was killed. There was no conversation between them, only a terrifying silence.


    After he knew the future, he made every arrangement to change it. Instead of waiting for Ruby in ignorance, he arranged the family heads to stay in his room to protect him and kill Eren.


    "How many of you are there?" he asked Eren. "Just how many people came here from earth? Do they also know about me?"


    He didn''t know anything about the other Transmigrators. Their existence alone was a threat for him.


    Just one Transmigrator like Eren had almost killed him if he wasn''t lucky. What about other Transmigrators? Just how dangerous were they for him?


    Eren shrugged in response. Even he didn''t know how many Transmigrators were in this world. All he knew was that he was the only one in the Eastern Continent.


    He had alreadye across four other Transmigrators including Fey, which felt like all there was to it. However, he wasn''t certain if that was actually the case.


    "Why don''t you ask the author? Even I want the answer to that question," Eren reminded Fey. "Since I am going to die in any case, why don''t you let me die after letting me know?"


    Even though he wasn''t sure if Fey had any Question Voucher, it was still worth asking him. If Fey was the one who used the question voucher, he could get the answer for free, without feeling like he wasted an opportunity.


    "Master, he is suspicious! Even though he acts like he has surrendered to his fate, I don''t see any fear in his eyes. He might be nning something. Don''t listen to him!" One of the Family Heads intervened, feeling like Fey was seriously listening to Eren''s suggestion.


    "What can he do even if he is not scared?" Fey scoffed in response. "It''s just false bravery."


    In his eyes, everyone here was insignificant. The family heads didn''t even know who they were talking about. They were too unimportant for this conversation between two Transmigrators.


    "When the author arrives, the entire world will be frozen. Except me, no one else can move. Even if he wants to do something, what can he do?" Fey didn''t take their warnings seriously.


    ording to his knowledge, Eren couldn''t change anything. As far as he knew, only he could move when the author arrived, as he was the summoner. At least that''s how things had been in the past.


    Eren could only move after the author left, but at that time, the others could also move.


    "Although I hate you, I will be merciful as wee from the same ce. I will let you die knowing. I will treat this as yourst wish," Fey proudly stated, bringing out the Question Voucher.


    He then flipped the coin, using his ability on the Question Voucher. He didn''t hesitate to perform the skill in front of Eren, as he was the only one who could use it.


    With the toss of the coin, his skill linked with the Question Voucher. To his pleasant surprise, he also seeded as the coinnded on the right face. The effect was sessful.


    "It seems I won''t have to waste the voucher to get my answer. Not bad," He smiled, casually activating the Question Voucher.


    At that moment, the entire world was frozen. The time itself hade to a halt. Even the Family Heads couldn''t resist the strike of time.


    Even Eren froze, his lips still remaining partly open. He looked like nothing more than a statue. The only person who could still move was none other than Fey.


    "What do you want to ask?" A voice came from behind Fey, belonging to the author.


    Fey slowly turned around, frowning. "You fool. Why did you not tell me that there were other Transmigrators here? Did you want me to die while remaining ignorant?"


    He didn''t even waste a single second, letting out all his frustrations on the author.


    "Hmm?" The author appeared slightly frustrated at being scolded but his pupils trembled as he noticed what kind of situation this was.


    "Hah, so that''s what it was." He rubbed his forehead, shaking his head lightly.


    Even though he was looking in the direction of Fey, the young man felt as if the author was looking through him. To be specific, he was looking behind him.


    Even though Fey couldn''t see that person''s face, he felt some semnce of pity in that person''s voice.


    "That was truly devious of you. Making him use his own treasures to..." the author said, notpleting his sentence.


    "Where are you looking?" Fey grew suspicious at the author''s reaction. Confused, he also looked back.

 Chapter 413: Chapter 413: Total Number

    Fey didn''t understand why the author was behaving so strangely. Even when he was speaking, it was clear that he wasn''t talking to him. Then who was he talking to?


    Confused, he turned around.


    The moment he looked back, he saw a figure sh before his eyes. A sword came thrusting straight for his chest, held firmly by Eren.


    Fey was shocked to find Eren still able to move. He didn''t understand how it was possible. How could Eren still move when time stopped for everyone except him?


    Fey''s expression darkened as he considered two possibilities. Either Eren had an ability that allowed him to stay free of time''s constraints, or the Transmigrators were unaffected by these restrictions.


    "No wonder you asked me to summon him. I was truly fooled for a moment. If I wasn''t prepared, I would have been killed." Fey red at Eren, whose sword struck his chest.


    A previously invisible robe became visible as the sword made contact.


    The sword couldn''t even scratch Fey''s flesh, as he was protected by the robe. Instead, Eren''s treasured sword shattered into thousands of small pieces upon impact.


    The sword fragments flew everywhere in front of Eren. The powerful bacsh sent Eren flying back, crashing into the body of one of the family heads. The force was strong enough to send both of them hurtling towards the distant wall.


    "Did you really think that you could kill me if I was distracted?" Fey looked down on Eren, who wasing out of the rubble, mocking stone pieces aside.


    Even though he had been buried under the broken rubble from the broken wall, there was no external injury on his body. The only injury that he experienced was internal, which came from the bacsh.


    "Identification," he softly mumbled while patting his clothes to clean the dust.


    The moment he saw the description of the robe that had reflected his attack, Eren grew quite surprised. It was an artifact that was simr to his pendant of protection.


    Just like his pendant of protection, the robe could also protect its owner three times from life threatening attacks. The only difference was that the robe could also counter the attack with the same force if not more.


    Eren hadn''t attacked with all his might previously. Now that he looked at the description of the robe, he was d that he didn''t.


    If he had given his all to that attack, the counter would have been even more dangerous for him. It wasn''t just an internal injury that he would have received.


    Still, now that he knew what kind of artifact it was, he was more rxed. If the artifact could only protect Fey twice, then he could swiftly take him down.


    "What''s the hurry? This is just the beginning!" Eren flew towards Fey.


    This time, he didn''t call forth another sword. Even his strongest sword couldn''t break through the defense of the robe after all.


    To kill Fey, he had to exhaust the robe, even if he was to be injured in the process. To make sure that he wasn''t hurt too badly, he used the bare minimum he could to make the robe activate.


    "You think I don''t know what you are nning? You want to exhaust this robe? But are you sure I will simply wait for it?" Fey turned his back on Eren,pletely ignoring the attack.


    He also understood that he couldn''t defeat Eren if he just replied to the robe. He had to take the help of the family heads that were frozen. To free them, he had to send the author back, which could only be done after he finished asking his question.


    "How many Transmigrators from earth are in this world who are still alive?" Fey asked the author, using the Question Voucher''s effect. As he simply asked for a number, it was a question which could easily be answered without taking much time.


    Once again, Eren was sent back flying the moment his fist touched Fey.


    Meanwhile, the Author looked at the two youngsters with great interest. Both of them were trying their best to kill, but only one of them was going to see the next sunrise.


    He was sure that one of them wasn''t going to survive the night, and he already had an idea as to who that person was.


    "There are five Transmigrators from earth who are alive in this world, including you two," The Author answered, the shackles around his body disappearing.


    Now that he finished answering, his body also started disappearing as it was time for him to disappear.


    Before he disappeared, he left a sentence behind. "I suppose after tonight, the number will go down by at least one."


    Once again, an attacknded on Fey, unable to break through his defense. The sound of another wall crumbling down echoed throughout the pce.


    The robe around Fey''s body slowly disappeared as all three life saving effects had been used. Unfortunately, the time was also freed from the restrictions.


    The Family Heads came to their senses, absolutely shocked to see the scenes of destruction around the hall.


    "You had an opportunity, and you missed it. You can take this regret into hell with you," Fey said, tossing away the robe that had grown useless. "You can be happy that even in your death, you managed to destroy such a precious artifact."


    "Still, you don''t have to worry. I will make sure to send others three Transmigrators in afterlife to keep youpany."


    He made a light gesture, telling the Family Heads to kill Eren. He hadpleted thest wish of that man and learned everything he could. There was no need to keep a variable like Eren alive.


    He could enve Eren and use him to his advantage, but he knew that it was also risky. He wasn''t even sure how his envement was going to affect a Transmigrator.


    If he was fooled like before, he might actually die as he had no life saving treasures anymore. It was better to kill him than to risk his life.


    "Since when did I need external help to kill you? If anything, this just became more fun." Eren wiped the blood off his lips, summoning another sword.


    For the first time in a long while, he was going all out as his terrifying aura descended with him at the core.

 Chapter 414: Chapter 414: Massacre

    Fey panicked as soon as Eren''s aura descended upon the Kiel Family Estate. Almost everyone in the estate felt like they were suffocating under the terrifying pressure.


    Many of them even wondered if the Necromancer Tower Master was here personally. Fortunately, the aura didn''t feel lifeless like the aura of the Necromancer Tower Master.


    Still, the ordinary people in the estate dropped to their knees.


    Ruby also felt like she was having a hard time breathing. She didn''t know who this aura belonged to, but she couldn''t help but worry about Eren. It was evident that a fight had begun, one which she couldn''t get involved in.


    "What are you doing?! Kill him!" Fey eximed with all his might,manding the Family Heads to kill Eren.


    Even though the Family Heads felt a little hesitant before Eren''s aura, they couldn''t ignore Fey''s instructions. One of the family heads brought out a whip, made from the flesh of a terrifying undead creature.


    The whip was strong enough to suck life out of people, sending that vitality to the owner of the whip.


    The whip came straight for Eren, only to pass through his body, as if his body was not real in the first ce.


    "An afterimage?!" The Family Head eximed in disbelief. Before he could even shift his attention to find Eren, he felt a sharp pain rising in his back.


    He saw a bloody wing out of his chest, still holding on to his heart. The heart was crushed right in front of his eyes as his face grew pale.


    Eren didn''t even bother saving that heart as it wasn''t worth devouring people of this caliber. He released the crushed heart that fell on the ground with a plop.


    Eren pulled back his arm, which was stained in blood. However, he didn''t seem phased by the blood.


    The body of the family head dropped to the ground as life left his body. The whip also fell off his hand, falling nearby.


    Eren picked up the whip, which was a very useful item. However, he didn''t use the whip.


    Even though the people here were strong with their artifacts, it was nothing not external strength. As long as he wasn''t faced with members of the Necromancer Tower, he feltfortable.


    "Shall we get the fun started?" Eren revealed a smirk at Fey as his figure moved again. He appeared in front of another family head, grabbing him by his throat.


    Before the family head could react, his throat was crushed. His sword was still in his hand but he couldn''t even attack as everything happened so fast. His eyes almost popped out of their sockets as Eren crushed his neck, tossing his body aside.


    Two family heads were killed with such ease that even Fey was in disbelief. How was it possible for Eren to be this strong? Wasn''t he also a Transmigrator like him who had to start from lower ranks? How was he powerful like Overlords?


    Fey bit his lower lip in frustration, almost to the point that his lips started bleeding. At this point, he didn''t feel asfortable as before.


    He didn''t have the robe to protect him anymore. A single attack from Eren could kill him.


    He made sure that five family heads stayed before him to protect him, the others focusing on attacking Eren.


    The family heads soon came out of their daze, being able to react to Eren. Even though they couldn''t match his speed, they could still attack in all directions with their high numbers.


    The Family Heads started attacking in all directions except towards their master. Their attacks were so powerful that they kept destroying the Kiel Family Estate itself, killing many innocent people in the process.


    Despite them going crazy in their attacks, they failed to even touch Eren. They didn''t even understand how Eren was able to dodge their attacks. It was as if he was able to predict their attacks.


    One after another, the family heads were being killed, even as the entire Kiel Family Estate was blown apart.


    Many innocent people from the Kiel Family were running from the pce that was crumbling down. Ruby was also amongst them, running as far as possible from the sight of collision.


    Even as she was running away, she kept ncing back. All she was able to see were blinding lights shing through the crumbling mansion.


    The people who were unaware about the cause behind this incident wondered if the Kiel Family was attacked by the Necromancer Tower. Even now, none could even assume that this was the work of someone from the other Continents.


    "Why don''t you die?!" The Kiel Family Lord eximed in disbelief. He was the leader of one of the major families in the Northern Continent.


    He couldn''t believe that he wasn''t able to kill an ignorant youngster. Even when all the family heads came together, they couldn''t even leave a wound on the body of the young man. Just what was his identity?!


    "Why don''t you take that question to your afterlife?" A cold voice fell in the Kiel Family Head''s ears, his eyes widening in disbelief.


    He saw his entire world turned upside down as a gust of wind brushed against his face. It took a long time for him to realize that it wasn''t the wind brushing against his skin but his head that was flying high in the air while the rest of his body was left on the ground.


    The ce that was supposed to be a battlefield for Eren had changed into a ughterhouse with him being the butcher and the family heads being the animals waiting for ughter.


    [Level +1]


    The blood in Eren''s hands hadn''t even dried when his level increased again. He was truly enjoying the Massacre as it was not only reducing his enemies but also increasing his level.


    Instead of being a problem for him, these family heads felt more like a reward given for him, especially since the strongest five family lords weren''t in the Kiel Territory.

 Chapter 415: Chapter 415: Pity

    Eren advanced through the Family Heads with ruthless efficiency, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake.


    Fey was still in disbelief. His previous confidence had evaporated, reced by a deep sense of fear. In this moment, he couldn''t help but see the same glimpse of death that he had witnessed through the artifact before. It was as if nothing had changed.


    This was another repeat of the events that had unfolded at the Mountain of Loss. Fey lightly touched his chest, remembering the sword that had pierced the chest of his clone.


    Every instinct urged him to flee, yet his legs remained rooted, paralyzed by the scene of Eren''s merciless ughter.


    "Is this the end of the Kiel Family?" he muttered to himself, barely audible over the chaos of destruction.


    At this point, it became clear that the Family Heads couldn''t kill Eren. At most, they could dy him. He could only sacrifice them to run away.


    ''I need stronger ves to kill him! But I will not give up! As long as I live, I will always find a way to kill him! Even if it takes years, I will get stronger ves and kill all other Transmigrators!"


    Slowly, he started retreating, forcefully moving his trembling legs.


    "Try to hold him back for as long as possible! I have a secret way to kill him but I need time! So don''t let him pass through you!" he told the Family Heads while retreating.


    Even though he could justmand them, he still fooled them into believing that he was going to return. It was all so they could give their all, out of their own volition.


    The family heads believed his words. Instead of trying to kill Eren, they focused on dying the ascent of the young Warlord who wasing in like an unstoppable storm.


    Meanwhile, Fey simply turned around and started running away as fast as he could. Along the way, he even called the Kiel Family''s prized mount.


    It was the fastest mount in the Kiel Family which could only be used by the Kiel Family Patriarch. Fortunately, he had asked the Kiel Family Head to hand it over a long time ago.


    Fey climbed on the mount and started rushing in the direction of the Western Continent without looking back. Along the way, he could hear sounds of explosions at regr intervals which sent a chill down his spine.


    He didn''t look back or slow down. At this point, nothing was more important than survival. As for revenge, it could always wait.


    After rushing away for hours, he was finally out of the territory of the Kiel Family. He also couldn''t hear the sound of explosions as he was far from the Kiel Family Mansion.


    He internationally went towards the Western Continent as the Warship of the Demon Sect was in that direction. It was also the ce that was being investigated by Anya and Leo.


    Even if the two of them couldn''t stop Eren, they could still inform the Necromancer Tower which was enough to destroy Eren.


    "Just how far is that Battleship?!" Even after running for hours, Fey hadn''t lowered his guard. His body was covered in sweat, and the fear for his life was still running strong in his head.


    ....


    Back in the Kiel Family Estate, Eren stood in the middle of the rubble, his clothespletely tainted red in the blood of the Family Heads.


    "Are you not going to stop him?" Eren was wiping the blood that had sshed on his face when he heard Yelen''s voice.


    "Do I need to?" Eren replied in an amused tone. "As I told you before, today is the day when Fey will die. There is going to be no mistake this time."


    "Even if he runs to the depths of hell, he will die in my hands tonight," he added. "Isn''t that why I sent them?"


    He took a deep breath as he started taking off his bloody clothes. He changed his attire to ordinary clothes that were worn by the workers of the Kiel Family Estate.


    He used the Dragon Tongue to remove any scent of blood from his body, making it clear that he was as far from this chaos as he could possibly be.


    "It is truly a pity. All these kind Family Heads were killed by a single Cardinal from the Holy Church. Even in death, these brave warriors managed to kill the Cardinal. I truly respect these brave warriors."


    Eren shook his head lightly while stepping back slowly.


    "You are truly shameless." Yelen rolled her eyes as soon as she heard Eren''s words.


    "What do you mean? I am as honest and kind as a person could be." Eren innocently replied, appearing slightly heard as if he had been wronged by these usations.


    At the same time, he brought the body of the Cardinal out of his inventory, strategically arranging the body in the middle of the carnage.


    He used the artifacts of the Family Heads to attack the lifeless body, leaving wounds that were clearly made by the family heads.


    After arranging the crime scenes, he ced the artifacts back near the family head''s bodies.


    Even though the artifacts were decent, they were not good enough for him to leave a w in his n.


    The only artifact that he kept with him was the whip that could suck life force of the enemies with each attack.


    To make sure that the whip wasn''t missed, he even destroyed the body of the Family Head who owned the body.


    "How long do you think she will take before dragging Fey back?" Eren asked after he finished arranging the bodies to create a perfect crime scene.


    "If she isn''t busy thrashing him, then a few minutes?" Yelen suggested.


    "Why do I suddenly feel bad for Fey?" Eren said, while clearly carrying a smile on his lips contrary to his words.


    .....


    Fey was running as fast as he could when his mount suddenly started slowly down. He could feel the winds suddenly increase, rushing against him.


    "You?!" he asked, noticing a figure standing in the midst of the dust storm.

 Chapter 416: Chapter 416: Mothers Emotions

    "Why are you here?!" Fey''s expressions darkened as his mount came to a sudden stop.


    Not far from him, there was a powerful wind storm. In the eye of that storm, he could see a vague silhouette of a woman. Even though the figure wasn''t clear, he could still recognise the woman.


    "Are you going somewhere, my dear son?" A melodious voice came from within the storm, falling in Fey''s ears like a thunderstorm.


    Fey had never relied on his own strength, only focusing on getting stronger ves. And one of his first few ves was the woman in front of him.


    It was the mother of the person that he had possessed, also being the corner Tower Master of the Wind Tower.


    Although some of the family heads that he controlled had long surpassed the strength of the masters of towers that had previously been destroyed, their strength didn''t belong to Fey.


    Now that his ves had been killed, Fey was back to square one, being much weaker. He had also lost quite a few of his treasures that could save his life.


    Fey wasn''t a fool to not understand the reality of the situation. If the woman wanted, she could kill him in the blink of an eye.


    "Mother, please tell me you are not fooled by that man?! You are not going to hurt your own son for a stranger!" Fey eximed, still trying to y with the woman''s emotions.


    Even though he wasn''t her son, it was still true that he was inside the body of her son. Even though he had done a lot of bad things to her, he was still supposed to be a son for her.


    "I-i was temporarily controlled by a soul from another world. However, I have long been freed from his control. Despite that, the man said that he wants to kill me! I am so d that I found you! Please run away with me or he will also hurt you!"


    Fey stepped down from his mount and ran towards the woman like a child who had longed for his mother.


    He was slightly scared inwardly but he still didn''t let the fear show on his face. His face only showed a sense of longing for the woman.


    For a moment, the Wind Tower Master''s emotions fluctuate. She hesitated about believing his words. Even though Eren had said that her son had died the moment he was possessed, was it really true?


    "Don''t fall for his words. Until a few moments ago, he was still controlling many people. He just ran away after losing his ves. Now he is trying to use you. If you give him a chance, he will not hesitate in controlling you."


    The wind tower master was faltering when she heard Felona''s words. She once again reminded her that the person in front of her was not her child.


    "I know," the Wind Tower Master agreed with Felona. Despite that, she opened a passage through the storm which allowed Fey to approach her.


    "Are you really my son?" she asked her son who stopped merely a meter away from her.


    "Mother!" Fey had tears in his eyes. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and hugged the woman tightly. "I missed you so much. I was so scared when that foreign soul was controlling me. I am sorry! I am so sorry for letting him use you!"


    The woman also dropped to her knees, still having Fey in her embrace.


    Fey''s eyes were filled with tears as he hugged her but the woman couldn''t see the devilish smirk on his lips.


    ''So what if I lost other ves? If I can take this ve back, I would have a much easier time escaping. Thank you for sending me this gift, my dear Transmigrator!''


    Fey was certain that he had weakened his mother''s mental defense by making her emotional towards the return of her son.


    Subtly, he started using envement. A mark slowly started materializing on the shoulder of the woman.


    "I am also sorry for not being able to protect you," the woman said weakly.


    "It is not your fault, mother. It is all the fault of those otherwor-" Grinning ear to ear, Fey started replying. However, before he could even finish his sentence, he felt a sharp pain.


    "Arghhh!"


    Taken aback, he quickly tried to free himself from the woman''s embrace, feeling a dagger that had been stabbed on his shoulder.


    "I will make sure the person who killed you doesn''t have a good end. My son, you can rest in the afterlife knowing that your mother had avenged you!"


    "Arghhhh!" Fey screamed even louder as another dagger stabbed through his waist.


    One after another, the sharp pain was rising from all over his body as multiple daggers were being stabbed in his body, making him experience pain like never before.


    He kept trying to free himself but he wasn''t strong enough. After a long time, he felt like he should have focused on strengthening himself instead of relying on others.


    Even if he had controlled most of the Northern Continent at a time, he couldn''t even free himself from a woman''s embrace on his own.


    "Don''t faint yet. This is just the beginning." Felona wasn''t idle either. Whenever Fey was about to pass out, she used her spirit magic to keep him awake so he could experience every bit of pain.


    It was his reward for taking a child from her mother and enving her for so long.


    ....


    "She won''t kill him, will she?" Back in the Kiel Family''s estate, Eren was starting to wonder about Fey''s fate.


    He had allowed the wind tower master to punish the young man, but he still needed him to be alive. Or at least he needed that man''s heart to be intact so he could take his abilities.


    "Isn''t that why you sent Felona with her? She would not let him die." Yelen told Eren, who was sitting on the tall block of rubble which had be his new throne.


    Most of the Kiel Family''s servants had already run away. Even when themotion died down, they didn''t dare return to check.


    It was only Ruby who could be seen returning, carrying a relieved smile as she saw Eren standing on the throne made from rubble.

 Chapter 417: Chapter 417: Hero or Villain

    Eren had single handedly brought down the Kiel Family, saving the heir of the family, who now worked for him.


    Through Ruby, he had made inroads into the Northern Continent. More importantly, he now has backing to drag the Western Continent into mud.


    Despite everything working out for him as he nned, he still felt a little restless. Everything had gone a little too smoothly.


    He still hadn''t forgotten the author''s warning. His trip to the Northern Continent was going to lead to his death. There was moving in the Kiel Family Estate that could threaten his life, so which part of the future was the author talking about?


    Was he looking even farther into the future than he had assumed? Eren wasn''t sure. The only thing that could threaten him in the Northern Continent was the Necromancer Tower.


    "Was that warning rted to the opening of hell?" he wondered, gazing at his inventory which still had the Hell''s Pass.


    The pass had no description. The only thing it stated was that it could only be activated when he was within the right proximity of Hell''s Door.


    Even though he wasn''t informed about the whereabouts of Hell''s Door, he had a rough estimate about its location. It was at the Necromancer Tower.


    "Was that a warning to keep me away from hell? Just what is inside hell that could threaten me to this extent?" Eren wondered, rubbing his shoulder which had the mark of the Emperor''s Sword.


    "If I get scared now, will I ever be able to conquer that fear? Even if I don''t go to hell; hell wille to me. Will I be safe if I stay in the Eastern Continent?"


    Even though he asked himself a question, he already knew the answer. If he didn''t pave a war forward, he was going to be no different than Fey who only relied on external factors to protect him.


    "I have destroyed the leaders of the main families of the Northern Continent, weakening them. I hope this is enough to draw the Necromancer Tower out. But if it doesn''t, should I try entering the Necromancer Tower myself?"


    Eren was still lost in contemting when he heard the sound of footsteps and rubble being moved under someone''s feet.


    "You are alright," a girl''s voice came, sounding extremely relieved.


    "If these people were able to kill me, then what face would I have left?" Eren calmly answered, looking at the corpses littered around the surroundings.


    He had been leveling up, stealing abilities and strengthening his Dragon Tongue Comprehension. If even after all that, he could be defeated by a few family heads that were weaker than the Cardinals, then he could only die in shame.


    Ruby didn''t know what to say. If these people were insignificant in front of Eren, then how strong was he?


    "Is my father...?" Ruby asked, slightly hesitant. She couldn''t see her father''s corpse anywhere. Even if there was a corpse, it was beyond recognisable now.


    She didn''t want to offend Eren by ming him for her father''s death, so she appeared hesitant to even ask about it.


    "I am sorry. I tried to save your father, but his soul had beenpletely tainted by that man. I had no other choice but to kill him." Eren apologetically answered.


    Even though he had promised the girl that he was going to save her father, that was when he didn''t know about Fey''s upgraded abilities.


    He couldn''t save his ve like he had freed his mother, because their minds had beenpletely corrupted. There was no resistance left in them.


    The only thing he could do was kill them as swiftly as possible.


    Ruby grew silent. She knew that she couldn''t me Eren for it. If he couldn''t save her father, then it was most probably impossible from the beginning. Was she the fool who had been under false hope?


    "The third corpse on the left is his. You can arrange a burial for him..." Eren informed the girl before she could even ask.


    Silently, the girl turned around and walked over to the corpse of her father.


    Eren momentarily looked at the girl who was crying in front of her father''s corpse. She quickly shifted his attention to another direction.


    "Do you feel bad for her?" Felona asked Eren who stood up and started walking away.


    "Why would I feel bad for her? If I start feeling bad for her, should I also feel bad for the families of the people I have killed before?" Eren responded, but it was clear that his tone wasn''t as firm as before.


    Even Eren wasing to realize that so many families were destroyed because of him. However, he couldn''t change his direction. For survival, this was the only path.


    "There is a saying," he added after a brief period of silence. "Being kind to your enemies is no different than being cruel to yourself. I am not the Main Character. I will not have a false sense of morality."


    "Do you consider yourself a viin?" Yelen asked Eren.


    There was only silence for the next few minutes. After a long time, Eren''s lips parted as he uttered a few words, "I am neither a hero, nor a viin. I am just an ordinary man who wants to survive in this foreign world."


    "Just an ordinary man who wants to survive?" Yelen repeated Eren''s sentence, feeling as if a lot of hidden meanings were hidden beneath his ordinary sounding sentence.


    Once again, a long period of silence arrived. The silence was only broken when a portal opened in front of Eren.


    From the portal, a bloody figure came falling out. With a thud, the figure which looked like it belonged to a bloodied young man fell at Eren''s feet.


    "I left him alive, just as you wanted." A woman stepped out of the portal, dressed in a yellow dress. She was being apanied by Spirit Queen Felona who had opened the portal.


    "It seems like you had a lot of fun already." Eren went down on his knees, taking a closer look at Fey whose eyes looked lifeless. It was as if pain hadpletely destroyed his sanity.

 Chapter 418: Chapter 418: True Main Character

    Fey was still conscious, but pain had already overwhelmed him to the point that his body was still trembling.


    His clothes were stained red in blood but there was not a single wound left on his body anymore. All his wounds had been healed. Despite that, he couldn''t move. Just the thought of the horror he went through was enough to make him wish for death.


    "I will handle the rest. You can leave," Eren told the Wind Tower Master.


    The Wind Tower Master looked at the person who used to be her son, her motherly instincts unable toe to terms with the fact that her son had long been dead.


    "Can you..." she tried speaking, slightly hesitant.


    "I will leave his body intact. Even though your son is dead, he will deserve a proper burial," Eren told the Wind Tower Master before she could even finish her sentence.


    He didn''t have a son of his own, but he was able to understand the feelings of the woman. She had punished the person that killed her child, but this body still belonged to him.


    She still med herself for not being able to protect her son. She didn''t even know that her son was killed and possessed. As a mother, she believed that she had failed. Still, she wanted to perform thest duties as a mother.


    After getting confirmation from Eren, the Wind Tower Master nodded. She looked at Fey onest time before entering the portal and going back to the Eastern Continent with Felona.


    "Now, shall we get started with you?" Eren smiled at Fey with great interest.


    Even though Fey couldn''t move, his body was still under the trauma, his eyes unable to hide the hostility towards Eren.


    If it wasn''t for Eren, he would have lived an entirely different life. He might have already be an Overlord of this world. Everything had fallen apart for him, all because of this one person.


    "I didn''t have any enmity with you. I didn''t target you first either. So why?" he asked Eren, his voice still trembling.


    Even his vocal cords proved to be under too much stress just to speak those few sentences.


    He didn''t understand why Eren was after him. There were more Transmigrators in this world. So why only him? Why didn''t this man target anyone else? Just what was his problem with him?


    "No enmity?" Eren ced his finger under Fey''s chin, raising his head slightly. "You kidnapped my future wife. How can you say that we had no enmity?"


    "Future... wife...?" Fey stuttered, unable toprehend. The only person he kidnapped when he was targeted by Eren was the Eastern Overlords.


    The moment he came to a realization, his pupils dted. "It was-"


    "Honestly, I didn''t even know about your existence before. You entered my domain, making mee for you. In this entire debacle, I find myself quite innocent. Don''t you think so?" he asked, cutting Fey''s sentence in the middle.


    His hand transformed into a Dragon''s w, a sharp nail slowly tracing down Fey''s neck. Just a little push and he could kill.


    "R-right! It was my fault!" Fey gulped heavily, feeling the nail that was as sharp as a de.


    "If it is your fault, don''t you think you deserve a punishment?" Eren''s ws stopped near Fey''s chest while he looked straight in the fearful eyes of the young man.


    "I can help you! I was wrong! I shouldn''t have messed with you! Don''t kill me!" Fey''s breathing fastened. He didn''t even know how to save himself.


    Eren alone was strong enough to kill him, but he also had the help of others. There were only two ways for him to survive.


    He could either make Eren side with him, or he could dy things until Anya and Leo returned. In both cases, he needed to use his words to convince Eren.


    "The other Transmigrators are your enemies. I might be the weakest of them all. You defeated me, but you might not be able to defeat them! I can help you! I can be your servant, help you reach absolute supremacy!''


    "My abilities can help you enve even the strongest people, who would serve you. I can also increase the lifespan of your treasures! You will never regret epting my help!"


    The more he spoke, the stronger his conviction became. This was his chance, and he had to prove his worth to Eren. As forter, he could always reconsider his allegiance, but for now, survival was the top priority.


    "What you say does make sense," Eren nodded, his expression unreadable.


    Fey felt a glimmer of hope as Eren''s words brought a trembling smile to his lips. But that hope was short-lived as a sharp pain suddenly pierced his chest.


    Disbelief spread across his face as he looked down to see Eren''s wed hand inside his chest.


    Eren calmly pulled out Fey''s beating heart, his eyes scary calm.


    "The first rule of being a viin: talking too much can lead to death," he said, his voice filled with a chilling calm.


    Even though he didn''t consider himself a Viin, he also didn''t want to make the same obvious mistakes when Fey''s true intentions were so clear.


    As Fey''s body fell back, his blood staining the rubble around him, he could only watch the blue sky grow darker until he couldn''t see anything.


    He lost all feelings within his body. He couldn''t even feel the pain anymore. All he felt was regret.


    He didn''t regret dying. He regretted wasting this life, living in a fool''s paradise.


    An unwilling smile spread across his lips as this scene was exactly what he had seen in the glimpse of death. He had tried to change the future, but in the end, the future had changed him.


    Even he couldn''t go against the fate that had been decided for him.


    He was a transmigrator but he wasn''t the main character. In his death, he realized that it wasn''t the world that was the stepping stone for him. Instead, he was a stepping stone for someone who was possibly the true main character.

 Chapter 419: Chapter 419: The Fateful

    Fey didn''t know if he could have done anything to change his fate. Everything he did from the beginning... It all seemed like someone''s borate ne to lead him to this point.


    Everything started to make sense as he was on hisst breath. It all began when he asked the author about a shortcut of conquering this world with his abilities.


    It was the author who guided him towards Feng Yu, giving him the method. It was that n which led him toe across Eren. Everything started from that moment onwards.


    Was it just a coincidence? Or was that person intentionally leading him down this path? It was also him who guided him to target the Western Overlord next, which brought him to this part of the continent where he came across Eren again.


    He didn''t know what was real and what was fake. Everything felt like an borate scheme. He was an expert in turning others into his puppet, but in this case, he had be a puppet himself.


    "That fuc..." he weakly mumbled under his breath, being unclear who he was actually cursing. Fey died, unable toplete his sentence, in a territory that had indirectly belonged to him.


    Eren confirmed that Fey had died, waiting for the announcement notification and experience points.


    Only after he received the notification, he told Yelen to send the corpse to Fey''s mother.


    He had killed the Transmigrator, leaving only a son that was meant to be buried by his mother. This time, he didn''t n to break his promise.


    Yelen opened another portal, taking Fey''s corpse with her. Only Eren was left behind, holding a heart which was still tainted in blood.


    Eren took a bite from the heart, as if it was a forbidden fruit. He didn''t know if he could actually steal the ability of Fey in this method, as the ability might not actually rely on physique and Bloodline.


    Soon, he finished eating the forbidden fruit and started waiting for any changes to take ce. After a few minutes, he even opened his status screen to check the changes.


    "There is nothing?"


    Eren was in slight disbelief. He didn''t gain anything from Fey. The status screen waspletely identical to thest time he had checked it, the only difference being that his level and stats were a little higher.


    As he was still far from the next great wall, that small change was insignificant. What truly disappointed him was that he hadn''t even gained any new physique.


    He still had the same Destiny Physique that he had stolen from the Eastern Continent''s Main Character and the Lunar Physique stolen from the Frost Demon.


    "Well, that was a big disappointment." Eren closed the status screen, unable to hide his disappointment.


    Fey had the ability that he wanted the most. It wasn''t even the ability to enve the others but the ability to use single use items multiple times. Unfortunately, on both fronts, he received disappointment.


    The only positive oue was that he had taken out the one Transmigrator that had escaped from him before.


    "I have killed two of them. That means only three of them should be alive now. One is the Prophet in the Southern Continent. The second one is Aster, unless he was considered dead. That would still leave one unknown..."


    He was quite curious as to where the third Transmigrator was hiding. With the Prophet and Aster, he knew about them. It was the unknown that was the most dangerous, especially since he hadn''t heard about any new rising star in the other three continents.


    "Is thest one also in the Northern Continent?" He was lost in thought while turning towards Ruby who was burying her father.


    "Hmm? Did something shine?" Abruptly, he stopped, feeling as if he had seen something shine just as he was about to turn around.


    He quickly looked back at the spot where Fey''s corpse was previously lying. On the ground, he noticed a new item.


    He grew confused at the sight of the small coin. He was sure that there was no coin here when Fey''s body was taken away. How did this coin appear here?


    There was no one here beside him. Moreover, the only thing that had changed from the moment Fey was taken to now was that he had consumed the heart.


    "Is this..." He appeared slightly hopeful as he approached the ordinary looking coin on the ground.


    He reached out his hand and touched the coin, instantly feeling a deep connection with it as soon as his fingers touched it.


    It was clear that the coin wasn''t an ordinary item. He picked up the coin carefully and used Identification on it.


    "Coin of the Fateful?" A smile spread across his lips as soon as he went through the description of the coin.


    All the previous disappointment had been washed away. He was also able to feel as if he could control the coin.


    With a single thought, he was able to transform the coin into a small dice with six sides that granted it a unique ability.


    He once again brought the dice back to the form of a coin which gave him a better chance of sess.


    He was quite pleased as he opened his inventory to put the coin inside safely. Unfortunately, the coin refused to enter the inventory.


    It turned into speck of light, flying straight into his pocket while resisting the inventory.


    At the same time, Eren appeared less focused on the coin and more focused on the inventory as he noticed a new item present inside.


    In the corner of his inventory, he saw a question voucher. He was sure that he hadn''t been rewarded with one.


    That could only mean that it belonged to Fey. After his death, his question voucher had been transferred to the person who killed him, along with his most precious possession, which was the coin.


    "That makes all this effort worthwhile."


    Eren didn''t even have time to celebrate when he suddenly closed the inventory, noticing the aura of two powerful beasts approaching him.

 Chapter 420: Chapter 420: Unique Identity

    The entire Kiel Family Estate was destroyed, with all the guests being killed. The scent of death was already stronger in this ce which could be sensed by those who were sensitive to it.


    Anya and Leo had gone to investigate the Warship of the Demon Sect. After they confirmed the whereabouts of the ship and the information provided by the Kiel Family Head, they came back for further discussion.


    On their way back, they hadn''t expected toe across such a powerful scent of death, that was even stronger than it was in the towns that had been destroyed by them.


    The source happened to be the Kiel Family Estate, or the ruins of it. The two beasts increased their speed, following the desires of their master who wondered what had happened.


    Their first thought was that the Family Heads had a fight in the Kiel Family Estate, in which some servants might have died. Still, the aura of death was too strong to be just that.


    The moment they came within the estate''s proximity, they discovered that the entire estate was missing. Only the rubble could be seen on the ground.


    Far away from where the estate used to be, the few survivors of the destruction were looking in the direction of the estate, not knowing what to do next.


    "What just happened here?" Leo''s expressions darkened as he jumped down his mount,nding in the center of the rubble, noticing the corpses that were littered around.


    Some of the bodies were destroyed so badly that he wouldn''t have even recognised them if not for the clothes. These were the corpses of the Family Heads that had arrived at the Kiel Family as guests.


    Amongst the bodies, there were also three belonging to the heirs of the third, fourth and fifth ranked family, which was even moreplicated as their parents were going to be quite upset.


    Only two people could be seen who were still alive. One was the girl who was burying the body of the Kiel Family Head. The other was the young man who was sitting on his knees behind the young woman like a servant of the family.


    "Who did it?" A furious voice came from the sky as the undead dragon circled the skies of the Kiel Family territory, a woman standing on the dragon''s back, yet toe down.


    Her aura was reinforced by the deadly aura of the Undead Dragon which made it even more powerful.


    Under the suppression of the powerful aura, even the people far away from this estate were forced to their knees, finding a hard time breathing.


    Ruby also couldn''t resist the aura of death that was acting on her body, almost making her bleed from her nose and lips.


    As Eren was already on his knees, it was impossible to judge how the aura affected him, but he had his head down.


    The only person who was standing unaffected was Leo, the heir of the Rottenheim Family that waspetitive with Anya''s Family.


    He raised his hand, casting a protective shield around Ruby and Eren, protecting them from the suppression of this aura.


    "Aren''t you going too far? Do you think a young girl and a weak servant without even the slightest strength could cause all this?" He sharply asked. Even though his voice wasn''t loud, it still reached Anya with great rity.


    "If someone could kill all the family heads was still here, do you think he would have given you an opportunity to use your aura?" he sarcastically asked in a mocking tone.


    Even though they were stronger than the Family Heads individually, but even they couldn''t kill all of them with such ease. If the killer was still here, then they would''ve already attacked them.


    Leo walked closer to Ruby, momentarily ncing at Eren. He was slightly d that the young man was still safe as he was a perfect candidate for him.


    "Is that the body of the Kiel Family Head?" He asked the girl, taking a casual nce at the corpse inside the grave that was yet to be covered.


    "That is my father." The young girl answered, wiping the blood off her lips.


    "Ah, so you''re thedy of the Kiel Family. No wonder you appeared familiar. If I''m not wrong, I saw you when you were much younger, thest time you came to the Capital with your father. You have really grown a lot."


    Leo ced his hand on Ruby''s head. Even though they were almost the same age, he still treated her like a girl from the younger generation.


    "Can you tell me what happened here? Who did all this?" he asked the young girl, giving her a brotherly feeling.


    It was as if he was here to protect her so she didn''t need to worry about naming the culprit.


    He didn''t notice Eren carefully observing him from behind, even using Identification to know as much as he could about the heir of the Rottenheim Family.


    What truly surprised Eren was the strength of Leo Rottenheim. Compared to the family heads that he had faced, Leo was much stronger.


    The status screen didn''t show any treasures in possession of Leo, but Eren was sure that this guy definitely had some.


    His treasures might be even more special than the others, especially since he was so deeply involved with the Necromancer Tower.


    Not only was his family heritage strong, but he was also a disciple of one of the Guardians of the Necromancer Tower.


    That alone was a surprising identity in itself, especially since the Necromancer Tower only had two Guardians.


    There was no information about the real strength of the two Guardians, but it was said that they were candidates to rece the Necromancer Tower Master in case the Tower Master was to die.


    It was also their presence in the Necromancer Tower which made that ce so much harder to deal with.


    If Hell was as special as he believed it to be, Eren was sure that he had to go through one of the Guardians to even get close to the doorway.


    [Congrattions. You have received new options]

 Chapter 421: Chapter 421: Two Evils

    Eren was still distracted by the identification screen of Leo Rottenheim when a new screen appeared in front of him, blocking the previous screen.


    [Congrattions. You have triggered new options]


    [Option One: Kill Leo Rottenheim and Anya Greyndor.


    Reward: Internal Map of Necromancer Tower]


    [Option Two: Make Leo Rottenheim to kill Anya Greyndor.


    Reward: Official Rmendation to Necromancer Tower (Right Guardian)]


    [Option Three: Make Anya Greyndor kill Leo Rottenheim.


    Reward: Official Rmendation to Necromancer Tower (Left Guardian)]


    [Option Four: Find a way to enter the Necromancer Tower as an official member without killing Anya or Leo.


    Reward: Two-Face Mask (Unique)]


    "You don''t have to ask her. I already discovered the killer!"


    Leo was waiting for Ruby''s response when he heard the voice of Anya.


    Anya also jumped down from the sky,nding a few meters away from another unique corpse which was in a different attire.


    She bent forward and opened the shirt of the corpse, finding a cross shaped badge inside.


    She tossed the item towards Leo with enough Strength to kill him ''identally''. If he was a littlete, the badge would have passed through his neck, killing him


    Despite Anya''s intentions, Leo swiftly grabbed the badge without any hassle. The impact didn''t even manage to send him back a single step.


    "Did you not eat anything today? What a weak throw." Leo mockingly answered, not taking her attempts seriously. This was exactly what their rtionship was like after all.


    Seeing their interaction, Eren was sure that he could definitelyplete the second or third option. All he needed was a little provocation to the side he selected.


    With that, he could easily enter the Necromancer Tower. However, that was also quite restrictive.


    If he was rmended by one of the guardians, the other guardian was going to keep an eye on him. Maybe even try to get him killed after finding out what he did.


    To take such risks, just a rmendation into the Necromancer Tower as a reward wasn''t enough. Only the first and the fourth option made sense for him.


    He reached out his hand, selecting an option while none of the two heirs were paying any attention to him.


    "A Cardinal of the Holy Church?" Leo was taken aback as soon as he observed the badge.


    This was the identification badge which still had the trace of the Holy Aura. It wasn''t something that could be faked.


    He even felt a burning sensation in his hand as he held the pass since the Holy Aura was poisonous for them. He understood why Anya tossed the badge to him so quickly.


    He tore a piece of cloth from one of the corpses and wrapped the badge safely. This was important evidence for the Necromancer Tower. With this, it was almost confirmed that the Holy Church was trying to extend their ws to the Northern Continent.


    After properly covering the badge, he kept out safely in his pocket.


    "It seems that we found the person behind this destruction." He approached the corpse of the Cardinal. "It makes sense for all the Family Heads to die. What''s more surprising is that they managed to kill a monster like a Cardinal even in their deaths.''


    "How fascinating. Did I underestimate the Family Heads or overestimate the Cardinals?" he wondered, carefully observing the corpse


    The signs on the corpse were signaling towards the death due to thebined attacks of the Family Heads. Still, he felt as if it was a little too convenient.


    "Was it really the Cardinal who killed everyone here? Or was there anyone else here as well? For example... Someone from the Demon Sect?" he asked Ruby who felt a chill run down her spine.


    She couldn''t understand how Leo managed to find out about this. Did he already know about Eren? Her face grew pale in an instant. Fortunately, Leo couldn''t see her face.


    ''Don''t think too much. He is just guessing since he heard rumors about the Demon Sect working with the Holy Church. Just go with the story we discussed.''


    Eren also noticed Ruby panicking, which was a troublesome thing for him. If she exposed him, then he might have no choice but to kill the two youngsters.


    "You don''t have to be scared. I have already sent a message to the Necromancer Tower. A representative might be here within ten minutes. Even if the Demon Sect''s member is hiding nearby, we can kill him. So just be honest," Leo further said, even surprising Eren this time.


    Someone from the Necromancer Tower was actuallying here? He had only seen one person from the Necromancer Tower, who was the Lich that attacked the Spirit Realm.


    The Lich itself was extremely strong, but it was said that the other members were just as strong if not more. The other members didn''t walk around with their weaknesses in their hands after all.


    Was he bluffing? Or was the Necromancer Tower actually sending someone as this matter was rted to a Cardinal? If that was true, then it was faster than he expected.


    "It was only him. He came and started killing everyone." Ruby looked back, tears streaming down her eyes as she recounted her experience.


    She only changed Eren with the Cardinal while describing the scenes of carnage. It was clear from her voice that she was still traumatized and scared.


    Even Leo was forced to believe her because of the fear in her voice that couldn''t be faked. He didn''t know that her fear was because of her assumption that Leo might already know the truth and kill them.


    Leo sighed in relief.


    "It looks like we are still not at the worst possible scenario. It was the work of the Holy Church. If the Demon Sect also came here, then it would truly be a..." He didn''tplete his sentence, but Eren understood what he meant.


    Just like people were scared of the Necromancer Tower, the same was the case for the Demon Sect which had just as bad a reputation in other Continents.


    Undead and Demons, both were considered evil. Meanwhile, superhuman abilities and holy powers were considered good.


    If two evils fought against each other, no one knew what kind of catastrophe it could be for a continent.

 Chapter 422: Chapter 422: He

    "Who are they sending?" Anya asked Leo, slightly taken aback.


    She wasn''t sure if the personing was going to be in the faction of the Right Guardian who was Leo''s master.


    "They didn''t tell me who wasing. All they said is that they will send someone," Leo ignorantly answered.


    With all higher ups being so busy in the preparation, even he didn''t know who was going to being. Even he hoped that it was going to be someone from his faction so that things could be easier for him.


    The entire Kiel Family had been wiped out, along with the Family Heads of other Major Families. It was a great loss, but also a great opportunity.


    If they were careful, they could truly devour the families that had lost their leaders. However, it was impossible to do that alone. Even with the support of their families, it was hard.


    Even though the other families had lost their leaders, they were like poisonous snakes. The more injured they were the more dangerous they could be.


    To take the most advantage of the situation, he needed the help of someone from the Necromancer Tower. No matter how upset these families were, they weren''t going to go against the will of the Necromancer Tower.


    In a time like this when a war with another continent could start at any moment, it might be the perfect opportunity for his family to unify all major families under it.


    At that point, even Anya''s family couldn''t stand against them. Despite all his wishes, he knew that it all depended on the person who was going to being.


    ....


    In the Necromancer Tower, a man dressed in dark clothes was rushing through the hallway.


    His back was drenched in cold sweat as if he had just returned after meeting death itself. Behind him, there was a corridor which was filled with dark mes.


    Just taking a single step inside these mes could kill a person, but the man had managed to return alive, as per the will of the owner of those mes.


    No matter how strong this man was, he was meek and cowardly in front of the person that he had just met.


    He carefully wipes the cold sweat off his forehead while rushing away.


    "He appears scarier every time I meet him," the man sighed. "If it wasn''t urgent, I never would''ve wanted to meet him. That damned lich! If he hadn''t died, it would have been his responsibility. I could have just rxed as a Hall Leader, instead of this!"


    His frustration was evident as he ced through the hallways.


    "He isn''t even the Tower Master but still he is so scary." He clicked his tongue while shaking his head lightly.


    He approached a room where the portals were established. While the portal at the Kiel Family Estate was already destroyed, he could only take one to the closest territory and fly from there.


    "The Holy Church couldn''t find a worse time to interfere with the Northern Continent. I hope it''s only a misconception of those brats. But if it is true, I might really have to..."


    He pushed the door to the room and walked inside. However, the moment he stepped inside the room, his bodypletely froze.


    He felt a pressure that made him feel like his entire existence was going to be erased if he made even the slightest mistake.


    The person was slightly weaker than the one he had met before, but it was clear that they could also kill him as easily as lifting their fingers.


    In the dark room, he saw a vague silhouette standing in the corner.


    "You are..." His eyes widened, not expecting the person to be here.


    The person ced a finger in front of their lips, "Shhh."


    The Hall Master quickly shut their mouth, swallowing the sentence that he was out to utter next.


    His eyes were in disbelief. He couldn''t understand why this person was here. For people like him, seeing even one of them existences was unlikely, but he had met two of these godlike existences in the Necromancer Tower in a single day.


    "I heard something really interesting happened today?" A voice fell in the man''s ears, making his soul tremble.


    Even though the other person hadn''t used any special abilities, but he still felt like his soul was hurting when hearing their voice.


    "T-that is true. ording to information, a Cardinal had attacked the meeting of the Major Family Heads taking ce in the Kiel Family Territory. There are suspicions of the Demon Sect''s involvement as well."


    The man was extremely respectful while exining. He wasn''t this respectful even in front of his father in the past as he was now. He didn''t even raise his head to look at the figure of the person standing on the other side of the room.


    "The Holy Church and the Demon Sect?" A subtle smirk spread across the lips of the person. However, the Gall Master felt his soul getting even more injured, sensing the killing intent within that charming voice.


    "I don''t know how true it is. That''s why, ''he'' has instructed me to go and investigate." The Hall Master felt like crying at this point.


    Everyone thought that there were only the left and right guardians in the Necromancer Tower who came after the Tower Master in strength.


    Not a single person outside the Necromancer Tower knew about the existence of a third person, who was even above the two Guardians. It was also the person who had instructed him.


    "You don''t have to bother with it. I have a lot of free time. As we have it, I was also thinking about going out for a walk. While I''m out, I should handle this as well. Won''t you agree?" The person asked, but it was less of a question and more of amand.


    "But ''he'' told me to..." The Hall Master tried speaking, only to close his mouth as he felt an invisible force grab his neck, making him feel like he was going to die if he said even a single word more.

 Chapter 423: Chapter 423: Enjoying too much

    "Y-you are right. Since you are already going out, I would be really grateful if you can handle this matter as well."


    To save his life, the Hall Master had no choice. He could just curse his bad luck that he was caught between a rock and a hard ce.


    If he offended this person, he could easily be killed. Meanwhile, this person wasn''t even going to get punished.


    Only three people in the Necromancer Tower could stop this person. The first was the Necromancer Tower Master itself. The second person was the one who had instructed him. And the third person... He was busy guarding the door of Hell.


    None of them was going to hurt this person to avenge him, even if he was to be killed brutally here.


    As for investigation, does it truly matter who did it? He was just listening to a higher up. At least he had an excuse.


    "I will leave it to you." Appearing pale, he opened the door and stepped out of the room.


    After leaving the room, he fell to his knees weakly. Only he knew how hard it was to remain standing in front of that person.


    He was scared for quite some time, wondering if the person was none toe after him. However, that person didn''te out of the room, which made the Hall Master sigh in relief.


    "If the rumors are true, then I really wonder. Who was going toe out on top? The psychopaths of the Demon Sect, or the monster of the Necromancer Tower?" He ced his hand on his chest, which was still beating rapidly.


    Even after he had be a part of the Necromancer Tower, he was still as scared as he used to be the first time he entered the Necromancer Tower.


    "Whatever. It has nothing to do with me anymore. If anything, I should thank my stars." After a long time, he forced his body up and started returning.


    He didn''t return to the corridor of the dark mes to inform the person. He didn''t have the courage to meet him a second time.


    ....


    Eren listened to Anya and Leo''s conversation carefully, trying to grasp the situation. However, it became clear that Leo wasn''t lying. It was clear that someone from the Necromancer Tower was actuallying here.


    Even Leo didn''t know who wasing, which was the most problematic part. It could be anyone from the random member of the Necromancer Tower to the Tower Master himself.


    Ruby had informed Leo and Anya about what took ce, lying to the best of her abilities. Her own tragedy and loss of her father''s life didn''t make anyone suspect her either.


    Not only was she a member of the Northern Continent but she was also the heir of the Kiel Family. In their eyes, she had no reason to betray her family.


    Anya waited for Leo to question her story, worried that he might find a w in it. Fortunately, he didn''t question her anymore.


    She sighed in relief, her fear going down a little. She returned to burying her father.


    Anya filled soul in her hand and started pouring it over the grave of her father. Eren watched silently from behind.


    His expressions soon darkened as he felt Anya approach him, revealing clear hostility. His fist tightened as he wondered if he might actually have to kill that girl.


    Fortunately, the girl walked past him. Even though her speed was so fast that no ordinary person could even see an afterimage, Eren''s pupils followed her movements clearly.


    He watched Anya appear behind Ruby in the blink of an eye, grabbing the girl by her hair.


    She forcefully grabbed Ruby''s hair and pulled her back, tossing her away from her father''s grave.


    "Did you not hear that a representative from the Necromancer Tower will being? Despite that, you are trying to bury a corpse that needs to be investigated by them?" Anya frowned. "Just what are your intentions?"


    "Before being a corpse, that person was my father!" Even though Ruby was scared of them, she also lost her temper as she wasn''t even allowed to bury her father''s corpse .


    "If your father were to die, would you bury him or treat him as a disy for other people?!" Ruby eximed, almost losing all sense of her fear in that moment, not even thinking about death.


    "You!" Anya frowned. "Are you seriouslyparing insects like your father with my father? Just because they are all called the major families, do you really think they are the same? Naive fook, truly."


    Anya didn''t attack Ruby, noticing that Leo was also getting impatient. If she tried to attack Ruby, it was clear that Leo was going to intervene.


    It wasn''t good to be seen fighting, especially since the representative could arrive at any time. It was even worse since they didn''t know whose side the representative was from.


    If the representative was on Leo''s side, fighting him now was foolish. Hence, she didn''t cross his red line, just like he didn''t cross hers.


    She turned her back on Ruby, grabbing the corpse of the Kiel Family Head by the cor. She pulled the corpse out, tossing it away so it could be in clear view of everyone.


    "Father!" Ruby rushed to her father, tears streaming out of her eyes. However, she was stopped by a powerful aura that forced her down to her knees.


    Under the powerful aura, her face was nted on the ground. She couldn''t even raise her head to look at her father''s corpse.


    Anya walked closer to her, leaving only a few centimeters of distance between her feet and Anya''s face.


    "Little girl, don''t test your luck. If you don''t want to be food for my little baby, then you should really behave yourself!" she told Ruby, who couldn''t even raise her head to look at her face.


    All Ruby could see were Anya''s shoes that were covered in the blood of innocent people.


    "Aren''t you enjoying this too much?" A voice came from behind, just when Anya seemed to be humiliating Ruby.


    Anya thought that Leo was going to be the first to intervene but even she was surprised as the voice didn''t belong to Leo.


    Instead, it was the insignificant young servant who was speaking.

 Chapter 424: Chapter 424: Insignificant

    Anya and Leo were not on good terms with each other, but even they didn''t want infighting when an envoy from the Necromancer Tower was about to arrive.


    Despite that, Leo didn''t like Anya''s behavior. When he saw Anya hurting Ruby, he thought about interfering. However, before he could do anything, Eren spoke up.


    Not only Anya but even he was surprised. He already had an eye for this young man to make him the second disciple of his master, but he appeared even more impressed by him now.


    Normally, people were scared of their identity alone, let alone their strength and frightening aura. Even in the Capital, no one would have spoken up against one of them, worried about getting killed right away.


    Despite that, Eren didn''t hesitate in voicing his support for Ruby, even at the risk of his own life. Not only was this man talented when it came to resisting the aura of death but he was also brave in the face of death.


    It was a quality just as important as the aura control, especially for people of the Necromancer Tower that were closely rted to death. If they were scared of death, how could they conquer death in the first ce?


    His gaze towards Eren changed slightly. If previously, it was as if he was looking at an unrefined diamond then now, it was as if he was looking at an even more precious gem.


    He resisted his urge to interfere, waiting to watch the show. He wanted to see how Eren was going to deal with this mess. Did he have a n, or was he just courting death?


    "Am I hearing things?" Anya asked, ncing at Leo. "Why do I feel like that ve was talking to me?"


    She was still in disbelief. First, Ruby was talking against him. And now, even her servant was standing up against her? Just what kind of mockery was this?


    She was the Princess of the Greyndor n. She had destroyed so many cities in the Northern Continent to feed her undead dragon that she couldn''t even count.


    Even people from her own n didn''t dare look at her properly. And here, a mere servant was speaking to her in such a manner?


    Leo simply shrugged his shoulders as if it had nothing to do with him.


    "You are right. I am enjoying it too much." Anya nced back at Eren, her gaze narrowing. "However, there is something that I am going to enjoy even more. Can you take a guess?"


    In the blink of an eye, she appeared in front of Eren. It was as if she had just used teleportation, but for Eren, her movements were much slower. He just didn''t reveal it on his face.


    "The Kiel Family has been destroyed by the Western Continent. At a time like this, you are trying to hurt the only remaining heir of the Kiel Family? How are you any different from the ones who destroyed the Kiel Family?" Eren asked, even as the girl looked straight at him as if she was trying to see through his soul.


    "Of course we are different. You know how we are different?" Anya asked, reaching out her hand.


    Her sharp nail gently brushed against Eren''s neck, leaving a light scratch that slowly turned red. Fortunately, it wasn''t too deep.


    "The difference is that, they didn''t bother cleaning the trash of the Kiel Family, because that trash was most probably so cowardly that it was hiding far away, onlying out when everything was over," she stated.


    In her eyes, Eren and Ruby only survived because they were far away from the battle. If they were not hiding away from the battle, it was impossible for them to be alive. They were nothing more than two cowards.


    "The trash didn''t dare to say anything against the Western Continent, knowing its insignificant ce. However, in front of us, even that trash gained a tongue. Does that mean the trash might be looking down on us?"


    She grabbed Eren''s neck, her grip tightening around his neck. She didn''t try to crush his neck, only giving him pain.


    She didn''t even wait for his answer before she simply tossed Eren into the sky.


    "Since you all look down on me, I will grant you one mercy. I will let you be one with my baby."


    Eren''s body was tossed straight into the sky like a lifeless toy. If it was any ordinary person, they might have died from the pressure of the throw itself.


    While Eren was high in the sky, he could easily control his body and regain his bnce even in the sky. However, that would''ve been too obvious. He was really curious to see if he might actually have to kill these two.


    As his body started falling, the Undead Dragon in the sky flew towards him, opening its rotten jaws wide.


    The Undead Dragon was treating him as food that was given to it by its master. Although it preferred the taste of young ones, it didn''t mean that it shouldn''t destroy others.


    With the Undead Dragon''s jaws extremely close to him, Eren felt like he had no choice. He might have to give up on the selected option and take a different path.


    It was problematic to face the envoy that wasing from the Northern Continent, but that was for theter.


    He opened his inventory, almost bringing out his sword.


    He reached out his hand towards his sword, only to feel a sudden rush of wind. A loud bang resounded and the next thing he knew was that the Undead Dragon was sent back flying.


    An invisible force caught on to him, preventing his fall. In front of him, the figure of a person appeared, which surprised even him.


    It was none other than Leo. His bet had paid off. It was clear that Leo and Anya weren''t friendly to each other. The more offended one was, the more friendly the other one was going to be.

 Chapter 425: Chapter 425: Gods or not?

    Eren had already noticed that Leo and Anya weren''t friendly with each other. Although they weren''t extremely hostile to each other openly, their internal equations had long be clear for Eren thanks to the options.


    If the options wanted him to use one of them to kill the other, it meant that there was a high possibility that they did want to kill each other in the first ce. They just needed a little push.


    Eren didn''t want to make them kill each other since that was only going to create moreplications for him. However, he could definitely use that enmity as a form of shield.


    It was also why he didn''t directly attack Anya, waiting for Leo to interfere. His n had almost failed when the Undead Dragon came for him, but in the end he had seeded. His bet had paid off.


    "Leo, what do you think you are doing?! Do you really think I am afraid of you?" Anya''s rageful aura rose straight to the sky.


    It was so powerful that even the people in faraway cities could feel it. Ruby coughed out a mouthful of blood, getting injured from her aura alone.


    On the contrary, Leo was still unaffected, protected by his own aura. Still, he didn''t protect Eren with his aura, wanting to see if Eren was actually talented enough to resist that aura to the point he gave him credit.


    He was pleasantly surprised when Eren didn''t even flinch in front of that aura. Unless he had an aura that was as strong as the Necromancer Tower Master, it meant only one thing.


    He had a physique that was made to cultivate the aura of death. It was a physique that appeared only once in a million years. The young man was truly a terrific find.


    Moreover, he had also been offended by Anya. Even if Anya knew about his physique, she couldn''t recruit him. It was more or less decided that the young man was going to be a part of his faction.


    With his help, it was only a matter of time before his faction rose and became the strongest in the Necromancer Tower. In the future, it was also possible for his master to be the next Necromancer Tower.


    "I should be the one asking that question;" Leo said, not hiding his killing intent. "What do you think you are doing?"


    "It was our failure that we failed to save the Kiel Family from the enemies while we were in this territory. Right under our noses, so many important people of our Northern Continent had died!"


    "Instead of epting part of the me, you are letting out your frustrations on weak people who can''t resist? If you are really that strong, why don''t youe and let me see that strength that you are so proud of?"


    Leo sent Eren back on the ground safely, keeping the focus of Anya on him. Now that he had decided on taking Eren with him, he had to be a little pretentious.


    For Eren, he was going to be the hero that was standing up against the evils of this world, just to protect the person who was right.


    He wanted to make Eren be grateful to him for saving his life so that he couldn''t resist the offer. Even if there was an extremely low chance of someone resisting the invitation from the Necromancer Tower, he didn''t want to take the risk if possible.


    "You think I don''t dare?!" Anya couldn''t take it anymore. Her aura of death red as she flew in the sky.


    The entire Kiel family territory was covered in the aura of death, explosions resounding all around the territory.


    Looking at their battles, Eren could see that they were much stronger than the Family Heads.


    Was this the difference between an official Necromancer Tower member, even if it was a disciple,pared to the Family Heads that were supposed to lead the outer world? He wondered.


    He walked over to Ruby, who was lying on the ground. He brought a healing pill and ced it in the girl''s mouth, letting it heal her, albeit slowly.


    There was an Alchemy Tower in all four continents. The Alchemy Tower was also a neutral force that didn''t interfere within the matters of the four continents. That''s why the four great forces didn''t offend the Alchemy Tower either.


    As long as one had enough wealth and resources, they could buy all kinds of pills from the Alchemy Tower.


    A healing pill wasn''t exclusive to the Eastern Continent so he didn''t have to worry about its origins being tracked. The Kiel Family, despite being the weakest of the twenty families, wasn''t poor after all.


    "Are you feeling better?" Eren helped Ruby sit with her back resting against a rock. He could see that herplexion was recovering.


    "Is this the difference between mortals and gods?" Ruby nkly looked at the sky at the battle.


    She couldn''t even see the figures of the two youngsters, only hearing the sound of explosions that was giving her a rough estimation of the moving battle.


    "Gods? Maybe to the eyes of the mortals, they might look like gods," Eren answered, shaking his head lightly.


    He had never met a true good, but if there was one existence that could be considered close to a god, it was the author.


    However, even that person was restricted by thews of this universe and then question voucher. Then was the creator of the question voucher a god? Just how strong as a god? He couldn''t understand.


    He wasn''t extremely religious on earth, so it was hard to believe in the concept of a god. Still, he couldn''t deny his own eyes. In this world, there were people that were extremely strong. Even he was amongst them. It truly didn''t seem impossible for there to be a god.


    "That is correct. To the eyes of mortals, those children might look like gods." A voice came in agreement with Eren''s statement.


    Instead of being happy that someone was agreeing with him, Eren''s expressions darkened. For the first time in a while, he felt a sense of extreme danger.


    It was as if he was going to die if he tried moving or looking back at the person who had spoken. The aura of death had also grown extremely dense.

 Chapter 426: Chapter 426: Foolish

    Every single instinct within Eren''s body was warning him of danger. It was as if his instincts were screaming at him to take things seriously.


    If the person wanted to kill him, then he could only survive by giving it his all. If he wanted to hide his abilities, then he could only die before he could even react.


    It was a feeling that he didn''t have even when he faced the Lich in the Spirit Realm. The person who had arrived was at least one rank higher than the Lich, maybe even the best Tower Master himself.


    He had expected the Necromancer Tower to send someone on the level of the hall master at best, especially since they were supposed to be busy in the preparation of Hell''s opening.


    To his surprise, someone on the level of a Guardian had arrived. Was it because the disciples of two Guardians were here? He wasn''t sure.


    Fortunately, it didn''t appear as if the woman was nning to attack him. She didn''t even release her aura or Ruby truly might have died this time.


    For Ruby, it was as if a normal woman had appeared behind her that was no different than a mortal. If it wasn''t for Eren''s sharp instincts, he might not have noticed her strength either.


    For now, Eren even felt slightly relieved that he hadn''t tried to kill Anya and Leo. If he had done that, then he couldn''t leave before the arrival of this monster.


    ''She is suppressing her aura. Just what is she nning? Is it simply because she doesn''t want people to die under her suppression?'' Eren wondered in silence.


    The woman was different from Anya. If she released her aura, not just Ruby but every survivor in the city might die. This was a true disaster level being of the Necromancer Continent.


    If an expert wanted to hide their aura, only those who were on a simr level or higher than them could notice it.


    He understood that he couldn''t let her know that he was able to notice her strength, or it might be impossible to exin how he could sense something that even Ruby couldn''t.


    "Who are you?" He calmly looked back, without a single surprise in his expressions. He pretended to not notice anything strange about the woman until he turned.


    He wanted to reveal his surprise only after seeing the woman''s attire of the Necromancer Tower. However, to his surprise, she wasn''t wearing any attire that could be linked back to the Necromancer Tower.


    Her clothes weren''t lifeless like those worn by the members of the Necromancer Tower. Instead, her clothes were so colorful that they appeared a little childish.


    Her appearance was quite different from the presence that he had sensed.


    The woman was wearing a blue skirt that barely covered her thighs. Her sleeveless top had a singer shade with a rainbow taint at various locations. The top covered up to her neck, not even revealing her shoulders.


    Looking at her appearance, Eren wasn''t able to guess her exact identity. The information about the Necromancer Tower was extremely limited. Even the genders of the two Guardians weren''t known.


    "I have been working for the Kiel Family for quite some time. I don''t remember seeing you before. Who are you? What is your purpose in approaching thedy of the house at a time like this?"


    As her attire didn''t give away her identity, Eren didn''t have any choice but to change his n. If she didn''t want to be recognised as a member of the Necromancer Tower, then he could only y along while hoping that he didn''t seriously offend her.


    He picked up a nearby sword quickly, like a servant that didn''t have any experience in holding a sword before.


    From his movements, it became extremely clear that he wasn''t a warrior. He was just a servant who was extremely loyal to thedy of the house.


    The woman tilted her head, observing Eren silently.


    She didn''t do anything but look at him, but still Eren felt the urge to actually call out a treasured Sword and attack the woman. The sense of danger was just this strong, especially since she was so close to him.


    He was already prepared to use his eleration if she tried something.


    Ruby also stood up, looking at the woman suspiciously. She hid behind Eren, showing how much she trusted him. Her actions left no doubt in anyone''s mind that she was


    "With your foolishness, it''s a surprise that you managed to survive so long," the woman said as the corner of her lips crept up.


    She slowly raised her hand. Her movements were so slow that even the most ordinary person could see it clearly, but at the same time they were so fast that it was impossible to catch up to her movements.


    The woman lightly ced her finger on the tip of Eren''s sword. Although the sword wasn''t a high grade sword like the swords Eren received from the Demon Sect, it was still a decent sword made from a mid rank material.


    Despite all that, the sword started disintegrating, slowly turning into dust from the point that was touched by the woman. The decay kept spreading towards the hilt as if it was a poison that was slowly spreading throughout the body of the sword, destroying it.


    Before the decay could reach the hilt, Eren tossed the sword aside. Before the sword could even fall on the ground, it decayedpletely and disappeared into the nothingness.


    Eren had finally gotten a glimpse into the abilities of the woman. He finally understood why he felt a greater sense of danger from her than he felt from the Great Lich of the Necromancer Tower.


    She didn''t even need to wound someone. She just had to touch them and she could destroy their body. Unless someone sliced their poisoned limb off, it was impossible to survive.


    He wanted to test if the Holy Aura could resist that poison but in front of the woman, he couldn''t disy any abilities. He could only watch the sword disappear.


    "To think that so many half decent warriors died, yet those who raise their swords without knowing their own abilities survived." The woman shook her head lightly, reaching out her hand towards Eren''s cheeks.

 Chapter 427: Chapter 427: Job of a Leader

    Eren instinctively stepped back, avoiding the touch of the woman. Even if it was for an act, he couldn''t allow her to touch him.


    He had already taken a lot of risks to keep up this act. Anything more than this was dangerous. If she touched his face, then he couldn''t even chop it off to protect himself.


    The woman stopped trying to touch Eren''s face, as if she was only trying to teach this foolish young man a lesson.


    "That is better. Weak people need to have this fear. Only then can they live longer."


    She walked past Eren, who intentionally didn''t react fast enough to her movements. He slowly turned around, noticing the woman standing in the distance, looking at the sky where the two youngsters were fighting.


    "From one fool, on to the other." She shook her head, sounding a little more frustrated this time.


    It was said that the Holy Church had attacked the Kiel Family. Even in a situation like this, two idiots were busy fighting amongst themselves?


    She raised her hand. Her movements were very graceful, in stark contrast to her attire.


    "I have been honing this skill for over a year. I hope you will not me me if you die..." Leo raised his sword high, a powerful and frightening aura of death ring up from his sword.


    The aura was like a dark me that rose high in the sky, creating a shadow of an illustrious sword in the sky.


    "You might have to be reborn twenty times before you can kill me." Anya stood in the sky, ten kilometers away from Leo. She also made a gesture, summoning her own weapon.


    The shadow of a two headed snake appeared above her, being just as big as the shadow of the sword.


    The two of them had been in a subtle enmity with each other for a long time. It had finallye to a point like this where none of them was willing to go easy on the other.


    Defeat was not an option for them as the result of this battle could very well decide the next top ranking family of the Northern Continent.


    Even when Eren was far away from them, he could still feel the power hidden behind the two attacks. Unfortunately, he felt that there was quite a big w in those attacks.


    Both of them were consuming their life span to increase the strength behind their attacks. Although the attacks could be stronger by burning their life force, in the end, it was only going to hurt them.


    "What?"


    Anya and Leo were about to attack when they felt a strange sense of dread rising within their heart. The shadows above their heads were destroyed by an unknown force before they could evenplete it.


    The two of them looked at each other in disbelief. Before they could even process it, they felt the unknown force grab their ankles.


    With great force, they were pulled back to the group. They couldn''t even control their bodies, as if they were just toys in front of this force.


    The earth trembled twice as two bodies fell on the ground, one after another. Tworge craters were created with their fall, not far from each other.


    The fall was enough to shatter the bones of even powerful warriors, but the two youngsters cast a protective magic around their bodies at thest moment.


    Even with the protective barrier, they felt pain as if a few of their bones were cracked due to the fall.


    At first, they had thought that this was the work of hidden enemies, but the remnant of that power didn''t feel like it belonged to the other Continents.


    "The envoy is here." Lying in the middle of the crater, Leo rubbed his forehead. "Out of everyone, it just had to be her."


    "Oh? Do you have a problem with my arrival?" Leo heard a woman''s voice who was standing behind him, looking down on him.


    Hearing her words, Leo felt a chill run down his spine. He had just finishedining in a voice that was barely audible. Despite that, it appeared as if the voice reached the woman.


    "Why would I have a problem with your arrival?" Leo forced his body up. "It''s just that I thought that you would have more important things to do, like my master."


    Anya also climbed out of the nearby crater, growing surprised to catch the glimpse of the woman.


    She jumped inside Leo''s crater, respectfully greeting the woman. "Master, you are here!"


    ''So it''s the left guardian. No wonder she is strong.'' Eren didn''t approach the crater, only listening to the conversation through his heightened conversation.


    Although Leo wasn''t outright disrespectful to the Left Guardian, his words were very sharp. He didn''t forget to imply that his master was more important than her to the Necromancer Tower.


    "You are right. I don''t have anything to do, since I have people like your master to take care of things for me," the Left Guardian said, not hiding the smirk on her lips. "That is what a leader does. They give work to those below them. Don''t you agree?"


    "Hmph." Leo didn''t respond to the woman. He could disrespect her in thousands of ways for disrespecting his master, but he understood that she might actually kill him if he went too far.


    Even though she was smiling while talking to him, there was no guarantee that she wasn''t going to kill him the next second if he didn''t stop.


    He jumped out of the crater, leaving the two girls behind, his expressions being slightly twisted. Anya had an upper hand now, as her master was here. Things had truly be much worse for him.


    Anya followed her master out of the crater, telling her everything about the incident. She only hid a few things about her conduct, especially regarding her killing the Leader of the Kiel Family Guards.


    She also escorted her master to the corpse of the Cardinal, which was the only evidence left behind.


    "This is... Treniel?"


    Just a single nce at the corpse and the girl was able to guess the exact identity of the Cardinal, which even surprised Eren.

 Chapter 428: Chapter 428: A third party

    Eren was quite surprised that the woman had managed to recognize Treniel, even when his face was almostpletely destroyed. She didn''t even need to verify his Holy Insignia to confirm that he was from the Holy Church.


    At this point, Eren felt like it was truly a waste to leave the Holy Insignia on this man''s body. If he was going to be recognized in any case, then he could have saved the insignia and used it in the future for himself. Unfortunately, it was toote for that now.


    ''Then again, she recognized him, but the two youngsters are different. They needed to be spoon-fed this information,'' Eren tried to convince himself to lower the amount of regret he was feeling at this point.


    "How strange. With the kind of personality he had, he never would''vee here for something like this."


    Distracted by Insignia, Eren had forgotten something really important. Treniel wasn''t just any ordinary Cardinal in the Holy Church.


    Even if he wasn''t the strongest Cardinal, he was known for being extremely close to the Holy Priestess. For a suicide mission like this, it didn''t make sense for the Holy Priestess to send him alone.


    Even if she looked down on the ordinary forces of the Northern Continent, it was still too much of a risk for her to send Treniel.


    Another problem was rted to Treniel''s personality. He was extremely cunning. Even if he wanted to kill the leaders of the Major Families, he never would''ve faced them at the same time.


    He was the kind of person who was known to scheme a lot, trying to find the most efficient method to kill people if there were too many of them.


    Why would someone like him face them alone at the same time? For the Left Guardian, this didn''t seem like his work. Instead, it was as if there was someone else, who had perfectly created this beautiful scenery to create a false image.


    She went down on her knees, touching the neck of Treniel, his head lying nearby. The mark on his neck made it seem as if he was pulled in a single strike.


    "If he was fighting, he would''ve used the Holy Aura to protect his vitals. None of the Family Heads are strong enough to slice through that holy aura in a single strike."


    He retracted her hand with her thoughts being impossible to read.


    She could see that something else was at y. Treniel hadn''t died in a brutal battle that the scene was depicting. Instead, he had died in a short and swift battle which didn''t even give him a chance to use his strength.


    "The time of death is also different. He died before the family heads?" The Left Guardian stood up,ing to a conclusion that stunned Anya and Leo.


    The left guardian had been a part of the Necromancer Tower for a long time. She had seen and studied death for most of her life, which allowed her to have a distinct perspective.


    It was this ability of the Necromancer Tower that Eren had overlooked. These people dealt with the dead all the time. How could they be fooled by something like this?


    "How could he die before the others? That doesn''t make sense." Leo wasn''t convinced with her words.


    If he was to believe her exnation, then the entire situation was too absurd. She was implying that there was someone strong enough to kill a Cardinal of the Holy Church.


    Not only that, but he was also able to kill all the Family Heads in a fight. The person achieved all that while making sure that no one actually saw him?


    "Moreover, the girl of Kiel Household has confirmed that she saw the Cardinal fighting. How can she be wrong about the person that killed her family?" he further asked. "Are you implying that she is lying?"


    "That is certainly a possibility." The Left Guardian nced at Ruby, who was so far that she couldn''t hear their conversation.


    Eren was next to her, hearing everything. Still, he acted as if he didn''t hear anything.


    "Either that, or the person has an ability to shapeshift. That would exin why people saw Treniel here," the Left Guardian gave another possibility.


    She had seen many crazy things in this world. What wasn''t impossible? In this world, only imagination was the limit. There were so many things that she herself didn''t understand, so she could only believe.


    Hearing her assumptions, Eren was absolutely shocked. In reality, he hadn''t disguised as the Cardinal when he was fighting the Family Heads, because everyone who was nearby was already dead.


    No one actually saw him fight. Even Ruby was too far to see him clearly.


    The Left Guardian had tossed out two entirely assumptions, but to Eren''s surprise, both were urate. Ruby was lying. At the same time, he also had an ability to shapeshift, which was his secret.


    "The ability to shapeshift and someone strong enough to kill a Cardinal? Could it be a Hero?" Anya asked, taking a rough guess.


    The Holy Church wouldn''t scheme against their own Cardinal like this. The Necromancer Tower also wasn''t responsible as all higher ups of the Necromancer Tower were within the Tower itself.


    That left only two sides. The first side was the Demon Sect and the other was the Mythical Hero Academy.


    Amongst the two of them, it made sense for this to be the work of the Hero Academy. Firstly, the Heroes had abilities that could make this possible.


    The second reason to believe that it was the work of the Hero Academy, had something to do with the alignment of the Demon Sect.


    It was said that the Demon Sect was working with the Holy Church. In this case, the one who benefited the most was the Hero Academy.


    If the Necromancer Tower attacked the Holy Church, the Demon Sect was going to get involved in the battle as well.


    In the battle of three continents, the Hero Academy could y the kingmaker. They could either side with the Necromancer Tower in exchange for something. Or they could just sit back and watch the three continents weaken themselves.

 Chapter 429: Chapter 429: To the Tower

    If the Necromancer Tower won, the Hero Academy was going to get rid of their enemies, the Demon Sect, without even having to move a single finger.


    If the Necromancer Tower was destroyed, it was still going to leave the other two forces extremely weak. At that point, the Hero Continent could destroy them, conquering the four continents.


    The Hero Academy had the motives, as well as the ability to achieve something like this.


    ''Finally you are doing something useful.''


    Even though Anya was not a good person, Eren stillplimented her in his mind. She was muddling the waters, which tossed the me at the Hero Academy.


    If the Necromancer Tower war could drag even the Hero Academy into this mess, then it was even better. Even though he didn''t need any blood of the Southern Overlord, it was still good to have the Southern Continent weakened.


    "It is quite possible. That might also exin how they managed to survive." Leo also couldn''t reject the possibility, looking back at Ruby and Eren. "After disguising himself, the person from the Hero Continent wanted to leave behind a witness that could confirm that the Cardinal did it."


    It meant that Ruby wasn''t lying. She actually saw the Cardinal. The only difference was that the cardinal wasn''t real but a mere illusion.


    "Unfortunately, there is one problem." Anya chimed in. "If it truly is the work of the Hero Academy, then we are effectively fighting a war on three fronts. Can we really face the onught of the Hero Academy at an important time like this?"


    For now, the only thing that made sense was to not fall for the trap. Even though the Major Families might ask for revenge against the other forces over the death of their leaders, they couldn''t fall for it.


    "We need to control the Major Families and then ignore this provocation," Leo suggested.


    Anya simply scoffed at his answer. "Isn''t that cowardly?"


    "We don''t even know for sure if it was actually the work of the Hero Academy or not. At this point, it''s still just a possibility, no matter how likely." Leo stated, still being a little skeptical.


    "We need to focus on the most important task at hand, which is the involvement of the Demon Sect. The Warship in our territory isn''t an illusion! You saw it as well!"


    Unlike Anya who was more short tempered, he was thinking about the future. Hell was about to open. They had to take care of immediate threats to their main goal.


    As for taking care of the Hero Academy, it could happen after Hell''s opening.


    "Master, what do you think?" Anya asked the Left Guardian.


    Before the left guardian could answer, Leo also intervened. "Even the Left Guardian can''t decide alone on the matter of such grave importance."


    "If not my master, then who can decide? Your master, who is nothing but a guard dog of the door?" Anya fiercely retorted as her master was being looked down on.


    "You!" Leo clenched his fist. If Anya''s master wasn''t here, he would''ve certainly pped that girl right here.


    He took a deep breath and continued in a venomous tone, "Only the Tower Master can decide! Or are you implying that your master is bigger than the Tower Lord? Is that your devotion towards the Necromancer Tower?!"


    "I-i never said that! Stop making things up!" Anya was absolutely flustered.


    In the Necromancer Tower, the Tower Master was considered the absolute authority. He was no different than a god in the Necromancer Tower. Even her master couldn''t disrespect the Tower Lord.


    Even though outsiders said that the two Guardians were only slightly weaker than the Tower Lord, the people of the Necromancer Tower knew better.


    The difference between the two Guardians and the Tower Lord was the same as the difference between heaven and earth. If the Tower Lord was offended by her words, then even her master couldn''t save her.


    Seeing that Anya and Leo had already started spitting venom towards each other, Eren was simply enjoying the spectacle.


    He had roughly understood the inner working of the Necromancer Tower. It was definitely something that he could use for his own benefit.


    "That is enough!" The Left Guardian spoke, putting their back and forth to an end.


    She raised her hand. The bodies littered around the surroundings were sucked by an unknown force, entering her spatial treasure.


    The entire battlefield, which was filled with corpses, was cleaned up in an instant.


    "It is true that only the Tower Master can decide. It is also true that the involvement of the Hero Academy is only a possibility for now. We would need to confirm the possibility before deciding on anything," she told the two youngsters.


    "How will we confirm?" Anya asked. "Is there a way?"


    "Did you forget who we are?" The Left Guardian asked Anya. "If we want to confirm who killed them, then we just have to ask. It is the easiest solution."


    She looked in the direction of Ruby and Eren, as if intentionally making them hear her words.


    "There is someone who can bring them back to life as undead. Although they will be undead ves, they can still keep their memories and answer. It''s only a matter of time before we know who actually killed them."


    Eren''s face showed no reaction even as he heard her words. Still, his hands behind his back had tightened into a fist.


    The Necromancer Tower was being unnecessarily thorough even though all the evidence had been arranged for them. And now, they were nning to turn these corpses into an undead to question them?


    "We are going back," Left Guardian said while her gaze remained unmoving from Eren, a glint of interest appearing in her eyes for some unknown reason. "You two will being back with us."


    For the first time, Eren failed to control his emotions. He couldn''t stop a frown from momentarily appearing on his face which didn''t go unnoticed.

 Chapter 430: Chapter 430: As prisoners?

    Even though it was a very minute fluctuation in his expressions, the Left Guardian noticed it. She looked particrly interested in Eren, but she didn''t say anything to him.


    If the second possibility was true and the person was able to disguise, it meant the killer might be here. It could be Ruby, or Eren. It might have already killed one of them and taken their position.


    She could verify her assumption right here, but she didn''t want to give that person any chance to escape. It was better to be sure, than to risk it. Even if it was her, she didn''t know the extent of abilities the killer had.


    If he could assassinate Treniel who was more cautious, then he couldn''t be a fool. If it was indeed Eren or Ruby, then it was never toote to verify after reaching the Necromancer Tower.


    She raised her finger, her shadow growing bigger until it was covering the entire estate area. From her shadows, many Undeads started crawling out.


    More than half of them were humans, while the remaining were strange beasts that Eren hadn''t seen before.


    The Undeads didn''t attack anyone. Instead, they started clearing the rubble, moving it away. Even the weakest of the undead was able to pick heavy rubble like it was light as a feather, making them more efficient.


    Within ten minutes, the entire Kiel Family Estate was cleaned of any rubble, which revealed a broken portal formation that was destroyed in the carnage.


    If it wasn''t destroyed and someone was able to reach it on time, they could have asked for help from the Necromancer Tower. Unfortunately, Eren didn''t give them any opportunity.


    It was also this broken formation which prevented the Necromancer Tower from sending a representative directly to this ce.


    The Left Guardian walked closer to the formation. She conjured a shadow de in her left hand. With the de, she cut her finger just enough to make it bleed.


    The drop of her blood fell on the formation, slowly spreading out as it started mending the broken formation. Even the cracks and broken lines were getting repaired with her blood acting as the conduit.


    It was only a matter of time before the entire foundation was repaired, connecting to the Necromancer Tower. However, that alone wasn''t enough.


    A verification was needed from the Necromancer Tower before the portal could actually be activated again, so as to prevent any unauthorized attack on the Necromancer Tower.


    With the Left Guardian asking for the verification herself, it didn''t even take a few seconds before the authorisation was granted. There were only a rare few people who were above the Left Guardian in authority after all.


    Eren was starting to feel a rising headache when he saw the portal formation. It didn''t take him long to realize where the portal formation was going to take him.


    He was being taken to the Necromancer Tower with the corpses that were witnesses of him killing them. It was not just going to the enemy territory. It was much more than that.


    He knew that the best open right now was to escape. He couldn''t afford to enter the Necromancer Tower. However, he also understood that it might be the best opportunity he was ever going to have, especially with the Hell''s Opening being so close.


    It was also the option that he had selected. He needed to go to the Necromancer Tower. The only problem was the corpse that was going to be reanimated.


    "Was this what the author talked about? The event that will lead to my death?" Eren scratched the back of his head, hesitating about his next action.


    He wondered if he should try to escape right now. If he did that, he had a good chance of being able to get away, but there was just as good a chance that he might fail.


    ''I need toplete the option first.'' Eren thought, realizing the importance of the reward.


    He had a better understanding of his options now. Most of the time, what he needed was right within his grasp. In this case, he felt that it was the option that he had selected.


    He had to enter the Necromancer Tower as the official member of the Tower. If he failed in that, he might lose everything.


    "The connection ispleted. You two may enter first." The Left Guardian gestured for Ruby and Eren to enter.


    Ruby was very scared, being taken to the Necromancer Tower for the first time. Until now, she had only heard about that ce, which was a legend in the Necromancer Tower. For the first time, she was going to step foot inside the Necromancer Tower.


    "Are we being taken there as prisoners?" Eren asked the Left Guardian while holding Ruby''s hand to calm her. If she was scared now, it might spoil his entire n.


    If possible, he wanted to use his Dragon Tongue to calm her, but it was too risky in front of the Left Guardian. He could only rely on small things like holding her hands and letting her know that she was going to be fine as long as he was here.


    Ruby looked towards Eren, noticing the confidence on his face which also made her feel better. If he was confident, then could it be that he had a n? Although she was scared, she tried to control herself. Unfortunately, it was still too hard.


    "You are not going there as our prisoners, so don''t worry," Left Guardian said. Even if that was the case, she didn''t want to ept it. First, she had to bring them back to the Necromancer Tower, closing all routes of escape.


    "If I''m not wrong, the Necromancer Tower only brings two kind people back. The first are prisoners and the second are members. If we are not prisoners, then are you epting us as the official disciples of the Tower?" Eren asked, looking forward to the answer.


    If an ordinary member of the tower answered that question with a confirmation, it was useless. But if it came from the Left Guardian, then even if it was a lie, the words held a certain authority.

 Chapter 431: Chapter 431: In Enemy Territory

    "You are just a mere servant of the Kiel n who can''t even fight! What makes you think you have a chance to be a member of the Necromancer Tower? You might have to be reborn a thousand times before you''re worthy!" Anya scoffed at Eren, her expression filled with disgust.


    Even talented individuals were often rejected by the Necromancer Tower. Only the absolute best could join its ranks. And here was this insignificant young man daring to dream of bing one of them?


    "What you said is true. But if we are to take you to the Tower, we might as well try to have you epted as a member," Leo said, different from the scornful Anya. He wanted Eren to be a Disciple of the Tower.


    As long as Eren made it to the Tower, he could look for his master and ask him to take Eren as a disciple. The more others looked down on him, the better it was for him. It meant they were less likely to try and steal him away.


    "Very well, we shall present him as a member of the Tower," the Left Guardian agreed. Whatever helped these twoe to the Tower without resistance, was for the better.


    If they were behind these deaths, then they could always be killed mercilessly. She herself was going to make their lives a living hell.


    Even if they were innocent, they could always be turned into something useful. The Necromancer Tower always had a need for servants to tend to the undead beasts.


    "I have decided to select you two as the Official Members of the Necromancer Tower. Hence, you will follow us back so your training can begin," Left Guardian told Eren, not realizing that she hadpleted an important condition for Eren.


    As long as he stepped foot inside the Necromancer Tower, he was going toplete two of his goals. Not only was he going toplete the option, but he was also going to be close to the Door of Hell, which was an important condition for activating Hell''s Pass.


    At the same time, it all depended on him. If he couldn''t even survive, then all of it was useless. He was going to the territory of the Necromancer Tower. Or rather, he was walking towards his potential death with barely any preparation.


    He knew that if he rejected the Left Guardian even now, she was most probably going to attack him. Holding Ruby''s hands, he walked towards the portal formation.


    In his mind, he kept listening to Yelen''s frantic voice. She kept telling him to not go to the Necromancer Tower as she wasn''t going to be able to help him there.


    The Necromancer Tower was the graveyard for the Spirits. She couldn''t even be summoned there, let alone help him with portals. As long as he entered the Necromancer Tower, he was on his own.


    Eren had already been to the Demon Sect, the Hero Academy and the Holy Church. However, this time was his most risky endeavor.


    ''I know that it is dangerous. One wrong step and I might actually die. However, if I don''t take this step, I might never get this opportunity. I might regret it forever if I fail now.'' Eren answered Yelen in his mind as he stopped just before the portal formation.


    He took a deep breath before stepping on the portal with Anya. A mysterious spatial force surrounded his body, pulling him through space.


    It was an experience simr to what he went through when he used Yelen''s portals. The only difference was that it was even more chaotic, albeit shorter.


    Just as he felt like he was being pulled in all directions, he reached the other side of the formation. His body was tossed out of the formation.


    He barely stood with the support of a wall, his facepletely pale. He felt like he was going to vomit.


    Ruby was even more inexperienced than him. Even though she didn''t have a portal specific sickness, she didn''t feel good as this was her first experience.


    Soon after, the Left Guardian also returned with Anya and Leo. She looked at Eren, who was vomiting in the corner of the room. Her gaze narrowed in response.


    Was this truly a high ranking member of the Hero Academy? The Hero Academy also used simr portals as far as she remembered.


    In that case, why did Eren look like it was his first time going through such an experience? He looked even worse than Ruby.


    It made her have second thoughts about her assumption. Was Eren really from the Hero Academy? Let alone Hero Academy, even the high elders of the Demon Sect were good at spatial travel.


    The Elders of the Demon Sect didn''t even need the help of the portals as they could simply rip the space apart to travel.


    Either Eren was a really good actor or he actually wasn''t from the two forces. At least that''s what his sickness was signaling.


    "How pathetic." Anyamented, looking at the condition of Eren. "So much for talking so big about bing a disciple."


    The Left Guardian gave Eren a few minutes to recover but it didn''t look like he was going to recover anytime soon. He had stopped vomiting, but there were still a few traces of blood that wereing out of his nose.


    She couldn''t waste any more time on him. She told the others to follow her as she stepped out of the portal room.


    Eren, still with a slightly blurry vision, was cursing her in his mind. More than her, he was cursing this spatial travel. He couldn''t understand why the entire world used it. Couldn''t they just bring him through normal means?


    He could barely even see the Left Guardian. Still, he followed her with asionally stumbling feet. It was only when Ruby came to support him that things became a little easier for him.


    He was brought through the corridors that were filled with the aura of death, his destination being unclear.


    If anything, he appeared slightly distracted looking at his inventory, a new item appearing there. It was the reward of his optionpletion.

 Chapter 432: Chapter 432: Hall of Life and Death

    A new item had appeared in Eren''s inventory that only he could see. At the initial impressions, the item appeared no different than a wooden mask which wasn''t even something that could properly be worn.


    It was too small to be of any use, merely being a few inches long. It was more like something that could be used to make an essory for a pendant than a proper mask.


    With the Left Guardian nearby, Eren couldn''t bring the mask out of his inventory to check its uses. For the time being, he silently followed the Left Guardian with the support of Ruby.


    Soon, the left guardian stopped in front of arge metallic door. She opened the door and told Eren to enter.


    "What is this ce?" Eren asked, frowning.


    "You ask too many questions..." The Left Guardian simply waved her hand, using the controlling force to pull Eren''s body.


    Eren''s body flew straight inside the room, Ruby following closely behind. The moment both of them were inside the dark room, the metallic door closed.


    From outside, the left guardian''s voice came, "For now, you will be staying here. After we confirm what happened in the Kiel Family Estate, we will think about how to deal with you."


    The left guardian turned around, not offering any further exnation.


    From inside the room, Eren heard the sound of footsteps getting distant. They were truly left behind in this room, which was truly no different than a prison cell.


    The walls were made from anti magic material. Even a powerful mage couldn''t break these walls, let alone people from other Continents.


    The metallic door was even worse. Eren simply touched the door and he felt as if his strength was being sucked by the door.


    If he was to attack the door, he was sure that the door wasn''t going to break. If anything, the door was going to steal his energy, maybe even use it against him.


    He confirmed his theory with the use of Identification Skill on the door, only to realize that everything was just as he expected.


    "Just as I thought, this was a trap." Eren walked back and sat down, his head still a little dizzy from the use of the portal formation.


    Fortunately, with time, he was bing more clear headed.


    "She is going to bring them back to life and thene to kill us. What a ruthless woman," he said.


    Ruby was shocked at Eren''s words. Did it mean that they were already discovered?


    "If you knew that this was a trap, why did you agree toe here?" she asked, looking back at Eren.


    The moment she saw Eren''s face, she grew even more stunned. Even though the young man was talking about such a scary thing that could lead to their death, he didn''t look scared.


    He was calm. In fact, he was a little too calm. She didn''t understand how he could be so calm in a situation like this, as if everything was still going as per his wishes.


    She saw Eren waving her fingers in the air, appearing to be touching some invisible object. Before long, she saw a tiny wooden mask appear in his hand out of thin air.


    The mask didn''t feel anything extraordinary. It only looked like a charm that a kid had made from one of the most ordinary trees in the neighborhood.


    She could even break the wooden mask without using any special abilities.


    "What is that?" she asked Eren, curious about the object.


    Although the small mask looked too ordinary, she was sure that wasn''t the case. Eren was the Great Elder of the Demon Sect. How could he have ordinary things?


    "It''s something really fun." Eren''s lips crept up to form a smile as he looked at the description of the small wooden mark.


    He wondered if this was the effect of his Destiny Physique. This item was truly useful for him.


    "Before anything else, there is one more thing for me to finish." He kept the wooden mask back in his inventory.


    Standing up, he walked closer to Ruby and ced a finger on her forehead.


    Under his breath, he chanted a few words to use the Dragon Tongue Language, apanied by the ability of the Hero Academy Professor that he had stolen in the Hero Continent.


    With the hero''s ability, he started manipting her memories. With the girl being so weak, he didn''t have any problem when it came to the mental maniption.


    With the Dragon Tongue, he reinforced the effects of his abilities, creating new memories for the girl to believe in.


    Now that he was in the Necromancer Tower, anything was possible. His biggest weakness here was Ruby, who knew his real identity.


    Previously, she barely controlled her fear and wasn''t interrogated by the left guardian. It was quite possible that next time it might not be so easy for her.


    He made sure that Ruby believed the story that they had told the Necromancer Tower.


    He even erased memories rted to Fey, manipting them to make her believe that it was actually an ordinary meeting in her family which was attacked by someone who looked like the Cardinal.


    "That should be enough." Afterpleting the maniption, he walked back to his ce and sat down.


    He had taken care of the most basic things. Now only the important pieces of this puzzle were left.


    ....


    "The left guardian ising here?"


    "What? What did we do? Why is that monstering here? Did you offend her somehow?"


    "What do you mean? It must be you who offended her! Remember the time she brought back an adult Mythical Beast Corpse after hunting it? She must have found out that you failed to reanimate the corpse of the beast!"


    "How could she find out so soon? Argh, I am dead if it is true! I need to hide!"


    Inside a hall, there was absolute panic as the news amidst the members of Hall of Life and Death.

 Chapter 433: Chapter 433: Special Guest

    The Hall of Life and Death was a distinct hall in the Necromancer Tower.


    Although the members of Hall of Life and Death weren''t strong, they still had a very unique Identity. The members were mainly responsible for bringing the dead back to life.


    The other powerful members of the Necromancer Tower could also create Undeads, but only the Hall of Life and Death members were capable of bringing the dead back to life while helping them keep their battle and life experience.


    Excluding the Tower Master himself, only the Hall of Life and Death was capable of such a thing like that. That''s why, even though the powerful members of the Necromancer Tower could create Undeads, they often left it to the Hall of Life and Death.


    Most recently, the hall had been assigned the task of bringing back a powerful mythical beast that had refused to submit to the Left Guardian.


    The Left Guardian simply killed the beast, bringing its corpse back to the Necromancer Tower for it to be turned into an undead.


    Although she didn''t need the strength of an undead with memories, she still asked the Hall of Life and Death to make sure that the mythical beast remembered everything.


    The beast had refused to submit to her. She wanted the arrogant mythical beast to remember everything, including its arrogance so he could suffer for an eternity as an undead ve.


    Unfortunately, even the Hall of Life and Death had failed to bring the mythical beast back to life, as its soul was resisting too much.


    Even with theirbined effort, they weren''t able to force it. Instead, the soul preferred to be destroyed, making the corpse of the beastpletely useless.


    With the soul being destroyed, the memories couldn''t be recovered. And unless anotherpatible soul was found to possess the body, the reanimated corpse was just a lifeless beast that could only follow the others of the master with its weak intelligence.


    They had failed just this morning. They still couldn''t believe that the news had already reached the Left Guardian.


    The person mainly responsible for the ceremony was the most scared, worried for his life. He knew that only two people should save him at this point, now that the Tower Master wasn''t here.


    The Right Guardian was guarding the door so he couldn''t approach him. Just approaching the Hell''s Door was enough of a reason for the Right Guardian to kill him at first sight.


    Only one person was left that could protect him, the one who was managing the Necromancer Tower in the absence of the Tower Master, also known as The Guide.


    The Leader of the Hall of Death quickly turned away and started rushing away, leaving the remaining members behind. Unfortunately, before he could even reach the secret exit, his legs froze.


    He could feel the aura of that woman behind him.


    He gulped heavily before turning around. His face had a smile but it looked like he could cry at any moment.


    "Hahah, the Left Guardian is here. What a great honor for us," he told the woman who was standing at the entrance of the hall, his back still drenched in cold sweat.


    "There is no need for these useless greetings. I don''t have time to waste here." The Left Guardian waved her hand, sending out a myriad of corpses.


    One after another, the corpses fell on the group, turning the clean floor of the hall red with blood.


    "Bring them back to life while keeping their memories intact. I need to ask them something. If you fail, then I will kill all of you right here." The woman said, her words not sounding like she was joking.


    "Y-you are here for them? Ha... Hahaha... Absolutely. We would definitely bring them back!"


    The Hall Members were at a loss of words. They thought that the woman already found out about the fact that they ruined the mythical beast corpse. Now that they found out the true realm for her arrival, they felt a lot relieved.


    They just had to bring these weak people back to life. It was extremely easy for them, especially since none of these corpses were of mythical creatures. As long as they couldplete this task, they could prove their usefulness.


    The hall members started carrying the bodies to the center of the hall. They only left out the headless bodies. As those bodies didn''t even have a head, even if they were brought back to life, they couldn''t speak.


    The Hall of Life and Death mainly focused on the corpses that were intact. As a reawakened undead, they could prove more useful for the left guardian.


    Once the bodies were shifted to the center of the formation, the Hall Members took their positions at various intersection points of the formation.


    All of them supplied their essence to the formation, activating it. With the activation, they started using their magics at the same time, with the lead being taken by the Hall Master himself.


    The woman stood in the back, observing the entire process.


    "Once they are back as Undeads, everything will be absolutely clear. Are you the real culprit, or is it someone else?"


    "I heard you went out?" While the left guardian was focused on the ceremony, she heard a voice from behind him.


    Even she had failed to notice the presence of the person who appeared behind her like a ghost.


    Only when she noticed the person''s presence did she start feeling the temperature that had started rising suddenly.


    The Hall Master of Hall of Life and Death also noticed the presence of the person through the corner of his eyes. His face grew even paler.


    The two absolute peaks of the Necromancer Tower were standing here, watching them perform this ceremony.


    He grew even more nervous, knowing that he couldn''t make a mistake.


    Behind the left guardian, a man stood in silence, waiting for her response. His entire robe being made from dark mes that could destroy even mythical beasts with a slight touch.

 Chapter 434: Chapter 434: Implications

    "I did." The Left Guardian answered without even the slightest fluctuations in her expressions.


    "I don''t remember assigning this task to you, Kelia,," the dark robed man asked, his tone being strangely calm.


    "I don''t remember you being the Tower Master," the left guardian retorted with sarcasm.


    Following her words, there was absolute silence for quite some time.


    Following a long period of silence, the person known as the Guide in the Necromancer Tower sighed deeply.


    "First, that lich ignored my instructions and got himself killed. And now you''re doing the same? Are you also nning to get yourself killed?"


    "Unless the Tower Master wants me dead, I will not die. Even you can''t kill me, and you know that," Kelia stated, in the least friendly tone possible.


    The Guide gazed at Kelia. His face was still expressionless even as he heard her taunts.


    "Are you sure?" he asked the Left Guardian as multiple dark orbs materialized all around Kelia.


    The orbs were made from the very unique mes of death that was the speciality of the Guide. It could kill a person from just touch, being much worse than Kelia''s touch of decay.


    The Hall Members who saw the scene taking ce between the two high ranking members gulped down heavily, pretending to not see anything. They focused on the corpses, hoping that the two weren''t going to start fighting.


    All of them knew that if the two of them actually started fighting, it wasn''t going to stop until one of them was dead.


    With the Tower Master being absent, there was no one who could stop the two of them. No matter which one of them won, it was going to be the loss of the Necromancer Tower.


    Fortunately, the Guide didn''t attack Kelia. The dark spheres disappeared into thin air as if they had been nothing but a figment of imagination.


    "So, what did you find out?" he asked the woman.


    He had already noticed that the corpses belonged to the leaders of the Major Families. Only the leaders of the five strongest families were missing.


    At this point, it was more or less confirmed that the information was urate. Still, he wanted to hear from the person who had actually gone to the site.


    Although Kelia didn''t like the Guide much, she still told him everything that she managed to learn. She informed him about the possible involvement of other continental forces like the heroes.


    She also talked about the two youngsters that she had brought back due to her suspicions. Although each of her sentences was enough to shock those in the Necromancer Tower, the Guide silently heard, only asionally showing a response.


    "We will only find out more after they are back to life," Kelia finished her exnation. "Let''s see who is actually scheming against us and how much that knows about us."


    For the next ten minutes, the two didn''t speak to each other. They only looked at the members of the Hall of Life and Death. Their gazes made the hall members even more hesitant.


    They gave this ceremony their all, realizing the importance as even the Guide was interested in it. Although they didn''t know the reason for this urgency, they couldn''t make a mistake.


    After ten more minutes, the hall members finally stopped the ceremony, marking thepletion.


    ....


    "Do you think they will find out the real culprit?"


    Back in the prison cell, Ruby hade to her senses. She had forgotten everything rted to Eren''s real identity, believing him to be her personal servant only.


    Having forgotten the reality behind this incident, she was extremely curious about the person that killed her family. If anything, she was also praying that the Necromancer Tower was going to get important clues from the corpses.


    "Finding the real culprit through the corpses?"


    Eren didn''t answer her question. He simply remained on the floor, as if it was a veryfortable bed for him to take rest. There was no unrest in his mind, as if everything was already prepared.


    "I wonder how they will react..." He closed his eyes, a very minute smile appearing on his lips that was barely noticeable.


    ....


    The Hall of Life and Death hadpleted the ceremony. The Hall Members stayed behind while the Hall Master approached the Left Guardian and the Guide.


    There was no happiness on his face. Instead, his back was drenched in a cold sweat. He was cursing his luck for being the Hall Master at a time like this.


    "Why aren''t the corpses standing up?" Kelia waited for the corpses to stand up but they were lying in the center of the formation, just as lifeless as ever.


    "This... Ah..." The Hall Master started stuttering, unable to even begin the exnation. His legs were trembling , as if he simply wanted to step away from these two monsters.


    "Speak!" Kelia eximed, raising her hand. An unknown force appeared to grab the throat of the Hall Master, pulling him closer.


    The guide waved his hand. A dark me rushed out, destroying the invisible force to free the Hall Master.


    "Don''t forget that he is also a member of the Necromancer Tower. You should really behave," the Guide told Kelia, standing between her and the Hall Master.


    "Tell me, why did it fail?" he asked the Hall Master.


    He had seen many such ceremonies taking ce. It didn''t take long for him to realize that the ceremony was a failure. Just for that, he couldn''t let the Hall Master be killed.


    No matter what, the Hall Master was an important member of the Necromancer Tower, who was needed after Hell''s Opening even more.


    "I can''t bring them back to life." The Hall Master lowered his head apologetically.


    "For what reason?" The Guide asked.


    "It''s because there are no souls left inside the bodies..." The Hall Master answered, surprising even the Guide and Kelia.


    Amongst the four continents, only the Necromancer Tower dealt with souls. Even if the others killed a person, they couldn''t destroy the soul, unless it was an Overlord!


    "Do you know what you are implying?!" The Guide frowned.

 Chapter 435: Chapter 435: Soul Search

    The Hall Master swallowed hard. He nodded slowly, understanding the gravity of his words.


    "I do. It means that whoever did this has the ability to obliterate souls, something only achievable by those who have reached the status of an Overlord or possess simr power."


    Kelia''s frown deepened. It was clear that the culprit wasn''t from the Necromancer Tower since all those who could destroy souls within the Necromancer Tower hadn''t left at that time.


    "If an Overlord was involved, why would they target the leaders of the Major Families?" she asked. "And why leave the corpses intact here for us to find?"


    As per the treaty between the four Overlords, none of them could step foot on another continent. So how could you be the work of an overlord?


    "If it''s not the Overlords, then it is someone who is just as capable as them. In that case, it is even more dangerous. The Overlords are tied by the treaty, but this unknown person isn''t," the Hall Master answered.


    He further exined his concern, "The person can enter the other Continents freely, not caring about the treaty. If that person is truly just as capable as the Overlords, that can be quite dangerous."


    "That would definitely exin how Treniel was killed with such ease, but still..." Kelia truly hadn''t expected something like this.


    She thought that at best, it would be the work of some high ranking members of other continental forces, but it had be much moreplicated now. At this point, she wasn''t even sure if this was actually the work of a Hero or not.


    Kelia nced at the Hall Master, her expression softening slightly. "You did well to bring this to our attention. Continue your work, but enhance the security measures. We cannot afford any more surprises at a crucial time like this."


    The Hall Master nodded, relieved to be dismissed without further incident.


    As the Hall Master hurried away, the Guide turned back to Kelia. "Where are the two prisoners that you brought? I want to meet them."


    "They''re still being held in the cells. Do you want to question them?" Kelia replied, already anticipating the Guide''s next move.


    "You are allowed to use soul search on them. Even if it destroys them, I want to know everything that they know, without any lies!" he told Kelia, who was thinking the same thing.


    At first, she didn''t use soul search because she wasn''t sure if they were actually the culprits. Ruby was the only remaining heir of the Kiel Family after all.


    She had the corpses and thought she could get her answers that way, hence she didn''t take any extreme actions. Now that it hade to this, there was no other way. She didn''t feel any pity for them in any case.


    "I will go and deliver the message to the Tower Master," he further told Kelia before disappearing from her sight like a ghost.


    ....


    Meanwhile, in the dim confines of the cell, Eren remained calm.


    Hearing the sound of footsteps getting closer to his cell, he slowly opened his eyes.


    "Looks like the game has finally begun," he murmured to himself as he called out the small wooden mask, hiding it between his closed fist.


    The sound of footsteps drew closer until a figure stopped in front of the metallic door.


    The sound of locks turning echoed in the surroundings. Soon, the heavy metallic door was pushed open. The gems embedded in the prison cell lit up at the same time, brightening up the prison cell for the first time since Eren was pushed inside.


    Seeing the person in front of them, Ruby immediately stood up, appearing extremely respectful as well as a little scared.


    The person in front of her was the Left Guardian, someone that even her father would''ve bowed to. She was the sky that even the Heads of the leading Major Families couldn''t touch.


    Just having a family member be a disciple of the Left Guardian was enough for the Greyndor family to be proud of, despite the fact that they were called the strongest family.


    "Did you find the culprit who killed my father?" Ruby asked the Left Guardian, wondering if her appearance here meant that they had an answer.


    "Not yet, but if everything goes well, we will soon have more information," the Left Guardian said, her words carrying multiple hidden meanings.


    She first focused on Eren, who was standing not far from Ruby. As she was already going to soul search, she had made up her mind about starting from Eren.


    Between destroying the heir of the Kiel family and a servant, the priority was given to thetter. If she couldn''t get an answer from him, or anything suspicious was in his memories, she could then search Ruby for confirmation.


    She snapped her fingers, making multiple dark shacklese out of the ground.


    Multiple shackles wrapped themselves around Eren''s wrists and legs. The rest tied around his neck and the rest of his body, restricting his movements.


    "What are you doing?" Eren asked the Left Guardian, appearing flustered.


    "Are you already frightened?" The Left Guardian asked, slightly amused. "We haven''t even truly started yet."


    She stepped towards Eren, stopping merely half a meter away from him. At this proximity, Eren could even feel her scent that felt just as poisonous as her.


    "I will begin searching your servant''s soul. It mightpletely destroy him. Do you have any objections?" Even though she didn''t need anyone''s permission, she still asked Ruby for some unknown reason.


    "If it can help you find the killers of my father, then please do it!" Ruby eximed, not showing even the slightest pity for the person who had been her personal servant for years.


    If she was to choose between the left guardian and her servant, she found sacrificing her servant to be worth it.


    Eren looked in the direction of Ruby, his thoughts being impossible to read.


    "Then we shall begin. Let''s see what you are hiding." The Left Guardian smiled in response as she lightly touched Eren''s forehead.

 Chapter 436: Chapter 436: The Door of Consciousness

    The moment the Left Guardian''s fingertips made contact with Eren''s forehead, his pupils turned pitch ck. It was as if the world itself had been shrouded in darkness for him, and time seemed to slow down.


    As the Left Guardian initiated the soul search, a dark, ethereal mist began to seep into Eren''s head.


    This process was known to be extremely hard on the soul, capable of destroying a weak soul instantly if performed by an inexperienced person. Fortunately, the Left Guardian was more than capable.


    Eren''s mind was invaded, but he did not react. His fists remained tightly closed, hiding the wooden mask that had started to faintly glow.


    Eren''s body stiffened under the assault, but his expression remained unchanged. To the Left Guardian''s surprise, she encountered little resistance, able to enter Eren''s head with ease.


    Her consciousness appeared inside Eren''s mind, standing right outside the door to his consciousness. Beyond this door were the memories of the person.


    As she looked at the door, she grew quite surprised. The door was surprisinglyrge, possessing a very unique pattern that she had never seen before.


    She was someone from the Necromancer Tower, having a lot of experience when it came to dealing with souls. Despite that, she had never seen something like this before.


    Normally, the doors protecting a person''s consciousness were in, having no distinct patterns. That''s why the only way to judge the strength of the soul barrier was through the color of the barrier.


    "This is the first time I''ve seen a door like this... Just what is this?" She looked at the door with fascination.


    There were seven knownyers of soul barriers, ranked in terms of their strength: white, violet, orange, blue, green, yellow and red.


    An ordinary person''s soul door was red which was the weakest. Even the Mythical Beast that she had hunted, only had a Violet Soul Door. The strongest known soul door was pure white, said to belong to the four Overlords.


    Strangely enough, Eren''s soul door had no such color. It was unlike anything she had encountered before.


    Instead, the door was darker than the darkest of nights, being pitch ck. It has no color, even the light couldn''t shine on the door, being devoured by the dark exterior. It was impossible to see through the door.


    Even more strange was the pattern on the door, which looked like a clock that didn''t have any hands. Instead, there was an hourss carved in the middle of the clock, which was equally empty in both halves.


    There was a small crack in the hourss, as if someone had intentionally ruined the perfectly carved hourss.


    The Left Guardian felt slightly ufortable as she looked at the door.


    The more she looked at the carving in the middle of the door, the worse she felt. It was a strange feeling, that made her feel as if she was being watched by something unknown.


    Even though she was one of the strongest people in the Necromancer Tower, she didn''t feel like continuing with the soul search anymore. There were so many strange things about this soul door that even she felt slightly hesitant.


    "An ordinary person can''t have a soul door like this. In any case, there is no need to continue the search anymore."


    She had already confirmed that Eren was the person responsible for the death of the family heads.


    The person who could destroy the souls of those people couldn''t be ordinary. His soul door had confirmed that the man who pretended to be a servant was far from ordinary.


    She turned her back on the door and started leaving.


    Back in the real world, the wooden mask in Eren''s hand suddenly started shining even brightly, to the point that some of the light was shining through the gaps between his fingers.


    Fortunately, the light that leaked wasn''t bright enough to catch the attention of Ruby, who was more focused on the Left Guardian that stood like a statue in front of Eren.


    "Why can''t I leave?"


    Still inside Eren''s mind realm, the Left Guardian''s expressions darkened. As she tried to leave, she felt as if some unknown force was restricting her.


    At the moment, she couldn''t even feel any connection between her body and her consciousness that was trapped here.


    Her expressions distorted as she came to the realization that she might have fallen into a trap.


    If the person was actually strong, then why did he allow her to invade his mind? The answer was simple. It was because the person wanted it to happen.


    "Who are you?" She asked loudly, her words echoing in the endless space in Eren''s mind realm.


    "After entering someone''s home without their person, you are asking for their identity?" A voice came from behind Kelia.


    She swiftly turned around, finding Eren standing bare feet on the ground that looked like pure white sand.


    "Who are you?" Kelia asked coldly. "Do you believe that you can escape from the Necromancer Tower?"


    "Who said I was nning to escape?" Eren simply shrugged. "If I had to run, I wouldn''t havee here in the first ce. Isn''t that right?"


    As he talked, he stepped closer to Kelia, reaching out his hand just as she had tried to do when she first met him.


    Ironically, it was Kelia who took a step back, avoiding his touch.


    Eren didn''t mind Kelia''s actions. He simply walked past her and approached the door in the distance. It was the door that protected his consciousness. Or rather, it protected the secrets of Ren Necroline.


    "I really thought you would help me open this door. I didn''t expect you to be even more cowardly than I thought."


    He touched the door, only to be pushed back by an unknown force. His hand felt like it had been momentarily paralyzed by the current that coursed through his veins. It took him quite some time to be able to use that hand again.

 Chapter 437: Chapter 437: I brought it

    "Even though the door was a part of his consciousness, he found himself unable to open it. The restriction on the door was so strong that he could barely touch it.


    "We are both sealed here for now," he informed Kelia. "The only way to leave this ce is to open that door. However, as you can see, it is impossible for me to do so."


    Since he couldn''t open the door himself, he wanted to use Kelia''s help to get it done. She had a stronger consciousness and more experience when it came to such matters.


    As long as she opened the door, he could finally see through the memories of Ren Necroline.


    At that point, he was going to have no use left for her. He could justplete the use of the mask that he used to trap her in his mind realm.


    "How about I kill you instead?" Kelia asked in response. "If you are destroyed, this entire ce will copse. Can you still keep me trapped here?"


    She didn''t believe Eren''s words in the least. This was his mind realm. How was it possible that he couldn''t leave the ce? The more absurd was his im that opening the door could allow her to leave?


    She wasn''t a fool. She knew that opening the door was only going to lead her deeper into his consciousness, which might be more dangerous for her.


    The more she thought about it, the more she felt like it was another trap. The person just wanted her to touch that door. That''s why he only appeared after she gave up on trying to open the door.


    It was clear that he wanted her to open the door for some reason. Even if it wasn''t a trap, it couldn''t be anything good for her. Eren wasn''t her friend after all. He was an enemy from another continent, who could annihte souls.


    Instead of ying along, she decided it would be better to destroy Eren directly. With him gone, the door to his consciousness and this entire ce would disappear, freeing her.


    Since she was confident in her abilities, she was fairly certain she could overpower Eren in this mind realm. Even though it was Eren''s domain, she had lived longer and her soul was stronger.


    She had experienced things that Eren couldn''t even imagine, which was her biggest strength.


    She also had extensive experience fighting in the mind realms of others. In contrast, it was clearly Eren''s first time in such a realm which she realized from his reaction.


    The battle in the Mind Realm was an entirely different beast than an ignorant person could realize. The mind realms had rules of their own, where real world''s abilities couldn''t be used.


    "Consider this a learning experience from a senior," she said. Her figure disappeared and she reappeared before Eren like a spirit, moving through space and time.


    She ced a finger on Eren''s chest. As soon as her finger touched him, his body was sent back flying like a doll that couldn''t do anything to resist it.


    While Eren was still flying back, she appeared next to him, grabbing him by the throat to m him on the ground with great force.


    "Just because it is your mind''s realm, doesn''t mean you can do anything you want," she told Eren as she raised him in the air. "In this ce, all of a person''s real abilities be useless. Instead, you can only use the abilities that you took from other people whose inner realm you entered."


    She tossed Eren''s body aside. This time, she didn''t chase after him. Instead, another person appeared behind Eren, being a man whose face lookedpletely burned.


    The man also attacked Eren, who protected himself, only to be pushed back by a few steps.


    "How many mind realms do you think I have experienced? How many do you think I have destroyed? They are all part of me now. I can not only use their abilities but also create their avatars here."


    "If you were strong, you would have faced me in the real world. What a fool." The Left Guardian looked at the mist, her lips carrying a scoff.


    One after another, unknown people appeared in Eren''s mind realm. All of them were people whose mind realm was invaded by Kelia.


    Most of them had already been dead, but a trace of their essence had be a part of Kelia''s soul the moment she entered their realm in the first ce.


    This was also what made her experience more dangerous. Most strong people didn''t focus on this as they didn''t have their souls searched by others or did the same to others.


    Even if Eren was strong, there was no way he would have searched souls of as many powerful beings as she did. There was no way he could have entered the mind realm of any powerful person who could threaten her.


    "It''s a pity that such a unique mind realm is going to be destroyed." She looked at the door in the distance, still curious as to what was behind that door.


    Just what kind of person this young man was, for there to be something like this? Although he was going to die here, it wasn''t bad taking the essence from this realm. Maybe she could learn more about him.


    "I wonder if I will ever get the answer." She sighed, expecting the door and the entire realm to disappear once Eren was dead.


    She didn''t even need to bother with him as the avatars were enough. At least that''s what she thought until she heard Eren''s voice.


    "When the wise men are silent, fools start dancing," Eren said, moving away from the Avatars that were summoned by Kelia.


    He wasn''t ignorant to the rules of the mind realm.


    Even beforeing to the Necromancer Continent, he had already learned about the mind realm, thanks to a very unique dream.


    Even Yelen had confirmed to him that the dream could only be someone''s mind realm which was able to interact with Eren''s soul. That was also when she told him about the rules.


    "As you said, just entering someone''s mind realm is enough to take their essence. So do you want to guess whose essence I brought that gave me such confidence?" he asked Kelia who couldn''t help but frown, having a bad feeling.

 Chapter 438: Chapter 438: The Forgotten

    The Left Guardian didn''t know much about Eren or what kind of experience he had. She didn''t like the fact that he was so confident. His confidence made her frown, giving her a bad feeling.


    "In that case, let me end it!" she told Eren, not wanting to give him any chance. It was enough trying to torment him. With a single thought, she gestured for all the avatars to kill Eren.


    "Oh, but we are just starting. After all, I am also curious to see just what kind of person he actually was." Eren stepped back, remembering the person whose mind realm he had entered in the past without even realizing.


    He had thought that it was nothing more than a dream, only to learn that it was much more than a dream. The person, who was fighting against heaven... He was still alive somewhere, or his mind realm wouldn''t exist.


    The world in his dreams... Or rather, the ruined world was not a figment of his imagination but that person''s reality.


    The avatars summoned by Kelia attacked Eren, all of them using the best of their abilities. In that moment, even the mind realm of Eren trembled, as if the burden was too much for it.


    The sky lit up in bright beams that rose from the summons of Kelia.


    Eren stood his ground as the avatars charged toward him. He could feel their presence pressing down on him.


    Even as the first avatar lunged at him, he didn''t move. Instead, it was the avatar that was slowly split in two out of nowhere. Both halves fell at Eren''s feet, even surprising Kelia.


    Kelia had been observing from beginning to the end, but she didn''t see how the avatar died. One after another, the other avatars also started dying, their bodies being destroyed by an unknown force.


    With each avatar that died, she felt a terrifying pain rising within her soul. It was as if the essence that she had absorbed from other people was forcefully being ripped from her existence.


    She was the Left Guardian of the Necromancer Tower. She was one of the strongest after the four Overlords. Each of those avatars belonged to the people who died in her hands, being almost as strong as her.


    The owner of some of these avatars were so strong that she had to work with the Right Guardian to kill them. There were even those that needed the Tower Master to personally capture them.


    To her shock, all of them died in this ce at the same time, unable to even put up resistance.


    She held her chest, her face beingpletely pale. Even though this was just her consciousness, she was feeling everything as if it was real. Even her body was suffering from the same.


    Watching her real body grow pale, Ruby in the real world, was starting to panic. At this point, she wondered if something had gone wrong.


    If the Left Guardian was hurt, she was sure she couldn''t survive either. Although she didn''t understand why the Left Guardian looked like she was hurt, she knew that she had to protect her.


    She had to inform the others. Without a second thought, she rushed out of the prison to inform the other members of the Necromancer Tower about the strange condition of the Left Guardian. Only they could help her.


    Ruby was more worried about the safety of the left guardian than Eren, who didn''t look much better either. Many veins had be visible under Eren''s skin, as if his body was under a lot of stress for some reason.


    Meanwhile, the Left Guardian in the mind realm waspletely unaware about the worries of Ruby when it came to her safety.


    "How did you do it?!"  Kelia asked Eren, her expressions twisted in disbelief.


    "Didn''t you say it yourself? In my mind realm, I can''t do anything. If you want to give credit, why don''t you give it to the person behind you?" Eren pointed in the distance behind Kelia.


    Kelia slowly turned around, trying to see just what kind of monster Eren was able to bring out. The moment she looked back, her face grew even paler.


    This time, she wasn''t pale because of pain. Instead, she was in absolute horror as she looked at the person in the distance, seemingly recognising him.


    Even though she had been in the Northern Continent, there was no way she wouldn''t have known about that person. It was a person whose name itself had been erased.


    Except the Overlords and a few high ranking people under them, no one even knew about this person''s existence.


    She couldn''t see the physique of that person as his back was facing her. There was a dark green robe wrapped around his shoulder. However, it was the ancient characters on the robe that made her realize the identity of that person.


    The characters appeared to be alive, shifting positions with each passing second. The robe came down to the man''s ankles.


    The man was holding the sword as if it was perfectly natural for him. In his hand, the sword felt even stronger as a stronger shade of green rose from the sword.


    The scent of poison around that sword felt so strong that just a whiff of it could kill an ordinary person.


    A red mist rose from the destroyed avatars, and started gathering around the man''s sword as he turned around.


    The man had green pupils which stood out, matching his deep green hair that was tied into a ponytail behind his back. There was a strange calmness around him, as if nothing in this world could phase him.


    This was exactly how Eren remembered the man he had seen in the bizzare dream where the man had sliced through heaven with a single strike of his sword.


    He truly hadn''t thought that he would actually seed in summoning an avatar through that man''s essence.


    It confirmed to him that the man was actually alive somewhere. It was the man that the world knew with only a single title... It was the Sword Emperor.

 Chapter 439: Chapter 439: Wake up

    "You said I should have fought you in the real world because I can''t use my own strength in this ce," Eren told the Left Guardian, as if taunting her words. "On the contrary, entering this ce willingly was your mistake. You should have killed me in the real world."


    In this world, the Sword Guardian was likely the strongest. In the mind realm, he was not the one at a disadvantage. Instead, it was the girl who thought he had no hidden cards up his sleeve.


    If anything, he was safer in the mind realm than in the real world, thanks to the Sword Emperor''s essence.


    "This isn''t possible. He was killed long ago. How could you have experienced his mind realm? Even if you did that, how could you have emerged alive?''


    The more Kelia thought about it, the more absurd she found out. She knew all too well just what kind of terror this person had in this world in the era where there were no Overlords.


    It was the era in which the Celestial Dragon ruled over the ocean and the Sword Emperor ruled over thend.


    That era only came to an end with the Celestial Dragon''s death painting the ocean red, followed by the death of the Sword Emperor.


    It was also because of that, the era of the four Overlords came, starting a new beginning for this world.


    She looked back at Eren, asking, "Who exactly are you?"


    "Why don''t you tell me who I am?" Eren asked the Left Guardian, walking closer to her.


    As he stepped closer, his body started transforming back to his real self. It was the identity that he had kept hidden from everyone. Even Xiu Ying didn''t know about his real identity.


    His face started transforming, as if ayer of illusion was being removed. The moment he returned to his real self, Kelia''s pupils trembled.


    "Ha... hahaha.... Hahahaha!" Kelia tossed her head back and startedughing while looking at the sky. "I was such a fool. It all makes sense now! Of course it is you!"


    Even though Kelia wasughing, Eren could feel the hostility that was rising straight from her soul.


    He didn''t even feel that much hostility when she tried to kill him with the summoned avatars. It was as if this hostility was deeply associated with this identity itself, more than his current actions.


    "Ren Necroline..." She said with clenched teeth, ring at Eren. "I heard that you were making a return. I thought it was just a rumor. I truly didn''t expect you to return to the Necromancer Tower."


    "It seems that you know me too well." Eren stopped half a meter away from Kelia.


    He reached out his hand, touching her cheeks lightly. "Did you miss me?"


    He didn''t know Kelia as he didn''t have the memories of Ren. However, he was certain that the two didn''t have any good feelings between each other. It was clear from her open hostility.


    "You are truly a fool for returning. Even if you manage to kill me, you will ruin yourself. There is no escaping from the Necromancer Tower which has been sealed."


    "Is it because of Hell''s opening?" Eren asked the girl. It was impossible for them to seal the Necromancer Tower just because of him, especially since they weren''t even confirmed about the identity of the killer.


    "You know about hell''s opening? Ah, so that''s why you are here. Truly a fool. You can''t stop it. The person you sent to hell, will definitely return! And he will bring death to you and everyone rted to you!


    There is no hiding from him!"


    "The one that I sent to hell?" Eren tilted his head in confusion, wondering what she was talking about.


    He didn''t understand what Hell''s opening had to do with him? Who did he send to hell? Or rather, who did Ren Necroline send to hell?


    Kelia didn''t answer. Instead, she conjured a dagger in her hand. Now that he was within her range, she took the opportunity and threw the dagger straight at Eren''s chest.


    The dagger reached Eren''s chest, but it stopped merely a few inches away from it. The dagger fell on the ground, followed by Kelia''s finger.


    Poisonous green lines appeared all around Kelia''s body, as if a thin thread was wrapping around her body. The thread sliced her body. One after another, the pieces fell on the ground.


    The consciousness of Kelia waspletely obliterated by the Sword Emperor who wasn''t his real self. It was nothing more than a false avatar created by the essence who was only responsible for protecting Eren in this ce.


    Eren looked at the pieces of Kelia''s remains, still lost in thought. He could never understand why this girl chose to attack him, instead of simply answering him. Was she truly craving death or did she simply forget who was the summoned avatar?


    He shook his head in disappointment, watching the remnants consciousness of Kelia disappear. The summoned avatar of the Sword Emperor also disappeared now that all threats were gone.


    Eren nced back at the door that remained unmoving since the beginning. There were a lot of things that he wanted to know, but no way to find out yet.


    He left behind a sigh as he left his mind realm and the gateway to his consciousness.


    He opened his eyes in the real world, watching the body of Kelia which was lying at his feet. Ruby was nowhere to be seen here and the metallic door was still open.


    "Did she rush out to inform the guards?" He wondered, gazing at the wooden mask which was shining as brightly as it could.


    "It looks like this thing is ready now." He went down on his knees, opening his fist. The small wooden mask started getting bigger and bigger until it was the size of a regr face mask, still appearing wooden.


    Eren looked at the lifeless body of Kelia, blood trickling out of her eyes, nose and mouth. He extended his hand and ced the wooden mask on the woman''s face.


    "Isn''t it time for you to wake up?" he asked.

 Chapter 440: Chapter 440: Eren, the true villain?

    Eren carefully ced the Two-Face Mask on the Left Guardian''s face. The wooden mask began to seamlessly merge with the woman''s skin before vanishing entirely.


    The blood that had previously stained her face also disappeared, and herplexion was restored. Her chest started rising and falling as she began to breathe again.


    Suddenly, the Left Guardian opened her eyes. The first person she saw was Eren. Her gaze no longer held the previous hostility. Instead, her expression seemed much stranger as she looked at Eren.


    "Do you want to kill me?" Eren asked Kelia to test how well the two faced mask was actually working.


    "How can I hurt you? You are... my master." The woman stated, her eyes being submissive when looking at Eren, as if she was an entirely different person now.


    "It seems the mask is working well enough. The unique grade items are quite good," Eren mumbled to himself.


    Even though the description had told him what the mask was supposed to do, he didn''t expect it to work this well.


    When he was first offered this reward without any description, he thought it was something he had to use on himself. Only when he actually received the reward and used Identification on it, he came to realize just how special this item actually was.


    The Two Faced Mask wasn''t for the owner to use on himself. Instead, it was to protect their mental realm.


    The mask''s true use came when someone invaded their mental realm. With the effect of the mask, the invader couldn''t leave the mental realm until one of them was killed.


    If the owner was killed, then the mask was going to be useless, shattering in the process. However, if the owner killed the invader, destroying their consciousness, the mask truly became useful.


    The fragments of destroyed consciousness were gathered by the small wooden mask within itself, preventing the invader''s death.


    The fragments were gathered within the mask, recreating the consciousness,pletely identical to how it used to be.


    There was one small modification made to the consciousness, which was that an absolute loyalty towards the owner was inserted in the deepest depths of the consciousness.


    Before receiving the mask, Eren thought that he might just kill the Left Guardian if his mind was invaded before finding the door to hell and using the Hell''s Pass to disappear.


    It was the appearance of this reward which made him change his n. He didn''t have to be hasty anymore. He could take his time, understanding the situation better.


    At the same time, he had controlled the Left Guardian which granted him a certain level of authority in the Necromancer Tower. He had received another identity useful to him.


    "Tell me everything you know about Hell. What kind of ce is that, and why is the Necromancer Tower trying to open Hell?" Eren asked the Left Guardian.


    As her consciousness was recoveredpletely, none of her memories were missing. It allowed Eren an opportunity to receive the answers that he had long wanted.


    "Hell is a world beyond our world. No one knows when it actually came into existence. It is imed that Hell existed long before our world came into existence. It is believed that we Necromancers receive our strength from Hell."


    "It is a blessing, as well as a curse. With the blessing, we can rule over the dead. However, our souls are also marked by Hell in return."


    "Once a Necromancer dies, there is no reincarnation for us. The soul ends up in Hell, said to be tormented for an eternity in the hellish ce."


    "If that ce is so bad, why are you trying to open an entrance to that ce?"  Eren asked, slightly confused.


    As per Kelia, Hell was like personal hell for Necromancers. So why were Necromancers trying to enter that ce? Why were they so eager to go there?


    "There are two reasons. First is because it grants us strength. When the door openspletely, the connection between the two ces bes stronger. That is also the time when the Necromancers will be at their strongest."


    "So you are nning to use Hell''s opening to wipe out your enemies? No wonder the Holy Church is so restless." Eren rubbed his chin, with everything starting to make sense now.


    Hell to the Necromancers was like a full moon to werewolves in myths of earth. They were trying to forcefully bring the full moon to conquer everything.


    "You said there are two reasons? What is the second reason?" he further asked, remembering the girl mentioning the presence of another important reason.


    "The second reason is just as important, if not more. It is because ''he'' is there. The Tower Master wants to find him and bring him back."


    "Him? Who is that?" Eren asked, wondering if the person was supposed to be the main character of the Northern Continent. Or the appearance of the main character was an ident while the real target of the Necromancer Tower was someone else?


    "Zephyr... Zephyr Necroline." The woman stated, making Eren go silent.


    He was not shocked by the person''s name. His real shock came from the person''sst name. The person had the samest name as him. While he was Ren Necroline, the person that the Necromancer Tower wanted was Zephyr Necroline?


    "What is his rtionship with me?" he asked the woman who had already seen his real identity in the mind realm.


    Even though his consciousness was destroyed and repaired, her memories were still intact.


    She knew Eren''s true identity. However, thanks to the mask, no one could see through the parts of her memories that had anything to do with him, even if they were to search her soul in the future.


    "Zephyr Necroline, was the first person you killed," Kelia informed Eren.


    Eren rubbed his forehead, hearing her answer. As if the enemies in this world weren''t enemies, Ren had also made enemies in Hell?


    At this point, he had a strong feeling that Zephyr Necroline was actually the main character of the Northern Continent.


    Until now, Eren was a third party in the conflicts of the main characters. This time, he was directly involved.


    If Zephyr Necroline was the main character, it meant he was the main viin in Zephyr''s story.

 Chapter 441: Chapter 441: Zephyr

    "You said I killed him? Why did I do that?"


    Ren''s past was like a nk canvas for Eren. He had only heard about the past of Ren Necroline indirectly. For some people, he was the worst criminal to ever exist. For others, he was a myth that never actually existed.


    Other than the Devourer, there was not a single person that seemed to hold any good feelings toward Ren Necroline. The four Overlords of this world even came together to kill him.


    Thanks to Kelia, he finally had an opportunity to glimpse Ren Necroline''s past which began in the Necromancer Tower with the death of Zephyr Necroline.


    "No one actually knows why you did it, but it''s believed that you did it to take the position of the heir from him. You were just three years old at that time after all."


    Kelia''s answer made Eren''s jaws drop. He was just three years old when he killed a person? Just what nonsense was she spouting? Or rather, just how absurd was Ren Necroline?


    "How could a person be killed by a three year old child? Was Zephyr a fool? He could survive Hell, but he couldn''t survive a three year old child?"


    He almost wanted to facepalm himself.


    "How old was that fool?" Eren asked the girl, only to receive just as shocking an answer.


    "He was your twin brother, so he was also three years old."


    Eren didn''t know how to respond. The first person he killed was his twin brother when he was just three years old? At that age, children could barely speak properly. How could he do something like that?


    "Are you sure you aren''t exaggerating an ident?" he asked.


    If his twin brother died, it might as well be an ident. He might have nothing to do with it. How could he? Which idiot would me a three year old child for a murder?


    "There was a knife in your hand which was stained with your brother''s blood. Does master really think that it was an ident?" Kelia asked in response.


    "Maybe someone killed him and ced the dagger in my hand?"


    "There was a recording orb in the room. It was also verified that there was no maniption in the recording. Since your brother was already dead by the time others reached there, nothing could be changed."


    "Although he was born with a better physique, more suitable for Necromancy, he died in your hands. With the only child left, you became the heir of the Necromancer Tower."


    Eren would''ve suspected Kelia of lying if it wasn''t for the control of the mask. She was quite confident about her statement, which made him believe that her words might actually be the truth.


    No matter how absurd the possibility, he killed his brother to take the heir position of the Necromancer Tower? That was truly what a viin would do. Was Ren Necroline actually a viin? He still felt like something was amiss.


    "So even after I killed my brother, I was selected as the heir? Then why-"


    Tap~


    Tap~


    Eren wanted to ask more about the situation and even about the future years of Ren Necroline when he heard the sound of footsteps from outside the cell.


    The footsteps sounded extremely rushed as people were rushing towards the cell. He also understood why that was the case.


    If anything, these people were quite fast. Normally, the Necromancer Tower shouldn''t have believed a random girl who imed that the Left Guardian was hurt while investigating a mere Servant.


    "I''m sure you know what to do." He took a step back and closed his eyes.


    Kelia also quickly reached and ced her finger on Eren''s forehead. She just touched him but didn''t do anything else.


    Soon, the guards rushed inside. All of them noticed that Kelia looked perfectly fine. She wasn''t pale as described by Ruby. There was also no trace of blood.


    If anything, she appeared immersed in soul searching. It was Eren who was pale, appearing to be in extreme pain.


    After a few seconds, Kelia slowly opened her eyes and retracted her hand.


    "What a waste of my time. There was nothing worth interest in his memories," sheined, appearing quite frustrated.


    She soon reacted to the appearance of the Hall Masters in this ce. Under her cold gaze, the hall masters froze, wondering why they even came here.


    They were truly fools to worry about this monster. Nothing could go wrong with her after all.


    "If you don''t give me a good reason for being a distraction here, I might do something that you will regret," Kelia told the Hall Masters.


    Her behavior towards Eren had changed, thanks to the influence of the wooden mask. However, her behavior towards everything else was the same. Her personality hadn''t changed.


    "We were informed that you were hurt. We came here to check." One of the brave hall masters answered while exining the entire situation.


    "Hoh? Since when did I need you to start worrying about me? Even if someone tells you some nonsense, you believe them? It seems that you have too much free time, right?"


    All the hall masters felt suppressed under the fierce gaze of the woman. They all wanted to me Ruby but in this situation, they couldn''t even move an inch without the permission of the left guardian.


    Ruby was in an even worse condition. She was certain about the things that she had seen. So how could the reality be different? Did she really imagine things? She couldn''t understand what actually happened.


    Still, she was wise enough to understand what to do. She immediately dropped to her knees.


    "It was my mistake. I misunderstood the situation as it is my first time in the Necromancer Tower. I shouldn''t have been wiser." The girl remained on her knees, not even daring to look in the eyes of the Left Guardian.


    The hall masters also followed the lead and started apologizing to the Left Guardian. They didn''t even wait for Kelia''s response before running away like their tails were on fire.

 Chapter 442: Chapter 442: Member of Tower

    The Hall Masters departed from the ce, leaving Ruby behind with the Left Guardian.


    Eren slowly opened his eyes, his paleplexion recovering. There was no need to put on the act anymore.


    "Master, what should I do with her?" The Left Guardian looked at Eren, waiting for a response.


    Ruby''s gaze turned strange as she raised her head, looking back and forth between Eren and the Left Guardian. She didn''t understand why the Left Guardian was calling Eren her master.


    "There is no need to worry about her." Eren walked closer to Ruby, cing his hand over her head.


    He removed the maniption he had done to her memories, making her remember him properly. She didn''t treat an ordinary servant well enough, paying more attention to her father''s killers. However, he didn''t me her for that.


    Even if he was in her ce, he might have done the same. Especially since he didn''t create any false memories of goodwill towards him as a servant.


    The only reason he even manipted her memories was that he was worried that her soul might be searched earlier. His maniption was a way to protect her soul while also protecting his own identity.


    If someone discovered his real identity through searching her soul, there was no need to search his soul, making the trap effectively useless.


    Now that the trap had already worked effectively, there was no need to leave this maniption anymore. Still, just as a precautionary measure, he left a trace of the maniption.


    If one was to try to probe her memories in the future, the same maniption was going to be as effective as before.


    "How long are you going to stay on the ground?" Eren asked the girl, who was looking at him nkly.


    "What did I do..." Ruby stood up, unable to believe herself. She had brought the hall masters to protect the Left Guardian against Eren?


    Eren lightly flicked her forehead. "If you start ming yourself, it will hurt much more next time."


    Ruby rubbed her forehead like a child. What did he mean hurt more next time? Did he forget how strong he actually was? Even a light flick was painful. She thought.


    "Why is the Left Guardian calling you Master?" she asked.


    From the way Eren was talking around her, it became clear that he didn''t pay any heed to the Left Guardian. It all happened from the moment his soul was searched. She wondered if soul searching had this kind of effect on people?


    "You don''t have to worry about that. Just remember that she is one of us," Eren told Ruby who was looking at Eren in disbelief.


    It was as if she was a child looking at a superhero. Just what kind of person was this? He could even turn the left guardian to his side? What couldn''t he do?


    "From today onwards, we will be her disciples in the eyes of the others. So address her appropriately from now on," Eren told Ruby while stepping out of the prison cell, apanied by the left guardian.


    To move freely in the Necromancer Tower, he needed a certain privilege. The privilege that came from being known as the disciple of the Left Guardian was exactly what he needed.


    "How long until the door openspletely?" Walking through the empty passage, Eren asked Kelia.


    "Three weeks at the earliest," the Left Guardian answered.


    "Three weeks?" Eren asked, looking at his inventory.


    The Hell''s Pass was kept in his inventory. Until he entered the Necromancer Tower, the Hell''s Pass was only showing that he needed to be at the right ce to use it.


    Now that he came to the right ce, he was able to see another condition. There was a timer under the Hell''s Pass, which showed around three weeks of time as well.


    "So even Hell''s Pass can''t let me enter before the door opens." He rubbed his forehead, frowning. It meant that he had to enter hell at the same time as the Tower Master and the others, which made it much harder.


    ''Maybe that''s for the best,'' he thought, as it gave him a chance to gain more strength. He could recover the Celestial Dragon''s heart in the meantime as it was about time for him to meet the Sea Dragon Empress.


    He used mental transmission to give the Left Guardian a few very specific instructions. The Left Guardian nodded in response.


    She called for the Hall Masters to gather at the central za and in front of everyone, she epted Eren and Ruby as her disciples.


    Her deration surprised everyone. Just recently, the two of them were prisoners and now they were her Disciples?


    Leo Rottenheim was even more shocked. He had been waiting for his master''s response about epting Eren as a disciple.


    Unfortunately, his master was too busy dealing with the things that escaped through the half opened Hell''s Door. He didn''t have time to check anymunication or even respond.


    Leo couldn''t believe that the Left Guardian took that opportunity. He was certain that it was because she realized the kind of physique Eren had.


    At the missed opportunity, he could only clench his fist and walk away.


    The others were more confused about the reason for the Left Guardian''s selection. However, she didn''t need to exin her reasons to anyone.


    The Left Guardian simply told Anya to take care of her junior disciples, making sure that no harm came to them.


    Anya was in disbelief but she couldn''t go against her master. Although she hated these two people, she could only ept them as her master had selected them.


    "Master, I have to leave the tower on the mission. I can''t guide them in the meantime. Can you ask others for now?"


    "Why don''t you take them with you and let them experience how we work?" the Left Guardian asked Anya in return, her implications being clear.


    Eren had already asked her to arrange for him to leave the tower for some time. The Left Guardian could onlye up with this reason to make sure there were no suspensions.

 Chapter 443: Chapter 443: Caught?

    Anya and Leo were born leaving, to conquer the Major Families that had lost their heads. It was a mission assigned to both of them by the tower to make sure that the major families didn''t create any disturbance after their losses.


    The Necromancer Tower was finally starting to suppress most of the major families, granting opportunity to the two strongest families to devour the other families.


    Anya and Leo were in apetition with each other, trying to get the most benefits for their families. The Tower didn''t care which of the two families received more benefits, as long as the mess was taken care of.


    Anya didn''t like having to take the burden with him, but she couldn''t say no to her master. She epted her master''s suggestion and told Eren and Ruby to follow her.


    ''Master, do you need me to do anything else for you?'' the Left Guardian asked Eren through a mental transmission.


    Eren didn''t look back, as if he couldn''t hear anything. Still, he left a message in return.


    ''If possible, try to get the recording orb that recorded the incident from my childhood. Also, convince the Tower that this incident of major family heads deaths was the work of the Holy Church. It doesn''t have to be a full-fledged war, but the Western Empire needs to be attacked.''


    ''I can try, but it is really hard to make the Tower attack the Western Continent with Hell''s Opening being so close.''


    ''It is your job to convince them. Tell them that the Holy Church is nning to attack and ruin the opening of hell. Even if it''s a second front, the Necromancer Tower will have a better opportunity. I believe you won''t disappoint me.''


    Eren soon disappeared from the Left Guardian''s view, who was left behind. Silently, she turned around and disappeared as well, leaving only the confused hall masters behind.


    Kelia went to meet the Guide in the upper floors of the Necromancer Tower.


    The Guide was just returning from somewhere when he came across her, asking her, "Did you finish the soul search? What did you find out?"


    "The two of them were innocent. Not only that, but they are also quite talented in our ways, so I epted them as my disciples. Their physique can help them rise really fast in Necromancy. It also made their soul strong enough to survive a soul search without much harm."


    The Guide gazed at her in silence but didn''t say anything. Even though her actions were strange, it wasn''t the first time she had done such strange things.


    He had already heard about Eren''s talents from Leo who had been begging him to allow a meeting with his master. He had to reject the young man as he was in a hurry to deliver a message to the Tower Master.


    "I am not here to listen about these insignificant things. Tell me what you learned about the attacker?" He brought the topic back to the main point, which was also his real concern.


    "I confirmed from their memories that the Kiel Family Territory was indeed attacked by someone who looked like Cardinal Treniel. From what I saw, it didn''t look fake at all."


    "I believe that my initial assumption was wrong. There were more Cardinals, but only Treniel was the one fighting. It seems that there was an infighting between the Cardinals for some reason, which made them backstab Treniel."


    The Guide didn''t say anything. However, his gaze narrowed as a minor frown appeared on his forehead. He felt that Kelia was being really strange today.


    Her exnation had a lot of ws already. If anything, her initial assumption made more sense. Still, he was changing her statement so soon? It felt really out of ce.


    Kelia kept exining about the assumption that the Holy Church already knew about the Hell''s Opening. She gave multiple reasons for her assumption, trying to make as much sense as she could.


    In the end, she made a suggestion that the Necromancer Tower should make a second team to invade the Holy Empire to keep the Holy Church from targeting them first. The best offense was the best defense after all.


    "How interesting... Everything you said makes sense. I will consider it carefully." The Guide smiled. However, his smile disappearedpletely when he walked past Kelia. His expressions became very grim.


    After a few seconds, his figure disappeared. He appeared on the lower floors, approaching one of the hall masters who was responsible for keeping tabs on the whereabouts of the people in the tower.


    "Where are the two youngsters that Kelia epted as her disciples?" he asked.


    "The two of them already left the tower with Anya. They should be in the territory of the Greyndor family already," the hall master answered, not understanding why the guide was looking for them.


    Mostly, this person didn''t care about such insignificant things. He was themanding voice in the tower in absence of the Tower Master after all.


    "Shall I send someone to bring them back?" The Hall Master asked.


    "No need." The man turned around as a dark me spread around him.


    When the dark me disappeared, the man''s figure was nowhere to be seen either.


    In the prison cell where Eren was kept, a small ck me flickered. The me rose so high that it soon covered the entire cell.


    The mepressed into a ming robe on the back of the Guide who was standing in the middle of the prison cell.


    The Guide looked around the cell, as if trying to see something that couldn''t be seen through by an ordinary person.


    "Dragon Tongue..." he mumbled under his breath, noticing a very small trace that was on the verge of disappearingpletely.


    He also saw what looked like the sign of a drop of blood that had dried up. He reached out his hand, touching the blood mark on the floor.


    The blood wasn''t normal either. It was the blood of someone who was closely rted to death, like the Left Guardian.


    "I told her to be careful... But that fool¡­"

 Chapter 444: Chapter 444: The Nightmare

    "She ispromised..." The man let out a tired sigh.


    He really wanted to be wrong in his assumption, but it was more or less confirmed at this point. The Left Guardian was trying to manipte him.


    Although she didn''t like him, there was never a single moment where she would''ve put their personal conflict over the interests of the Tower.


    The biggest problem with her behavior was that she was directly contradicting her initial assumptions. She was not a fool to make such a naive mistake during her initial assumptions.


    The moment she mentioned attacking the Western Continent directly, he felt that something was wrong with her. It all started the moment she returned from interrogating the two prisoners.


    Even though it was hard to believe, this was the reality. The two prisoners were behind this incident, and they managed to manipte the Left Guardian.


    "Not only could they destroy the souls but they were also able to manipte someone at her level. This is getting really interesting now."


    The ck me rose from his robe, shrouding the entire prison cell. He destroyed every trace within this ce before disappearing.


    .....


    Meanwhile, the Left Guardian was in the upper floors of the Tower. It was a floor that the Guardians rarely entered as this floor belonged to the Tower Master.


    The Guardians only entered this floor when they were called for a meeting by the Tower Master. However, the Left Guardian had suddenly arrived without being invited, that too in the absence of the Tower Master.


    She was also extremely careful to make sure that she wasn''t seen by anyone, a behavior that was generally not associated with someone brazen like the Left Guardian.


    She entered the office of the Tower Master and started looking all round the ce as if looking for something.


    "Where did he keep it?" she wondered as she almost searched through the entire ce, not finding the thing that she had been looking for.


    "If it isn''t here, then the only ce left is..." After slight hesitation, she entered the private chamber of the Necromancer Tower.


    If she was caught, it was a crime worth a death penalty, without even being given a chance to exin. Fortunately, the Tower Master isn''t avable, which granted her a better opportunity.


    "There it is!" she suddenly eximed as an object caught her attention the moment she entered the bedroom of the Tower Master.


    On the left shelf, at the top row, there was a small crystal sphere. The ordinary looking object brought a sigh of relief on her lips. This was the recording crystal that she had been looking for.


    "To think that he would keep something like that in the open. Then again, he probably never expected anyone toe here."


    The Left Guardian walked closer to the shelf, on which many bizarre artifacts were kept. Most of them were treasures of the Tower Master that were used like trophies.


    Kelia was extremely careful to not touch anything other than the recording crystal. She carefully took the crystal orb, keeping it in her embrace.


    She looked at the orb, appearing a little hesitant as if she was conflicted about something. Her conflict wasn''t rted to betraying the Tower Master.


    "Should I see the recording of that incident? Did it actually happen as I had heard? Or was there actually something wrong at that time?"


    She couldn''t control her curiosity and activated the recording crystal. The crystal started ying the one recording that had been kept secure in the crystal for a long time.


    A scene started ying in the orb and Kelia watched with great interest.


    "This..." The more she watched, the darker her expressions became.


    "Are you done watching?"


    Kelia was still in disbelief as she watched the scenes within the crystal when she heard a voice break the silence.


    Stunned, she looked behind her and watched the dark room lit in deep blue mes that didn''t burn anything in the room. Instead, the mes felt awfully cold,pared to the ck mes.


    "Even though you were very rash, I never thought that you would be the first to fall." The Guide let out a tired sigh, looking at Kelia.


    Even though the two guardians created an atmosphere of conflict within the tower, they were still two important pirs of the Necromancer Tower.


    That''s why he had been bearing with them. But now, it is impossible. One of these pirs was going to be lost forever.


    Kelia''s eyes narrowed as well. Since the Guide had seen everything, she could only kill him to keep it a secret. If it was exposed, she couldn''t help her master.


    "How did you find out?"


    The man''s eyes never left Kelia for even a second as he replied, "Does it really matter now?


    "You''re right. It doesn''t matter since you are going to be dead in any case. You really shouldn''t havee here alone if you already found out about this."


    Kelia knew that the Guide was strong. He was probably the strongest in the Necromancer Tower in the absence of the Tower Master. However, if she gave it her all, she was sure that she could kill him.


    She might die in the process as well, but it was better than dragging her master down.


    She kept the recording crystal in her storage as she prepared to go all out.


    The Guide sighed once more, shaking his head lightly.


    "When did I say that I was alone?" he asked, his words falling like lightning in Kelia''s ears.


    "Who else-" Kelia tried asking, only to feel her heart suddenly turn cold. A presence appeared behind her that was like a deity.


    "H-how?" She could only utter a single word, her body freezing in its ce. She dropped to her knees, unable to resist.


    The recording crystal that she kept in her storage safe came out on its own, flying behind her as if being pulled by an unknown force that could move through space.


    There was no sound of footsteps while the person came closer to her. She felt a hand being ced on her head, gently patting her.

 Chapter 445: Chapter 445: The Arrival of Darkness

    ....


    "Are we really leaving just like that?"


    Ruby and Eren were standing on the balcony of the Greyndor Family Mansion, looking at the setting sun in the distance.


    "Why? Did you like their hospitality that much? Are you nning to live here?" Eren asked Ruby, who shook her head like a broken doll.


    As per the Left Guardian''s instructions, they had apanied Anya to the Greyndor Family Territory. However, that''s as far as things went.


    Anya didn''t take them with her as she went out to conquer other families. Instead, she left them behind in the Greyndor Family Estate, being treated as guests. She didn''t want to carry these burdens, even though her master had asked her to.


    That was exactly what Eren wanted in the first ce. He had already known what kind of person Anya was. There was no way she was going to babysit them.


    Just to make sure that was the case, he had annoyed her throughout the time he had been with her. There were even times when she was so irritated by Eren''s constant babbling that she wanted to kill him, barely controlling her anger.


    "The Left Guardian will take care of the annoying things rted to the Tower. There are other important ces I have to be at," Eren told Ruby, already prepared to leave.


    He only had three weeks to gather as much strength as he could. He had to enter Hell, and he needed strength for that. He couldn''t gather that strength in the Necromancer Tower.


    He could leave Ruby behind as this ce was safe, but it was much better to take her with him. The other Continents were much safer for her after all.


    He had promised her that he was going to protect her father. He failed that promise. The least he could do was leave her in another continent where she could be safer. The Demon Sect was the perfect ce for that.


    "Can we even leave without being detected by the Greyndor Family?" Ruby asked Eren, only to shake her head in embarrassment. She hadpletely forgotten what kind of existence Eren was.


    Even the Left Guardian couldn''t suppress him, then what was the Greyndor Family.


    "Yelen, did you bring the Pegasus to the location?" Eren asked, ignoring the silly question from Ruby.


    Once he received Yelen''s confirmation, he reached out his hand to grab Ruby''s hand. However, just as he was about to jump off the balcony, he abruptly grabbed his chest.


    He lost his bnce, almost falling off the balcony. If it wasn''t for Ruby who held him back, he actually would''ve fallen.


    "What happened?" Ruby held him, trying to make him sit down, growing absolutely worried at the sight of Eren''s pale face.


    "She is gone!" Eren mumbled, unable to control his racing heart.


    He was connected to Kelia. He even left behind a trace of his essence in her mind to destroy her soul and memories the moment someone tried to invade her mind.


    He could feel everything she felt the moment she died. It was a fear that rose straight from Kelia''s heart, reaching Eren. It was as if even in her death, she was telling Eren to run away as far as he could.


    It was a monster that couldn''t be defeated. A monster that could destroy everything in its path. Even his essence was barely able to destroy her soul under the control of that being, which brought such a heavy bacsh to him.


    "We need to get out of here fast!" Eren eximed as he stood up, his heart still unable to calm down.


    He couldn''t run with a burden like Ruby. He called Yelen, making her create a portal.


    Through the Portal, he sent Ruby to the Eastern Continent with his elder token. With this token, Ruby could enter the Demon Sect as a disciple and be protected by the sect.


    Personally, he avoided the portal. For him, using a portal was no different than entering the mouth of a lion to avoid a tiger.


    He didn''t even know how many times he could survive traveling through portals. For now, he jumped down the balcony and started flying away.


    He used stealth to leave the Greyndor Family Territory as fast as possible, trying to reach the Pegasus that was waiting for him.


    Along the way, he was constantly looking over his shoulder to see if he was being chased, but fortunately, no one was on his trail.


    He soon reached the Pegasus. He ced a healing pill in his mouth before climbing on the Pegasus.


    The Pegasus spread its wings wide, rising in the sky. However, it was only halfway in the sky when an aura de came from the distance, slicing through the wings of the Pegasus.


    The Pegasus lost its bnce and started falling from the sky.


    Eren jumped off the Pegasus,nding in the distance safely. Unfortunately, the same didn''t be said for the Pegasus which fell on the ground with a thud, its painful cries being loud.


    "Why are you in such a hurry to leave? We don''t even get to show our hospitality yet." A voice came, but it was impossible to locate its source. It was as if the voice wasing from every direction.


    Eren could also feel the temperature of the surroundings rising extremely fast.


    The sky was already dark with only the moon brightening up the surroundings. Unfortunately, the moon was also hidden behind the darkness as an unknown domain appeared around the ce.


    It was as if a ck me had covered the entire sky in an instant, devouring everything in its path.


    "You must be the one they call Guide. Are you really trying to act cool with such a disy?" Eren asked out loud. "It would''ve been more effective if you weren''t hiding. Don''t you think so?"


    As he finished speaking, he conjured a dagger with the holy essence. He tossed the dagger in a very specific direction on his left.


    A hand came out of the darkness, grabbing the dagger which was made of the Holy Essence.

 Chapter 446: Chapter 446: Lunar Frost

    The Holy Essence was like a poison to the people of the Northern Continent, just like the essence of death was a poison for the Holy Warriors.


    Despite that, the unknown figure held the dagger made purely from the Holy Essence, not reacting in the least to the burning sensation in his hand.


    A ck me appeared within his hand which started corrupting the dagger of holy essence. The pure golden shade of the dagger started turning darker until it was pitch ck, not having even the slightest resemnce to its original self.


    "This is a good gift." The Guide told Eren while observing the dagger that had beenpletely corrupted in the essence of death.


    Even if the Holy Essence was a poison for him, he simply used a stronger poison to counter it.


    "Unfortunately, I can''t ept this gift. So I will have to return it." He had barely finished speaking when he waved his hand, sending the dagger flying back towards Eren with a speed even faster.


    Even with his heightened senses, Eren was barely able to keep an eye on the dagger. It was as if the dagger was destroying the space and time around it while traveling through the space.


    Eren subconsciously resorted to using eleration to even react to the dagger. His body became faster, making him feel as if time had slowed down for him.


    He stepped aside, stepping out of the trajectory of the dagger. The dagger, as if following his movements, changed its direction as well. It went straight for Eren, giving him no other choice but to react to it properly.


    He allowed the dagger to reach him and reached out his hand, catching the brunt end of the dagger while it was merely a few inches away from his chest.


    "Impressive reflexes," the Guide''s voice echoed. "However, are you sure it was a good idea to catch it?"


    Eren couldn''t help but frown in response to the man''s words. He suddenly felt a burning sensation in his hand as a ck me spread out uncontrobly with the dagger at its core.


    The cloud of mes soon took Eren''s body in its embrace, leaving not even a trace of him visible within the fierce mes.


    "To think that she lost to someone this insignificant..." The Guide shook his head as he watched Eren being engulfed by his mes.


    If it was the Western Continent, it might have been different as the man would''ve been under the effect of the blessing within their domain.


    Unfortunately for Eren, this was the Northern Continent. Moreover, his mes were even stronger at the moment since Hell''s opening was drawing near.


    Here, even a mythical beast couldn''t survive his dark mes, let alone a mere mortal who was only able to use the holy essence.


    The Guide appeared somewhat disappointed at how easy it was to kill Eren. He had expected a lot more from the person that conquered the left guardian.


    Sighing, he turned away. "It seems that it has been confirmed. This was indeed the work of the Holy-"


    "Hmm?" He was about to leave when he suddenly frowned. He could feel that the temperature had suddenly started going down.


    His surroundings had started bing colder, which should''ve been impossible, especially since the entire territory was still covered in his ming domain.


    He reached out his hand, watching a single snow kending in his hand. The snowke was destroyed in his hand, but it was just the beginning. The temperature kept going down.


    Frowning, he looked back and saw his dark mes growing thinner. The mes that hadpletely shrouded Eren''s body had be so thin that a person became visible inside.


    It was Eren, who looked to be perfectly fine. If anything, there was not even a single burn on his body. Instead, there were some deep blue scales made from ice that had appeared around his body.


    "Is that the Lunar Frost?" The Guide asked, his gaze narrowing. He had heard about this physique, which was one of the few counters to his mes.


    As far as he knew, there was only one person in the world who was known to have this physique. That person was the Frost Demon in the Demon Sect, who worked for the Necromancer Tower in secret.


    It had been a long time since the Frost Demon stopped contacting them. They had tried to find his whereabouts but he was nowhere to be found. All they heard were some rumors that he was killed in some attack at the Demon Sect.


    The same physique had now appeared with the man in front of him, which felt far from a coincidence.


    As the physique modified a person''s body to the extremes of coldness, even the most destructive of mes couldn''t burn that person, unless it was one of the few mythical mes.


    Although his dark mes of death were one of the strongest mes in this world, it was still far from reaching the realm of myths.


    As the ck mes around himpletely disappeared, Eren came out unharmed. He was just as surprised as the Guide, not knowing if he should me that person for trying to kill him or thank him.


    He had stolen this physique from the Frost Demon, but it had been mostly useless for him.


    He thought the physique could at most help him not feel cold, especially since he didn''t know how to properly utilize it like the Frost Demon who was born with it.


    If it wasn''t for the mes of the man, his Lunar Frost Physique wouldn''t have activatedpletely. Because of the mes, the physique had truly be a part of him.


    He could even feel his body growing stronger, albeit to a very small extent. Although he didn''t check his stats, he was certain that they had increased.


    He raised his hand, feeling like he could actually control the element of snow like the Frost Demon was able to do.


    It was the element with which the Frost Demon had managed to freeze an entire kingdom in the embrace of Frost, taking millions of lives.

 Chapter 447: Chapter 447: After I take you down

    Eren''s body had turned extremely cold but he couldn''t feel anything out of the ordinary. He only felt a strange connection with the element of cold.


    It was different from the mages that felt a connection with an element after dedicating their lives into studying that element. It was a connection that came from within his body.


    He couldn''t help but smile, seeing the evolution of his physique. There was still very little known about a physique, but he became more certain that they could also evolve.


    When he was attacked by the mes, he already had a n to protect himself. However, to his surprise, he didn''t need to put that n into action.


    Moreover, if it was only the Guide that was sent here, then he could definitely escape alive.


    He was worried that the Tower Master was personally going to arrive, which made him want to escape at the earliest. It was an assumption that came with the warning of the author about his potential death.


    Fortunately, that didn''t seem to be the case. The Tower Master had a lot of faith in the Guide and sent him to take care of the person.


    "It seems that I was worrying about unnecessary things."


    His heartbeat had started calming down. Instead of being an incident that led to the dreadful future, it became an opportunity for him to gain more experience and weaken the Tower.


    Eren was still unable to call forth the sword of the Sword Emperor. He drew out a sword from his inventory that was engraved with the markings of the Holy Empire.


    It was the sword personally used by the Holy Emperor himself. However, as the Holy Emperor hadn''t fought in the past, no one had seen the sword personally. Even the Ministers of the Emperor hadn''t seen the sword.


    The only people who knew about the sword and its appearance were the cksmiths of the Empire that created it, and all those cksmiths were put to death after the sword waspleted.


    The Holy Emperor didn''t want the Holy Church to find out about the kind of weapons he was creating for the future in which he was going to face the Holy Church.


    To protect the secret, he made sure that no one except him knew about him. Not even his family knew about his real thoughts, always thinking that he was a cowardly man who was subservient to the Holy Priestess.


    Even though the sword wasn''tparable to the legendary Sword of Retribution that was used by the Sword Emperor, it was still a legendary sword in its own rights.


    The de of the sword was covered in a very intricate carvings of circuitry that used the Holy Aura to activate. It was a sword that was made to utilize the Holy Aura of the Royals, amplifying it to arger extent.


    Other than the Royal Family members, no one was supposed to be able to use the sword. Even those from the Holy Church couldn''t activate this sword.


    The only exception was Eren, who had stolen the essence of the Holy Emperor, bing no different than the real Holy Emperor.


    "You didn''t have an opportunity to use this sword. In your stead, I will let this sword see the light of day."


    As he used the holy essence of the Royal Family, the circuits of the Holy Sword started shining. They appeared like nerves that were transferring the Holy Essence to the core of the sword.


    Even the hilt of the sword was unique with a crystal core embedded within it, acting as the perfect conduit between the owner and the sword.


    "What a disgusting essence." The Guide observed Eren''s sword.


    He had some across many people from the Western Continent and he had killed even more people. It was the first time he was seeing such a pure and disgusting essence.


    It felt different from the one that was possessed by the Holy Church members, but it was no less disgusting than the essence of the Holy Priestess.


    "So you are from the Royal Family. That exins it all," The Guide said, realizing the identity of Eren. "Are you the younger brother? Or are you the elder one, who is known as the pet of the Priestess?"


    There were only two people in the Royal Family which could use an essence that was this pure and disgusting. Both of them were the direct bloodline of thest emperor.


    The older brother was none other than the Holy Emperor, who had an extremely bad reputation in the Northern Continent. All those who had heard about him, called him the puppet of the Priestess.


    He was even known as a cowardly person who never left the Holy City, which appeared to be because he was scared of the Tower forces killing him.


    Meanwhile, the younger brother was said to be more talented. He was also more experienced in battles, and much stronger than the Holy Emperor.


    It was also said that the younger brother wasn''t very fond of the Holy Church, which might exin why he killed Treniel.


    If he had to choose one, he was sure that the person in front of him was the younger brother, the outcast of the Royal Family who was abandoned by the Holy Emperor.


    He touched his shoulders and took off the ming robe around his shoulders. The robe startedpressing and soon materialized into a heavy sword which looked no less than the Holy Sword of the Emperor.


    The sword was so heavy that the ground itself trembled a little as the tip of the heavy sword touched the ground.


    With a sword this heavy, it was impossible to be fast. That''s why people avoided such a heavy sword when dealing with people who were known for their agility.


    The Guide didn''t seem to care about that, even after seeing Eren''s speed while dodging the dagger.


    "I guess I will find your real identity after I take you down."

 Chapter 448: Chapter 448: Ren Necroline

    The Guide finally moved, his speed being much faster than Eren had imagined, even while carrying the heavy sword.


    ''Did he invest all his stats in agility?'' Eren thought, slightly taken aback.


    The Guide appeared in front of Eren, who used eleration to keep up with the man''s swift movements. The two swords shed, creating sparks as the dark essence and the holy essence collided.


    The two contradicting energies shed, each trying to overpower the other. The figures were only pushed apart when the impact of the collision forced them back.


    ''He even has strength?'' Eren grew increasingly amazed by the Guide''s capabilities.


    Normally, mages did not focus extensively on physical attributes. The person before him, however, was quite different.


    Despite being a mage of death, he was fighting like a proper warrior. Not only did he possess remarkable agility, but he also had considerable strength.


    Eren had thought that he might take the person down with just the abilities of the Holy Emperor, without having to expose his real identity. Unfortunately, the more he shed with that person, the more unlikely it appeared.


    He prepared to react ordingly. However, as he was about to take a step forward, he felt a sense of danger. All his senses were warning him at the same time.


    Quickly, he moved to the side, barely avoiding a hand that was about to grab the back of his neck. He swiftly jumped back, growing stunned to see the person that had appeared.


    "Kelia?" Eren eximed, catching sight of the Left Guardian who was supposed to be dead. Only death could break his control over her after all.


    "Hmm? No, something is different." He noticed the lifeless eyes of Kelia, which was much different from before.


    Her skin was also incredibly pale, as if her heart had long stopped working to supply blood. Despite that, she was here.


    "An undead?" Eren frowned, realizing that this had truly be a big mess.


    Even though Kelia was an undead, she was able to use her abilities. It meant that the person who made her an undead was the highest ranking authority of the Necromancer Tower.


    She was turned into an undead by the Tower Master himself.


    Eren had thought that the tower master underestimated himself, sending only the Guide. However, the reality proved quite different.


    If it was just the Guide, he could most probably kill him. But Kelia was also involved. Both of them hadn''t even started using their true abilities yet.


    "If it''s just the two of them, I can still-" Eren tried tofort himself, only to feel another presence in the sky.


    Frowning, he raised his head and looked at the dark sky where the corpse of a mythical beast was flying freely.


    Compared to the undead dragon of Anya, the corpse dragon in the sky was in an entirely different league. It was a proper adult dragon who stood at the peak of dragons before it was killed.


    "Can it get any worse?" Eren took a deep breath, his grip around the holy sword tightening.


    "Hmm?" Eren had just finished speaking when his expressions darkened. He felt the distortion of space and time in the surroundings as a portal opened high in the sky.


    "Is it because I raised a death g?" He facepalmed himself, not understanding how he could make such a rookie mistake.


    Every time heforted himself, things became worse for him. He almost felt likeining, but there was no one he could me.


    A powerful aura descended from the sky. A hooded figure stepped out of the portal.


    The surroundings started dying down with the arrival of the person. The trees withered and the grass dried up before turning into specks of dust.


    Thend turnedpletely barren with all weak life forms dying under the brutality of the aura of death. Compared to this aura, the aura of Guide felt like it belonged to a child.


    "I was wrong. It could get worse..." Eren looked at the figure in the sky, being the first time he had seen him in person.


    High in the sky was the Overlord of the Northern Continent, the one who ruled over all the existences.


    It was the Master of the Necromancer Tower who had destroyed all other towers during his ascent, rewriting the hierarchy of the entire continent.


    It was the man who sat on the same table as Feng Yu, Mist and the Holy Priestess. He was also the person directly responsible for killing the Devourer and hunting Ren Necroline in the past.


    "Are this world really trying to kill me today?" Eren asked, remembering the words of the Author.


    He had thought that he might be safe as long as he was careful during his trip to the Northern Continent. He never expected toe across the Necromancer Tower Master.


    Not only the Necromancer Tower Master, but the Guide and the Left Guardian were also here. Three out of the top four of the Necromancer Tower were here, all with the purpose to hunt him.


    The only person missing was the Right Guardian who was protecting Hell''s Door and making sure to annihte every existence that tried to break through the cracks of hell.


    Eren''s body reacted on its own under the aura of the Necromancer Tower Master. Just the holy aura alone wasn''t enough to protect him.


    His Sword Emperor''s Aura rushed out as well, protecting him from the effects of the Tower Master''s Aura.


    For the first time, the tower master''s expressions revealed minor fluctuations.


    "The Holy Aura, as well as the aura of that annoying person. How did you gain all this... Ren Necroline?" The Tower Master''s emotionless voice came from the sky, making Eren''s expressions go even darker.


    He was still in disguise so how did the person find out? It was impossible to do that through the memories of the Left Guardian, so how? He didn''t do anything to reveal his real identity after all.


    The Tower Master flew down,nding in front of Eren, his lips carrying a subtle smirk.

 Chapter 449: Chapter 449: Hells Craving

    Eren didn''t expect the Tower Master to call out his real name.


    Even Feng Yu, Mist and the Holy Priestess failed to see through his disguise, so how did this person manage to find out? He didn''t understand.


    The only thing he knew was that it wasn''t looking good for him if the Tower Master knew his real identity.


    "Ren Necroline?" Eren asked, appearing confused as if the name had beenpletely unfamiliar to him. He also took a step back as the Tower Masternded right in front of him.


    Unfortunately, his legs started feeling a lot heavier as the ground beneath him became darker. There was nothing holding on to his legs anymore, but still he felt as if something was pulling him down.


    His entire body felt heavier and the dark ground started pulling him down. Before he could react, his ankles were already inside the ground, as if it was quicksand, pulling him inward.


    "You can hide your identity. You can even gain these strange new abilities, but you can never cleanse yourself of the sins within your soul, now that you are in this territory."


    The Tower Master looked at Eren, his eyes shining in an unfamiliar glint.


    He reached out his hand, but he didn''t touch Eren. Instead, his fingers stopped a few inches before Eren''s throat. He appeared as if he was touching something very fragile that no one else could see.


    "Hell is calling for you... The Sinner, deserves to return." He said, his voice carrying not even the slightest hint of emotion.


    He was the one person who could see a thin ck thread that was wrapped around Eren''s neck like a shackle. The other end of the thread was within Hell itself, marking Eren''s soul.


    In the past, the soul thread was long visible to the Tower Master when Eren was within the Necromancer Tower. However, with the opening of the Hell''s Door, the connection between this world and hell was bing stronger.


    Even though Eren was far away from Hell''s Door, the soul thread still existed. And the range was only increasing with each passing day.


    "I thought I would have to wait for the day that door opens to find you. But you returned on your own," The Tower Master said, while the unknown force kept pulling Eren down to the unknown realm.


    "He will be really happy with the gift," he further stated, his words only heard by Eren.


    Even though the Guide was not far from the Tower Master, he couldn''t understand what was being said.


    The Tower Master was speaking in an unknownnguage that he couldn''t understand. Even Eren didn''t notice that the Tower Master was speaking an entirely differentnguage as he was able to understand it clearly.


    The Tower Master turned to the Guide. With a slight wave of his hand, he opened a portal behind the Guide.


    "Hell is greedy. The door will start opening faster. Return to the tower and make the arrangements."


    The Guide nodded. He looked at Eren onest time before entering the portal. With the Tower Master personally handling this matter, there was no need for anyone else.


    The Left Guardian also followed the Guide, being no different than a mindless ve. The portal closed after the two of them left.


    The undead dragon in the sky also rose higher. Arge gust of wind was left behind as the undead dragon flew back to the Tower.


    "Why aren''t you resisting? Have you given up?" Being left alone with Eren, the Tower Master asked.


    In his presence, it had truly be impossible for Eren to escape. His stats had increased, but he was still not on the same realm as the Tower Master.


    Even then, he could at least try to fight the Tower Master. On the contrary, Eren was strangely calm even though he was already knee deep within the dark ground.


    His behaviour was slightly strange, even for the Tower Master. Not only was there no resistance from Eren, but strangely enough, there was also not much of a fear visible on his face.


    Instead, Eren removed his disguise. Now that he was caught, there was no need to keep the facade. For the first time since he entered this world, he was revealing his real face as Ren Necroline in the real world in front of another person.


    "How did you recognise me?" Eren asked the Tower Master, as if he had actually epted his death.


    "I found you with the guidance of Hell. It has been craving for you for a long time. The wait won''tst long now." The Tower Master answered, fulfilling Eren''s curiosity.


    He lightly moved his finger and used an illusion to make Eren see the trace of the soul thread that was tied around his neck.


    "As long as you are within the Northern Territory, you can''t avoid the soul thread."


    Eren frowned while watching the thread that was going in the direction of the Necromancer Tower.


    "So it is something like a gps tracker on me. That is frustrating indeed."


    From the words of the Tower Master, he also became certain that it only worked within the Northern Continent. That''s why he wasn''t discovered by the Tower while he was in other Continents.


    Another thing he learned from the small clues was that only the Tower Master could see it. If that wasn''t the case, the Left Guardian or the Guide would''ve caught him before he left the tower.


    "Gps what?" The Tower Master didn''t understand what strange words Eren was using out of nowhere.


    By now, Eren was already waist deep in the darkness. His body kept being pulled down, leaving only a matter of time before he waspletely engulfed.


    "I assume you also know that I was looking for the Recording Crystal? Before I die, can I at least see the recording?" Eren asked the Tower Master who was finding Eren''s behaviour even more strange with each passing second.

 Chapter 450: Chapter 450: Straight from above

    The Tower Master looked at Eren weirdly, hearing his request. Not only was this person not scared, but he was even asking for the recording crystal as if he was simply asking for an extra serving on the dinner table.


    Did this person actually ept his fate? That was truly unlike him, but he couldn''t see any other possibility either.


    He could see that the seal on Eren was still intact. Although he had gained some strange abilities, overall, he was still weaker than he used to be in the past. There was no way he could pull any trick from under his nose.


    The Tower Lord raised his hand. A small portal opened next to him.


    He inserted his hand inside the portal and brought out the recording crystal which was still stained in some blood stains.


    "I will grant yourst wish." He extended out his hand towards Eren.


    Eren also reached out his hand towards the recording crystal, which was something that he felt was extremely important.


    Unfortunately, just as his fingers were about to touch the recording crystal, the Tower Lord released the aura of death through his fingers.


    The aura entered the recording crystal, making it crack. Right in front of Eren''s eyes, the recording crystal shattered into a thousand pieces.


    Each of these pieces fell on the ground, being absorbed by the darkness beneath Eren.


    "Did you think I will fulfil even one request of a sinner?" The Tower Lord asked. Even though his voice was just as emotionless, Eren could feel the mockery.


    Eren looked at the pieces of the recording crystal that were swallowed by the darkness. He was only able to catch a single fragment which was no more useful than a showpiece now.


    There was disappointment on his face. With the destruction of the recording crystal, everything rted to the incident between him and the main character of the North was lost forever.


    His body was already chest deep in the darkness, with only his shoulders, head and hands being out, waiting to be devoured.


    He was frustrated that the Tower Lord didn''t follow the default temte of the Viins. Shouldn''t he be overconfident about his abilities, coolly turning around to not even watch thest moments of the supposed death of the hero?


    As a viin, he should''ve been more talkative at least. He wasn''t even fulfilling thest wish of the Hero who was on the verge of death?


    It was as if the Tower Lord knew all the rookie mistakes that a viin could do. Or was it because Ren Necroline used to be such a forbidden existence that he couldn''t afford to look down on him?


    "Alright, enough ying around." Eren rubbed his forehead, having enough. He thought he might get the answers if he was caught in the trap, but things didn''t went as he nned.


    He moved his fingers, tapping the air. The Tower Master didn''t understand why he had such strange movements but he didn''t look down on Eren.


    Meanwhile, Eren opened the inventory. He looked for a very particr item that he had received after Fey had died in his hands.


    A small voucher appeared in his hand out of nothingness. Without giving the Tower Master an opportunity to notice or react to the item appearing in his hand, he activated it.


    Fey had received a question voucher as a reward. He had used the question voucher after being provoked by Eren. However, the voucher was still left intact due to the use of the multiplier ability of Fey.


    After Fey''s death, the voucher lost its owner. It appeared inside Eren''s inventory as he was a Transmigrator like Fey. He was also the one who killed him.


    A frown developed on the face of the Tower Master, but his body abruptly froze before he could react. Not just the body of the Tower Master but everything else in the surroundings also stopped.


    The time itself had stopped. Along with it, the effect of every skill, and the restriction of the darkness under Eren had also been stopped in time.


    "Why are you always finding such weird uses for the question vouchers?" A voice appeared behind Eren, apanied by a familiar presence.


    "Are you going to simply watch or help me?" Eren asked the Author who was watching him with great curiosity.


    Normally, one couldn''t even receive a single question Voucher, let alone finding such strange uses for them. Last time, Eren made Fey use the question voucher as a trap. And now, he used it as a time freeze treasure?


    "My hands are busy," the author answered, holding the umbre with both his hands.


    Eren''s lips twitched in response. Last time this person came down, he was holding the umbre with just one hand. He was intentionally using both his hands at this time.


    "Then free one of your hands and help me. If you do that, then I promise I won''t disturb you for at least a month even if I get another question voucher."


    "Do you think the Question Vouchers are fruits hanging by a tree for you to-" the Author tried speaking, only to stop mid sentence.


    He remembered that Eren had called him down four times already. If it was him, then he might actually find the question vouchers as if they were fruits on the roadside.


    He rubbed his forehead, taking one hand off his umbre. "Make it six months and I''ll help you."


    "Three months and you got a deal," Eren told the author, bargaining for a better deal.


    "You!" The author felt like he was at a loss of words. "Even at a time like this, you want to bargain?"


    Eren didn''t reply. He simply looked at the author, being certain that this guy was going to help him. Moreover, the Author was an important existence.


    His appearance could definitely save his life in the future. Eren didn''t want to promise six months as that was truly a waste.


    As for getting out of the darkness beneath him, he could do it even without external help now that the effect of restriction magic was also froze on him, along with everything else in this world.

 Chapter 451: Chapter 451: Moral Police

    Eren could get out of it on his own. The only problem was that it was going to take more effort and time. Fortunately, there was no need to worry about time.


    As long as he didn''t ask a question using the voucher, the effect wasn''t going to run out anytime soon.


    "Four months and no less!" The Author also grew stubborn, albeit going down on the duration as well.


    "You have a deal!" Eren brightly reached out his hand towards the Author.


    "You are truly something else..." The author also shook his head lightly.


    He reached out his hand, grabbing a hold of Eren''s hand. He pulled Eren out of the darkness that had been trying to devour him before the time was frozen.


    With the author''s help, Eren was pulled out of the quicksand-like darkness,nding on the ground in the distance.


    Eren was finally able to catch a breath of relief as he sat on the ground, feeling the numbness in his legs.


    "Recovery." He used the Dragon Tongue on his legs, helping them recover faster.


    "That feels so much better," he said, feeling the smooth recovery. He was soon able to stand properly, as if nothing was wrong with him.


    The only problem was that the clothes on the power half of his body her been destroyed, leaving himpletely bare from chest down.


    He brought new clothes from his inventory and changed his attire.


    "When you said that I might die on my trip to the North, did you already know about the thread of soul?" he asked the author while looking at the Tower Master in the distance.


    The Tower Master lookedpletely helpless. He couldn''t even move a finger, making it the perfect opportunity to kill him at first nce.


    Unfortunately, that was too good to be true. In the frozen world, as long as Eren tried to attack any living being, the effect of the frozen world was going to be over.


    Attacking the Tower Master was no different than freezing him from these restrictions, giving him another opportunity to kill him.


    If it wasn''t for the thread, it wouldn''t have been this dangerous for him in the Northern Continent. Unfortunately, he hadn''t even known about it.


    He came straight to the territory of the Tower Master, not even realizing that he was carrying something akin to a gps that led the Tower Master straight to him.


    "Is that the question you are asking using the Question Voucher?" The author asked, only for Eren to fiercely shake his head.


    "Don''t you even try!" Eren eximed. "This is just a normal question."


    The effect of the time freeze was onlysting until the question asked using the voucher was answered. He couldn''t use a question like that as that was going to free the Tower Master.


    "In that case I can''t answer." The Author simply looked elsewhere, not answering Eren''s question.


    "You said that the only opportunity I had to survive was by using the Sword of Retribution which belonged to the Sword Emperor. Does it mean I can kill the Tower Master if I could use that sword?"


    Eren changed the question since the first question couldn''t be answered. As long as it wasn''t a forced question, the effect of the question voucher weren''t counted.


    "I said you might have a chance of surviving. I didn''t say you could kill him. At the same time, I also didn''t say that you couldn''t kill him. So who knows?" The author shrugged, being just as vague as ever.


    Eren rubbed his temples, not knowing how to take the author''s words. When he meant that he might have a chance of survival, what percentage of chance was it? One percent chance? A hundred percent chance? Nothing was clear.


    Unfortunately, it was clear that the person wasn''t going to answer until he was forced, which Eren couldn''t afford to do right now.


    Instead, he turned to the Tower Master. He wanted to see himself what was the true strength of the tower master.


    "Identification!"


    A status scree appeared in front of Eren, being blood red. Seeing the screen, Eren''s frown deepened.


    He wasn''t taken aback because of the man''s stats. Instead, he was surprised because he couldn''t see anything at all.


    Everything on the status screen was blurry and glitchy, making it impossible to even properly read the person''s name on the status screen.


    Soon, a ck screen appeared in front of the red screen which was much smaller, only having a few sentences.


    [Error. An unknown force is protecting the information of the target. You are not strong enough to forcefully reveal the information. Please try againter.]


    "An unknown force is restricting me?" Eren looked back at the author. "Can you tell me anything about it?"


    The author remaining silent, not even saying a single word this time. It was as if he didn''t even hear a single word spoken by the young man.


    The mist around the author''s face made it impossible to see what he looked long, or even his expressions at the moment.


    "It looks like I won''t be getting any answers from you." Eren could only give up on trying to get answers.


    He raised his Sword and walked closer the Tower Master. As he had no intent to attack the tower master, the time freeze effects remained in ce.


    Eren stepped in front of the Tower Master and used his sword. However, he didn''t use it on the tower master.


    Instead, he used the sword to carve a few words on the ground. He wrote using thenguage of this world to make sure that the Tower Master could understand him when he woke up.


    "Are you really...?" The Author looked at the message that Eren wrote for the Author, almost facepalming himself. "You are so childish."


    "Don''t be a moral policeman now." Eren shrugged before turning around.


    He kept the sword back in his inventory, having finished writing the message that he wanted to leave behind.

 Chapter 452: Chapter 452: The Strongest

    Eren looked at the darkness on the ground, which was connected to the prison realm of the Tower Master. If one was swallowed by that realm, escaping was no different than a dream.


    Still, he found it somewhat estranged. Did Devourer save him from a ce like that when they were running away from the Tower in the past that the memory fragment had revealed? He wasn''t certain.


    He could only gaze at the fragment of the recording orb in his hand which was more or less useless.


    "If only he had fallen for this trick and showed me the recording, it would''ve been so much better." He kept the recording crystal fragment in his inventory, wondering if it was because his acting was somewhatcking.


    "I knew I should''ve been more melodramatic." He could only sigh in disappointment.


    "There is no point in crying over spilled milk," the author said, bringing Eren out of his daze.


    "Huh? You know the sayings from earth?" Eren revealed slight surprise at the author''s words. "Then again, it shouldn''t surprise me. You were able to bring me from earth, so it makes sense if you can contact that ce."


    The author didn''t answer.


    After taking onest nce at the Tower Master, Eren started walking away.


    Even the author understood that Eren had no ns to ask his forced question anytime soon. It was also a wise n.


    He followed after Eren, his footsteps appearing to be slow, yet keeping up with the young man''s footsteps.


    "I had a question for you. It''s not about any secrets of this world so I am sure you can answer it without being forced," Eren told the author after the two of them pasaed through a forest.


    As the entire world was frozen in time, Eren couldn''t even use any beasts to fly back to the Western Continent. Even the Phoenix was going to be frozen in time if summoned.


    He could only travel the entire distance on foot, which was very time consuming. The only positive was that he wasn''tcking time, which had been frozen.


    "It would depend on your question," the Author vaguely responded.


    "When I came to this world, I was still able to use my phone to contact the people on earth. I could also use inte. I am sure there is no connection tower in this world, so how was that possible?" Eren asked.


    "It is because the phone that you brought with you, is just a cloned object. Think of it as a reward for you. Your real phone is still back on earth, right where you left it. As the two are connected at the core, you were able to use one to make a call with the other."


    "In that case, is my body also..." Eren asked with a little hesitation.


    Only his soul came to this world. He was really curious about what happened to his body on earth. Was his body possessed by Ren''s soul in return? Or was it just lying there like a corpse, rotting every day?


    Although it didn''t matter much at this point. It had already be ustomed to this body with the strength that came with it that his real body felt like a foreigner to him. Still, his curiosity got the best of him.


    "Only your soul came here. Your body is on earth," the author answered.


    "Does that mean I''m already dead on earth? Did the others find the corpse?" Eren asked.


    Even if he was so believe that his body might survive without a soul, it couldn''t survive without food and water. It would''ve long been dead, with the stench of death strong enough to alert the neighbours.


    The author grew silent and didn''t answer Eren.


    Eren also didn''t ask the same question again. He was starting a new life in this world, no matter how chaotic.


    At this point, he had truly epted himself as Ren Necroline, not even thinking about returning to earth. A person like him could only be called a monster back on earth.


    "If my phone was cloned, couldn''t the charger also be cloned?" He changed the topic to something light hearted. "My phone has be no different than a brick with a battery only enough to turn it on onest time."


    "Even if your charger was cloned, where would you find a charging socket? After that, where will you find electricity? Did you forget what kind of world this was?" The author rolled his eyes in response.


    Eren also realized that the supply chain was an issue. Just a charger wasn''t enough to recover his phone and check what was happening on earth.


    The two of them kept walking away from the Tower Master, immersed in the conversation about the two worlds.


    It was the first time Eren had talked so much with the author. It was also the same for the mysterious existence. The two of them talked as if they had long been friends, which was a strange feeling for Eren.


    He didn''t understand why he felt sofortable around the author, who should''ve been a forbidden existence in this world.


    Not just the author, but even the Sword Emperor felt the same. It was as if they had known each other for an eternity.


    ....


    [Weekster]


    Eren had been traveling with the author for a long time. He had increased his speed many times, even flying asionally as long as he could. Despite that, the author was still able to keep up with him effortlessly.


    Soon, the two of them reached the end of the Northern Continent, which was marked by the river of Life and Death, separating it from the Western Continent.


    "Are you the strongest existence in this world?" Eren asked the author, feeling the scent of the river that was not far from him.


    "I''m not the strongest person in this world," the author answered while momentarily ncing at Eren.


    Eren was facing the river so he didn''t notice the strange nce of the author.

 Chapter 453: Chapter 453: The Unspeakable Existence

    "Are you stronger or the existence beneath the River of Life and Death?" Eren asked the author, stopping merely a hundred meters away from the river.


    He had felt the existence when he was crossing the riverst time. He was even informed by the Cardinal that even the Overlords couldn''t return alive if they were to face the existence beneath the sea that was unseen by everyone.


    Even his own soul felt slightly restless when he was near the river, letting him feel like he was truly going to die if he even entered the river for a mere fraction of a second.


    The only person he knew who could have even a rough idea about the kind of existence hiding beneath was the author who was following him.


    "I cannot answer you." The Author was just as vague, as if the existence beneath the river was something he couldn''t talk about either. It was also restricted by the rules of this world.


    "You can at least tell me if it''s stronger than the four Overlords. I don''t think that would break any rules as the people of this world already have a rough understanding about that thing."


    The author grew silent, thinking about it for a brief moment.


    After a few minutes, he answered,  "It is certainly stronger than the Overlords. That is all I can say. As for how strong, I can''t answer."


    His tone turned grim as he further stated, "All I can advise you, is to never enter the river. Even the Celestial Dragon of the past, the ruler of the bloody ocean, wouldn''t survive inside this river."


    "Do I have a chance of surviving if I was able to use the Sword of Retribution?" Eren asked the author.


    He knew that he couldn''t directly ask him about the strength of the existence, but he could use rough reference to gain an understanding without breaking any rules.


    "You can''t survive."


    "What if I used the same trick I used against the Tower Master?" Eren further asked, which was the main question he wanted to ask.


    Unfortunately, he had to take a long route to ask this question to not make the author suspicious.


    "I would advice against it. You still won''t be able to survive," the Author responded.


    "I see. So that''s how it is." With the answer, Eren understood a lot of things about the existence beneath the river. "So even when the world is frozen, the existence beneath the river stays free. It''s not bound by the frozen world."


    "Hmm?" The author frowned, finally understanding the meaning behind Eren''s question.


    If the young man directly asked if his time freeze worked on the creature, he would have refused to answer. Hence the man used survival as a question.


    If he couldn''t survive even after using the question voucher, it could only mean that the time freeze was ineffective.


    "It seems that the existence is on the same level as you, if not higher." The more Eren learned about the kind of existence was living in this world, the more surprised he became.


    If there was anything in this world that could be called a god, then it would''ve been the author. But that existence was no weaker. It might even be stronger.


    Eren made sure to remind himself to never step inside the river, even by an ident. Life was the most precious thing for him, and he wasn''t going to sacrifice it over a foolish mistake.


    He rose in the air and flew as high as he possibly could. He tried to maintain as much distance from the river as he possibly could while crossing it.


    The author also followed Eren, his gaze looking at the river in which one side, there was aura of purest life. On the other side of the river, there was simply an aura of death which was purer than the death felt within hell.


    Fortunately, the river or the existence within it, didn''t react. Eren only felt as if he was being watched by a forbidden existence as he flew above the river.


    The feeling disappeared when he reached the ground on the other end of the river,nding in the Western Continent for the first time.


    Now that he was in another continent, the thread of hell around his neck was also gone, not able to reach into other Continents.


    With this, even the Tower Master couldn''t locate his exact location. The only thing the tower master could find out was that he was using the Holy Aura.


    Fortunately, he hadn''t used any other abilities. The only other thing he used was eleration, which was a bloodline abilities. It was almost impossible to differentiate between a holy ability and a bloodline ability.


    Even his sword had the holy aura which further signalled his association with the Holy Empire.


    Even if they believed that he was the Holy Emperor''s younger brother, what could they even do from the Northern Continent?


    Even if he was going to try to find him, he would have no other choice but to attack the Holy Empire, which worked out in his favor.


    "Now that you are within a safe range, are you going to ask your question and free me? I have other things to deal with." The Author rubbed his forehead, slightly tired at being dragged around for weeks.


    As he was here, he had missed a lot of important events.


    "It''s still too soon. Can you wait until we reach the Holy City? I''m not sure if the people from the Tower will catch up to me as soon as you leave."


    The Author silently looked at Eren. As he had no choice, he dragged along once more


    One more week passed while the world and the door of hell remained frozen in time. The three weeks left within the opening of Hell''s Door were still intact, with not even a single day having passed in reality.


    The author went with Eren, only stopping when they reached near the Holy City, catching sight of the Sea Dragon Empress, still waiting while sitting on a rock.

 Chapter 454: Chapter 454: Outside Flow of Time

    "Are you going to finish asking your question now, or do I need to escort you to the Eastern Continent as well?"


    The author was running out of patience. Over a month had passed since he was summoned, but not even a second had passed in this world. He felt like he was a babysitter at this point.


    "It''s fine. This should be far enough from the border."


    Eren stopped in front of the Sea Dragon Empress who was sitting like a statue, still holding the piece of meat in her hand.


    She was about to eat it when the time was frozen. Even after such a long time, the smoke and warmth of the food was still fresh, assaulting Eren''s senses.


    The Author sighed in relief. Finally, he was going to be free of this torment. Only he knew how much he had to go through during this trip.


    Along the way, Eren had barely stopped talking. He asked one question after another whenever he had time.


    Although most of the questions went unanswered, he didn''t stop. Even when the author didn''t say a single word for days, the young man still didn''t stop.


    It was as if he didn''t even want answers in the first ce. He was just treating him as a way to get rid of his boredom along the way.


    The worst part for him was that even when he didn''t answer, Eren managed to decipher a few things every time he reacted even in the slightest.


    Every time he thought that the question was harmless, he ended up falling for a trap, letting Eren recieve the answers. Fortunately, it didn''t happen too often or he would''ve gone crazy already.


    During this trip, he managed to learn just how chaotic Eren''s mind was. How could a young mane up with so many questions? He wasn''t even sure.


    He simply hoped that Eren wasn''t going to ask a question like he didst time which almost erased his existence.


    "Do you want to know about the Tower Master''s weakness? Or do you want to know about the methods to kill other Overlords with the least amount of loss for yourself?"


    He didn''t forget to give Eren some hints, directing him towards the questions that he could answer without having to worry about his entire existence.


    Unlikest time, he didn''t want to risk Eren asking some unorthodox question.


    Eren held the Question Voucher in his hand, activating the second stage of the voucher which activated the forced question.


    "I have only one question for you. It might even appear insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but it is important for me." Eren took a deep breath, thinking about the question he was about to ask.


    The Author felt quite concerned. Every time Eren asked things that he imed to be insignificant, they were always rted to a bigger mess.


    "Yelen mentioned that she had met me before," Eren told the Author. "As far as I managed to learn, she was sealed in an Era that was long before the appearance of the Towers in the Northern Continent."


    "On the other hand, Ren Necroline, was born in the Necromancer Tower. He is also imed to have killed his twin brothers a few yearster. So my question is simple."


    "How could Yelen meet Ren Necroline in the era where he wasn''t even born yet?"


    He had asked the same question to Yelen, but his Guardian Spirit had been unable to answer him. There was a seal on her soul that prevented her from answering. The seal was so strong that she couldn''t even write the answer for him.


    "I should''ve guessed that you woulde up with a question like this," The Author muttered under his breath, his frustration barely concealed.


    "Why can''t you ask simple questions like Fey did?"


    He rubbed his temples, trying to think of methods to answer that question without beingpletely ripped apart by thews of this world.


    Recently, every time he came down on Eren''s demand, and was always in a situation where he had to tread extremely carefully between the restriction of the question voucher and the restriction of the worldlyws.


    Eren''s question, though seemingly simple on the surface, hadyers that could unravel the very fabric of the world''s timeline.


    "He was asking simple questions. Isn''t that why he''s already dead?" Eren shrugged in response, not taking the author''s words seriously.


    There were many questions that he could ask, especially about the weakness of the Tower Master or the other Overlords. He could even ask for a way to safely enter hell, but at the end of the day, it was something that still wasn''t quite safe either.


    Fey had also asked for methods to conquer Feng Yu, and the author had guided him with an answer. In the end, that led him to Eren which eventually caused his n to fail.


    If the person hadn''t followed that answer, then Fey would''ve lived much longer. Or rather, if he had asked about the existence of other Transmigrators, he would''ve had better preparation.


    There were many more important things to consider than to just ask for a shortcut to do one thing and even failing in that due to variables.


    The Author took a deep breath, knowing he couldn''t avoid the question, especially since the shackles had started materialising around his body.


    "Time is not as linear as you''d like to think. Especially not in this world. There are... Paradox, let''s call them. Events that defy the usual order of things," the author answered.


    "Like my bloodline? Does that mean that Ren Necroline had already activated this bloodline? Why is it asleep now then?"


    "I haven''t finished my answer," the Author intervened, cutting Eren''s curious thoughts.


    "The Paradox Bloodline, and the Paradox that I am talking about, are two different things. The bloodline you possess, have nothing to do with it."


    "In some instances," the Author continued. "Individuals can exist outside the normal flow of time. They can touch different eras, leaving traces of themselves in ces they shouldn''t be able to reach."

 Chapter 455: Chapter 455: In a single day

    Eren raised an eyebrow, still puzzled.


    The Author''s words implied that Ren Necroline had existed outside the flow of time. If that was the case, how could he be imprisoned and sealed by the four Overlords?


    He needed Devourer''s help to even escape the Necromancer Tower. After all that, he had still failed to even save Devourer.


    It was impossible for Rent Necroline to be strong enough to exist outside the flow of time. He didn''t have the strength to achieve that, unless someone helped him.


    Eren couldn''t help but raise his head, looking at the person in front of him.


    When he thought about someone that could help Ren Necroline escape the restrictions of time, even if momentarily, only one person came to his mind. It was the person standing in front of him.


    "But even if he was able to leave the flow of time, how did he..."


    "Hmm?" The author raised his head, looking at a temporarily strange phenomenon appearing in the sky. A red aurora appeared in the sky, creating a strange scenery.


    "It seems like someone else has also used the Question Voucher," he mumbled under his breath. "But that location..."


    He didn''t finish his sentence, but there was a curious look in his eyes.


    He returned his focus back to Eren.


    "In response to your question, that is all I can tell you. I have fulfilled my responsibilities."


    The chains around his body started disappearing one after another, until he waspletely free. His body also became more translucent, until he disappeared from Eren''s viewpletely.


    The strange phenomenon in the sky also disappeared. The sky returned to its usual shade. The flow of time started recovering, with the scent of the food being the first thing that assaulted Eren''s scenes strongly.


    Eren could only shake his head at the reaction of the author. Even if that person had been mumbling near the end, he was still able to hear his words.


    It was another Transmigrator who had used the Question Voucher. The strange reaction of the Author didn''t escape Eren''s attention either.


    The author had momentarily turned towards the north while speaking, which made Eren believe that he wasn''t talking about the Prophet or Aster.


    That only left one Transmigrator, the one that was still hiding in the shroud of secrecy. Eren was really curious about the strength of the person.


    Every other Transmigrator had abilities that could make them rule an era. Aster assumed the position of the Deputy Leader of the Hero Academy.


    Fey Transmigrated as the heir of the Wind Tower. The Prophet was also the professor at the Hero Academy when he came to this world.


    The Fourth Transmigration was even more lucky. He became the Holy Emperor after his transmigration. Unfortunately, his luck was also apanied by bad luck as that happened right when Eren entered the Holy Empire.


    That left only one Transmigrator. Eren was now sure that thest Transmigrator was also in the Northern Continent. That was exactly where the Author was going now.


    "I hope he doesn''t have a broken ability." Eren looked in the direction of North as well.


    With the flow of time recovering, he could only imagine the wrath that the Tower Master was going to have.


    ....


    Back in the Northern Continent, the time of flow recovered first. The Tower Master came to his senses, his expressions turning dark the moment he noticed that Eren was nowhere to be found.


    It was as if the person had simply disappeared into thin air out of nowhere, even when he was trapped in the spell of darkness.


    He spread out his aura, scanning thousands of miles of area. Despite that, he couldn''t find the person anywhere. Even the thread of hell was missing.


    "How did he do that?" The Tower Master frowned, realizing that it could only mean one thing. Eren had already left the continent from right under his nose.


    "It''s just like thest time he..." He said, only to stop mid-sentence as he noticed an arrow on the ground.


    He followed the directions that arrow was pointing, his gaze soonnding on a paragraph that was written on the ground with a sharp object.


    The more he read, the darker his expressions became. Every line carved on the ground was filled with curses that were used in this world. Some of these words were so vulgar that he hadn''t even heard them previously.


    Not just him, Eren cursed his seven generations.


    The tower Master was so enraged that he lost control of his temper.


    "Ren Necroline!!!" He roared out loud, his aura ring to and spreading out. As far as his aura went, there was only destruction.


    Thend was destroyed to such an extent that for centuries, not even a single grass could grow there. Even the Greyndor family didn''t avoid the aftermath of the Tower Master''s anger.


    As this ce was near the territory of the Greyndor Family, the family estate was also caught. The entire family estate was turned into dust with just the aura of the Tower Master.


    For millions of miles, not even a single life force was left alive. It was after a long time, the Tower Master finally recovered his senses, but millions of people had died by then.


    Fortunately, in the vastness of the Northern Continent, the area that was destroyed was no different than a small dot in the vast horizon.


    Even though millions of lives had simply disappeared in a single moment, most people were never going to know about it.


    The Left Guardian had died. The family that the left guardian''s disciple belonged to, was also destroyed. In the war of the two great Families, the winner was already decided.


    From this moment onwards, there was only one existence in the Necromancer Towerparable to the Guide. It was the Right Guardian.


    The only family that could control the Northern Continent with the permission of the Necromancer Tower was the Rottenheim Family of Leo.


    Anya still had no idea how she had lost everything in a single day, all because of a single young man that she didn''t even consider worthy of her attention.

 Chapter 456: Chapter 456: Mistake

    ....


    "Who are you?!"


    Eren felt a powerful murderous intenting from behind him. He could even feel cold ws that were touching the back of his neck, ready to stab through his neck.


    "It is me." Eren raised both his hands harmlessly and turned around to reveal himself to the Sea Dragon Empress.


    He expected her to wee her as the Dragon Prince after seeing him. However, to his surprise, her bloodlust grew even stronger.


    She attacked him instantly.


    Subconsciously, Eren activated eleration which barely helped him move on time. Still, the ws of the Sea Dragon Empress had managed to leave w marks on the right side of his face.


    Fresh trickled down the wounds on his face. He touched his cheeks, not understanding why she was attacking him.


    "Why are you attacking me?" he asked the woman who appeared like she had simply gone crazy.


    "After killing my brother, you are asking me why?!" the Sea Dragon Empress eximed, her speed growing even faster.


    She even used the Dragon Tongue Magic to increase gravity around Eren to make him even slower.


    As she was not far from the Holy City, she was still cautious against using anyrge scale magic that could be detected.


    "Killed your brother?" Eren mumbled under his breath, almost feeling like pping himself.


    He was so distracted by Author and thest Transmigrator, he had forgotten to use the old disguise that he had used when helping the Sea Dragon Empress.


    Instead, he met her as Eren, the person who had killed her brother and still managed to escape from her grasps.


    He couldn''t help but curse himself for making such a naive mistake. He could fight back and even defeat her, but he was just as cautious as her since they were near the Holy City.


    It didn''t matter to him even if the Holy City sent some guards to check this ce, but the Sea Dragon Empress was going to be caught by them, which he couldn''t ept.


    ''Come on, think of something...''


    He stressed his mind while flying away from the Sea Dragon Empress as fast as he could. Even if he had to react, he could only do that when he was far enough from the Holy City.


    "Stop running away, you cowardly animal! ept your death!" The Sea Dragon Empress roared, dragon wings appearing on her back. She flew after Eren.


    Normally, a Sea Dragon was faster than a Cultivator. Unfortunately for the Sea Dragon Empress, Eren wasn''t an ordinary cultivator. No matter how fast she flew, she wasn''t able to close the distance between them.


    "Who says that I am running away? I just don''t have any interest in ying with an insignificant wild beast that couldn''t even save her brother from me," Eren taunted the Sea Dragon Empress, instead of pacifying her.


    While running away, he had already thought of a n. To achieve sess in his n, he had to y his part well. For now, he wasn''t the Celestial Dragon Prince.


    He was Great Elder Eren, who was brave enough to enter the Sea Dragon''s Domain and kill their prince.


    He wasn''t the person who saved the Sea Dragon Empress from the Duke but the person that had her daughter by using himself to lure her.


    "You!" The Sea Dragon Empress'' eyes turned a darker shade of red. Not only was this person mocking her, but he was also making fun of her brother''s death?


    She was so enraged that she didn''t hold back. She used the Dragon Tongue Magic to increase her body''s strength beyond the limit, even if it was harmful for her.


    Without turning into her true Dragon Form, it was the fastest that she could go.


    To Eren''s surprise, this speed proved to be faster than his own speed. He couldn''t use eleration with flight, so his speed was still limited.


    The distance that had been maintained between the two of them for thest ten minutes, had been shrinking with each passing second.


    The two of them were flying so fast, that they appeared like shooting stars that were flying too close to earth. Fortunately, they were getting farther from the Holy City, flying in the direction of the Northern Continent.


    As twenty minutes passed, the distance between the two of them was only a few meters. Just a little closer and the Sea Dragon Empress could simply spread out her arm and catch Eren.


    "There it is..." Eren saw a sign near the ground. His celestial dragon bloodline also started bing slightly restless. He was getting closer to the point marked on the map of the Celestial Dragon.


    "Hmm? What are the Priests doing there?"


    A short momentter, Eren caught the sight of an old stone structure that was being guarded by the Priests.


    "You think priests can save your life?! Today, I will get rid of your from this world!" The Sea Dragon Empress also saw the Holy Priests.


    She thought that Eren was once again trying to use the Holy Empire to take her down.


    He was intentionally drawing her towards the priests, but she didn''t care now. Even if she had to risk everything, she was going to kill Eren.


    "All of you need to die!" she eximed, forgetting that her real goal ining to this continent was to break the seal on her bloodline. Her priorities had already been shifted to Eren, who hadn''t dropped taunting her.


    "The Sea Dragons are attacking! Help!" The wanted criminal is attacking!" Eren roared at the top of his lungs, catching the attention of the distant holy priests.


    His shouting caught the attention of the Holy Priests, who were also taken aback. They hadn''t been to the Holy City so they didn''t know Eren. Still, they knew that the Sea Dragon Empress was a wanted person.


    Looking at the wings on her back and her appearance, it became clear that she was the enemy. One of the guards started setting up amunication to contact the Holy Church to send reinforcements.


    The other Holy Priests flew towards Eren and the Sea Dragon Empress to stop them.

 Chapter 457: Chapter 457: Help

    Eren watched the Holy Priests flying in their location, their robes fluttering like banners in the wind. He could feel that their hostility wasn''t just directed towards the Sea Dragon Empress. It was also directed towards him as they didn''t recognise him.


    Before they could attack the two of them, he brought out a token of the Holy Empire, that was only given by the Holy Emperor to the friends of the Empire.


    As the Holy Emperor, he didn''tck things like this. Let alone one, he had multiple such tokens in his inventory that were no different than freebies that came with bing the Emperor.


    The tokens could not be faked, as they came with the aura of the emperor himself. As soon as Eren revealed the token, the Holy Priests were surprised.


    "I am the guest of the Holy Emperor. I was suddenly attacked by this crazy woman. Help me stop her until help arrives!" Eren eximed, sending the hostility of the Holy Priests along down.


    The Priests still gathered their attacks, but they waited until Eren flew past them to attack the Sea Dragon Empress who was right behind him.


    Theirbined attacks were strong, but Eren knew that they weren''t strong enough to dy the descent of the Sea Dragon Empress.


    Even as he heard the painful groans of the Holy Priests as their bodies were ripped apart, he didn''t stop flying. For him, even if the Priests managed to dy the Sea Dragon Empress for a short moment, it was more than enough for him.


    The Sea Dragon Empress killed the Priests, but it also causes her to lose sight of Eren momentarily. The moment she located him again, he was already standing at the entrance of the Dungeon.


    Thest few priests that were responsible for contacting the Holy Church were lying dead next to him with a big hole in their chest.


    Eren waved his blood covered hand towards the Sea Dragon Empress before he passed through the entrance, disappearing within the dungeon.


    "This ce... How dare he..." The Sea Dragon Empress was lost in anger, but even then, it took her only a brief moment to realize what kind of ce this was.


    Without even realizing, she had arrived at the destination that was told to her by the Prophet. As per the prophet, this was the Dungeon that was supposed to possess the heart of the Celestial Dragon.


    She didn''t know if Eren also knew about the significance of this ce, or if he just entered to escape from her. From his expressions before entering, it appeared to be the former case.


    She knew that she had promised the Celestial Dragon Prince that she was going to wait for him before entering the ce. But now, she couldn''t wait anymore.


    Eren had already entered the ce. If he reached the Celestial Dragon''s heart before her, it was going to be a disaster.


    Not just Eren, but even the Holy Emperor had discovered this dungeon. She could only drop the idea of teaming up with the Celestial Dragon Prince and enter alone.


    As per the prophet, this ce was discovered by the Holy Empire. It was when the entrance was discovered during an excavation.


    Looking at the ce, it hadn''t been long since the ce was excavated, revealing the entrance that was buried under the ground for a long time.


    Even though the Holy Empire had discovered the Dungeon, they still hadn''t finished exploring itpletely, due to the recent conflicts with other forces.


    The Holy Empire didn''t know the treasure trove that they had been sitting on.


    Without wasting much time, the Sea Dragon Empress also entered the Dungeon, ignoring the corpse of the Priests lying near the entrance.


    As she stepped through the entrance, she felt like she had passed through a spatial curtain. Not just the surrounding essence but even the feeling that this space gave her had also changed.


    Instead of appearing in an underground structure, she found herself in an open space. Above her, she could see a blood red sky that reminded her of the bloody ocean where she lived.


    It was very faint, but she could feel her bloodline getting excited the moment she entered this ce.


    The Sea Dragon Empress stood under the crimson sky, observing her surroundings. There was a massive maze stretched out before her, its towering walls made of an unfamiliar stone that also had a very faint trace of the Celestial Dragon.


    The trace was so minor that even as the Sea Dragon with the purest bloodline, she could barely feel it. For others, it would''ve been impossible.


    She tried to rise above it, her wings unfurling wide, but as soon as she lifted off the ground, an invisible force pulled her back down. It was as if the very essence of this ce was a shackle for the maze, refusing to let her escape its confines.


    With a thud, she fell on the ground, her elbow getting scratched in the process.


    Watching the minor injury, she was even more surprised. Normally, an even stronger fall wouldn''t have scratched her. However, she was actually bleeding here.


    "Heal." She used the Dragon Tongue to heal her wound.


    The wound started healing, but it also happened much slower than it was supposed to. She could feel that her magic had weakened here.


    "Is it because of these walls?" She frowned, reaching out her hand.


    She touched the wall gently, feeling an even stronger resistance. The walls here were making it harder for her to use the Dragon Tongue.


    Not just was her magic weakened, but even her physical traits had weakened. It wasn''t just her either. Everyone who entered the Dungeon, experienced the same thing.


    "It is simr to the Celestial Dragon''s Curse that I heard about." She retracted her hand, her frown deepening.


    The Celestial Dragon was the strongest dragon to ever exist in this world. It had many traits, and one of his traits was the domain of curse.


    As long as one entered that domain, they were going to be weakened. It was a passive trait that made the Celestial Dragon more threatening.


    It was also what made his death so shocking for everyone who knew the strength that the Celestial Dragon used to possess.


    Even when weakened under the domain, someone was still able to kill the Celestial Dragon, painting the entire sea red. Even now, no one knew who actually killed the Celestial Dragon in the era long forgotten.

 Chapter 458: Chapter 458: Switch

    Not only could one not fly in the dungeon, but they couldn''t climb over the walls either. The walls were impossibly high, their surfaces smooth and unbreakable.


    The passage within the maze was at least a thousand feet wide, making the Sea Dragon Empress wonder just how long this maze was in reality.


    Her senses told her that this was not just a physical structure. It was embedded with magic that was reminiscent of the one used by the Celestial Dragon.


    She was curious as to who made this Dungeon in the first ce. If she hadn''t known better, she would''ve thought that the Celestial Dragon himself made this ce.


    "Was this ce made as a trap by those who killed the Celestial Dragon?" she wondered.


    The more she thought about it, the more she felt that it made sense. The walls felt like they were made from the scales of the Celestial Dragon. Only the person who killed the Celestial Dragon could do something like this.


    Although she knew that it might be a trap, she couldn''t give up. She had to reach the Celestial Dragon''s heart before Eren. Even if she had to die here, she still had to free her n from the curse.


    The only thing she regretted was that she wasn''t with the Celestial Dragon Prince.


    If he was also here, searching this ce would''ve been much easier. As the purest kin of the Celestial Dragon, the young man might have had an easier time locating the heart.


    She couldn''t cry over the spilled milk. She realized that she had to make the best of the situation she had ended up in.


    Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the maze, letting her instincts guide her.


    Each turn seemed to lead to another, and the further she went, the more she realized that thisbyrinth was moreplicated than she thought.


    The pathways of the maze shifted subtly when she wasn''t looking, as if the maze itself was alive, ying with her.


    Even the path of return had changed so many times that she was sure that finding the beginning of the maze was going to be just as hard as finding the end.


    It was also because of this trait, that the team of the Holy Church that was led by a Cardinal to investigate this dungeon, hadn''t returned yet.


    The Sea Dragon Empress didn''t know the right path. She didn''t even have a map of the interior of the maze. She could only follow her instincts as she walked forward.


    As she navigated the passage, the sounds of distant footsteps caught her attention. Someone else was in the maze. She was sure that it was Eren. She had finally caught up to him.


    She picked up her pace. Her hands changed into dragon-like ws. She was about to stab her ws straight into Eren''s chest as soon as she saw him.


    With one more turn, she finally saw the person, walking away without a single realisation. He was like someone who couldn''t even sense as death approached him.


    The Sea Dragon Empress rushed forward. Even though the Dragon Tongue and other abilities were weakened, they weren''tpletely erased.


    In the blink of an eye, she appeared right behind Eren and thrust her ws at his back.


    Taken aback, Eren turned about. The Sea Dragon Empress'' pupils widened momentarily. She quickly changed the direction of her ws, realizing that she couldn''t stop on time.


    She barely missed the flesh of the person, only slicing through his sleeve.


    "What do you think you are doing?" The person before her asked, looking at her ws, seemingly unimpressed.


    "I-i thought you were someone else." The Sea Dragon Empress was just as confused when she saw the person''s face.


    Initially, she didn''t think about it. However, now that she was calm, she realized that his clothes were also different along with his looks. She could also feel the Celestial Dragon''s Aura from the person, that couldn''t be faked.


    The person in front of her wasn''t Eren. Instead, it was the Celestial Dragon Prince that had saved her from the captivity of the Holy Priestess.


    She didn''t realize that the person was Eren, who had simply changed his identity. He needed to disappear from her view for a short time to change his identity, but he couldn''t just appear out of thin air as the Prince.


    The Dungeon and this maze granted him a perfect opportunity and a great excuse.


    "What are you doing here?" she asked the Prince. She was still supposed to be waiting for him, so why was he already here.


    "I came here to check this ce after feeling as if something was calling out to me. I thought I would return right after checking to meet up with you, but I lost my way." Eren scratched the back of his head.


    "What are you doing here?" he asked the girl on return. "You attacked me out of nowhere. Were you chasing an enemy?"


    "That''s right. I chased him inside this ce, but I seen to have lost him. Have you seen a young man, seemingly in his early twenties?"


    The Sea Dragon Empress had already lost hope of finding Eren that easily. With the ever changing maze, even if they both took same turns, they would''ve ended up in different ces based on their timing.


    "It has been a long time since Ist saw someone." Eren shook his head lightly. There was no way he was going to tell her that the person she was after, was standing right in front of her.


    There was no need to antagonize her unnecessarily. Even if he could kill her, that was not a good choice. She was also a descendant of the Celestial Dragon, even if it was a distant branch.


    She also knew more about the Celestial Dragon than he did. With her help, he could reach the heart of the Celestial Dragon with much more ease.


    In this ce, she was the best guide that he could have asked for. He wasn''t foolish enough to kill the guide.

 Chapter 459: Chapter 459: The Guest of the Maze

    "Did I really lose him?" Sea Dragon Empress couldn''t believe that she had lost Eren. "It''s fine. At the end of everything, he wille to me himself."


    As Eren was still inside the maze, she was certain that she was going toe across himter. Even if she couldn''t find him here, she could still find him.


    She was certain that Eren was here for the Celestial Dragon as well. With the help of the Celestial Dragon Prince, she could easily reach the Celestial Dragon Heart and wait for Eren there.


    Both, Eren and the Sea Dragon Empress, believed that the other person was going to lead them to the Celestial Dragon Heart. None of them were aware about how much the other person was relying on them.


    "For now, we should focus on the matter at hand."


    Eren changed the topic from the person that Sea Dragon Empress wanted to kill. He was not interested in listening to how much the woman hated him.


    Although it was partially his fault that she hated him, it didn''t matter now.


    "Where do you think we should go?" Sea Dragon Empress asked, her words making Eren look at her weirdly.


    Wasn''t she the descendant of the Celestial Dragon? Why was she asking him? He had a bad feeling about it.


    "With the ever changing maze, it''s impossible to find the right direction. We can only rely on instincts here," Eren told the girl, telling her to follow her instincts.


    "That makes sense. The bloodline instinct is the best guide." The Sea Dragon Empress nodded and stepped behind Eren, gesturing him to take the lead.


    Eren looked at her weirdly. If he wanted to take the lead, why would he want to work with her? The system had guided him to her. There was definitely a reason for that. However, he couldn''t see that reason at this point.


    He couldn''t help but wonder if he had overestimated her. In the end, none of them knew the right path.


    "It is fine. You can take the lead. My bloodline is a little too pure. It can''t guide me as well as the shackles in your bloodline can. The instinct of freedom is different." Eren came up with an excuse, returning the same gesture to the Sea Dragon Empress.


    Even though he had moreplete bloodline of the Celestial Dragon after his royal sea dragon bloodline had evolved, it was different from the sea dragon that had existed in the past.


    Most of the bloodline he had was because of devouring. His instincts and understanding was different from those that were born with it.


    "You don''t have to be humble." The Sea Dragon Empress insisted. "How can Ipare to a direct descendant. You don''t have to mock me. I know my ce."


    She felt as if Eren wasughing at her inwardly as he asked her to guide.


    Even after Eren''s insistence, the Empress didn''t listen. In the end, he had no other choice but to take the lead himself.


    ''Looks like I will have to rely on my own luck.''


    He picked a random direction and started walking. The Sea Dragon Empress followed closely behind.


    For close to half an hour, the two of them didn''t experience anything out of ordinary. Although all passages looked the same, there were no traps here.


    It was only after the first half an hour that Eren heard something.


    "Someone ising." He gestured for the sea dragon empress to stop.


    "I don''t hear anything." The Sea Dragon Empress looked confused. She was surprised that Eren''s senses were better than her, even at a ce where abilities were supposed to be weakened.


    She thought it was because of his purer bloodline. She didn''t doubt his words. Instead, she took the lead and went forward to check herself.


    "It might be that man. If it is, please don''t interfere!" She told Eren, going forward alone.


    ''How can I be that person? I am right here.'' Eren thought, but didn''t express himself out loud.


    He also felt that the footsteps felt a little too heavy to belong to a human. Either the human was heavy beyond limits, or it was an entirely different existence.


    He didn''t tell the Sea Dragon Empress about his assumption, letting her go forward to check the threat.


    The Sea Dragon Empress turned left on the next corner, disappearing from Eren''s view. For half a minute, there was no sound. Even the heavy footsteps appeared to have halted.


    "Is it truly a human?" Eren wondered as he also went forward to check. The moment he turned left, his lips twitched.


    He finally understood why the footsteps had stopped. It was because the thing didn''t need to move anymore.


    He had already caught the Empress by her threat. The woman didn''t even resist, let alone fighting back.


    "Is that a Minotaur? What is it doing in the Celestial Dragon''s Dungeon?" Eren wondered. He was more surprised at the Empress, who wasn''t fighting back.


    "What are you doing? Just kill it," he told the Sea Dragon Empress.


    The Empress replied in a barely audible voice. "I can''t move my body!"


    "Is it because of some magic?" Eren thought, finding her behaviour simr to the people that were paralyzed by him before being killed.


    "I''m sure that the girl isn''t foolish enough to be poisoned without even realizing. In that case, is it magic?"


    Eren didn''t know what to think about it. Even in literature on earth, Minotaurs were known for their physical strength. They were rarely associated with magic.


    Then again, out of all the things that he had seen aftering to this world, it was the least shocking.


    "Fine. I will deal with this one." He called forth a sword.


    When most of the abilities were weakened in this ce, a cold weapon was still the best when it came to dealing with the monster.


    "How scary... Are you going to attack with that scary looking thing?"


    A melodious voice came from behind Eren abruptly, making him feel a chill down his back.

 Chapter 460: Chapter 460: Make me bleed

    A voice came from behind Eren, making him feel a sudden chill down his back.


    He spun around, his sword ready to strike, only to find himself facing a figure that seemed to have materialized out of thin air.


    It was a woman, her eyes filled with a sense of amusement. She wore the robes of a sorceress with a lightning pattern that appeared to be alive, swirling like a stormy night.


    "It''a a sharp sword. You should be careful, or it might hurt someone," the woman said as Eren''s sword was stopped by an invisible force before it could touch the woman.


    Even though he wasn''t using the Holy Sword or the Sword of Radiance, it was still surprising that his sword was stopped with such ease.


    "Who are you?" Eren asked, not lowering his weapon.


    The woman smirked, her gaze flickering between Eren and the immobilized Sea Dragon Empress.


    "Is that what you should ask a person after entering their home?" The woman asked in return. "But I must say, you are quite an interesting pair."


    Hearing her words, Eren was taken aback for a moment. Then, he frowned slightly. How could this woman be the other of this ce? Was she the final boss of this dungeon? But why was she here in the first ce?


    If it was a final boss, it should''ve been at the end of the dungeon. Her appearance here was no different than the final boss of a world appearing in the beginner vige where weaker monsters were supposed to reside.


    ''If she is the owner of this ce, she will not be affected by the suppression of this ce. Can I kill her without revealing myself?'' Eren thought, observing the Sea Dragon Empress momentarily.


    "With her, I can at least feel the familiar scent of the Dragons. But you..." The mysterious woman also observed Eren with great interest. Even she couldn''t decipher just what kind of scent he had.


    It felt simr to a dragon''s scent but it was also very different at the core. It was as if this was a corrupted scent, made by many forces.


    She grew even more amused as she felt Eren''s killing intent which was directed at her.


    "Do you want to kill me? Aren''t you a little too young to have such dreams?" she asked Eren, who felt conflicted. In the end, it was better to reveal himself than to die here.


    "Hmm?" The woman was still observing Eren when she felt a cracking sound. Her brows furrowed, noticing a small crack in her shield.


    Even under the suppression of the maze, the young man had managed to leave a crack on her shield? It spiked her interest in the young man even more.


    "It is surprising, but if that''s all you can do, it''s far from enough," she said as the crack on her shield healed instantaneously. "Why do I feel like you are still holding back a lot?"


    The Minotaur, still holding the Sea Dragon Empress, as if it was awaiting themand of the woman.


    The sorceress waved a hand dismissively, and the creature obediently released its grip, allowing the Empress tond on the ground.


    The Sea Dragon Empress coughed repeatedly, her chest heaving up and down.


    The Minotaur then stepped back, standing quietly at the side.


    "Why did you help her?" Eren asked, suspicious of the woman''s intentions.


    "Help?" The sorceressughed lightly. "Think of it as leveling the ying field. It looked like you were holding back because you were worried about her safety. So you don''t need to hold back. I hope you can entertain me."


    "It has been a long time since I had a little fun. Thest person who came here was a little brat who didn''t even offer me any entertainment, dying like an ant."


    The woman raised her hand. A hole appeared in the wall, thews of the space shifting. From the hole, multiple bodies fell out lifelessly.


    The people were wearing the attire of the Holy Church. Amongst the bodies, Eren even found the corpse of a Cardinal.


    It was the team that had entered the dungeon for exploration. He had thought that they were most probably lost in the maze. He didn''t think that they were already killed.


    Even if a Cardinal wasn''t at the top of the food chain, it was still not someone that could be killed with such ease.


    Eren finally understood why the woman had the Sea Dragon Empress freed. She thought that he was holding back because he was worried about her safety.


    Eren didn''t know if he shouldugh or cry at her assumption that couldn''t be far from truth. The only reason he didn''t use his true strength was because he still had used of the Sea Dragon Empress for the future.


    He couldn''t reveal his real identity as the enemy she hated with all her heard. If that happened, she might attack him at the same time as this woman.


    "If you are so interested in fighting strong people, then why don''t you just leave this ce?" Eren told the woman. "I can guide you to some really strong people that will give you more than just entertainment."


    As long as she was willing to fight, he could easily guide them to the Overlords. No matter who won, it was not a loss for him.


    The woman only smiled in response. She raised her hand, making the ground tremble. A wall came out of the ground, separating the Sea Dragon Empress from them.


    "If you can make me bleed, your friend would still be alive when the wall goes down. And if you can''t, you might find nothing more than a corpse."


    Shepletely ignored Eren''s suggestion, still focusing on him only. Even if he told her that he could guide her to stronger people, she didn''t seen to care.


    Eren could only be disappointed at her response. As she was so eager to fight, he couldn''t avoid a battle. But before that, he decided to check her stats onest time.


    "Identification."

 Chapter 461: Chapter 461: Can a soul bleed?

    "Identification." Eren used his innate skill on the woman, trying to take a peek through her real strength.


    Even if she was strong, he didn''t believe that she could be worse than the Overlords.


    He didn''t think that he would have a problem with just making the woman bleed. Just how hard could it be after all?


    A screen appeared in front of him and he started going through the information.


    ...


    [Name: ????]


    [Level: 65]


    [Identity: Celestial Dragon''s Remnant Soul]


    [Age: ???]


    [Stats]


    [Strength: ???]


    [Agility: ???]


    [Stamina: ???]


    [Intelligence :???]


    [Mana: ????]


    [Main Physiques: ???]


    [Unique items in possession:???]


    ...


    "What the..."


    As Eren went through the status screen, his jaws almost dropped. The more he read, the more he was at a loss.


    The woman was not even a real entity, but the remnant soul of the Celestial Dragon? How was he supposed to make a soul bleed?


    Even worse was the level of this person. Even in the soul form, her level was higher than the Overlords. He couldn''t even imagine what her level would''ve been when she was alive.


    He came here to take the heart of the Celestial Dragon, never imagining there to be a soul fragment of Celestial Dragon in his ce.


    "You were not going to kill her in the first ce. She is your descendant," Eren realized that the life of the Sea Dragon Empress was never in danger.


    The reason she was attacked by the Minotaur in the first ce was because the Celestial Dragon''s soul wanted to test the strength of her descendant.


    Eren wondered if the soul was threatening the Empress to make him reveal his own strength as well. Was it because the soul thought he was also a descendant?


    ''No. I might be able to fool the Sea Dragons, but a Celestial Dragon is different. Even if it''s just a soul, it shouldn''t have been fooled.''


    He was sure that there was a reason that his system asked him to save the Sea Dragon Empress. It was most probably the only way to save his life when entering this dungeon.


    The Celestial Dragon''s Soul had already noticed his other auras. It wasn''t surprising for her to realize how he took the Celestial Dragon''s Bloodline.


    If he hade alone, she might have even assumed her to be an enemy of her descendants who harmed them to take that bloodline. It was only because he was with her, he wasn''t killed at sight.


    She wasn''t fooled by his bloodline. The reason she even wanted him to fight without holding back was because she wanted to see what that disgusting scent was that she could feel from that man.


    "You can see through me?" The mysterious woman floated closer to Eren, leaving only a few inches of distance between their faces.


    "How strange. Not only can you take my bloodline, but you can also see through my identity! If I didn''t know any better, I would''ve mistaken you as my descendant as well."


    "It seems that threatening her will not work on you. It is truly disappointing." She sighed deeply, cing her gentle hand on Eren''s chest. "In that case, I can only kill you."


    If threatening others wasn''t going to make Eren show his real self, then what about threatening him? If his own life was on the line, could he still hold back?


    Eren felt a sudden pain in his chest, an energy burst appearing right on his chest. He was sent flying back, his chest being covered in blood. Even his clothes were torn, revealing his flesh wounds.


    He mmed on the distant wall of the maze, which was made with the scales of the Celestial Dragon, being a material that even the Overlords didn''t break with ease.


    mming against the wall, Eren felt as if his bones were shattered on impact, blood spilling out of his mouth.


    "Why is it that always..." Eren sat on the ground, his back resting against the wall which had a trace of his blood.


    His face was ghastly pale. He hadn''t seen the stat of the woman as they were all covered by question marks. However, one thing became absolutely clear. Her stats were higher than him.


    If it came to strength, she was probably even stronger than Feng Yu.


    Blood trickled down the corner of Eren''s lips as he watched the woman flying towards him.


    "If you can make me bleed, I shall let you live. I shall forgive you for stealing my bloodline. But if you can''t, then you will have to stay here forever." The womannded in front of Eren, grabbing him by the hair to raise his head so he could look at her properly.


    Eren, on the other hand, wasn''t looking at her. Even as his head was raised, his eyes appeared to be looking elsewhere.


    A screen had appeared in front of him, revealing a new option.


    [It has been detected that your life is in danger]


    [Congrattions on activating new options for the Path of conquerer]


    [Option One: A Conquerer can be killed, but never humiliated. Let your wrath be free, and destroy the Celestial Dragon''s Soul.


    Reward: Revival Stone (Unique)]


    [Option Two: Although shameful, survival is important. Find a way to escape the Dungeon, surviving this ordeal.


    Reward: Mark of a Cowardly Tyrant (Rare)]


    [Option Three: Convince the Celestial Dragon''s Soul to let you live without begging for your life.


    Reward: Celestial Dragon''s Aura Enhancement Method]


    [Option Four: Beg for your life.


    Reward: Losing Path of Conqueror Privilege]


    Eren raised his hand, selecting an option. He raised his eyes, looking in the Celestial Dragon''s eyes.


    "You want to bleed? I will make you bleed... I will make you bleed until you beg me to stop," he told the woman.


    Strangely enough, his eyes didn''t have any killing intent or hostility. Instead, they were strangely at peace. He had selected the option to let his wrath be free.


    "That is quite a bold im for a cowardly thief," the woman scoffed, pulling Eren''s hair and tossing him aside like a ragdoll.


    As Eren flew back, a talisman materialized in his hand. The talisman burned brightly, its essence seeping into Eren''s very soul.


    [You have used Temporarily Unsealing Talisman]


    A notification shed in Eren''s mind, but he was too disoriented from mming against the wall to register it.


    "It''s no fun to kill weaklings, but since I promised, I''ll make you stay here forever," the woman sighed in disappointment. However, as she turned to face Eren, her expression suddenly darkened.


    "How is this possible? Why is this here?" she muttered, her brow furrowing in confusion.

 Chapter 462: Chapter 462: The Runaway Soul

    The Celestial Dragon''s Soul narrowed her eyes, sensing the sudden shift in Eren''s energy.


    As she was just a soul fragment of the real Celestial Dragon, she didn''t have all the memories of the Celestial Dragon.


    It was as if she only received a small part of the memories. However, even in that small part of memories, this aura was never forgotten.


    Even as a soul, she felt some strong emotions towards this aura.


    "You are-" Her lips parted, but before she could finish, a figure appeared in front of her.


    A fistnded on her face, shrouded in the same unfamiliar aura. Celestial Dragon''s soul reacted fast enough to cast the sameyer of protection as before.


    To her surprise, the fist broke all her protection. It wasn''t just a small crack in her shield. Instead, it was as if a thinyer of ss had shattered into pieces as a fist broke through them.


    The fist connected with her shocked face, the impact being powerful enough to send her flying. Her body shot out like an uncontroble armament.


    The Celestial Dragon''s Spirit reacted fast enough, phasing through the maze wall instead of crashing on it.


    In another corner of the maze, she regained her bnce,nding on the ground. Her expressions were of surprise as she rubbed her cheeks.


    That feeling of being hit, was still fresh in her mind. It was also a familiar feeling, as if she had experienced something simr in the past.


    She didn''t even have a moment to catch her breath as she heard a booming explosion. The maze wall in front of her was broken, leaving a big opening in the middle.


    The walls were made of the Celestial Dragon''s scale, making it impossible to break. Despite that, someone had achieved the impossible.


    A young man, his aura shrouded by darkness, stepped out of the new opening he had created. The young man still had no looking intent in his eyes, as if he didn''t feel anything towards his actions.


    His eyes simply looked at the Celestial Dragon''s Soul like a poisonous serpent, waiting to devour the prey.


    The Celestial Dragon''s Soul didn''t understand just what this feeling was, that was feeling. Was it what they called fear? How could she, the remnant of the Celestial Dragon, feel fear? She didn''t understand.


    She raised her hand, controlling the maze. The walls of the maze started trembling under her control. Large blocks of the walls came flying towards Eren from all sides, mming against his body like a stone trying to crush an insect.


    The Celestial Dragon''s Soul waited for a moment, her eyes focused on the blocks of stone. There was no movement in the stone, which made her wonder if she had seeded. Was it really that ease?


    Just as she was starting to feel rxed, she heard the sound of footsteps behind her. The feeling of something slowly creeping in on her.


    She turned around, only to find Eren standing right behind her.


    "What is your rtion with the person who killed me?" The Celestial Dragon''s Soul stepped back, her expressions turning even darker as she came to an even stronger realisation.


    The aura... It was definitely something that belonged to the person who had killed the Celestial Dragon. Although she didn''t have those exact memories, but the instincts were clearly telling her that it was the case.


    The fear for this aura was still buried deep within the corpse of the Celestial Dragon. It was the person that had painted the entire ocean red with her blood.


    Even in her iplete memories, she could still remember a vague figure standing in the sky, holding a sword that appeared like it could slice through the entire heaven and earth if he wanted.


    Eren didn''t answer. He simply reached out his hand to grab the Celestial Dragon''s Soul.


    Even if the woman was in her spiritual form, he could still touch her even if she didn''t want. His aura perfectly countered the spiritual forms.


    The Celestial Dragon''s Soul was momentarily frozen in her ce, her mind unable toprehend anything.


    She didn''t understand how Eren was rted to that person. He had the traces of that man''s aura, but he was clearly not that person. So how was it possible?


    She subconsciously tried to step back, only to find her body being frozen in ce. The fingers of Eren came closer to her, like a silent demon approaching.


    As Eren''s fingers were about to touch her, she caught notice of a giant bulking figure nearby.


    With her thoughts, shemanded the Minotaur which came crashing into Eren, sending him back by a few steps.


    The small moment of respite was enough for the Sea Dragon Empress to be free of Eren''s control. She quickly flew back, disappearing within the maze.


    This time, she didn''t stop flying back, passing through one wall to the other, going straight for the core of the Dungeon where the Celestial Dragon''s Heart was resting.


    While flying away, she could constantly hear the sound of explosionsing from behind her, the entire maze being wrecked down.


    "Just what is with him?" She didn''t understand a single thing that was happening.


    When she first saw the guy, he was much weaker than her. She didn''t understand how he suddenly became so strong. Did he use some forbidden methods to ess that aura and strength?


    In any case, she was certain that he came here to her heart. She couldn''t let that person take it. Even if she had to go out of her way, she had to protect the heart and send it out of this ce.


    It was much better for others to take the heart than for the person who used strength recieved from her killer.


    She passed through various sections of the Dungeon. The first floor, which was a maze in its entirety. The second floor, which had no ground at all, only moltenva spread throughout, which made it even harder for a person to cross it as flight was restricted in the dungeon.


    The third and the fourth floor were simr hard to pass through, with only the fifth floor being a ce where the Celestial Dragon''s heart was being kept.


    The Celestial Dragon''s Soul reached the fifth floor, catching sight of the giant heart which belonged to her when she was alive.

 Chapter 463: Chapter 463: Making a Soul Bleed

    The fifth floor was thergest of the floors in the Dungeon, measuring twice the size of the maze. However, nearly half the area within the floor was taken by the giant, unbeating heart of the Celestial Dragon.


    The Celestial Dragon''s Soul appeared on the fifth floor, watching the heart that once gave her life. Even after her death, the heart still possessed a lot of her strength within it.


    "The person who came here, wants to take you away. I can''t allow him to be stronger." She floated closer to the heart.


    She had always been guarding this ce as soon as she gained consciousness in her spiritual form. Although she didn''t know how her heart ended up here, and how the maze appeared from her body, she knew that her purpose was to protect this heart.


    If it fell in the wrong hands, it could cause her descendants to stay sealed forever. She had long been waiting for her descendants to arrive, so that the heart could be used to unseal the bloodline of dragon remnants.


    With the arrival of the Sea Dragon Empress, she saw hope for the first time.


    Even the Cardinal who came in the past, died without being able to meet her. But this time, in her excitement, she even revealed herself before it was time.


    She didn''t think that Eren was a vicious wolf, hiding in the shadows to devour her. If she had known that, she never would''ve shown herself in front of him.


    She even regretted her decision to go to the first floor.


    "If my descendants are siding with that person, then everything is lost. Even if I might be destroyed, I will never let them get what they want."


    She ced her hand on the heart, using the remnant essence within her soul to stimte the heart. It was no different than her sacrificing the remnant soul and her life, all to activate just one ability of hers on the heart.


    For a brief moment, the heart started hearing, while the soul of the Celestial Dragon became even more blurry. With each passing second, her existence was being erased.


    At the same time, the space in the surroundings was being stimted. Spatial Flickers appeared all around the heart, the surroundings bing unstable.


    With the heart temporarily beating, she started activating the spatial teleportation ability that she could freely use when she was alive. It was also one of her life saving abilities in the past.


    Due to her fragmented memories, she didn''t remember why she didn''t manage to survive even if she had an ability like this. Still, it didn''t matter for now.


    The spatial cracks started getting bigger with the reality itself bing bigger. The Celestial Dragon''s Heart also started shining with the aura of space.


    "Just a few more seconds..." The Celestial Dragon''s Soul mumbled, her spirit barely visible at this point.


    As she was about toplete the process, her expressions suddenly darkened. She felt a cold hand grab the back of her head.


    She was suddenly pulled back, her hand from the Celestial Dragon''s Heart. Instead, it was Eren who ced his hand on the heart.


    With one hand, he devoured the live essence of the Celestial Dragon that the heart had consumed to activate this ability. With the other hand, he transferred it to the soul against her will.


    Her spirit, that was on the verge of disappearing, started recovering. It became more visible, slowly returning to the state she used to be when she met him.


    After she recovered to the same extent, Eren took his hand off the heart.


    For the first time, he uttered a few words to her, "Let''s make you bleed..."


    ....


    The heart had stabilized as the force of the spirit was taken back. It stopped beating once more. The space also recovered with the cracks in the surroundings disappearing.


    Eren was sitting on the ground, his back resting against the heart.


    His eyes were closed, as if he was simply sleeping peacefully. However, his heartbeat was slightly fast paced, as his chest heaved up and down. His skin was also paler than usual, but he still looked fine.


    His clothes were stained in blood, but it didn''t appear to be his blood as there was not a single wound on his body.


    An unknown amount of time passed before Eren''s eyelids flickered. He slowly opened his eyes, groaning in pain, as if his body was hurting. He felt like an old man, who had just hurt his back.


    With his vision bing clear, he saw wondered where he actually was.


    Thest time he used the unseal talisman, he was able to see everything that happened as if it was a dream. It was the same this time.


    He saw a dream where he was beating the Celestial Dragon''s Soul. He even saw himself traveling through the second, third and the fourth floor, without a single trouble.


    It was only when he appeared on the fifth floor that he couldn''t see everything, as if his dream had ended right there. For some strange reason, he didn''t remember anything that happened on the fifth floor.


    Now that he regained his senses, he could observe his surroundings to guess just what transpired here.


    The first thing he noticed was his clothes, that were stained in blood. It didn''t feel like his blood either, especially since the blood was white, filled with a spiritual essence.


    "Is this the blood of Celestial Dragon''s Soul?"


    He soon noticed a gruesome sight. In the distance, there were remnants of the Celestial Dragon''s Soul. It was as if she was ripped apart when the soul was still alive and could feel everything.


    She was made to go through the torment so she could watch herself bleed. In the end, her mind itself was destroyed, leaving nothing but the remnants of the spirit.


    As the remnants of the spirit were still lying in the surroundings, in the puddle of white blood, it was clear that she wasn''t dead. She was still alive, but it was worse than being dead.


    She waspletely destroyed, externally and internally, her eyes nkly looking in his direction with no semnce of life or emotion.


    "How did I make a soul bleed?" Eren wondered, still finding it hard to believe.

 Chapter 464: Chapter 464: Ruler of the Ocean

    Eren tried to stand up to observe the remnants of the soul more closely, only to groan in pain as he sat down again.


    He took a moment to catch his breath while consuming a healing pill to provide some relief to his body.


    [Congrattions onpleting the selected option]


    [You have been rewarded with a Revival Stone]


    [Please use it ordingly]


    As if waiting for him to regain consciousness, a notification appeared in his head. A screen also opened in front of him, providing more description for the unfamiliar item.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Item Name: Revival Stone


    Grade: Unique


    Description: Can revive a person once, even if the body has beenpletely destroyed, as long as even a small fragment of the soul exists.


    Limitations: The Revived Person will lose half the strength they had at the time of their death.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    "A revival stone that can bring a person back to life, even if they arepletely destroyed?" Eren looked at the description, getting intrigued by the potential use of this thing.


    Only he could use this stone, which was tied to him. If he died, he couldn''t use it to bring himself back. For him, it was not as useful as he had assumed when he first heard the name of the stone.


    Still, he had a feeling that this stone was quite useful in its own ways. Even if he couldn''t bring himself back, there were still so many incredible things he could do with it.


    If he could find the soul of the person that destroyed the Celestial Dragon in the past, couldn''t he bring him back? What about the Sword Emperor? Although he didn''t know if he could even find a small remnant of their soul to use it properly, it was still useful.


    Even if he couldn''t bring them back, it could be used to protect those that he wanted to save.


    He could also bring back the Celestial Dragon whose soul was lying on the ground, almost entirely destroyed. However, he had a feeling that it wasn''t a good idea.


    The mind of the Celestial Dragon''s Soul had beenpletely destroyed with pain. Even if he managed to bring it back to life, it was going to stay just as broken.


    The trauma of the soul couldn''t be healed with just the revival as the memories were still intact.


    He stood up and approached the remnants of the Celestial Dragon''s Soul, the lifeless eyes not even focusing on his approaching footsteps as if they couldn''t see anything.


    He reached out his hand, and kept the remnants of the soul in his inventory. Even if he didn''t bring the Celestial Dragon back to life, he still saved it for the future. If he could find a way to heal the trauma, he could certainly use it on her.


    "Yelen should have a way to help me recover that soul."


    He was quite curious as to what he had done to the Celestial Dragon''s Soul to that extent. But if there was one person who could help him recover that soul or erase her memories of this torment, then it was Yelen, the Ancestor of Spirits.


    Unfortunately, he couldn''t contact Yelen in this dungeon, being restricted by an unknown force.


    For now, he focused on the task at hand. He turned around and walked back to the giant heart of the Celestial Dragon. It was the thing that he hade here for.


    For the Sea Dragons, it was the most important thing. It could help them unseal their bloodlines, increasing their strength that had always been restricted due to the seal.


    For him, it had an entirely different use. He wanted to Devour the heart of the Celestial Dragon. Not only could he increase his strength, but also strengthen his abilities.


    He approached the heart, cing his hand. Even when he had simply touched it, he was still able to feel just how incredible that thing was.


    The heart trembled faintly under his touch, as if it still retained a glimpse of its former power.


    Eren closed his eyes, focusing on the energy that radiated from the ancient heart. He could feel the immense force that once coursed through the Celestial Dragon''s veins.


    It was overwhelming, but also exhrating. He could feel his bloodline getting excited. Not only was his Devourer bloodline craving the taste of the Celestial Dragon''s heart, but even his Dragon Bloodline was excited to be even stronger by merging.


    "To devour the heart of a Celestial Dragon," he mumbled, "I hope it doesn''t disappoint me."


    Eren knew the risks of trying to take such an incredible strength through force. Still, the rewards that came with the risk were more than enough.


    He started transforming into the Dragon Form, his body bingrger. As his body grew bigger, so did his mouth. His teeth also grew sharper.


    He opened his jaws and took a deep bite of the heart that belonged to the strongest of the Dragons in the past. It was a Dragon that ruled over the ocean in an era where no Overlords existed.


    It was the supreme ruler who was so strong that even the gods didn''t want to offend it. However, even the invincible had fallen to the depths of hell.


    One after another, Eren kept taking the bites, devouring thest hope of the Sea Dragons to unseal their Bloodline.


    His own bloodline became even more purified while his Devourer bloodline worked harder than usual to consume the bloodline for his own use.


    His dragon form becamerger with each passing second. The dark scales that had formed the maze also started trembling as simr scales appeared on Eren''s skin.


    Most of his body was covered by the newly grown dragon scales. His body appeared even closer to the real Celestial Dragon.


    [Level+1]


    [Level +1]


    [Level +1]


    One after another, notifications also kept resounding in his head. However, he didn''t have time to focus on that. He was more immersed in devouring the delicacy.


    [You have received a new ability: Ruler of the Oceans]

 Chapter 465: Chapter 465: To break the seal

    Eren''s transformation continued as he absorbed the essence of the Celestial Dragon''s heart.


    The power that was infiltrating his bloodline felt intoxicating, as if he was getting more and more drunk on his power with each passing second.


    For someone who used to drink quite a lot on earth, this wasn''t an unfamiliar phenomenon. The only difference was that the amount of intoxication was too much.


    He hadn''t even finished half of Celestial Dragon''s heart yet he had already be more drunk than he was ever in his life. He was even starting to feel a little light headed, his body starting to sweat.


    As thest remnants of the heart vanished inside his mouth, Eren felt another change through his body. His senses expanded, reaching out far beyond the confines of the floor.


    He was able to see through the carnage of the other floors. The first floor was the only ce that looked somewhat intact, if one was to ignore the walls that he had broken while chasing after the Celestial Dragon''s Soul.


    He was able to see the Sea Dragon Empress who was still trying to find her way through the maze after having been sent to a different part of the maze by the Celestial Dragon''s Soul.


    The new ability, Ruler of the Oceans, had also be a part of him as the new perfected Celestial Dragon. The Ocean had be a part of his domain. As long as he was within the ocean, all his abilities were stronger than they were on thend.


    He could feel the ocean''s vastness within his heart, its depths calling to him. It was something that felt both alien and familiar. The power tomand the sea was at his fingertips, being the biggest gift he had recieved from the Celestial Dragon''s heart.


    It was also this ability that had made the Celestial Dragon so formidable in the past. If the Celestial Dragon''s Soul was in the ocean, he was certain that he would''ve had a harder time to deal with it.


    "The person who brought the heart here onnd... Did he already know it?" Eren wondered as he removed his transformation, leaving him standing amidst the empty floor where not even a single glimpse of the Celestial Dragon''s heart could be found.


    Eren wiped his lips clean, which still had some trace of blood. His eyes were still hazy as the world felt like it was shaking a little.


    It was a feeling different from when he was hurt by spatial travel. It felt strange. It was not ufortable at all. If anything, he felt like he was floating in the air, his body feeling like it was in a perfect state.


    He tried to regain hisposure but it was proving extremely hard. He even used the Dragon Tongue but it was the same.


    [Your Bloodline has entered a state of evolution]


    [Time Remaining: 24 Hours]


    [For the next twenty four hours, you might experience the side effects of evolution. It is advisable to not right during this time]


    Eren heard some words appearing in his hand. The same words appeared on the screen in front of him, but he couldn''t see them clearly. He felt as if the words were jumping out of the screen, dancing all around him.


    "Is this hallucination? What a strange side effect." He rubbed his forehead, thinking if he should sleep for the next twenty four hours.


    In his current state of mind, he didn''t feel like it was the right choice to meet the Sea Dragon'' Empress.


    He sat back on the ground, resting his back against the wall. After closing his eyes, he tried to sleep.


    The more he tried to sleep, the more restless his mind became. He was also able to feel another change in his body. His heartbeat had increased, and his body had also reacted strangely.


    He opened his hazy eyes and looked down at his body, sighing, "Couldn''t you find a better time to get excited?"


    He took a deep breath and closed his eyes again. For close to an hour, he felt delirious. It was as if he was sleeping, but awake at the same time. Everything felt like a dream that he could consciously control.


    He didn''t know how long he stayed in a state like that. It was only when he heard the sound of footsteps, he opened his hazy eyes.


    In the distance, he saw Xiu Ying walking towards him.


    "Another dream, huh." Eren shook his head lightly, watching Xiu Ying observe the room.


    "Did you find the Celestial Dragon''s Heart?" she asked Eren.


    Eren didn''t think much about it either. It was his dream, so it made sense for Xiu Ying to know about his goal ining here.


    "It is a part of me now." Eren ced his hand on his chest lightly. "From now on, I am the Celestial Dragon."


    Xiu Ying looked at Eren silently. It was impossible toprehend just what she was thinking about. She simply looked at Eren, his mind being at a loss.


    "In that case, there is no other choice." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as if trying to calm herself.


    She walked closer to Eren who still thought that he was in a dream, not realizing that the person in front of him wasn''t Xiu Ying but an entirely different woman.


    Her expressions were a little hesitant as if she was scared a little. At the same time, she appeared embarrassed.


    "To break the seal, I have to..." She opened her eyes that looked more determined now.


    Now that Eren had be a Celestial Dragon, there were only two ways to break the seal. One was to kill him and take his heart. She didn''t think that she was strong enough to select that option.


    Moreover, with the Celestial Dragon on her side, the future of the Sea Dragons was extremely bright. Eren was already a descendant after all.


    Taking his heart was no different than betraying the Celestial Dragons again which might lead her kin down the path of getting an even stronger seal.


    The only option she had was to ept the Celestial Dragon''s essence that he granted willingly. Once her shackles were broken, her people could also be free.

 Chapter 466: Chapter 466: The soft touch

    The Sea Dragon Empress approached Eren, sitting in front of him. Her heart started beating faster with each passing second as she looked at Eren''s face.


    Although she never paid attention to it before, she couldn''t deny that he looked extremely handsome. Even for her, there was no one better than the Celestial Dragon to give herself to.


    She slowly brought her face closer to Eren''s face. However, as the distance between their lips was only a few inches, she felt embarrassed.


    This was the first time she was trying something like this, and she didn''t even know how to actually go through it.


    Eren looked at Xiu Ying getting closer. Deep down, he was finding it funny that he was stained in the blood of the Celestial Dragon and still having a wet dream.


    He didn''t even know how long it had been since he had something like this. Maybe during his teenage years.


    Instead of resisting this dream, he epted it. He reached out his hand, grabbing the back of Sea Dragon Empress''s head.


    He pulled her face closer, until their lips connected. The Empress'' eyes widened in shock, her lips opening slightly.


    Eren didn''t miss this opportunity as his tongue invaded her mouth, brushing past her tongue gently. The Empress was in shock but she didn''t resist. She closed her eyes and epted Eren wholeheartedly.


    She could feel his hand slide down her back as he embraced him, making her breasts press firmly against his chest, leaving no distance between them.


    The Sea Dragon Empress felt a strange feeling gush down her body as she was in Eren''s embrace. Her heart was beating faster but this feeling wasn''t half bad. It was apletely new feeling that she hadn''t felt before.


    After a long time, Eren finally released the Empress'' lips, making her gasp for breath.


    Eren gazed at the face of the Sea Dragon Empress. In his eyes, Xiu Ying looked just as charming as ever.


    If there was any difference, it was that she felt more shy this time. In reality, the girl was more active. As his was supposed to be a dream made by his inner desire, Eren wondered if this was how he wanted Xiu Ying at least once.


    "Not bad at all," he mumbled, licking his lips that still had the scent of the sea dragon empress.


    The Empress'' cheeks flushed with a rosy hue, and she found herself unable to meet Eren''s gaze. She didn''t understand why she was feeling this way.


    It was something she had to do for the freedom of her bloodline and the future of Sea Dragons. So why was she feeling embarassed? Why was she feeling good? She didn''t understand.


    Her mind was a whirlwind of confusion and newfound emotions. She had always acted with cold herposure, yet here she was, vulnerable and exposed in front of this man.


    While she was at a loss, Eren gently tucked a stray lock of her hair behind her ear.


    "It seems that even I didn''t even know how much I love you," Eren gently said to the Empress.


    He had always known that he loved Xiu Ying, but he didn''t know that he loved her to the point that he was going to see her even in his dreams at the most vulnerable.


    Xiu Ying let out a small, nervous noise, a sound that was foreign even to her own ears. She looked at Eren nkly.


    This man loved her? Is that why he risked his life to save her from the Holy Priestess? Is that why he came here alone, trying to find the Celestial Dragon''s heart because she needed it?


    She looked at his bloody clothes, unable to even imagine just what he had to go through to reach this stage.


    He already had the Celestial Dragon''s Bloodline. As a proud pureblood  descendant, he didn''t suffer from the seal on his bloodline. He didn''t need the heart of the previous Celestial Dragon.


    If he simply stayed away from everything she focused on his own strength, he could stand at the peak of this world on his own. Still, he risked his life for her,ing out of his hiding.


    Even after all that, he didn''t think about himself. He thought about her. Was this love that he talked about? Was this what she was missing?


    She ced her hand on her chest, feeling a strange heartache as she looked at the blood on Eren''s clothes. She didn''t know that it wasn''t Eren''s blood.


    For the most part, it was the blood that had stained him when he was freely chomping down on the Celestial Dragon''s Heart.


    The hesitation and the embarrassment on her face disappeared. All that was left was a love-filled gaze.


    This time, she came forward herself, kissing Eren. She held his hand and ced it on her back, her own hand holding Eren''s neck.


    Eren''s arms wrapped around her slender waist as the two felt like they were bing one with each other.


    The distance that had been removed between their bodies, once again appeared as Eren''s other hand slid in between, climbing up.


    The Empress'' face turned even more red as she felt Eren grab her, as if trying to feel her heartbeat with his own hand.


    He gently moved forward, letting the Empress lie on the ground. Even now, he didn''t leave her lips, greedily devouring the sweetness. His hands also kept teasing her, making her softly moan even as her tongue and lips weren''t free.


    Eren''s bloodline was stimted even more. It was the same for the Empress, who felt like some invisible shackles within her body were trembling. Eren''s essence was slowly trying to break her shackles as their hearts were bing one.


    With the new celestial dragon epting the Sea Dragon Empress, the shackles were also growing weaker.


    After a long time, Eren freed the lips of the Sea Dragon Empress, which had turned a darker shade of red. He moved down and kissed her neck, making her gasp.

 Chapter 467: Chapter 467: Acceptance

    Her breath halted for a brief moment as Eren''s lips continued their path, trailing down her neck with a tenderness she had never experienced before.


    Each touch sent a shiver down her spine, her skin tingling with sensations she couldn''t quiteprehend.


    The Empress'' mind was a whirlwind of emotions and affection that seemed to grow with each passing moment. Never in her life had she imagined feeling so vulnerable, yet so safe, all at once.


    As Eren''s lips brushed against the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder, a soft sigh escaped her lips. Her hands, which had been resting hesitantly on his shoulders, now pulled him closer, as if afraid he might vanish if she let go.


    She didn''t even realise as her nails started wing on Eren''s back, trying to hold him tight. Her voice was barely audible.


    Eren paused, lifting his head to meet her eyes. In those beautiful eyes, he saw his own reflection. The Empress had truly epted him.


    The Empress felt a warmth in her chest, spreading through her entire body. It was as if the barriers that once separated them were disappearing.


    Time seemed to stand still as theyy there, wrapped in each other''s arms. The world outside ceased to exist, leaving only the two of them in their own private sanctuary.


    For the first time in her life, she felt truly free where her mind didn''t think about anything else but herself. She was free from the burdens of her lineage, free from the expectations of her people. All that mattered now was the man beside her, the man who had risked everything to stand by her side.


    The Sea Dragon Empress and the Eren found sce in one another, their hearts beating as one. Their bloodlines were also in perfect sync as the shackles around the bloodline started breaking one after another.


    It was a night that marked the beginning of a new chapter in their lives.


    Eren gently kissed the Empress'' forehead before moving down, gently removing her clothes to reveal her bare skin that lookedpletely wless. It was as if even god had taken sweet time to craft her to such perfection.


    Every inch of her body, every curve, it was all to perfection to the point that Eren''s fingers slid down her waist without even realizing.


    The Empress felt even more embarrassed as her clothes were removed. She was lyingpletely bare in front of Eren with nothing covering her. Her face had turned slightly red as she didn''t know how to hide herself.


    She felt like digging a hole and hiding from Eren''s gaze.


    "It''s not fair that only I am..." She opened her lips where Eren''s scent still appeared to be lingering.


    Although she was shy, she took the lead and slowly started removing Eren''s clothes as well, unable to take her eyes off his well chiseled body.


    Eren watched her with a gentle smile. He could feel her hesitation, the bashfulness that colored her cheeks, and it only endeared her to him more. In his dreams, Xiu Ying feltpletely unlike herself, but it wasn''t a bad sight to behold.


    Their eyes met once more. The Empress leaned in, her lips brushing against Eren''s with a tenderness that felt unlike her. No one would have believed that the Sea Dragon Empress who was known for her coldness could be so gentle.


    It was as if the kiss filled with promises of tomorrow. In that moment, all doubts and fears melted away, leaving only certainty.


    "I am ready," She told Eren, trying to hide the trembling in her voice.


    Eren nodded. As he still didn''t realize that this was not a dream. His fingers brushed against the Empress'' hairs gently, like he was cherishing the most precious thing in her life.


    [Congrattions. Your evolution has beenpleted]


    [Your bloodline "Celestial Dragon" has evolved to "Dragon of Beginning"]


    "Hmm?" Eren felt his head throbbing as he heard a loud announcement in his head.


    He rubbed his forehead and slowly opened his eyes. It was as if he was still under the effect of hangover, feeling a throbbing pain in his head.


    "I should''ve stockpiled some hangover drinks." He mumbled, feeling the throbbing pain only getting stronger. His eyes were barely able to focus. He couldn''t even think straight, feeling slight pain in his back as well.


    It was as if he had really put his waist to stress. He could understand the pain in his head but the pain in his waist was different. He had only been sitting during the evolution so he didn''t understand why he felt pain there.


    "What is this?" He soon came to a realizing, feeling something soft resting on his chest. He lowered his head and saw a fair hand resting in his bare chest.


    "What?" He traced the arm and saw a woman lying next to him, without even a shred of clothes. Her head was resting on his arm which was being used as a pillow.


    Eren''s mind wentpletely nk when he saw the peacefully sleeping face of the woman. It was the Sea Dragon Empress.


    Suddenly, he had a bad feeling about this. He looked down on himself and realised that he wasn''t simply bare chested. He waspletely naked.


    Even the ground where they were sleeping, appeared to be filthy with various fluids lying there, mixed with each other.


    Some of those fluids were even lying on the Sea Dragon Empress''s body. It was on her belly, her chest and some traces could even be found on the corner of her lips.


    As one of his arms was being used as a pillow, he used his other arm to rub his forehead,ing to a sudden realisation.


    "So it wasn''t a dream." He didn''t know how to react to the realization. Even if he thought it was a dream, but he had truly done something that he couldn''t take back.


    "You are awake?" As if feeling Eren''s movements, the Sea Dragon Empress also opened her eyes.

 Chapter 468: Chapter 468: Dragon of Beginning

    The Sea Dragon Empress opened her eyes, wiping the corner of her lips. A beautiful smile spread across her lips as she saw the face of the person who had be the most cherished person to her in a single day.


    Just looking at him was enough to make her heartbeat faster, the feeling of her first love being overwhelming.


    She slowly raised her head from Eren''s arm and moved closer to Eren, giving him a kiss. The kiss instantly sobered Eren.


    Eren didn''t resist her either. No matter what, he was the one responsible for her. Even if he was in the wrong, he couldn''t reject the Empress.


    He responded to her kiss, just as passionately. The Sea Dragon Empress didn''t give Eren the opportunity to take a lead.


    She sat on top of Eren, her eyes looking at him like that of a child.


    "Last night was..." She didn''t finish her sentence, once again her face turning red for some reason. "Can we... again?"


    Eren reached out her hand, her fingers brushing against the Empress'' cheeks. The woman wanted to kill him. At the same time, she loved him.


    He didn''t know what her reaction was going to be if she found her real identity. For her sanity, he promised himself that he was always going to be the Celestial Prince for her.


    Even if they had once been enemies where he only wanted to use her to find the Celestial Dragon''s heart, things had changed after thest night.


    "Just what I was thinking..." Eren told the girl, whose smile brightened. However, her face soon turned redder as she felt something hard touching her back.


    Eren grabbed her waist, raising her a little.


    "W-wait a minute. Give me a sec-!"


    "Uhmmm!"


    The Sea Dragon Empress wanted a moment to catch her breath and prepare herself. However, she didn''t even get an opportunity toplete her sentence.


    She clenched her teeth, trying her best to moan as her body became one with Eren. Even then, her face wasn''t able to hide the pleasure she was feeling.


    Eren was stronger than her even after she had broken through the bloodline shackles. His hands around her waist felt so warm that they also had the Empress a tingling sensation which only made every other sensation stronger.


    Using her waist, Eren helped her rise ande down. She kept her teeth clenched, trying not to make any embarrassing sounds. Unfortunately, she wasn''t able tost long.


    Only a few seconds had passed when she lost control and started making noises that would''ve even put her to shame. She kept loving her waist while bringing her face closer to Eren, closing her lips with his lips.


    Eren removed one hand from her waist and ced it on the back of her head, patting her gently. However, he didn''t stop moving her like a toy that was made only for him.


    It only stopped when the Sea Dragon Empress passed out from pleasure, her body trembling from top to bottom as shey on top of him.


    After finishing, Eren moved her aside, cing her gently on the ground. He let her rest as she was exhausted even more than him.


    He took a deep breath and stood up to stretch his arms. For some reason, his headache was better now. The Empress worked as the best medicine for his hangover, probably because there bloodlinesplimented each other.


    He used Identification to see the stats of the Sea Dragon Empress to see if there was any changes on her.


    "Just as I expected, the seal on her bloodline is broken. It is now Half Celestial Dragon Bloodline. If she can grow more, she might be able to evolve the bloodline to perfection. There is no sealing in between her and her talent."


    Not only was the Seal around the Sea Dragon Empress removed, but even her stats had increased by a lot. Even though they were still notparable to his stats, her starting point was now better.


    He could only wonder the kind ofmotion was in the Sea Dragon Kingdom as one person''s breaking shackles meant that their entire lineage was free from the seal.


    "They must be celebrating, thanking their stars." Eren shook his head lightly.


    "From now on, the Kingdom might start to rise as well. If nothing goes wrong, they might even be a forceparable to the Demon Sect, Hero Academy, Holy Church and Necromancer Tower.


    Although he was the enemy for the Sea Dragons, that was all for his other identity. It had nothing to do with him right now. Now he had gained another important identity, which was that of the Celestial Dragon.


    "I wonder if my stats has also increased after this evolution."


    He used the Identification on himself to see his status, still not certain if looking a level 65 spirit was going to count for his experience in leveling up.


    ..................


    [Name: Eren (Ren Necroline)]


    [Level: 49]


    [Identity: Holy Emperor of the Western Continent, Great Elder at the Demon Sect, Spy of Mythical Hero Academy, Owner of Devourer Bloodline, Heir of the Necromancer Tower, Ruler of Spirit Realm, Lover of the Dragon Empress]


    [Primary Main Bloodline: Paradox? (25%)]


    [Secondary Main Bloodlines: Devourer, Dragon of the Beginning]


    [Guardian: First Spirit Queen Yelen]


    [Contracted Spirit: Spirit Queen Felona]


    [Age: 21]


    [Traits: Cold-blooded, ???]


    [Stats]


    [Strength: 3495]


    [Agility: 4910]


    [Stamina: 5993]


    [Intelligence :93]


    [Mana: 18448]


    [Cultivation: Unknown (Sealed)]


    [Hero Grade: SSS+]


    [Goddess Protection: Unknown (55%)]


    [Main Physiques: Lunar Frost Physique, Destiny Physique, Holy Physique, Absolute Dragon Physique]


    [Unique items in possession: Modified Mana Weapon, Overlord Killing Dagger (Iplete), Pendant of Prediction, Favor Token (Feng Yu), ###### Box (3/4 Seals), Sword of Retribution/ Sword Emperor''s Sword, Rebirth Stone]


    [Unique Skills: Sword Emperor''s Aura, Aura Control Method, Identification, Devouring, Aquatic Mastery, Flight, Ancestral Dragon Language, Absolute Dragon Transformation, Wings of Domination, Skill Unification, Frost Domain, Disguise, eleration, Mind Maniption, Heightened Senses, Blood Maniption, Shadow Clone Creation]


    ..................


    "This is..." Eren couldn''t help but smile as he saw the status screen. There were quite a few changes, some of which really impressed him.

 Chapter 469: Chapter 469: Next Milestone

    Eren was just two steps away from reaching another significant milestone in his leveling journey. He had already reached level 49, and with two more levels to go, his stats could take another great leap forward.


    His stats were already slightly higher than they had been when he first entered the Dungeon, and he looked forward to the day when he would cross the next great threshold, which might finally put him on par with the Overlords.


    "Just a little more..." he said under his breath, his eyes fixed intently on his status screen, filled with optimism.


    Given his already high level, it had be increasingly challenging to gain experiencepared to earlier stages. However, Eren was certain that it was only a matter of time before he crossed the great wall.


    In his status screen, he was also able to notice a few minor differences. His dragon bloodline didn''t say that it was the Celestial Dragon Bloodline anymore. Instead, it said that he had the bloodline of the Dragon of the Beginning.


    It felt simr to the bloodline that the Celestial Dragon had. Even the Sea Dragon Empress couldn''t find any ws in it, but only he could see that it was different. It was as if he had gone a step beyond the Celestial Dragon Bloodline


    "It is quite strange. When I stole the Sea Dragon Bloodline, it evolved to Celestial Dragon Bloodline. When I stole the Celestial Dragon Bloodline, it evolved to the Dragon of the Beginning."


    "Is Devourer also able to increase the purity and origin of the Bloodline?" He couldn''t help but wonder how this was possible. If it happened one time, it felt like it was a coincidence because shackles were removed, but the second time was more than a coincidence.


    He could also see that the Goddess'' Blessing was slightly higher in his status screen. Even though it still didn''t reach a hundred percent, it was much closer to it.


    His skills that came with the Dragon Bloodline had also evolved to some extent. His wings had changed to wings of dominance. His Dragon Language had changed to the Ancient Dragon Language.


    His Dragon Transformation also had a new name on his status screen. It was called the Absolute Dragon Transformation.


    "So much has changed. It seems I will have to spend some time familiarising myself with these new skills."


    He looked back at the Sea Dragon Empress, who was lying on the ground, appearing to be sleeping peacefully. Her aura was not only stabilizing but also bing stronger as she had also entered a phase of evolution into half Celestial Dragon with the breaking of shackles.


    "She would probably take a long time to wake up. I have some time."


    Eren looked towards the ceiling where a giant hole was visible. It was the hole that he had created when forcefully entering the first floor.


    He used flight and rose in the sky, leaving the fifth floor temporarily. He didn''t want to disturb the evolution of the Empress when testing his new skills.


    He flew through the fourth floor, reaching the third. Finally, he stopped on the second floor which felt like a perfect ce to test his skills.


    Not only was this floor spacious, but it was also something that didn''t have many obstruction. There was onlyva on the floor, but theva didn''t feel like it could harm him anymore.


    As the Dragon of Beginning, he was able to ept the head better. Moreover, what better ce to test his skills than thend ofva.


    He raised his hand, using only the Ancient Dragon Tongue.


    "Freeze." He only said a single word, but that world itself had a lot of power. It was as if the world was crossing the threshold of the worldlyws


    The temperature suddenly dropped to the extreme. The moltenva on the ground started freezing until its movement hadpletely stopped.


    Theva was frozen in ce, making no movements at all.


    Eren was amused at the power it had. Even though he could achieve the same thing with his Frost Bloodline, being able to use a single word to change thendscape felt like aplete cheat.


    The Bloodline into the Dragon of the Beginning had granted him quite a few useful abilities.


    He floated above the crystallinendscape he had created, noting the way light refracted off the icyva, casting beautiful patterns on the cavern walls. The floor was now frozen, making it no different from ordinarynd.


    "Interesting," he whispered, his voice barely echoing in the vast chamber.


    The Ancient Dragon Tongue had reshaped reality with a mere word. The Dragon of Beginning was certainly an existence that was beyondprehension of this world.


    Eren even wondered if the Dragon of Beginning was even an existence that only appeared in other worlds.


    With a deep breath, he raised his other hand, ready to test another aspect of his ability.


    "Ignite," hemanded a small section of thend, and the frozenva responded immediately.


    mes erupted, dancing across the icy surface, creating a beautiful scenery of fire and ice. The two elements coexisted. Neither theve melted the ice, nor the ice froze theva.


    Even when Eren changed the spell, the previous spell was still intact. The way he could use the Dragon spells had changed, and so did their duration. As long as he didn''tmand the entire frozenva, it was going to stay frozen.


    He allowed the mes to die down, the ice slowly melting back intova as the duration of the spell ran out after roughly an hour.


    The second floor returned to its natural state, but Eren felt changed.


    Erennded softly on the ground, feeling the heat of theva beneath his feet.


    The skills he had just tested were a fraction of what he was now capable of. The Absolute Dragon Transformation awaited him, a skill that promised to amplify his strengths even further.


    He took a moment to center himself, closing his eyes and focusing on his inner world. The Dragon of the Beginning bloodline became active within him, urging him forward, as if craving for him to transform into the real form of a dragon of the beginning.

 Chapter 470: Chapter 470: Dragon of Beginning

    Eren began the transformation, feeling his body shift and change. Scales covered his skin, shining with a strange glow.


    Wings unfurled from his back,rger and more majestic than ever before. Power surged through him, and when he opened his eyes, the world looked different, brighter, more vivid.


    The Absolute Dragon Transformation wasplete, and Eren felt even stronger.


    His every sense was heightened, and he could feel the pulse of the entire dungeon around him like it was a living existence.


    He could also feel the scales of the Celestial Dragons that had formed the walls of the maze on the first floor. With the strange connection, he even felt that he could use those scales as long as hemanded.


    The entire dungeon was under his control in this form. He was no different than the actual dragon of the beginning.


    He could even feel the Sea Dragon Empress on the fifth floor. Not just her, he could feel all other dragons in this world, feeling a strange connection.


    He could feel the happiness of the Dragons in the Sea Dragon Kingdom who were celebrating the breaking of shackles on their Bloodline. At the same time, he even felt a powerful control over them.


    It was an instinct. It was a feeling that told him that he could kill them as long as he wanted, without even having to move a finger. The Dragon of Beginning was no different than the Dragon of End for those who tried to betray him.


    Looking at the Sea Dragon Empress, he could even see her Bloodline that was slowly evolving. Her blood was getting darker as small light particles started flowing through it.


    He could even feel her pain. Her expressions were twisting in pain as she bore through the pain.


    "Relief." He used the Ancient Dragon Tongue on the Sea Dragon Empress without needing to be close to her.


    The expressions of the Sea Dragon Empress recovered a little. Even though the evolution continued but the pain could no longer be felt.


    "How fascinating. This form is truly incredible." Eren brought a mirror from his inventory and looked at his reflection.


    When he was a Celestial Dragon and transformed into a dragon form, his body became bigger like that of a real dragon


    Strangely enough, his transformation as the Dragon of Beginning was different. He still looked a lot like a human.


    He had grown a little taller but not much. His body was now eight feet tall. Even the dragon wings on his back were longer than him.


    There were two pitch ck dragon hornsing out of his forehead that matched the darkness in his eyes.


    His facial structures had changed a little as small scales covered his cheeks, making him look even more intimidating. Even his ears had became sharper like that of an elf.


    His hands had transformed into ws, but they could still be used like a normal human would. The most fascinating thing he found about this transformation was that an Armor had appeared around his body.


    From his shoulders to his ankles, he was covered in the strange Armor that felt like it was even stronger than the most precious of treasure in the world. He wasn''t sure if even he could break this Armor even if he was to attack with his strongest attack.


    The armor had an otherworldly aura, feeling even stronger than the scales of Celestial Dragon. It made him feel invincible, but he really didn''t want to test it with an enemy. He didn''t want to be a punching bag if possible


    In his eyes, only a good offense was the good defence.


    "It would''ve been great if it was a weapon and not just an Armor. Then again, I do have the Sword of Retribution. I just don''t know if I''ll ever be able to use it."


    He scratched his forehead in frustration.


    "Hmm?" While scratching his forehead, he grew absolutely stunned. Even though his body''s defence after transforming was so high, his nails had still managed to make him bleed with only minor scratching?


    "Are these nails..." He looked at his nails that were truly surprising. They were no less than a treasured weapon. If they could even pass through his defence with such ease then the form of Dragon of the Beginning was truly amazing.


    He was about to cast a healing spell to heal the wound on his forehead, only to grow surprised once more. In the reflection, he could see that his wound had already healed at a speed that should''ve been impossible.


    Just to test, he scratched his shoulder, making it bleed with an even deeper wound. Once again, his wound healed in the blink of an eye.


    A smile spread across Eren''s lips as he understood what it meant. In this form, his healing was absolutely the strongest. It was evenparable to some of those immortal heroes if not stronger.


    "What a great haul." He felt likeughing. After all the struggle, the reward finally felt like it was worth it all.


    His wings spread wider as he looked at the ceiling, preparing to check his flying speed in this form.


    He took to the skies once more, soaring through the dungeon with ease. In the blink of an eye, he appeared on the first floor, feeling as if he had simply teleported.


    His speed of movement had also grown faster, but at the same time, his control over his movement had grown weaker.


    Before he could control himself, he mmed against the walls of the maze on the first floor. Fortunately, he wasn''t the one who was hurt this time.


    It was the wall that broke on impact, his body falling on the ground on the other side of the wall. He slid across the group like a doll beforeing to a halt as he used his ws to slow himself down.


    "I''ll need to practice flying more." He sat straight, patting the dust off his armor. Even after such a brutal fall, there was not a single wound on his body, not that it would''ve mattered to him with his healing speed in this form.


    "Hmm? Do I hear a movement at the entrance?" Just as he was thinking about practicing more, he heard movement at the entrance of the dungeon.

 Chapter 471: Chapter 471: Uninvited Guests

    Eren closed his eyes and tried to sense the entrance of the maze, which was quite lively at the moment. There was arge group of people, and all of them had a holy aura around their bodies.


    Three of them stood out from the rest, their auras being stronger than the rest by a lot.


    "Seventeen Bishops and three Cardinals? That''s a lot of firepower."


    Eren had already expected the Holy Church to send someone after they received a signal that the Dungeon was attacked, but the force they sent was quite strong.


    "Should I go wee them? I do need some experience of fighting in this form." Eren had tested a few of his skills in the form of Dragon of the Beginning, but he was still not proficient.


    If it was in the past, he would''ve thought about avoiding a confrontation if he wasn''t absolutely certain, especially since these people were under the protection of the goddess in the Western Continent.


    On the contrary, he was quite excited about facing these Cardinals who used the holy power. If they were under the protection of the goddess, then he was also a stronger life form as the Dragon of the Beginning.


    He also couldn''t disturb the Sea Dragon Empress right now, who was going through the evolution.


    "I suppose it is decided then." He walked towards the nearby wall and stabbed his ws in the Celestial Dragon''s scale. With a single hand, he raised the heavy dragon''s scale from the ground as if it was nothing but a block made for children to y with.


    ....


    "Everyone needs to be alert. This ce is dangerous. Thest team that entered hasn''t returned yet. And even more enemies might be inside. Don''t lower your guard!"


    A cardinal warned the others, his words especially being directed towards the bishops.


    As Cardinals with stronger blessings, they were better protected. However, this was not the same for the Bishops, many of them were in line to be Cardinals in the future. They were the future pirs of the Holy Church.


    "Hmph, it would''ve been better if we hadn''t brought these burdens along. The three of us could''ve handled it much easier." Another Cardinal felt annoyed that they had to act like a babysitter.


    He thought that they would have a much easier time if it were just the three Cardinals alone. However, he couldn''t do anything since the other Cardinals had agreed to send the Bishops, treating this as a training for the future Cardinals.


    "If you start dragging us down, then I might actually kill you myself. So stay out of our way and follow instructions!" he told the Bishops who nodded repeatedly like children that were being scolded.


    The lead Cardinal, a figure with silver hair and eyes like molten gold, nced back at hispanions and the entourage of Bishops.


    "That''s enough bickering." His voice, calm but firm, sliced through the tense atmosphere. "Remember, our mission is to explore the dungeon and catch the Sea Dragon Empress."


    He gestured for everyone to follow him as he entered the Maze. Along the way, he observed the walls of the maze, which appeared quite strange. Even the holy aura felt useless on the walls.


    The walls simply reflected the holy aura back towards the source with just as much intensity. Attacking the walls with the holy aura was no different than attacking themselves.


    "On the way back, I should take a sample of these stones with me," he mumbled under his breath, his voice barely audible to the others.


    "Watch out!" While the Lead Cardinal of the group was distracted by the walls of the maze, another Cardinal shouted out of nowhere.


    He grabbed the lead cardinal by the shoulder and pulled him back. The Lead Cardinal came to his senses. He noticed the Cardinal, who had been rude to the bishops previously, take the lead.


    The rude cardinal was looking towards the sky. He also raised his head and saw a giant stone b falling straight towards them.


    The rude cardinal grabbed his holy aura in his fists.


    "Wait, don''t attack with that!" The lead cardinal eximed, but it was toote already.


    The other cardinal shot out the holy aura straight towards the block of stone that was falling towards them.


    "Everyone watch out!" The Lead Cardinal reaction fast and cast his strongest shield around them. A done shaped semi transparent golden barrier surrounded all of them.


    "It''s just a stone. Why are you so scared? Watch it be destroyed to pieces with my attack." The arrogant cardinal felt likeughing as the cowardice of the others.


    "Hmm?" Hisughter didn''tst long as he saw a bright light sh in the sky.


    His expressions turned grim as he watched his attack being reflected by the stone, being fired back at them in a simr manner.


    The attack was strong enough to kill many Bishops, if not all of them. Fortunately, the Lead Cardinal expected this, and cast a shield that was stronger than the other Cardinal''s attack.


    The attacknded on the shield but failed to break through. The Bishops were protected, but it wasn''t the end of it.


    Behind the stone b in the sky, a man was standing, his ws still stabbed inside the stone.


    "He''s thinking from his head. It''s fine. Let me give you a better gift then." Eren softly said as he tossed the stone b towards the Cardinals.


    The stone block which looked like it was flying towards them, was previously being carried by Eren. However, now that it was tossed with all his might, it fell even faster.


    The lead cardinal didn''t even have time to tell everyone to fall back when the stone b struck the shield, making it shatter on impact.


    The impact sent debris flying in all directions. The Cardinals were momentarily stunned by the force of the blow.


    Even the Lead Cardinal was pushed back a few steps as the dragon scale fell on them, his expressions turning darker.

 Chapter 472: Chapter 472: Even Im not that arrogant

    "Did they already die?" High in the sky, Eren looked at the stone block that was lying in the middle of one of the maze passages.


    There were no signs of the members of the Holy Church, as if they had been buried under the stone.


    "I didn''t get any experience. To think that not even one of them died." Eren knew that it wasn''t going to be easy to kill the Cardinals. Still he was surprised that it didn''t even kill a single bishop.


    He looked at the stone block that was lying still on the ground. The block soon started rising in the air, as if it was being picked up by someone.


    The stone block rose slowly, revealing the Lead Cardinal who was single handedly pushing it up. There were many Cardinals and bishops beneath it.


    The Cardinals lookedpletely unharmed. They were simply patting the dust off their clothes. It was the seventeen Bishops who were in a worse condition.


    They were battered and slightly injured, but there were no serious injuries. At best, some of them were bleeding. They healed their bleeding with their holy auras.


    The Lead Cardinal, his silver hair now streaked with dust, locked eyes with Eren, who hovered in the sky like dark omen.


    The lead cardinal pushed the giant stone b aside, his eyes remaining focused on Eren in the sky. His expressions were slightly darker as he observed the human that had traits of a Dragon for some reason.


    It looked different from the dragon form that the Sea Dragons were known for. If anything, it looked weaker as the giant bodies of dragons were what made it harder to kill them.


    "Is it some half baked sea dragon who can''t evenpletely transform?" The rude Cardinal asked the lead cardinal while observing Eren.


    The third cardinal also appeared surprised but the reason for him was different.


    "Wasn''t there a restriction in the dungeon that prevents people from flying? I also tried to fly but I couldn''t. So how can he do that?" he asked.


    "What''s there to make a fess about? Won''t be get an answer after we destroy that half baked Dragon? When his life sh before his eyes, he will start telling us about his seven generations, let alone the way to break free of this dungeon''s restriction."


    The rude Cardinal felt not even the slightest of caution against Eren. If it was the Sea Dragon Empress, he would''ve still been careful. But for a dragon who couldn''t evenplete his transformation? It wasughable at best.


    He pointed a finger at Eren in the sky.


    "You, little insect. Come down and start begging for your life, and I might be merciful."


    The corner of Eren''s lips twitched as he heard the words.


    "Could his words get any more cliche? I''m not that arrogant when talking to my enemies." Eren rubbed his forehead, being careful not to use his nails this time.


    "From where I''m standing, you look like an insect. Why don''t youe here and make me beg for life?" Eren asked the cardinal who was talking rudely to him.


    He didn''t forget to show a middle finger while taunting the person.


    The Cardinal didn''t know the meaning of the middle finger, but for some reason, he found it extremely insulting.


    "Be careful. I don''t think he is as simple as he looks," the Lead Cardinal told the other Cardinals, still observing the unfamiliar dragon.


    Although it looked like a fledgling dragon who couldn''t even transform properly, he felt like something was really strange about this situation.


    His eyes asionally gazed as stone b in the distance which was tossed at them.


    A normal Dragon couldn''t fly at the speed that the dragon had done while carrying such a heavy object. It was only possible in aplete dragon form as far as he remembered.


    Another strange thing he found was that the young dragon didn''t appear even the slightest bit scared. It was as if he was confident about his ability to survive.


    Was it simply because he could fly in this ce? He wasn''t sure.


    "Hmph, there''s no need to give such importance to this insect. I will deal with him and then we will find the Sea Dragon Empress through him." The other cardinal simply ignored the word of caution he received from others.


    He shifted his focus back at Eren, who was carefree in the sky.


    "Little brat, you think we can''t do anything to you, simply because you can fly?" As he spoke, a golden rope appeared in his hand, which was his personal treasure.


    The rope started shining in a bright golden light as the holy aura was supplied to it.


    "You are using your artefacts? It seems that the dragon is truly dead this time." The third Cardinal smiled as he watched the rope. Even he felt that the lead cardinal was being overly cautious.


    In the back, the bishops also looked at the rope in fascination.


    "Why is the cardinal so amused by this rope? Is it really that special?" One of them asked.


    "You idiot, did you not know such a famous artefact? It was given to Cardinal Yel by the Holy Priestess herself. If one other end of the rope is tossed in someone''s direction, it doesn''t return without catching that person."


    "Moreover, once a person is caught by the rope, their abilities will be weakened by at least fifty percent as long as they stay bound."


    Hearing the exnation, the young bishop was stunned. He never knew that such a treasure existed. In a world where even the slightest bit of strength mattered, weakening your enemy by half could truly be a game changer in battles.


    He even felt a little jealous that he didn''t own this treasure instead. If he did, he might have been able to defeat a Cardinal as well.


    The Cardinal tossed the sharp end of the rope towards Eren. The rope flew towards Eren like a poisonous snake, slithering in the sky while the other end remained in the Cardinal''s hand.


    Soon, the sharp end of the rope caught Eren, wrapping around his right arm like a coiling snake.

 Chapter 473: Chapter 473: In front of true strength

    Eren felt the rope''s grip tighten around his arm, its golden glow intensifying as it weakened his strength.


    The sensation was like an icy chill spreading through his veins. He could sense his power diminishing, the dragon energy within him being suppressed to some extent by the artifact''s enchantment.


    The Cardinal below watched with smug satisfaction.


    He arrogantly sneered, "Even the strongest fall when faced with true power, let alone insects like you. Now let''s bring you down from your high cloud!"


    His grip around the rope tightened as he suddenly pulled with all his might. He even used his holy aura to strengthen his body, nning to m Eren near his foot with enough to destroy more than half of Eren''s bones.


    "Hmm?" His expressions soon twisted in strangeness. Even as he tried pulling the rope, he wasn''t able to. He looked above as he tried again but Eren didn''t move even an inch.


    Eren was like a heavy rock that remained still in ce.


    The Cardinal didn''t understand how that was possible. He was sure that the rope had weakened Eren. So how was he not being pulled down? He had lost half his strength, so how?


    "Even after losing half his strength, he is stronger. Is it really a fledgling Dragon?" The Lead Cardinal had a betterprehension of the situation.


    Eren was weakened, but still he didn''t look phased. Even when weakened, he was stronger than the Cardinals.


    "Even the Sea Dragon Empress shouldn''t have been this strong, so how can a man, who can''t evenplete his transformation be this strong?"


    Not only was Eren not looking scared, but he had a smirk ying on his lips.


    In the eyes of the Cardinal, he was not in his dragon form. Only he knew that it was theplete dragon form which had increased his stats more than the Dragon form of the Sea Dragons would have.


    Even when his strength was restricted by half, he was still as strong as he used to be before his transformation. It was enough to take down the Cardinal.


    "Is it my turn now?" Eren asked the arrogant cardinal who momentarily flinched.


    The Lead Cardinal suddenly had a bad feeling. He abruptly warned the arrogant cardinal,manding him, "Release the artifact!"


    "It''s my artifact! How can I leave it?!" The Arrogant Cardinal scoffed in response, ignoring the warning.


    It was a treasure given to him by the Holy Priestess. It was also what allowed him to suppress enemies that were even stronger than him. How could he lose it just because it didn''t affect Eren as bad as he had assumed?


    "Even if he''s not as weak as I thought, he''s still under the effect. Attack him together!" he told the other Cardinals to work with him.


    Unfortunately, just as he had finished his sentence, he felt a sudden pull. His expressions turned darker. It was toote to release his grip on the rope as he was pulled towards the sky instead.


    Eren had used his artifact to pull him up like a toy. Even if he were to release the rope now, it couldn''t slow down his momentum.


    During the initial moments, he was shocked. However, he quickly recovered himself, realizing that it was an opportunity.


    Normally, he couldn''t fly here. However, Eren had pulled him up. It didn''t count as flying. If he could get close to Eren, then he could blow his head up in a single attack.


    His shock turned to a smile as he clenched his left fist, gathering the holy aura to strike at Eren.


    "You made a big mistake by bringing me closer," he eximed as the distance between the two of them was merely a few meters.


    Still within the momentum, he tossed out his fist straight for Eren''s face. It was apanied with enough strength that could destroy at least an entire city with great ease.


    Eren never shifted his focus from the man, whose intentions were clearly evident on his face.


    "You are really bad at hiding your intentions." Eren told the Cardinal as he raised his hand that had been wrapped by the given rope.


    "What?" The Cardinal was at a loss of words, his fist grabbed by the young dragon with an ease that he could never believe.


    The rude Cardinal was awakened from his daze, shock etched across his face.


    "Impossible!" he eximed, his bravado crumbling. "How can you..."


    Not only was his attack stopped, but he could also feel that his holy aura was leaving from his fist, being absorbed by the young dragon.


    "You were right," Eren said, his voice echoing with amused calmness. "In front of absolute strength, everything else bes useless."


    The Cardinal''s expressions twisted, still unable to understand how this person could steal the holy aura that belonged to the goddess. If that was the case, then weren''t they just a feast in this person''s eyes?


    His face darkened, realizing that he had to warn others before it was toote.


    "Be careful! He can-"


    The Cardinal tried to warn the others while struggling to free his fist. However, before he could evenplete his sentence, he coughed out a mouthful of blood as a terrifying pain grabbed onto him.


    He looked down, blood still trickling down the corner of his lips. In his chest, he saw a big hole. In Eren''s bloody w, there was a heart out in the open.


    It didn''t take much time for him to understand whose heart it was.


    "I can''t let you spoil my feast." Eren brought his lips closer to the Cardinal''s ears, lightly saying. "So please go ahead."


    The Cardinal''s eyes widened, the world slowly turning upside down for him as the dragon''s w stabbed through his neck, separating his head from the rest of his body.


    His vision turned blurry as his head fell down. Thest thing he saw was Eren taking the rope from his body. The world turnedpletely dark for him.

 Chapter 474: Chapter 474: The open plan

    The other Cardinals watched the head fall from the sky. However, none of the two remaining Cardinals even tried to catch his head.


    For them, there was no point in catching the head as it was impossible to bring him back to life. They understood that he was already dead.


    Instead, they were more concerned about Eren. Not only could that person fly freely, but he was now the owner of the rope of restriction. With the artifact falling in his hand, he had be even more dangerous.


    An even bigger problem was that he was free from the impact of the rope. When he was under the suppression, he was already so strong. Now that the restriction was removed, he was even stronger.


    Soon, the head dropped on the ground, sttering everywhere. The gruesome scene made many of the Bishops temporarily close their eyes, their faces filled with fear.


    Even a Cardinal had died so easily in front of that monster, then what about them? Could they even survive? Many of them had already lost their courage at that moment.


    They just wanted to run away. Unfortunately, they couldn''t do that either. They knew that if they tried to run away like a coward, the Cardinals might kill them in disgust.


    The Cardinal''s body soon followed suit, falling on the ground with a thud. It was a bloody scene that the cardinal wanted to create with Eren, only to be a victim of his desires himself.


    The two Cardinals looked at each other, realizing that this wasn''t a battle that they could win. Even if they were to win, they might have to sacrifice a lot.


    This was Eren''s territory with all their advantages taken away. Not only could they not fly, but they were also caught in the mazes which restricted a lot of their movements.


    If they were outside, it would''ve been much different. Just one of them alone would''ve been able to restrict Eren. But here, even two of them were far from enough.


    The lead cardinal took a deep breath,ing to a hard conclusion.


    He looked at the young bishops that were in muchrger numbers than them.


    "In this ce, you all might be our biggest weapon," he told the Bishops. "As we have seen, flying is restricted here. But if you are pulled or pushed into the air, it''s different."


    The Bishops had a bad feeling about the Cardinals words. Was he nning to toss them towards Eren, wanting them to take him down with the advantage of their numbers?


    If it was one or two Cardinals, Eren could block them like before.


    He could even use the rope on one of them while attacking the others. But if it was the Bishops inrger numbers, he couldn''t do much. He couldn''t focus on all seventeen of them.


    "While you have distracted him, we will join and kill him," he told the Bishops.


    Without even waiting for their permission, he shrouded them all in his holy aura, ready to toss them towards Eren.


    ''Did they think I can''t hear their n?'' High in the sky, Eren frowned at how much the Cardinals were underestimating him.


    If it was just seventeen of them, he could easily kill them. After all, seventeen Bishops were not much. They were not Cardinals yet. They were much weaker.


    Since the Cardinals were confident and nning toe to him with the bishops, he epted that decision. It was better for food toe.


    After all, on the ground, it would''ve been slightly more time consuming to deal with them. Meanwhile, the sky was his territory as a dragon.


    "After we return, I will make sure that all of you are assigned Cardinals. So make sure to give it your all." The Lead Cardinal gave bishops even more confidence before finally tossing them into the sky.


    The Bishops soared through the air, propelled by the Cardinal''s holy aura. The promise of bing Cardinals was very lucrative for them, their greed momentarily suppressing the fear towards Eren.


    Eren watched them approach with a calm gaze. He knew the Cardinals hoped to overwhelm him with sheer numbers, but they had truly overestimated themselves. As a dragon, the sky was his domain, and he intended to remind them of that.


    Eren unfurled his wings, casting a shadow over the maze below. The Bishops, now within striking range, tried to coordinate their attacks,unching spells and holy strikes in a desperate attempt to temporarily suppress him.


    Their attacks evennded on Eren, but to their surprise, not even a single scratch was left on his body. Instead, the holy essence of their attacks appeared to have simply disappeared as soon as it touched Eren.


    At the same time, a sword appeared in Eren''s hand. He swung the sword which formed a bloody arc, slicing through the bishops, forming a red moon in the sky with their blood.


    Even as they died, the Bishops looked back, hoping that their sacrifice was not going to be in vain at least.


    However, the moment they looked down, a pitiful smile spread across their lips. They didn''t see the Cardinalsing to help them. Instead, the Cardinals were nowhere to be seen.


    They realized what had actually happened. They weren''t thenguage that was meant to distract Eren so that he could be killed. Instead, they were pawns that were meant to keep Eren busy until the Cardinals ran out of the dungeon.


    Just a single moment of distraction was enough, which was why they didn''t keep their n a secret.


    One after another, the bishops'' bodies started falling from the sky like a broken star. The bodies, each fell in a different section of the maze, never to return to the outside world


    Eren''s gaze ran over the maze as he also came to realize what had happened.


    "To think that they would just run away... I should''ve been more careful." He rubbed his forehead, realizing what just happened.


    "I need to leave this ce." He quickly turned around, understanding what the Cardinal''s escape meant for this dungeon.


    However, before leaving, he made sure to keep the Dragon''s scale that had formed the maze wall in his inventory.


    Fortunately, it only took one block of his inventory, with their number added at the lower corner of the small inventory section.


    He soon returned to the Sea Dragon Empress.

 Chapter 475: Chapter 475: Spiritual Leader

    "I am sorry but I think we can''t wait for your evolution to finish." Eren appeared on the lowest floor where the Sea Dragon Empress was going through her evolution.


    Her eyes were closed and her body was covered in sweat as her Bloodline became even more pure than before. It was as if her bloodline was getting closer to the origin now that the shackles were removed.


    With each passing second, her strength was also increasing. Eren didn''t even have to check her stats again to know that she was stronger. Even her aura had be stronger.


    He pulled out a nket from her inventory and covered the Sea Dragon Empress who waspletely bare at the moment.


    After wrapping the nket around the Empress who looked like she was simply sleeping during her evolution, he picked her up in his arms.


    As he took her in his arms, he felt as if her evolution speed had simply increased. He was like a god with a bloodline even stronger than the Celestial Dragon. Just being in his proximity was beneficial for the dragon species.


    The dragon wings appeared behind him again. He didn''t think much about the evolution of the Empress for now.


    The only thing he knew was that he had to leave the Dungeon before the entire Holy Church was going to arrive, surrounding the Dungeon and blocking the exit.


    Now that the Cardinals had left, he was certain that it was only a matter of time before this information reached the Holy Priestess who was going to personally arrive here with even more powerful Cardinals.


    Before it became even harder, he had to leave this ce. Even if he was strong, he didn''t want to fight the Holy Priestess yet. So far, he hadn''t known much about the goddess behind the Priestess.


    Moreover, even if he managed to kill the Holy Priestess,  who was going to take care of the Necromancer Tower Master for him? He needed the two of them to kill each other.


    With wingsrger than his body, he rose in the air. He flew from the fifth floor to the fourth and kept going until he reached the first floor.


    The first floor used to be a maze, but there was no maze left there anymore.  The dragon scales that had formed the maze was taken away by Eren, leaving this ce looking no different than the smaller version of the empty fifth floor.


    Eren hade to this Dungeon, trying to strengthen his Celestial Dragon Bloodline with the Dragon''s Heart. However, the trip had gone above and beyond his wildest thoughts.


    It was an extremely rewarding trip where he hadn''t strengthened his bloodline butpletely transformed it through an evolution.


    He also managed to win over the Sea Dragon Empress, solidifying his position as the spiritual leader of the Sea Dragons.


    Now, he had another ce that belonged to him. If something happened to the Spirit Realm, he could always find a refuge in the Sea Dragon Kingdom which was in the depths of the often.


    As long as he was in the ocean, he could even use the new Bloodline ability, ruler of the ocean. If anything, the ocean and Kingdom of Sea Dragons was no different than a stronghold for him.


    He might be something even stronger than the Celestial Dragon used to be in his aura, but for now, he had no ns of simply hiding.


    Just as this trip had been rewarding for him, he had also lost a lot during this trip. He had lost hisst temporarily unsealing talisman.


    To defeat the Spirit which was even stronger than the Overlords, he had to use his second andst unsealing talisman. Now he had none left.


    Even if he was faced with danger, he could only rely on his own strength. Even if he had received so many rewards, he still felt somewhat pitiful about the Unsealing Talisman that he had been saving from the beginning.


    Soon, Eren reached th exit of the dungeon. Outside the exit, he was sure that the two Cardinals were waiting for him. They had most probably already informed the Priestess who might soon be there as well.


    "I can''t get dragged in fighting them." He took a deep breath, realizing what he had to do.


    Even if he could kill the two Cardinals outside the dungeon, but that was not beneficial to him if he was surrounded by more of them.


    "Hide Aura." He used his Dragon Tongue which had be even stronger after his evolution.


    As if the worldlyws itself were manipted following his words, the aura of the Sea Dragon Empress simply disappeared. Even though he was the caster who was holding her in his arms, he couldn''t feel her aura either.


    It was the same for his aura. However, he didn''t have to rely on the Dragon Tongue to hide his aura. He simply relied on his Aura Maniption.


    "Invisibility." He cast another dragon tongue spell.


    Normally, this kind of spell wasn''t effective against those who were stronger than a bishop. However, after his evolution, the dragon tongue had be stronger.


    Now he could even fool the Cardinals, even if temporarily. As long as the Cardinals weren''t using any special treasures to see through their invisibility, they could not be seen.


    Only the Holy Priestess could see them, but only when they were within her sight.


    After preparing everything, Eren made his wings disappear. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, wondering if they were going to be weed with a barrage of attacks or if everything was going to be as normal as he was hoping.


    Soon, he took his first step through the exit. The minute spatial fluctuation appeared, but it was different from teleportation.


    Eren feltfortable, but he didn''t feel any harm to his body. He soon appeared outside the Dungeon, his feetnding on the ground which was still tainted with the blood of the Priests that were killed by him.

 Chapter 476: Chapter 476: The Absurd Plan

    Eren stepped out of the Dungeon, holding the Sea Dragon Empress like an Empress in his arms.


    He observed his surroundings, trying to see if the Holy Priestess had actually arrived yet, or not.


    In the distance, he saw the two Cardinals that had escaped from the Dungeon. The two of them were looking straight in his direction.


    Frowning, Eren took a step to the left, getting out of their line of sight. However, they didn''t move their gaze. It became clear for him that they weren''t looking in his direction. Instead, they were looking at the entrance of the Dungeon.


    ''It seems I was worried for no reason.''


    The Cardinals weren''t using any treasure that could see through his invisibility. Moreover, to his pleasant surprise, the Holy Priestess was not here yet.


    Without wasting a single second, Eren rose in the air and started flying as far away from this ce as possible.


    The Cardinals remained behind, still observing the Dungeon Entrance, not even realizing that the person they were looking for had already left the Dungeon right in front of them.


    A few more minutes passed and an even more frightening aura descended in the ce. A portal opened in the sky and a young and graceful woman stepped out of the portal.


    Even though the woman appeared extremely beautiful and charming, there was something about her that those who looked at her didn''t get any filthy feelings towards her. She was like a goddess untouched by the slightest of dirt.


    Soon after, the other Cardinals also arrived there. Within a few moments, the ce was overwhelmed by Cardinals. It was as if the entire Holy Church was emptied.


    "You said there was a strange dragon here?" The Holy Priestessnded in front of the two Cardinals that had sent a message.


    The Cardinals exined what they had seen. Their words even made the Holy Priestess slightly surprised. Even she hadn''t heard about a dragon that could be as strong as a cardinal when he couldn''t even properly transform into a dragon.


    She had a feeling that something was really wrong about this description. Was it really an iplete dragon form?


    First, there was information that the Sea Dragon Empress was here. She knew how strong that woman was. Although she was strong, she was no threat.


    That''s why she sent three Cardinals and seventeen Bishops to capture her. She didn''t expect that there was going to be another variable here.


    "Could it be Devourer?" she wondered, remembering that it was Devourer who had helped the Sea Dragon Empress escape from herst time.


    Although it didn''t make sense for Devourer to have a dragon form, even if iplete. Still, he had an ability that could steal bloodlines and abilities. She could never be certain if he had stolen something that he shouldn''t have.


    "I suppose I will find the answer soon enough." With her hands behind her back, she calmly stepped inside the dungeon that she had previously thought was beneath her. If not for this incident, she never would''ve stepped foot in this filthy ce.


    The Cardinals followed the Holy Priestess. It was a force that could destroy almost an entire continent in the blink of an eye. However currently, all of them were in a single dungeon.


    "Did you say that there was a maze that restricted flying?" The Holy Priestess asked, walking in air inside the first floor.


    No matter where she looked, there was no sign of a maze. She didn''t even feel any restrictions in flying either. The other Cardinals were also able to freely.


    "How is this possible? It was definitely here!" The two Cardinals were more shocked than anyone else here.


    They had seen the maze with their own eyes. How could the maze and the restriction disappear within a few minutes.


    "Could it be that you were defeated by the Sea Dragon Empress and came up with the story to save some dignity?" A cardinal who had apanied the Holy Priestess said, not even trying to hide his mocking gaze.


    "We have been keeping an eye on the exit. That person is still here! You will see yourself how strong that person was!"


    The two Cardinals were still firm in their beliefs, not having even the slightest inkling that the person had left from right their their noses.


    ....


    Far away from the dungeon, Eren had already noticed the aura of the Holy Priestess descending in the distance. Fortunately, he was far from her range. She couldn''t sense him.


    He was slightly surprised as the number of auras kept increasing. He even wondered if she had brought almost all the Cardinals to this ce, which gave him a very peculiar idea.


    As the auras disappeared inside the dungeon, Eren called forth his dragon wings. He increased his speed and flew straight towards the Holy City.


    Flying above the horizon, he appeared like a shooting star. Even if someone was to look at the sky when he flew past, they couldn''t even see an afterimage. It was all just a blur shing past them.


    Not only did his strength but even his speed had also increased.


    Soon, he reached the Holy City with the Sea Dragon Empress in his arms. Using the Emperor''s token, he opened a small entrance in therge dome that was protecting the city.


    He passed through the barrier but he didn''t slow down. In the absence of the Holy Priestess and the Cardinals, this was his territory.


    The first thing he did was enter the Holy Pce without being detected. He didn''t even go to hisdies. Instead, he went to the Holy Emperor''s room.


    He had already informed his shadow about what had happened. The shadow was waiting in the room for him.


    After reaching the room, he ced the Sea Dragon Empress on the bed and covered her bed.


    "I am going out for a while. Keep an eye on her." He told his clothes who could already feel what he was thinking about.


    "Are you really going to do this? Even if they have left but it''s still..."


    "You don''t have to worry about my actions." Eren waved his hand, burying the concerns of his clone. He simply disappeared into thin air, leaving the Pce.

 Chapter 477: Chapter 477: Im in love with Eren

    Eren was standing on the balcony of the Holy Pce, overlooking the vast expanse of the Holy City.


    There was a cunning smile on his lips as he hade up with a method to take advantage of the absence of the main force of the Holy Church.


    He silently gazed at the Holy Church in the distance which looked quite pleasing to the eyes, unlike before.


    "Don''t mess with the n. Also, inform thedies to y along as well. I don''t want a misunderstanding," he whispered under his breath, his words reaching the ears of the clone which could only nod in response.


    After finishing his instructions, Eren jumped off the balcony, his figure gliding through the air. In the absence of the Cardinals, even the weakest of spells was enough to hide his presence.


    He made his way towards the Holy Church which was a forbidden ce for non believers.


    ....


    "Although it''s a crazy n, but so be it." The clone draped the royal robe over his shoulders.


    As Felona was also keeping an eye on the Sea Dragon Empress, he could leave the room freely.


    Moreover, Eren had already confirmed to him that she wasn''t going to wake up orplete her evolution until the next morning.


    The women that they had to be more careful about were the two Great Elders of the Demon Sect.


    The clone really hoped that he could make them understand, for which he needed to make a lot of excuses. It was easier said than done since a lot of things had to be hidden from them.


    Soon Eren''s clone reached the training hall. The guards outside the training hall stepped aside. One of them opened the training hall doors for him.


    Normally, the training hall was a ce where the Holy Warriors of the Empire trained, but under the Emperor''s instructions, the entire hall was reserved for the guests.


    Not a single guard had forgotten the day when the Emperor had annihted half the army with his own hands. His blood covered figure was still fresh in their minds.


    Eren''s clone could see that they were scared of him, but he didn''t mind it. If anything, it was beneficial for him if everyone maintained a safe distance from him.


    He was a clone which was going to be destroyed at the slightest of damage. Even if they hadn''t stayed away from them, he had to stay away from getting within arms reach of them to avoid any ident.


    Eren''s clone entered the training hall and the door behind him swiftly closed.


    "Huh?" After entering the training hall, Eren''s expressions became really weird. The scene in front of him was something that he had never expected.


    "Weren''t they supposed to be training you?" He asked Yu Lin, who was standing in one corner silently.


    She was the disciple which was supposed to be trained by two Great Elders, but the two of them appeared to be immersed in something else.


    "Argh, be careful!" He swiftly went down on his knees, avoiding a stray sword aura attack that hade in his direction.


    His back was covered in cold sweat. If he was even a secondte, the attack had easily destroyed him before he could even help Eren.


    He didn''t understand just what was happening in front of him. The two great elders weren''t training Yu Lin. Instead... They were fighting with each other?


    It didn''t look like a training battle either. Instead, it appeared as if the two of them were really trying to kill each other.


    "Do you know what is happening here?" The clone asked Yu Lin who appeared to be the only person who could know what was happening here.


    "I don''t know." Yu Lin also innocently shrugged. "But I think it has something to do with the master."


    "What?" Eren''s clone didn''t understand a single thing. How could their battle have anything to do with Eren? Just what was happening here?


    "Sister Zia, I will give you another opportunity. Do you want to take your words back?" Xiu Ying said, holding her sharp sword firmly. Her eyes were brimming with heavy killing intent.


    "In another corner of the training hall, there was Zia. There were small cuts on her clothes but her body was unharmed.


    As an Alchemist, not only was her healing skills the best out of all the Great Elders but even her strength could rise sharply depending on the pills that she used.


    It was said that Zia wasn''t the strongest great elder but she was the hardest to deal with, with almost infinite energy.


    "Sister Xiu, there is nothing for me to take back," Great Elder Zia answered, not showing even the slightest of fear even when facing Xiu Ying.


    It was as if she was ready for whatever came her way. This time, she had made up her mind. She was going to take what she wanted.


    "I believe I am in love with Eren as well. I know that he is with you, but so what? I felt the same level of affection in his eyes for me as well," Great Elder Zia told Xiu Ying without caring even the slightest about her killing intent that red even more.


    "What the..." In the distance, Eren''s clone heard their words. As he understood what was happening, he couldn''t help but facepalm himself.


    For the first time, he felt d that he wasn''t real Eren but a single clone. There was no way he would''ve wanted to deal with these two crazy women.


    "Also, in which era did a man as brilliant as him not have more than one woman? Don''t tell me you want to monopolize him just because you met him first?"


    Subconsciously, he even wanted to slowly sneak out of this ce. If he didn''t have to go through with Eren''s n with urgency, he would''ve surely snuck out of here.


    Unfortunately, he couldn''t do that. Moreover, the training hall also couldn''t survive their battle for long. The roof and the walls had already started falling apart with barely any ce left which could be called still intact.


    He rubbed his forehead, sighing, "I''m not paid nearly enough for this."

 Chapter 478: Chapter 478: Solo Leveling

    Eren remained unaware about the catastrophe that his clone was facing. He was entirely focused on the task at hand, which was most important for him at this point.


    Hended in front of the Holy Church and stopped hiding his presence. Themoners that were near the Holy Church to get a blessing, were stunned as they saw a man appear out of thin air.


    The man was strangely dressed. His clothes werepletely ck, something that the people of the Holy City didn''t prefer as the color of absolute darkness symbolised the darkness of the Northern Continent.


    "Who are you to get ahead of us?! You can''t cut the line! We are all here for blessings as well!" A believer eximed as he approached Eren.


    He didn''t even wait for Eren to respond as he attacked, trying to teach this person a lesson. How dare this person wear the color of darkness and not follow the etiquette of the Holy Church?


    Was he trying to antagonize the Church? Didn''t that mean that he could get more recognition from the Holy Church if he taught this person a lesson? Or so he thought.


    As soon as his fist touched the back of Eren''s head, he felt a terrifying pain as if he had hit a boulder. He felt his bones crack, but that was far from the end.


    His arm kept twisting as a dark aura spread throughout. Soon, the dark poison spread throughout his body, making him groan in a terrifying pain while his body melted in front of everyone''s eyes.


    Eren removed the hood from his head, revealing his long dark hair that came down to his waist.


    As he had changed his disguise, his entire appearance had changed once more. This time, he carried the appearance of one of the Hall Masters of the Necromancer Tower whose Physique was somewhat simr to his physique.


    He had sharp elf-like ears, which made him appear distinct from the humans, making it clear that he wasn''t a member of the Holy Continent.


    He looked back at themoners in the back, revealing his face towards them. His eyes were darker than the darkness, and his skin was extremely pale as if hecked even the slightest of blood.


    "Is this thend of the false gods that im to beparable to the Necromancer Tower?" Eren asked, looking at the believers of the Holy Church.


    "Y-you are... Necromancer!" The believers grew pale in fear.


    They had heard rumours that people from the Necromancer Tower had infiltrated the Holy City, but they never believed it. However, now that they were watching it with their own eyes, they had no choice but to believe it.


    "How... How can a devil pass through the barrier of the goddess? It''s impossible"


    "It has to be a dream! That''s right."


    "Dream?" Eren asked, appearing in front of the middle aged man who had spoken. "Is that joke of a barrier really that impressive for you?"


    "Did you really think we didn''te here before because the barrier was strong? It was simply because we didn''t care even the slightest bit about you."


    "We wanted to control you insects through the shadows! After all, many of our people had already infiltrated your Royal Pce and the Holy Church. Unfortunately, the Holy Emperor was more brilliant than I thought."


    "That bastard found our people and killed them openly. I had toe to this pathetd myself. The insects that don''t behave, don''t deserve to live. Today, I will destroy the Holy Church and the Pce."


    Eren was ying the role of a viin as good as he could, using everything he had learned reading novels throughout the year. He even made it dramatic with the crazed look in his eyes as he spoke.


    He conveniently made Church appear like a fool and the Holy Emperor like a genius who had seen through the schemes of the Necromancer Tower which even the church couldn''t see through.


    "Is it true? The emperor really wasn''t behaving like that because he was possessed by the devil? Instead, it was because he was really trying to protect us?"


    Eren knew that the fanatics of the Church weren''t going to believe his words easily. Hence, he was only targeting the people who were mildly influenced by the church.


    As for convincing the fanatics, it was even easier. All he had to do was make them watch the destruction of their holy ce.


    "You bastard, how dare you talk bad about the Church!" A sharp voice came, with the doors of the Holy Church opening.


    "Right on time." Eren revealed a smile, watching the Bishopsing out of the Church.


    He was already convinced that the Church had no Cardinals left. Even if there was one or two Cardinal left, he could easily deal with them.


    The best part of the entire equation for him was that the Holy Church couldn''t even inform the Holy Priestess or the Cardinals about things that were happening here.


    As long as they were inside the dungeon, the message couldn''t be delivered. Moreover the Priestess wasn''t going toe out of the dungeon anytime soon.


    He had made sure that the Holy Priestess was going to take her sweet time inside the Dungeon, trying to find him. After all, he had intentionally left multiple traces on each of the floors.


    By the time they returned, his n was going to beplete. The people of the Holy City were going to be disillusioned by the Holy Church, and a new hero was going to appear.


    "Let''s begin the solo levelling." Eren called forth a sword that he had stolen from the n that he hadpletely annihted in the Northern Continent.


    His figure disappeared. In the next second, he appeared at the entrance of the Holy Church.


    Behind him were the Bishops who hade out of the Holy Church to fight him. They were stunned by his speed.


    They looked back, only to notice something strange. Their heads had turned back but their bodies were still facing the other direction. Their faces were filled with absolute horror as they realized what had happened.


    Eren snapped his finger. A gentle wind flew, which made the heads of the Bishops roll off their bodies.


    Their bodies followed suit but Eren wasn''t there to see them fall. He entered the Holy Church, disappearing inside the holiest ofnds of the Western Continent.

 Chapter 479: Chapter 479: Path of Carnage

    The Bishops that had stepped out of the Holy Church died before they could even utilize their holy essence to protect themselves.


    Even though they were strengthened in their domain, their strength still paled inparison to Eren who was like a walking catastrophe now.


    Normally, Eren would have been more cautious. He would have used the Ancient Dragon Language more carefully, trying to not reveal his identity.


    Fortunately for him, today was different. The strongest members of the Holy Church had entered the Dungeon to look for an unknown dragon, not realizing that the dragon was wreaking havoc in their home.


    Since the Holy Priestess and Cardinals were absent, there was no one who could recognise the Dragon Language just from the flow of essence around Eren''s body.


    Normally, the scent of Dragon Tongue was more evidence. However, after evolution, that scent had be faint, allowing him to not worry about having to destroy the scer to hide the scent of the dragon magic.


    Now, the scent was so faint that it could disperse within a few minutes itself. No other essence or destruction was needed to bury it.


    Eren was a demon in the eyes of the Holy Church. He was someone who hade from the Necromancer Tower and somehow managed to pass through the barrier undetected.


    The members of the Holy Church didn''t believe that it was a coincidence. Someone had definitely helped him pass through the barrier as the barrier hadn''t alerted them.


    There were only two sides that could open an entrance through the Holy Barrier. One was the Holy Church, and the other was the Holy Emperor himself.


    In the absence of the Holy Priestess, there was no oversight on the barrier either.


    The Bishops had a really bad feeling about this. Just recently, the Holy Emperor had killed their spies and called them the spies of the Northern Continent.


    Now, this person was epting that they were spies from the Northern Continent. They had a really strong feeling that the Holy Emperor had a hand in it. Unfortunately, they had no evidence.


    They also didn''t have time to think about it, as the Bishops that tried to stop Eren through the corridors were killed with a magic so strange that it didn''t even feel like something that belonged to the four continents.


    The Bishops were looking at Eren progressing towards the center of the Holy Church, leaving corpses behind. They also saw him pull out the hearts of the corpses.


    The hearts disappeared in his hands which made them think that he was keeping them in his inventory for some reason.


    "Did you manage to contact Her Holiness?" One of the Bishops asked, almost chewing his nails in frustration.


    "We can''t establish a connection. They appear to be at a ce where we can''t contact them," came a response from another Bishop who was trying his best to contact the Holy Priestess.


    "Urgh, all of them just had to leave now! If they were here, they would''ve easily killed this bastard that dated dirty the holynd!"


    Although it looked like a coincidence that Eren just happened to attack when the main force of the Holy Church was away and couldn''t be contacted.


    A few of them believed that it was all nned. The main force was drawn out intentionally so the Holy Church could be attacked.


    "It''s fine! Contact the Cardinals from other cities! They should be able to arrive faster!"  The Bishop came up with a new n to deal with Eren.


    Although the main force of the Holy Church was absent, that didn''t mean the Holy Church didn''t have other forces.


    Across the Western Continent, there were many branches of the Holy Church. There was one in almost every city.


    Most of these churches were led by the Bishops, but there were also many cities that were led by the Cardinals. Normally, these were cities that wererge and had importance for the Holy Church to draw more faith.


    All these cities were connected to the Holy Church through portal formations. As long as the formation was activated, a passage could be established with those branches, from where other Cardinals could arrive.


    "Even if we contact them, it would take at least a few hours to establish a portal. Can we dy him for that long?"


    "It''s not something we have to do. It''s something we must do! We can''t let the Holy Land fall. Otherwise, even if we managed to survive, we would be granted a death worse than you can imagine!"


    The leading bishop said, grimacing. Even be understood that portals couldn''t be activated right away.


    The Holy Church never expected the main base to be attacked from outside, so they never cared about making these portals connect faster. After all, the Holy Priestess could simply open the void and travel to other cities if she had to.


    If anything, the process was intentionally made harder to protect the Holy City from attacks through other cities. It was easier to take down a branch and use the portal to infiltrate the Holy Church than it was to attack from outside, after all.


    That''s why, the process was made harder. Not only were a lot of materials needed to be arranged, but also permission had to be taken from the main branch.


    The permission could easily be granted, but the problem was arrangement of the materials. At the fastest, it could take a few hours.


    That''s why, Holy Priestess had to stay in the Duke''s Pce while the Duke had arranged materials for the portal so that Eren could be brought here.


    "Send a message to all higher branches. Tell them that we are under attack and to make sure that they activate the portal within half an hour, even if they have to lose an arm and leg over it."


    The Bishop eximed, his fist mming on the wall in front of him, feeling helpless. He could do nothing but watch Bishops being used as pawns to dy Eren as much as possible.

 Chapter 480: Chapter 480: The Darkness that swallowed the light

    The corridor was filled with the sound of hurried footsteps as the remaining members of the Holy Church scrambled to stop Eren.


    Eren couldn''t help but notice that the number of Bishops that attacked him had down by a lot. Instead, it were the ordinary or weaker followers of the goddess that wereing to attack him in waves.


    It was clear that they couldn''t kill him with this method, but the numbers didn''t go down, even if he kept killing them.


    He could kill them just as easily as he could kill the Bishops, but his speed had slowed down by a lot to deal with this human wave method of the bishops.


    Eren moved with a calmness that was quite contrary to the chaos he was causing. He had already guessed what the Holy Church was trying to do. However, it didn''t matter to him.


    He had already learned how long it was going to take before the Cardinals from the nearest city could arrive. Even at the earliest, it was going to take an hour. Meanwhile, half an hour was more than enough for him toplete his n.


    His intense aura sent shivers down the spines of the few who dared to stand in his path. Even as their legs were trembling in fear, they didn''t clear path for him.


    "Do you fear your goddess more than you fear me?" Eren asked the people, revealing a devilish smirk and the fresh blood on his sword.


    "W-we will not let you seed! Even if we die, it will be worth it! We will just return to the embrace of the goddess, but a demon like you will forever burn in the mes of hell!" One of the men said, his voice clearly trembling in fear but he didn''t take a single step back.


    "Are you certain you can return to the embrace of your goddess after death?" Eren asked, revealing an amused smile.


    "Don''t you know what our Necromancer Tower is famous for? If I enve your soul and turn you into an undead, do you think you won''t be the first person to attack what you are protecting now?"


    Although Eren couldn''t currently use Necromancy, but it didn''t mean that he couldn''t put on a show to shake the resolve of these people.


    Just as he expected, many had started wavering following his words.


    "Don''t listen to the Devil''s Sweet Whispers! He is trying to sway you! Kill him!" Just as the weaker members were getting swayed and thinking about running away, a more powerful voice came from the distance, belonging to a Bishop.


    The voice was apanied by the soothing holy aura that calmed the minds of the followers. There eyes became slightly nk as if they hadpletely stopped thinking about anything, bing no different than mindless followers.


    The followers rushed towards Eren under themand of the Bishop, not caring about dying in the process.


    "That''s why I hate dealing with fanatics," Eren let out a sigh as he swung his sword.


    His sword made a sharp arc, that shot out the destructive essence forming the shape of a crescent moon.


    The followers that had attacked Eren were all split in halves, their eyes suddenly regaining rity with pain. Unfortunately, it was toote for them now.


    "Are you going to stay hiding or also show the same bravery that you made them reveal? Or are you falling for this devil''s sweet whispers now that you have run out of followers to dy me?"


    Eren said, looking at the Bishops who had controlled the followers previously.


    "You demon!"


    A loud ng reverberated through the hall as one of the bishops, mustering thest of his courage, cast a spell that illuminated the entire corridor with a blinding light. It was an attempt to disorient Eren, to buy the precious seconds needed for reinforcements to arrive.


    Eren paused as he felt the surge of holy essence gathering around him. Yet, instead of retreating, he smirked, his voice cutting through the blinding storm like a de.


    "You think light will save you from the darkness?" Although he felt slightly cringe saying this cliche dialogue, he felt that it suited his role a lot.


    With a swift motion, he cast a barrier of his own. Although the barrier was cast with the Dragon Tongue which didn''t need him to make any motions with his hands, but to put an act, he made it appear as if it was needed.


    Eren''s barrier advanced, consuming everything in its path. The light dimmed, and then, as if it never existed, vanished entirely. Eren walked through the dissipating shadows, unhindered, his gaze fixed on the Bishops.


    Before the Bishops could react, Eren was already standing in front of them with only half a meter of distance left between them.


    "Shall this devil send you to the afterlife now?" he told the Bishops who subconsciously stepped back in fear.


    At the same time, they also prepared a sneak attack on Eren now that he was close to them and confident.


    "Freeze." Eren whispered under his breath, making the bodies of the bishops freeze in ce temporarily.


    The Bishops were stunned. Now that they experienced it themselves, they finally understood that this was actually Dragon Tongue Magic which was strangely much stronger than it should''ve been.


    They were frightened. They wanted to let those observing know that Eren was using Dragon Tongue but they couldn''t even move their lips.


    They died right after, unable to evenplete theirst attack, let alone putting up a resistance.


    The Bishops that were observing the scene were also surprised as to why the bishops froze in ce. Was it because they were scared? They didn''t know that Eren had used the Dragon Tongue, which left them even more confused.


    They thought Eren was going toe straight for them, but to their surprise, Eren took another path which led to the rooms where the portal formations were cast.


    "How does he know about it?!" The Bishop stood up frantically.

 Chapter 481: Chapter 481: Only one person

    The Bishopmanding the forces of the Holy Church was absolutely stunned. His face revealed shock like never before.


    There were multiple passages before Eren, but he had specifically chosen the one that led to the ce where the portal formations were cast.


    It should have been impossible for any outsider to know the exact location of the portal formations. Even the Holy Emperor had never stepped inside the Holy Church, so he had never seen the portal formation.


    The only outsiders who had seen the portal formation were the guests from the Eastern Continent who had been brought by the Priestess.


    The Bishop couldn''t help but wonder if it was just a coincidence that the Necromancer had selected that specific passage. He really hoped that was the case.


    If not, it meant the Eastern Continent, the Holy Emperor, and the Necromancer Tower were on the same side against the Holy Church.


    "We can''t let him find the formations! We have to stop him."


    They couldn''t hold back anymore. Initially, they wanted to dy Eren until the Cardinals from other major cities arrived. Unfortunately, that had be much harder. To buy even a little time, they had to put their own lives on the line.


    After that, it depended entirely on the Cardinals. As long as they could arrive on time, then this sacrifice was worth it.


    The Bishop activated all the traps along the passage to dy Eren. At the same time, he rushed out with the other Bishops.


    He had thought that the traps were going to keep Eren busy until they reached home. However, that was far from the reality.


    The traps were far from effective against Eren, whose physique had be even stronger. With the Ancient Dragon Tongue, he was able to pass through all the traps without even the slightest of wounds.


    By the time the Bishops reached their destination, they were only greeted with rubble all around them. The formation rooms were all broken, along with the formations inside.


    Not a single formation was left intact. All their hopes hade crashing down. Without the formation, the Cardinals couldn''te here.


    They had to fly all the way through the other cities, which at the fastest was going to take a day now.


    "What have you done..." The leading bishop held his head in disbelief. He appeared as if he had seen his entire world fall apart right in front of his eyes.


    His pupils trembled as a sense of madness overtook his head. There was no helping. They were all alone here. They could either kill the Necromancer or die at his hands. There was no other option.


    "Oh? There are more? I thought you would''ve run away already." Eren walked over the rubble, patting the dust from his shoulder which had tainted his pure dark robe.


    "You look quite upset. Don''t tell me that drawing was something important?" Eren innocently asked them, noticing the crazed look in their eyes. "Should I help you with the reconstruction?"


    Even though he appeared to be asking genuinely, the bishops could see that he was mocking them.


    "Today, either you survive, or us." The Bishop told Eren, crushing a stone which increased his holy aura temporarily, even at the cost of his own life span.


    "If that''s the choice, then isn''t the answer clear already?" Eren responded, cracking his knuckles.


    ....


    Outside the Holy Church, many believers still hadn''t left. They were still looking at the entrance of the Church which had been strangely silent for quite some times.


    At first, they could at least hear the sound of explosions from inside, but even that had gone silent now.


    "Did the Necromancer die?" A believer asked.


    "Of course he died. Did you really think that he could go against the Holy Church? He had really overestimated himself."


    "That''s right. I doubt if we''ll even get to see his corpse. Her Holiness would''ve destroyed him in a single attack. That''s why it''s so silent."


    The Believers still hadn''t lost hope. None of them knew that the Holy Priestess and the Cardinals were not even here.


    There were also some Royal Guards who had been keeping an eye on the situation. Another group of the Guards had already left the ce to inform the Holy Emperor about this.


    Eren''s clone was already expecting to be informed by the guards about the chaos at the Holy Church.


    He had barely managed to calm the two furiousdies that were fighting for their love. Fortunately, their fight had stopped before someone was actually harmed. All it took was for him to say that Eren needed their help.


    After calming them down, he waited in the training hall as if he had no idea about what was happening outside.


    It was only after he heard repeated knock on the door that he revealed a gaze of acknowledgement.


    "Finally it''s beginning."


    He opened the door and stepped outside with the three guests from the Eastern Continent apanying him.


    "What happened? Why are you so flustered?" Eren''s clone asked the guard who was breathing heavily as if he had been running all the way.


    "Your Majesty, something big has happened," he said as his gaze asionally kept shifting to the guests from the East.


    The Holy Church was under attack. He wasn''t sure if he was allowed to say that in front of outsiders or if the Emperor might want to keep the news under the wrap.


    "You don''t have to worry about them. Tell me what happened?" Eren asked, not revealing even the slightest of w in his acting.


    If anything, he acted so realistically that the Royal Guard could even feel his rage and killing intent when he told the Emperor about the attack on the Holy Church.


    "Is it just one person?" he asked the Guard.


    The Guard nodded in response. "As far as we know, there is only one person. However, he appeared to be very strong. I saw him take down quite a few bishops in a single attack."

 Chapter 482: Chapter 482: Prisoner

    "Should I tell the generals to surround the Holy Church and be prepared for battle?" The Guard asked Eren''s clone.


    The Holy Emperor waved his hand.


    "If it''s just one person, there is no need to go that far. I will deal with him myself. I will teach him the consequences of attacking the Holy Empire."


    He walked away from the guard, disappearing into the distance. The guard was left behind in a daze that he didn''t even manage to react to for a long time.


    For some reason, he didn''t doubt the Holy Emperor''s words, remembering the brutality with which he had killed the traitors of the Empire.


    If the Holy Emperor was so brutal towards spies of the Northern Continent, then how brutal was he going to be towards an actual Necromancer.


    ....


    Meanwhile in the Holy Church, Eren was standing in a puddle of blood. At his feet, a headless corpse was lying. Find joy at m-vl_e


    In his right hand was a Sword that was tainted with fresh blood. Meanwhile, his clothes remainedpletely untouched by blood.


    Even if blood was to stain his clothes, he could easily clean it with his Dragon Tongue Magic.


    He was holding the head of the corpse that was lying at his feet, appearing somewhat disappointed.


    "With the crazed look in their eyes, I thought that wouldst a little longer. Did I overestimate the Domain of the Holy Church? Or is it because I have be stronger?"


    Even normally, the domain of the Holy Church didn''t affect him as long as he used the sword Emperor''s Aura. But this time, he didn''t even have to use the Sword Emperor''s Aura which could give away his identity.


    Even without using the sword Emperor''s Aura, he felt quite unaffected by the holy domain. Even if it wasn''t the domain of the Holy Priestess, it was still something that was cast by multiple bishops whobined their strength.


    He tossed the head aside and stepped out of the puddle of blood. He used the Dragon Tongue, removing blood stains from his shoes.


    Along the way, he wed out the hearts of the Bishops and kept them in his inventory to devour the holy aurater. He could strengthen his holy aura even more with that method.


    He had destroyed the portal formations, which granted quite some time to explore the Holy Church until it was time to end his y.


    He had also left Yelen near the dungeon to inform him if the Holy Priestess was about toe out. Fortunately, there was no signs of that yet. As per the information of Yelen, the Holy Priestess was still on the third floor of the dungeon.


    Eren checked other sections of the Holy Church, trying to find the treasury.


    "Is this where the treasury is?" He soon reached the area of the Holy Church where he felt the strongest Holy Aura which he believed wasing from the treasures kept inside the room.


    He ced his hand on the door and used his Dragon Tongue to unlock it. However, to his surprise, he quickly retracted his hand as he felt an electric current course through his body.


    [Warning: A forbidden energy is detected. Please avoid this ce for your safety]


    A blood red screen appeared in front of him, giving him a warning in bold letters. This was the first time he had received a warning like this.


    "I have be stronger, yet I am getting such a warning? Just what is kept on the other side?" Eren''s frown deepened.


    For a moment, he thought about ignoring the warning and forcing his way through the door. However, his dragon instincts had also started warning him against it.


    He was certain that there was the strongest holy aura on the other side of the door which didn''t belong to any living being. There was no essence of life within that aura. It could only being from a treasure.


    "Just what could it be?" He reached out his hand. Unfortunately, once again he felt the terrifying pain as soon as his fingers touched the door.


    He quickly retracted his hand again, feeling helpless. It was as if he had a delicacy in front of him, but he was told by the doctor that he had to avoid it at any cost.


    Although it was frustrating, he could only ept the warning this time. He didn''t have time to carefully think about ways to open the door without harming himself. There were still a lot of things he had to handle.


    He started checking the other sections of the Holy Church, soon reaching the basement where the prison was said to be.


    He thought it might be more useful for the Holy Emperor''s dignity if he could deal with the Necromancer as well as the criminals that were kept in the Holy Church.


    It was a perfect opportunity to show his strength and gain the trust of the citizens in the Royal Authority as well.


    He opened the prison cells, expecting to find the fiercest of criminals like the actual spies of the Northern Continent. However, his eyes were left wide open when he actually stepped inside the prison cell.


    "What are you doing here?" he subconsciously asked out loud, forgetting that he was supposed to be a Necromancer at the moment.


    Fortunately, the people inside the cell were already unconscious, their bodies covered in wounds that were still fresh.


    It was clear that it hadn''t been long since they werest tortured, probably mere hours before he attacked.


    "To think that the Holy Church was actually keeping them imprisoned here. If their presence is revealed now, it could make things reallyplicated."


    Eren walked towards the prisoners who were none other than the Elders of the Great Demon Sect that were said to have died already.


    The disciples of these elders who had tagged along for experience were also here. However, a few of them were missing a few limbs already.


    "To think that the Blood Demoness would end up like this." Eren stopped in front of Zhang Wei whose face had been scarred deeply. Even though it could be healed, it was still not something that could be ignored.


    If Feng Yu heard what happened to them, he could only imagine how fast she was going to attack the Western Continent.

 Chapter 483: Chapter 483: Modification

    "Now how should I deal with them?" Eren felt really conflicted at the moment.


    He couldn''t leave them behind to suffer, but if he freed them, it might be the start of a new war which was more problematic.


    He wanted the Northern Continent and the Western Continent to fight so that both sides could lose in the process. That''s what he had been working so hard for.


    If the Eastern Continent waged a war first, the Necromancer Tower was going to remain unaffected. If anything, they were going to grow even stronger with the opening of hell.


    He knew that both the choices were bad. He could only reject the two choices he was faced with, creating a third choice himself.


    "Felona, can youe here for a moment?" He contacted Felona through the contract mark on the back of his head.


    Felona had been keeping an eye on the Sea Dragon Empress who was going through a peaceful evolution.


    As soon as she heard Eren''s voice in her mind, she summoned another Spirit from the Spirit Realm to keep an eye on the Sea Dragon Empress.


    She created another portal for herself, connecting to Eren. Now that most of the protection of the Holy Church was destroyed, she could freely appear next to Eren even when he was inside the Holy Church.


    She stepped out of the portal to ask Eren why she was summoned.


    "I want you to take all of them to the Spirit Realm, and keep them imprisoned there for the time being," Eren told Felona, his hands gesturing towards the prisoners in front of him.


    "Should I keep them asleep like we did with that little girl?" Felona asked Eren, remembering that that had done the same thing with the Western Continent''s Overlord''s daughter.


    "That is right. Don''t let them know about the involvement of the Spirits. They have suffered a lot throughout their time here. Just let them sleep peacefully until I handle everything here."


    Eren sat in front of Zhang Wei, whose face had been scarred badly. Her body was pale but he was certain that she hadn''t given away any information about the Demon Sect even after all this torture.


    The Blood Demoness was quite strong willed when it came to that, which was probably why she was still kept alive.


    He gently ced his hand on the cheeks of the Blood Demoness. Through his fingers, the holy essence entered Zhang Wei''s body, healing the wounds that were caused by the holy essence in the first ce.


    Slowly, the scars all over her body disappear. Even the wingers that had been sliced off, recovered like a miracle. Herplexion also recovered, as if she had regained the blood that she had lost.


    Her heartbeat that had slowed down, started beating regrly now.


    After healing Zhang Wei, he moved on to other people, including the youngsters who had been caught up in the conflicts of the elders.


    After healing all of them, he ced a heavier sleeping spell on them. He finally sliced off the shackles that had been keeping them tied to the walls, making their bodies fall to the ground.


    "Take them," he told Felona, turning his back on the prisoners.


    He stepped out of the prison cell, leaving Felona to bring the people of the Demon Sect back to the Spirit Realm, which was probably the safest ce now that the Necromancer Tower was busy.


    Felona opened a portal connecting to the Spirit Realm. She summoned more spirits through the portal and each of those spirits carried the prisoners back to the Spirit Realm.


    After dealing with the matter at hand, Felona returned to the Sea Dragon Empress as per Eren''s instructions.


    She wanted to be with Eren, but when she noticed the look in his eyes, she could see that he didn''t need any help.


    ....


    Eren had thought that he could use the prisoners of the Holy Church to make an even greater mess for the Holy Priestess. Unfortunately, the identity of the prisoners wasn''t convenient for his ns.


    He tried to look for other prisoners but there were no other prisoners in the entire ce. He could only give up and step out of the Church to finally put an end to the n.


    "Hmm?" As soon as Eren stepped out of the Holy Church, he felt a powerful killing intent directed towards him.


    He even felt a sense of danger which made him subconsciously draw out his sword.


    nk~


    A heavy metallic sound resounded. Eren had blocked the sword that hade straight for his neck, like the work of an assassin.


    He was even more surprised by the identity of the attacker. It made him feel quite frustrated.


    ''How could I forget about him?'' he thought, looking at the man who changed the direction of his sword and attacked again.


    Eren was ying the role of a Necromancer but it didn''t mean that he couldn''t use a sword. He kept up with the sword movements of the attacker, even pushing him back.


    Eren didn''t like the fact that his n had derailed to such an extent. Initially, he wanted to put up an act of the Holy Emperor attacking him.


    He was going to make a grand spectacle about the Necromancer who took down the entire holy church being defeated by the Holy Emperor.


    In the end, the Holy Emperor was going toe out as the saviour of the Holy City, his reputation rising across the entire continent.


    Unfortunately, he had forgotten that there was one more person in the Holy City who was strong while being just as headstrong.


    It was the younger brother of the Holy Emperor, who had attacked him without caring about his life.


    The younger brother of the Holy Emperor also represented the dignity of the Royal Family. If he defeated the younger brother so easily, was it really going to increase the reputation of the Royal Family?


    ''It looks like I will have to make another modification to my n.''

 Chapter 484: Chapter 484: Do you think its a garden?

    Eren shed swords with the younger brother of the Holy Emperor. He realized that defeating Uriel too easily would only undermine that the Royal Family''s prestige, which was counterproductive to his ns.


    He had also noticed that the Holy Emperor had arrived. The clone was standing on a nearby roof with Xiu Ying and the others.


    The clone had to jump in to take the lead, but it had be impossible. The sheer impact of their swords shing was causing destruction in the surroundings.


    Eren''s clone couldn''t afford even the slightest of injury. That''s why Eren simply wanted to put on an act between the two of them when fighting with his clone.


    Unfortunately, his clone was left out of the false battle because of Uriel.


    Eren tried to create some distance between himself and Uriel to grant his clone an opportunity to safely jump in, but Uriel didn''t stay away for even a second.


    ''He''s persistent,'' Eren thought, frowning.


    The younger brother''s attacks were growing stronger with each passing second. Eren could see why this guy was the strongest ally of the main character of the Western Continent in the future.


    Unfortunately, this person had be an obstruction in his n.


    Even though it wasn''t the situation that he had nned, he decided to use it to his advantage. Even though the target was different, but he still had to make it a grand spectacle.


    As they continued to fight, Eren subtly guided their duel toward a more public area. He wanted witnesses. He needed the people of the Holy City to see this battle, to see the Royal Family''s strength.


    He began to alter his fighting style, allowing the younger brother tond a few blows. He could easily use Dragon Tongue to end this battle in an instant, but he doesn''t even try to do that.


    Many people were so shocked by the destruction of the Holy Church that they didn''t even wonder why a Necromancer was so strong even when fighting with a sword.


    The attacks were not fatal for him, but they were enough to make the duel appear more bnced. Eren wanted Uriel to believe he had a chance, to push him to his limits.


    The mor of their swords began to draw a crowd that watched the buildings being destroyed from far away, understanding how strong a Necromancer could be. And that was when he didn''t even use his magic.


    Many citizens of the Holy City were scared, wondering if the city was going to fall today. Although the battle looked bnced, they didn''t have confidence in Uriel.


    The Necromancer could single handedly destroy the Holy Church after all. Even though Eren took some attacks, making the battle look more fierce than it was, many people thought that he was just ying with his prey.


    "You can defeat him, Lord Uriel!" Suddenly, amidst the scared crowd, one voice rose up to motivate Uriel.


    It was the voice of a child. Although the child was scared, he was still cheering for Uriel.


    As if his words ignited the hopes of the crowd, many more voices started rising.


    "Lord Uriel, defeat that bastard!"


    "Kill the demons of the North!"


    Various different chants rose up, each siding with Uriel.


    Seeing the response, Eren felt quite pleased. If he wasn''t putting up an act, he would''ve really burst intoughter. This was exactly what he wanted.


    People were starting to put their faith in the Royal Family, now that the Holy Church had let them down.


    Uriel''s attacks became more aggressive. Eren started getting pushed back, albeit intentionally.


    "How are you so strong?!" Eren eximed at the top of his lungs, making sure his voice reached far and wide.


    His words slightly surprised even Uriel. He didn''t understand why this person was suddenly being so loud.


    Even though he was fighting while giving it his all, there was a constant nagging feeling in his heart that something was amiss. Unfortunately, he couldn''t understand what this feeling was.


    His attack pushed back Eren by at least ten feet, a sword wound appearing on his chest. Normally, his wounds would''ve healed normally but Eren used the Dragon Tongue to keep the wound from healing.


    To make the situation dramatic, he needed it.


    "I thought everyone in the West would be trash like those Priests. It seems that I underestimated the Royal Family! So you are the true protectors of the West! You have kept yourself hidden for far too long!"


    Eren roared once again, being heard far and wide.


    "I ept that I have underestimated you. This time, I can''t kill you. But even you can''t stop me from escaping. The next time I arrive, it will be with an entirely army! I will see how you will resist!"


    Eren stabbed his fingers inside the wound on his chest, letting him bleed more.


    He tossed the blood on the ground before he started running away.


    "You think I will let you escape?" Uriel eximed, understanding the significance of that threat. He couldn''t let the person escape.


    He ran after the Necromancer, only to be stopped by demonic creatures that were transformed from Eren''s blood on the ground.


    The creatures attacked Uriel to keep him busy, allowing Eren to run away. Eren was running away while his blood clones kept Uriel busy.


    Even if Uriel killed clones that had intentionally taken the face of demonic creatures, but it wasn''t fast enough. Eren could already be seen flying away.


    "Do you think my city is a garden? You cane whenever you want and leave whenever you want?" A voice was heard across the entire city.


    It was the voice of the Holy Emperor, who had appeared in front of Eren to block his path. No one knew that the person speaking was not the clone but Eren himself, changing his voice back temporarily.


    Eren also used his Dragon Tongue to create a bright golden sword in the sky which hovered above the clone''s body, making it look like it was the work of the clone.

 Chapter 485: Chapter 485: The Villains Act

    The sword was so bright that the entire sky was covered in light, making almost everyone close their eyes.


    Even Uriel couldn''t see properly. He wanted to help his brother but the blood clones didn''t give him any opportunity.


    He could only mumble under his breath, "Brother..."


    While Uriel was worrying for him, Eren was quite rxed.


    "You are right on time." He scratched the back of his head, sighing in relief. Finally, his clone had an opportunity to interfere and be a hero.


    "Are we supposed to fight now?" The Clone asked.


    All he had heard was that he had to put up a grand spectacle of a fight, but he didn''t have any practice about it at all. He could only follow Eren''s thoughts if it came to that.


    "There is no need for that," Eren said as he started taking off his clothes. He quickly changed into clothes that were identical to what his clone was wearing.


    "We have already wasted a lot of time. Let''s put an end to it." After changing his clothes and finishing the preparation, he took a deep breath.


    His lips parted and he started screaming at the top of his lungs like a dying man.


    "Arghhh!" The sky was still bright when a painful cry of the Necromancer was heard. "Curse you, Holy Emperor! Even if you killed me, it won''t change the future! The Western Continent will fall! The darkness will always devour the light, hahaha!"


    The voice grew weaker, making it appear as if these were thest words of the Necromancer who was struck by the golden sword.


    Even though no one could see what was happening in the sky, they could all imagine it based on what they saw before and heard now.


    "Do we really have to be so cringe? That dialogue was really..." Eren''s clone looked at him weirdly. He didn''t know why but he felt second hand embarrassment towards Eren''s dialogue.


    "Tsk, what do you know about it? These are the legendary dialogues of viins when they die." Eren rolled his eyes, trying to hide the embarrassment that he also felt while speaking these dialogues.


    It wasn''t as if he couldn''t feel how cringe these lines were, but this was how viins acted from what he had read.


    Eren didn''t offer any further exnation, trying to erase these embarrassing scenes from memory as fast as possible.


    Meanwhile, his body also started transforming back to the Holy Emperor''s form.


    He also made the clone transform into the looks of a guard, along with the attire. The clone flew back while no one could see him,nding next to the two Great Elders of the Demon Sect.


    Eren brought out a corpse from his inventory which was dressed in the dark attire just like he had worn. However, he didn''t care about the corpse. It was just means to create thest glimpse of the spectacle that the people needed.


    The light in the sky started fading away and the people saw a body falling from the sky, dressed in a dark attire of the Necromancer.


    Eren raised his hand, conjuring a spear made from the Holy Energy. He shot out the spear that impaled the chest of the falling corpse.


    Before the body could even reach the ground, the holy essence destroyed the body, including the clothes.


    Everyone watched the body of the Necromancer being destroyed with not even the slightest trace being left behind.


    At the same time, the blood clones that were fighting Uriel also disappeared, returning to the puddle of blood that decayed, leaving no trace of Eren''s blood behind either.


    Every ce where Eren''s blood was left, the blood vaporized under the effect of the dragon tongue, disappearing into nothingness.


    At the moment, it was as if the entire world had gone silent.


    A figure was flying high in the sky with the setting sun behind him, making him appear like a true god. It was as if the sun was signifying the fall of the previous order and the rise of a new order.


    It was an order that revolved around the Holy Emperor instead of the Holy Church. Even the crazy fanatics of the Holy Church couldn''t help but feel their faith shake.


    If it wasn''t for the Holy Emperor and Uriel, the entire city might have fallen today. When they needed it the most, it was the Royal Family that had stepped up to save them.


    Most of the citizens had never felt such respect towards the Holy Emperor that they were feeling now.


    Eren could feel that his holy aura was bing even denser with each passing second, as if getting stronger with the strengthening of royal family''s fate.


    He was happy that his holy aura was bing stronger. Even the slightest increase in his strength at this level was significant as leveling became harder the higher one climbed.


    Still, more than his own strength, Eren was pleased about the lowered faith in the Holy Church. With each passing day, this news was going to spread across the other cities until the entire continent heard it.


    He was sure that many people were not going to believe it. Still, as long as it could weaken the faith of even the small fraction, it was a big blow to the Holy Priestess


    "I wish I could''ve seen her face when she learned what happened here." Eren tried his hardest to not reveal any smile. He maintained a serious exterior andnded in front of Uriel.


    He ced his hand on Uriel''s shoulder and asked, "Are you alright?"


    "Brother, when did you be so strong?" Uriel asked, still amazed by the strength of thest attack. He wasn''t sure if even he could''ve avoided that attack unharmed if he was in the ce of the Necromancer.


    At first, he had felt proud of his brother over his courage. However, for the first time, he could see that his brother was not only brave enough to go against the Holy Church but also stronger than him.


    "Were you looking down on your brother, you little brat." Eren ruffled Uriel''s hair yfully.

 Chapter 486: Chapter 486: Igniting flames

    Eren walked past Uriel andmanded the Royal Guards to take care of the aftermath and make sure that the injured people received proper treatment.


    The people who heard hismands felt even more grateful. Even after so much had happened, the Holy Emperor was still kind enough to worry about their safety.


    As soon as Eren finished his instructions, he turned to look at the citizens that were standing in the distance.


    To his surprise, he saw the majority of them with their heads down, expressing their gratitude for protecting them.


    "I am sorry." Instead of epting their gratitude and being proud, Eren apologized to the citizens.


    The citizens were stunned with his strange reaction. Why was he apologizing? What was there for him to be sorry about?


    "Your Majesty, please don''t apologise." Many people rose up in a singr voice.


    "Long live His Majesty! Long live our savior!" There were even chants that grew louder with each passing second.


    Eren raised his hand, making them stop their chants immediately.


    Eren took a deep breath, not even trying to hide the sadness in his eyes. By now, he had gained a good amount of experience when it came to acting. He had be such a good actor that even those close to him thought that he wasn''t acting.


    "I am sorry that I waste. If I was able to arrive on time, I might have saved more lives. It is my fault that so many lives were lost. It is my responsibility and my failure, and for that, I am really sorry."


    For the first time, citizens of the Holy Emperor saw the Holy Emperor lower his head, a tear trickled down his face. His tears fell on the ground, making the hearts of everyone who saw it tremble.


    "Brother..." Uriel also felt his heart shatter.


    He knew that it wasn''t his brother''s fault. He was sure that his brother came as soon as he heard about it. It was because of him that so many lives were saved, yet he felt heartbroken.


    He subconsciously reached out his hand. However, just as his hand was about to touch Eren''s shoulder he stopped, feeling hesitant.


    "As long as I live, I will carry the burden of the lives lost on my soul. Today, I promise everyone!" Eren raised his head, his eyes burning with a passion for vengeance while years kept trickling down his eyes.


    "I promise everyone that I will not let their lives be lost for nothing! Their lives will ignite the me of resistance that has weakened. We will not fall behind! We will not be scared of the Northern Continent!"


    "Even if I have to walk over a path of blood and fire, I will make sure that we don''t suffer the same tragedy again! The Necromancer Tower has gone too far. I will not stop until I bring them down, even if I was to die in the process!"


    His fists were clenched so tightly that people could see his veins. His words were not too loud but they were still able to reach the ears of everyone here.


    No one knew yet but these were the words that was going to change the future of the entire Western Continent, starting a new era of the Royal Family.


    Eren turned around, his anger being felt by everyone who was present. They could feel that Eren was heartbroken as he turned around and flew back towards the Royal Pce.


    Uriel wanted to call out to his brother but he resisted the urge, believing that his brother needed some alone time for now.


    He looked at the figure of his brother that was growing distant with each passing second. Deep down, he had also made a promise to himself.


    In the war that was led by his brother, he was going to be the strongest weapon. Even if death was toe for his brother, it had to walk over his corpse first!


    "More strength! I need more strength if I want to help my brother!" His expressions were grim as he also turned around to walk in the opposite direction from his brother.


    "I have to use it..." He had made up his mind that he was going to do something drastic.


    Soon, he also disappeared from everyone''s sight. For quite some time, there was absolute silence at the ce which was only broken when the Guards started asking for injured people to step forward.


    ....


    "This is thest floor. We have checked the entire ce but the so-called mysterious dragon is nowhere."


    On the fifth floor of the Dungeon, the entire main force of the Holy Church had finished their search.


    Even though there were many traces of the Dragon n that appeared to be intentionally left behind on each floor, they had failed to find the target.


    "Maybe he used some spatial treasure to escape?" The Cardinal who had escaped from Eren, asked.


    "That''s impossible. The space here is very chaotic. I can''t open the space here. Opening portals inside his dungeon is impossible," the Holy Priestess was the one to answer, his tone being cold and distant.


    Her eyes were full of disappointment as she looked at the Cardinal. "It seems that he has left from the main entrance."


    "How is that possible? I was keeping an eye on the entrance all this time. It''s impossible!" The Cardinal eximed, feeling his heart sink.


    Was it really the case? Had he failed in his duty and even wasted the time of the Holy Priestess? If that was the case, then what was going to be his fate? He felt a fear rise in his heart.


    "It is possible, because you were ipetent. And we don''t need ipetent people." The Holy Priestess said, turning around.


    She didn''t say anything else. Despite that, the screams of the two Cardinals echoed in the empty hall.


    Even though the Priestess didn''t take action, the other Cardinals understood her intention. They killed the two Cardinals that allowed the dragons to escape without even noticing it.


    The two Cardinals simply epted their death, not even resisting as their bodies were destroyed.


    The Holy Priestess started flying higher. The remaining Cardinals also followed her as it was time to leave and return home.

 Chapter 487: Chapter 487: Well Played, Holy Emperor

    The Holy Priestess stepped out of the Dungeon, returning to the Western Continent.


    As long as she was inside the Dungeon, it was as if she had been in an entirely different domain. It was only after leaving the dungeon that she felt she had truly returned home.


    "Hmm?" It took her a few seconds to sense that something was amiss. She looked at her hands, trying to gather the holy essence within them.


    "Something isn''t right." Although the difference felt insignificant, she could tell that she was weaker.


    The Holy Essence within her body had grown weaker. Normally, a person wouldn''t even notice such a minor drop, but her senses were very sensitive towards it. .


    If her holy essence source was like arge pond of water, then it felt as if someone was taking out a bucket''s worth with each passing second.


    A frown appeared on her face. She didn''t understand why it was happening. Was some city in the Western Continent destroyed in her absence, which reduced the number of her believers?


    She immediately tried to contact the bishops that were left at the main branch. Unfortunately, there was no response.


    She started having a bad feeling about it. She raised her hand and opened the void.


    "We are returning," she told the Cardinals as she entered the void.


    Another spatial opening appeared in the middle of the Holy Church. The Holy Priestess stepped out of the void, her expressions turning darker.


    As soon as she appeared here, she was greeted with a heavy scent of blood. It was the blood of her own people, that had painted the walls red.


    Right after her, the Cardinals also arrived through the same portal. As soon as they arrived, they froze in ce, seeing the surroundings.


    "What in the world happened here?" One of the Cardinals subconsciously asked, his voice breaking the absolute silence.


    The Holy Priestess stepped out of the hall, following the blood stains. Along the way, she saw many corpses that were littered all around.


    It was clear that they had died in a single attack, but she couldn''t even feel the presence of any other person. It was as if the person wasn''t even wounded while he destroyed everything in his path.


    Not a single person inside the Holy Church was alive. She used her consciousness to scan the entire building, noticing that even the prisoners were absent.


    She wasn''t sure if the prisoners were freed or they were killed by the person. If they were killed, it was fine. However, if they were freed, it was really bad news.


    Fortunately, one room was still untouched. No one had managed to enter her sanctuary, which was the most important ce for her.


    As she saw the condition of the Holy Church, she finally understood what that bad feeling was. It became clear why she had lost a small fraction of her strength.


    There was absolute carnage in this ce. An enemy had arrived, destroyed everything and managed to leave safely. It was like someone had pped her in the face hard.


    Was it really a coincidence that it happened when she was inside the Dungeon? She was sure that it wasn''t the case. It was certainly intentional.


    The Dragons had yed a part in it, trying to lure her out so that this ce could be attacked. She understood this much.


    There was only one thing she didn''t understand. Just how did the attacker manage to enter the Holy City, unless he was always inside!


    Her thoughts kept shifting to Eren. The only outsiders in the city that were strong enough to achieve this, were the guests from the Eastern Continent.


    "If it''s them, it would exin why the prisoners are missing. In that case, it looks like I can''t avoid it anymore." For a brief moment, a heavy killing intend shed in her eyes.


    She stepped out of the Holy Church, wondering if the destruction outside was to the same extent.


    Even at the entrance of the Holy Church, she saw the corpses of the Bishops that had stepped out to stop the attacker before he could enter.


    Her gaze swept over the surroundings, noticing arge amount of crowd. To her surprise, there were no other casualties that she could notice.


    Themoners appeared to be perfectly fine. Even those that were injured were being treated by the Royal Guards.


    The Royal Army had swiftly moved as per the Holy Emperor''s instructions.


    "Look, it''s the Priestess!"


    The Holy Priestess was observing the scene, trying to make sense of the situation when a person noticed her.


    His loud voice attracted the attention of the others as well. Suddenly, almost everyone was looking at the Holy Priestess.


    Even those who used to be the most ardend followers of the Holy Priestess were looking at her with aplicated gaze.


    "So she had been inside the Holy Church all this time?"


    "In that case, why didn''t she stop the Necromancer?"


    "Why did she watch people die?"


    "Could it be that she was scared of that Necromancer and hid in some corner, waiting for him to leave?"


    Normally, the people wouldn''t have dared to say such things in front of the Holy Priestess. However, now that emotions were running high, many people failed to control their actions or think about the consequences.


    "I always thought that the Holy Priestess was the strongest. But it seems that I was wrong. While she was hiding from the Necromancer, our Emperor was fighting to protect us! I feel ashamed about being a believer previously!"


    "If it wasn''t for His Majesty, how many of us would have died? The entire city would have been destroyed. We owe our lives to his Majesty."


    The Holy Priestess could hear many things from themoners. Her expressions kept getting uglier with each passing second.


    She didn''t grow weaker because her believers had been killed. Instead, it was because they had lost their faith in her.


    Through their words, she also managed to gain a rough understanding of the situation. The attacker was killed by the Holy Emperor. However, it didn''t make sense.


    "So that''s how it is. Well yed, Holy Emperor..." She mumbled under her breath, realizing everything.

 Chapter 488: Chapter 488: Special Gift for the Priestess

    A Necromancer couldn''t pass through the Holy Barrier. So how did a Necromancere here? The only other person who could create an opening in the portal was the Holy Emperor, who was hailed as a savior.


    Not only was he close to the envoys from the Demon Sect, but he had somehow also received help from the Dragons.


    As she thought about this point, everything started making sense. The Holy Emperor was finally starting to reveal the cards in his hands.


    "Is this a deration of war, Damien Valerian?" She turned her back on themoners and returned to the Holy Church that was stained in the blood of her people.


    In the entire continent, there were billions of people who had faith in the goddess. The loss of a few hundred thousand didn''t change things significantly.


    Although the timing couldn''t be worse, it had taught her an important lesson. For her, this was just the beginning. Since the Emperor had taken the first step, she could only respond in kind.


    Her holy essence suddenly red like a tsunami, surrounding the entire Holy Church. The blood stains were removed from the hallways and rooms. Even the corpses were destroyed by the holy essence.


    The entire ce was cleansed by the Holy Aura, which was so strong that it even created a powerful gust of wind around the Holy Church, managing to push back themoners and even the Royal Guards.


    The doors of the Holy Church closed on their own. The rooms that were destroyed, started getting repaired on their own. With her abilities, even the portal formations were also repaired, connecting to the other cities.


    "Should we shut their mouths forever?" The Cardinals were following the Holy Priestess, asking her if they should kill all those people that talked bad about her.


    "They are just pawns. The real yer is someone else." The Holy Priestess smirked. "But you don''t have to worry about it. Let those behind the dark curtains celebrate for now. They will soon have to cry a thousand times more."


    She gestured for the Cardinals to stop following her as she was returning to her sanctuary which was the only ce that remained untouched.


    As she walked away, she didn''t forget to issue amand.


    "Contact the other branches, tell them to make sure that this news doesn''t spread in other cities. They are free to kill those who try to spread the Emperor''s greatness in other cities."


    "Tell them to send a few bishops to the main branch as well. Andstly, gather more information about this incident, even things that appearpletely insignificant. I want aplete report with a proper timeline."


    After she finished instructing the Cardinals, she disappeared into the distance.


    "We shall have it done," The Cardinals said, but the Holy Priestess had long disappeared.


    The Cardinals divided themselves into three groups. The first group was responsible for contacting the other branches. The second group was responsible for gathering information.


    The third andst group was responsible for making all those who talked bad about the Holy Priestess, disappear.


    Even though the Holy Priestess didn''t instruct them to do this, they couldn''t let those people live. Fortunately, the number of people wasn''t too high.


    The three groups split up and walked in different directions, each with an aim of their own.


    ....


    The Holy Priestess reached the hall that Eren had failed to enter, thanks to the powerful restriction that even he couldn''t break.


    She reached out her hand to open the door. However, as she was about to touch the door, she stopped. She noticed a small piece of paper being stuck on the wall next to the door.


    Was it a letter of taunt? Or was this a message left by the person who attacked this ce? She wondered.


    She touched the folded piece of paper, and pulled out off the wall. She brought it closer to her face and started unfolding it to read what was written.


    "Huh, this?" The moment shepletely unfolded the letter, her expressions turned darker. There were no words on the letter. Instead, there was a formation carved in the paper, making it a talisman.


    Before the Holy Priestess could react, the talisman exploded right in her face. It was the second time Eren had tried to blow her up even though he knew that she wasn''t going to die with this.


    ....


    Eren was standing on the balcony, overlooking the city.


    "This never gets old."


    There was a smile of amusement on his lips as his gaze stopped on the Holy Church which was just as grand as the Holy Pce.


    As soon as the talisman activated, he was able to sense it. He felt somewhat pleased that his gift had managed to teach the target.


    "I''m sure you already know who was responsible. So, are you going to go crazy and attack the Royal Pce? Or are you going to be more careful? Whatever you choose, you are already at a checkmate my love."


    Eren had already prepared for the worst case scenario, in which the Priestess was going to attack the Holy Pce.


    Although she had a feeling that the Priestess wasn''t going to do something this stupid at a time like this, but he had every preparation in ce.


    He waited for five minutes after the activation of the talisman, but the Holy Priestess didn''t leave the Church.


    "So you chose the second option. Wise decision indeed..." Eren turned around, letting out a sigh.


    ....


    The Holy Priestess felt the burning sensation on her face. However, her face was slowly healing with each passing second.


    Even as she felt the stinging sensation, she didn''t make any notice. Her eyes carried the silence before a storm that might devour everything when the time came.


    She opened the door and entered her sanctuary. The door closed on its own behind her.


    Inside the sanctuary, she gazed at the giant statue of the goddess, stepping closer to it.

 Chapter 489 The Forbidden Existence

    The Holy Priestess stopped in front of the statue which stood tall in the center of the hall.


    The flickering candles around the room cast a soft, flickering glow on her face as she gazed up at the stone figure.


    The statue represented a divine being, which had granted their blessings to the people of this continent through her. It was because of discovering this statue that she had managed to rise to this extent in this cruel world.


    From being an insignificant person that was rejected by the Sword Emperor, to bing the Holy Priestess that ruled over the continent, it was all thanks to the statue which allowed her to connect with the divine being.


    Throughout the entire Holy Church, she was the only person who had seen this statue. The secrets of the statue, its true purpose, and the mysteries within it were known only to her.


    "Someone defiled your temple, and you did not do anything to stop them," the Holy Priestess asked, her voice resonating in the silent hall.


    Her words carried a mixture of me and disbelief. She recalled how the sacrednd had been desecrated, the walls painted red with blood that should never have been there. And yet, the deity of the temple had remained silent, as if ignoring it all.


    Following her question, the silence enveloped the room once more. The entire room was filled with an even stronger holy aura that was infinite times stronger than what the Holy Priestess possessed and it was just a trace of the strength that the divine being possessed.


    Words appeared in front of the Holy Priestess, made purely from the essence of this world. As the goddess couldn''t descend, it was the only way she could deliver her response for now.


    "I couldn''t." The words formed in front of her.


    "What do you mean you couldn''t do anything?" the Holy Priestess asked, breaking the silence with frustration.


    Her eyes remained fixed on the statue, as if waiting for it to respond again. "Who could possibly stop you from interfering in your own home?"


    In this world, there was no existence that could stop the divine being. Even if the world''sws restricted her interfere, but it was different within her core domain which was the Holy Church.


    The entire Western Continent was her domain, but that was only external domain where she could provide limited help through her blessing. The true extent of her strength could only be felt in her core domain which was much smaller.


    As long as it was within the Holy Church, she could interfere to an even greater extent.


    That''s why the Holy Priestess was confident enough to take all Cardinals, leaving this ce with only bishops as she didn''t have to worry about this ce.


    Despite that, something like this had happened.  The Holy Priestess didn''t understand how something like this could happen.


    "Why did you go silent? Tell me why you couldn''t interfere!" The Holy Priestess asked, her voice tinged with desperation. "Even if you couldn''t descend because of the world''s rules, you could still indirectly interfere! You should have easily protected this ce as this was within your core domain!"


    The silence stretched on as more words appeared in front of her.


    "My domain became smaller during that time, only limited to this hall.  Unknown interference." The words formed in front of her.


    "What? Your domain shrank at that moment? Your domain was limited to this hall?" The Holy Priestess frowned. If it wasn''t something that the divine being was telling her, she would have thought that it was purely a lie.


    "How could your core domain be restricted? Just what kind of power could do something like that?" she mumbled under her breath, her expressions growing darker.


    Until now, she thought it was just the childish acts of the Holy Emperor who didn''t know exactly what kind of existence he was taunting. But something like this had left her stunned.


    "Unsure. I thought I will kill the intruder after he enter the hall, but he did not." More words appeared in the air while old words disappeared.


    The Holy Priestess'' frown deepened. Although she had left some protection on the door, but if the person truly wanted, he could have forced his way. So why didn''t he? Did he know what was inside? Did he know the existence of the divine being?


    "Could it be that they are also being suported by an existence like you?" The Holy Priestess asked, thinking of the worst case scenario.


    To restrict a divine being, there could only be two cases. One was that the other side had someone who was just as mysterious as the divine being. The second option was that they used some spatial artefact that could restrict any interference.


    She had never heard about artefacts like that. Even if there was something like that, it had to be a god tier artefact to restrict the core domain even if it was for a short moment.


    The ce went into absolute silence. The Holy Priestess didn''t recieve any response for quite some time. However, this time she wasn''t impatient. She silently waited for a reply.


    At this point, she was sure that the divine being was just as concerned about this as her. They couldn''t be hasty.


    "There is only one existence in your world that is strong enough to interfere to this extent. However, that thing doesn''t interfere."


    "Which thing are you talking about? Who is strong enough to interfere with your core domain? If that existence is siding with the Holy Emperor, won''t my ns fall apart?"


    "You don''t have to worry about it. As I said, that thing won''t interfere. The one I am talking about is the ruler of the river of Life and Death."


    " It doesn''t leave the river. Even if someone enters the river to meet it, they would be ripped apart by the forces of that river. So it can''t be the one¡­"

 Chapter 490 Another lover?

    "The One That Lives in the River of Life and Death"


    The Holy Priestess recalled being warned about that existence long ago. Throughout her life, if she had found the goddess to be afraid of someone, it was the being that slept in the depths of the River of Life and Death.


    The worldlyws restricted the goddess from descending into this world, but it was different for that existence, which was already present in this realm.


    It was not an exaggeration to call it the forbidden existence of this world, one that even the Four Overlords feared.


    Fortunately, that being never left the river. For it, the world was insignificant. As far as she could remember, there had never been any movements or disturbances in the river.


    "If that thing had arrived here, then even this hall wouldn''t have been a safe ce. So it can''t be the one," the golden words appeared in front of the Holy Priestess, catching her attention.


    The Holy Priestess believed the words of the Holy Priestess. Unlike the goddess, the forbidden existence could directly interfere if it wanted. If desired, it could destroy all four continents in a second. Why would it rely on others to pull such tricks?


    There was only existence that could affect the goddess but that existence wasn''t responsible. It was clear. That left only one other possibility.


    The Holy Emperor had used some long forgotten treasure to pull off something like this.


    Was it because he knew about the existence of the goddess? Or was it because he was worried that the Cardinal might arrive earlier, so he used the treasure, not realizing its true effects? She wasn''t sure.


    The Holy Priestess was going down a spiral of possibilities, already believing that the Holy Emperor had used some godly treasure.


    Meanwhile, Eren waspletely unaware of the conspiracy theories that were being formed about him.


    If he heard her thoughts, he wouldn''t even know how to respond. What treasure? What restriction? He didn''t even know what was inside the sacred hall, let alone avoiding it intentionally.


    If it wasn''t for the system''s warning, he might have forced his way inside that ce, only to be greeted by the statue of the goddess.


    Eren didn''t realize that he had avoided a bullet thanks to his system. Unfortunately, there were other bullets that he couldn''t avoid.


    He didn''t know why but he felt that there were some hostilities between Great Elder Zia and Xiu Ying. They weren''t even talking with each other properly.


    From the moment he returned, Xiu Ying was sticking close to him. Meanwhile, Zia was constantly casting suspicious nces at him.


    His clone was simply trying to avoid his gaze, as if not knowing how to exin the situation.


    "Do you know what this situation is?" Eren asked his clone which appeared like it knew something.


    "Believe me. You don''t want to know. The less you know, the better," the clone answered, using his thoughts transmission.


    Eren could directly retrieve the memories from his clone. But normally, he tried to avoid it as this just brought insignificant memories that gave him a headache.


    Unfortunately, the situation demanded it now. Even though his clone was telling him that he was better being left ignorant about this situation, Eren still felt like knowing.


    He retracted the memories of his clone. Just as he expected, most of these memories were insignificant. They were rted to the issues of the Empire and reorganizing the Royal Army after it had been cleansed by him with blood.


    It was near the end of these memories that he found what he was looking for. And the more he saw, the worse his expressions became.


    Now that he knew everything, he was truly at a loss. He even wondered if he should''ve listened to his clone and remained oblivious to it.


    Xiu Ying was his lover. There was no denying it. However, Zia also liked him? That was new information. The two woman had already started fighting over him?


    He could interfere and select Xiu Ying, but it was only going to offend Zia. If she was upset, it was also a loss for him. It also wasn''t as if he didn''t like her.


    Unfortunately, he couldn''t select both of them or that was going to offend Xiu Ying. This was truly a mess.


    "I wonder how they will react if they find out about the Sect Master." Eren rubbed his forehead, feeling his headache increasing. He really had to solve this problem so that it wouldn''t be worse in the future.


    Eren was starting to stress out when a guard arrived to inform him. "Your Majesty, someone is here to meet you."


    "Is it the Holy Priestess?" Eren asked the Guard. Who else could be important enough to make his guardse here right away?


    "It isn''t the Priestess. It is... Ah, I think it is better if you meet that person yourself."


    The Guard felt hesitant about mentioning the identity of the person, which made Eren confused even more. Was it really such an important person that the guards were hesitant about mentioning it in front of outsiders?


    "You don''t have to worry about their presence. Just tell me who it is," Eren proudly told the guard.


    There was nothing for him to hide. Moreover, why would he worry about privacy in front of the others? He was one of them after all.


    The guard nodded and took a deep breath. "Your fiancee is here. She wants to meet you."


    "Cough cough..."


    Eren had just drank water which he coughed out subconsciously, almost choking on water.


    His fiancee? When did that happen? The Holy Emperor had a lover? Why didn''t he know about it? There was no mention of it in the novel of this continent up to the point the Transmigrator had read.


    He was already troubled by the conflict of two women and now there was supposedly another lover that he had to meet? He didn''t even have to look towards Xiu Ying to feel her sharp gaze on him.

 Chapter 491 The Engagement

    Xiu Ying''s eyes pierced through him like daggers, and Eren felt a chill run down his spine. Even Zia was raising an eyebrow in curiosity, while Eren''s clone shifted awkwardly, trying to be as invisible as possible.


    The Royal Guard didn''t understand why the atmosphere had suddenly be so awkward.


    Something even more strange was that an ordinary Royal Guard appeared to be sitting on the same table with the Holy Emperor for some reason.


    He had worked in the Royal Army for quite some time, but he didn''t remember seeing that person before. Was it someone that the Holy Emperor had trained in secret, only to let hime out now that the Emperor was finally showing his cards?


    He knew that he couldn''t ask these questions. The less he knew the better.


    Erenposed himself, attempting to regain his calm demeanor despite the unexpected news.


    "Very well," he replied to the guard, his voice steady but his mind still very chaotic. "Escort her to the throne room. I''ll meet her there."


    The Guard nodded respectfully before turning around.


    As the guard left, Eren turned to face the two women in the room. Xiu Ying stood with her arms crossed, her expression a mixture of disbelief. Zia, on the other hand, had a faint smirk, as if she found the situation amusing.


    Xiu Ying was so angry with the simple fact that she also liked Eren. How was she going to react to him having a fiance out of nowhere?


    Although Eren wasn''t the real Holy Emperor, but he had taken this position. Unless he was going out of his way to expose the fact that he wasn''t the Holy Emperor, the woman was still going to be his fiance and act close with him.


    "Before either of you say anything," Eren began, holding up a hand to prevent the inevitable confrontation, "I assure you, I have no knowledge of this engagement. This is as much a surprise to me as it is to you."


    "Even if she is had an engagement with the Holy Emperor, it has nothing to do with me. I am just temporarily taking this position until I remove all potential threats for our demon sect. If anything, I''m the one sacrificing here."


    Eren tried to exin that he waspletely innocent. He even painted his actions of taking the ce of the Holy Emperor as something he was doing for the Demon Sect.


    Xiu Ying''s re softened slightly, but the frown sum remained.


    "And what will you do about it?" she asked, her voice barely concealing her irritation. "She believes that you are her lover. What if she sticks close to you? What if she tries to go beyond..."


    Eren stood up and sighed, rubbing his temples. "I will meet her and find out the truth. I assure you, whatever you worry about will never happen. This is the Royal Pce."


    "No matter how foolish that woman is, she won''t be shameless enough to disy affection in the open. That''s why I arranged that meeting in the throne room."


    Eren expressed his innocence clearly. He truly had no interest in a new fiance, especially when he already had too many women to worry about.


    Zia chuckled softly, stepping closer. "Oh, this should be interesting. A fiance you knew nothing about? The Holy Emperor''s life is indeed full of rewards."


    Although she expressed her amusement at the situation, her voice couldn''t hide the jealousy that she was also feeling.


    Eren gave her a wry look, appreciating her attempt to lighten the mood, even if it was at his expense.


    "I will be right back. Until then, all of you should stay here." He turned and made his way to the throne room, feeling like he had ended up in an unnecessary mess.


    He already made up his mind to make some light conversation with the woman before sending her away.


    He didn''t have time to waste on this, especially since the Sea Dragon Empress was going to wake up in the morning. He had to prepare for that as well.


    ....


    Upon entering the throne room, Eren was greeted by a woman whose back was facing her. The woman was standing in the center of the throne room, not even taking the seat that was arranged for her.


    The way she stood and the attire that she was wearing, it all felt really grand. She had a very unique aura of grace around her.


    Even though Eren had not seen her face, he was somewhat intrigued. He wondered just what exactly was the identity of this fiance


    "Identify." He used identification without wasting a single second. As this woman wasn''t mentioned in the novel, he was somewhat intrigued. He wanted to know about her to think of the best way to deal with her.


    "Hmm?" Eren frowned somehow as a screen appeared in front of him. To his surprise, the screen waspletely nk.


    There was not even a name on the screen, let alone other details. It was the first time that his identification had failed to this extent.


    Even when he faced an Overlord and used Identification on them, he could at least learn about their titles if not their stats. But here, it waspletely nk.


    ''A woman who wasn''t mentioned in the novel, and now even identification doesn''t work on her? Just who is she?''


    Eren''s expressions slightly darkened. Even though he couldn''t feel any extraordinary strength from the woman, the more he thought about it, the more confusing it became.


    Her attire was elegant, befitting someone of noble status. It was as if she hade from a major family. It wasn''t surprising for him. If she was engaged to someone of the stature of the Holy Emperor, her family couldn''t be much weaker.


    Eren took a deep breath and took his first step inside the throne room. "Apologies for making you wait."


    He thought that the woman was going to turn around after hearing his voice. However, she didn''t look back.


    "I didn''t wait long." The woman answered, her voice carrying a hint of indifference. Eren stood there for a moment, slightly taken aback by herck of reaction.

 Chapter 492 Reaching the stars

    Eren cleared his throat, quite taken aback by that indifferent tone.


    He was supposed to be the Holy Emperor, the highest authority on the continent beside the Holy Priestess. So why did he not sense even the slightest of respect in her voice.


    Even if she was part of some major family in the Western Continent, it couldn''t be higher than the Royal Family. So where did that indifferencee from?


    Let alone respect in her voice for him, there was not even the slightest of affection for the man she was engaged with. Something wasn''t settling right with him.


    He walked further into the room, closing the distance between them.


    "I must admit, your sudden appearance has left me quite surprised," he said, maintaining a polite yet cautious demeanor.


    The woman remained silent, her back still turned to him. Eren couldn''t help but feel a growing sense of mystery surrounding her. Who was she, and why did she appear now, of all times


    He walked past her, not looking at her either. He straight walked to the throne. It was only after reaching the throne that he turned around, looking at the woman''s face for the first time.


    "Huh?" Eren''s expressions momentarily grew stunned.  The girl looked truly captivating, but what caught his attention were her eyes.


    She had golden pupils like a sun that could burn the world to ashes if it wanted.


    The moment he looked in her eyes, he felt a burning sensation through his soul. If his soul wasn''t strong, he was sure that he would have been seriously injured just by looking in her eyes.


    If it was the real Holy Emperor, Eren was certainly that he might have died already.


    Just what kind of fiancee was it that wanted to kill the lover? Or was it because she already knew that he wasn''t the real Holy Emperor? Eren wasn''t certain. He found himself momentarily speechless.


    "Hmm?" The cold eyes of the woman appeared to show the slightest of emotional fluctuations, but that onlysted for a short time before itpletely disappeared.


    It didn''t go unnoticed by Eren. Through her reaction, he felt that she was truly shocked that he wasn''t hurt.


    Eren had a feeling that the woman didn''t know that he wasn''t the Holy Emperor. Instead, it was as if she truly wanted the Holy Emperor dead, growing surprised when he didn''t die after looking in her eyes.


    ''Just how bad was your luck? Even your fiancee wanted to kill you?'' Eren couldn''t help but think about the real Holy Emperor.


    When he came to this world, he thought that his luck was bad. But only now he realized what luck actually meant. If there was bad luck in this world, it would''ve been synonymous with the Holy Emperor.


    He had lived his life as a puppet, keeping his head down to survive. Despite that, the Holy Priestess wanted to kill him.


    As if that wasn''t enough, a Transmigrator possessed his body. Then, Eren came and killed him. Andstly, his fiance also wanted him dead.


    ''The world truly didn''t want you to live, did it?'' Eren sat in silence, feeling pity towards the Holy Emperor.


    "May I ask what brought you here so suddenly?" he asked the girl in front of him, not exposing the fact that he already knew that she just tried to kill him


    He still didn''t know much about the girl. He didn''t want to make a mistake by being too hasty as hidden cards were more useful than those which were revealed too early.


    "I want to break off our engagement," the woman answered, her eyes still coldly looking at him as if she was looking at a pest.


    Eren wasn''t offended by that gaze. It wasn''t the first time someone had looked at him as if he was an insect. However, this was the first time someone other than an Overlord was doing it.


    ''Is this the broken engagement arc which gives the protagonist motivation to be a legend to make the girl regret? Don''t you know the person that had to be motivated is already dead? What''s the point of having that arc now?''


    Eren silently looked at the girl, not expressing his thoughts out loud. Unlike the previous Holy Emperor, he didn''t need this motivation. The desire to survive was already enough of a motivation for him.


    Despite that, he thought that it might not be half bad to taken part in this arc. Maybe it might give him some more fate of the main character in the process, he thought.


    "Do you know how embarassing it will be for the Royal Family to have an engagement be cancelled? The reputation of my entire family will be dragged through the mud!" Eren expressed his displeasure at the suggestion.


    He already knew that in this arc, the woman was very stubborn. Even if he persuaded her, it was not going to change. Still, he had to y the role of a heartbroken main character.


    "Am I supposed to care about the reputation of an insignificant royal family when I am about to reach the stars?" The woman coldly asked.


    At first, she thought that maybe killing him was good enough. She could easily take care of this matter. However, her failure had made her hesitate.


    She was worried that the Holy Emperor might have another method to protect his life. As the first attempt on his life had failed, she could only try the second method.


    If he was still stubborn, she could already select the third method which would make the Emperor realize how Insignificant was.


    "The Royal Family is insignificant? Touch the stars?" Eren was at a loss of words. The more he thought about her words, the more strange her words felt.


    Normally in the broken engagement arc, the girl was selected by some strong sect of the world. In this continent, the Holy Church was the strongest.


    However, even if she was selected by the Holy Church, the Royal Family couldn''t be described as insignificant. So where was her confidenceing from?


    He had a bad feeling about this which was growing stronger with each passing second.

 Chapter 493 Regret the choice

    Eren was quite frustrated that he couldn''t use the identification skill on his woman. Her words made him feel as if she had a really unique identity.


    Before entering the throne room, he had asked his guards about the exact identity of the woman. While asking the question, he pretended as if he was asking to test their knowledge to understand how much they knew about him.


    To his surprise, the guards were just as ignorant about the girl''s origin as him. All they knew was that she was engaged to him and had visited the Royal Pce once a few years ago with her father.


    Eren simply looked at the woman, growing more intrigued about her confidence. As per the usual temte of the main characters, he was going to be humiliated with broken engagement.


    After that, he had to challenge her for a battle in the future where he was going to show her that he wasn''t trash. Unfortunately, that was the problem in his case.


    The Holy Emperor was supposed to be a powerful expert who had just killed a Necromancer that even the Holy Church couldn''t stop. He was supposed to be strong enough already to teach this girl a lesson.


    The temte had already been tossed out the window before it could begin. If he was already stronger than her, then what was the point of the challenge yearster?


    He rubbed his forehead, realizing that it wasn''t a temte that suited him. There was no point in messing with this girl for now. He had more important things to focus on.


    "Fine. I am breaking off this engagement. You are free." Hezily waved his head, gesturing to the girl to leave. There was no point in biting more than he could chew.


    "What?" The girl, instead of being happy, looked at him in shock. "You are... agreeing?"


    "Isn''t that what you wanted?" Eren stood up, not even wanting to entertain the girl any longer. "I don''t care about your reasons or the stars that you are reaching. Just keep me away from your mess."


    He walked past the girl, as if he had already grown tired after dealing with her.


    "You..." The girl was at a loss of words. Her expressions fluctuated between disbelief and anger.


    She knew that she should''ve been happy that Eren had agreed to break off the engagement, but it left a sour taste in her mouth.


    Eren didn''t even try to hold on to her. Shouldn''t he be begging at her feet, or asking her about her reasons for leaving him?


    "It is good that you know your ce. I am someone you can''t possess!" she eximed, looking at Eren who was walking away.


    "Whatever floats your boat." Eren waved his hand, not even sparing a second nce at her. The faster that girl left, the better it was for him. She was an unexpected variable that he didn''t want to deal with.


    [Congrattions. You have triggered new options]


    Eren was about to step out of the throne room when he stopped, his right foot still hovering in the air right at the threshold of the room.


    He went through the options that had appeared before him, feeling like he was being dragged in another unnecessary mess.


    After a long time, the system had made an appearance with these options, and just like always, it was to screw him over.


    [Context: Someone wants to break off their engagement with the Holy Emperor. As the one who has taken the ce of the Holy Emperor, it is your responsibility to protect the Royal Dignity. Select one of the following options to select the next course of action]


    [Option One: Make her regret her decision before she leaves.]


    [Reward: Life +1]


    [Option Two: Ignore her taunts and let her leave.]


    [Reward: Charm +1]


    [Option Three: Kill the person that disrespect that royal family.]


    [Reward: Hostility of Celestial Lord]


    [Option Four: Force her to tell you the reason behind her decision.]


    [Reward: Escape Talisman]


    "Hostility of the Celestial Lord? Is that a reward l? Even though I don''t know who this Celestial Lord is, can this even be called a reward?"


    Although Eren didn''t expect much from the rewards, this was far from a reward. If anything, it was like a threat.


    He had been in this world for quite some time, but he hadn''t heard about the Celestial Lord even once. Was it the girl''s father? Or was it her lover? He wasn''t sure.


    The only way to confirm it was to ask her directly. He might have to force her to tell him the reason behind her actions.


    Unfortunately, the reward for that option was an escape talisman. Although it wasn''t a ''reward'' like the hostility of celestial lord, it was still no different than a warning


    Every time he had received this reward in an option, it meant the option might need him to run away afterpleting it.


    He didn''t need charm either as his looks were decent enough. Even whenpared with the standards of this world, he could be called one of the most handsome men. He didn''t need charm.


    That left only the first reward, which was also something that made him most fascinated. It meant that he was going to have an extra life.


    He wasn''t sure what it implied. Did it mean that if he died in this world, he might return to his real world with that extra life? Or did it mean that he was going to revive right here even if he was killed?


    Whatever the case was, it was still beneficial to have an extra life since his life was constantly at risk in this world.


    ''But how do I make her regret her choice? Normally the regret happens after the girl sees the main character seed and surpass her, turning from trash to a legendary character. But I don''t think it will work in this case.''


    ''Even if I win against her, it''ll just make her feel as if I''m bullying her because I hate that she''s leaving me. I''ll just look like a loser.''


    Eren frowned, lost in thought as he retracted his step.

 Chapter 494 Talking big

    The girl watched Eren leaving the room. Seeing how easily he agreed to go, she felt a surge of frustration.


    How could he be so nonchnt when a girl like her was leaving him? She simply couldn''t understand his indifferent behavior.


    However, the moment Eren paused at the threshold, her thoughts began to calm down. Her gaze turned cold once more. She was convinced that Eren had only been pretending to be carefree before. He was surely going to beg her not to leave him.


    There was no doubt in her mind that Eren did not want her to leave. Why else would he hesitate to exit the room? It was all starting to make sense to her.


    Previously, his casual demeanor had been an act, a plot to see if she would stop him from leaving. And now that she hadn''t intervened, he was going to reveal his true feelings and desperation for her to stay.


    She wrapped her arms around her chest, waiting for him to start begging. She even prepared to crush his frail ego and walk past him just as indifferently.


    Just as she expected, Eren turned around and looked at her. However, he didn''t fall to his knees. He didn''t even appear as if he was going to beg her. Instead, his expressions were quite calm. If anything, he appeared slightly relieved.


    "To be honest, I am really d that you came here to break off the engagement. I wanted to do the same, but I wasn''t free," Eren told her, making her expressions drop.


    "What did you say? Is this some pathetic attempt to save your fragile man ego?" The girl''s eyes narrowed, her lips twitching in frustration.


    This person was iming that he wanted to break the engagement with her? How dare he! How could he even think about it? Just what did he think of himself?


    "I don''t need to protect my ego. I just didn''t want to break yours, so I didn''t tell you before. But as I was leaving, I realized that I should be more honest with you."


    There was not even the slightest of regret in Eren''s eyes as he continued, "There is a girl that I love. I was really thinking about ways to break my engagement with you without breaking your heart. Who would have thought that it would work out on its own."


    "I am so d." Eren revealed a smile, appearing somewhat grateful towards the girl who made things easier for him.


    "For another girl, you wanted to leave me?" The girl looked at Eren in disbelief, as if forgetting that she was here to leave him in the first ce.


    "Xiu Ying, are you not going to show yourself?" Eren called out, his words echoing in the hallway.


    Xiu Ying stepped out of the shadow, revealing her presence. Her face was slightly red, not expecting Eren to catch her.


    Even though he had told her to not follow him, she still decided to follow him as she wanted to see what happened with the fiancee. She didn''t expect to see Eren reject her so swiftly, even mentioning that he loved her.


    Not just Xiu Ying, Eren had already noticed the presence of Zia and even his clone, the two of them were not hiding far either. However, he didn''t expose their presence.


    "She is the one that is going to be my wife." Eren reached out and gently took Xiu Ying''s hand in his. He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind.


    Xiu Ying was still wearing a thin veil that covered her face, but it was not enough to conceal her beauty. The girl looked Xiu Ying up and down, captivated by her stunning appearance.


    Although the girl was not in love with Eren, she couldn''t help feeling a twinge of difort in her heart.


    She wasn''t sure if it was wounded pride. She was looking down on Eren, when she wasn''t even in his eyes anymore? He didn''t even think that she was worthy of him. He had already found another lover?


    She thought that she had to kill him to break off the engagement but this man had already abandoned her, not even finding her worthy of him?


    The girl scoffed dismissively, trying to mask her frustration. "Hmph, good. You two deserve each other. You''re both just frogs at the bottom of the well, so it''s a good pair."


    As Eren held Xiu Ying close, he subtly used his dragon tongue to make her veil flutter away, revealing her face.


    For a moment, even the girl was stunned by Xiu Ying''s looks. Even if she didn''t want to ept it, she couldn''t deny that Xiu Ying was prettier than her.


    Was Eren really that good? Why would a woman as pretty as her be with him? It was just a human instinct. When someone else wanted their things, it often became more valuable in their eyes.


    "I am happy being a frog in a well if it means I can spend the rest of my life with such an amazing girl," Eren said, kissing Xiu Ying''s neck in front of the guest.


    "Moreover, aren''t you talking too big for someone who can''t even defeat this frog?" he further stated.


    Now that he had established the fact that he didn''t want her in the first ce, he could properly drag her into a battle to show her heart how special this so-called frog was.


    If she imed to be so important, that meant she had either the strength or treasures to give her the confidence. What was going to happen if he crushed her confidence right here to reveal that he was already in a different world than her.


    Eren didn''t know if it was going to work as he intended, but it was the best he could do. After all, he had to keep her girl from leaving to seed.


    With the excuse of arranging the battle, he could keep her for at least a day to get an opportunity to make a ce in her heart to make her regret.

 Chapter 495 Unexpected Guest

    The girl''s eyes widened briefly at Eren''s words. He was audacious. He was unting his lover and insulting her in the same breath.


    "I have nothing to prove," she replied, her voice as cold as ice. Eren''s disappointment was evident as his trap had failed to provoke her. "Enjoy your ignorance together."


    Despite her frustration with Eren''s behavior, she chose not to engage. To Eren''s surprise, she brushed past him without another word, her footsteps fading into silence.


    Eren stood rooted to the spot, disbelief etched across his face.


    Had he failed? This situation was undoubtedlyplicated. The conditions of the option didn''t offer him much room for maneuvering.


    He thought he might provoke her into giving him an opportunity, but other than igniting slight jealousy, it wasn''t much effective. It was far from reaching the threshold of regret.


    Eren watched her walk away in silence, his expressions turning grim. Now that situation had reached this point, he had no choice but to take more drastic steps.


    ''When everything else fails, only a prince in shining armores to help.'' Eren thought, looking at the girl whose figure was growing distant. ''Although it makes me feel like a viin, I can''t be caught up in that.''


    He sent a mental transmission to Yelen, issuing amand. Hearing hismand, Yelen was visibly confused. She didn''t understand why Eren was nning such a thing.


    Still, she agreed with him. She appeared at the entrance of the Pce where the girl was about to reach. She gathered the Spiritual Essence, prepared to open a portal at a moment''s notice.


    She was about to kidnap the girl and take her to the mountain of loss, where Eren had saved the Sect Master of Demon Sect, Feng Yu. It was also the best ce as it restricted all spatial influence within it.


    "What a crazy girl. Anyway, I am d that she left," Eren told Xiu Ying, as if he was actually d that she was leaving.


    Taking advantage of the situation, he further stated, "Oh right. I had to meet up with Uriel. I should be back in a few hours."


    Xiu Ying was already pleased with the affection he had openly shown towards her in front of other women. She didn''t doubt his words. She didn''t think that he had any feelings for that new girl.


    She nodded, telling him that she was going to wait for him to return.


    ....


    The girl was about to leave the pce,pletely ignorant about Eren''s n to be her knight in shining armor.


    It was only when she reached the exit of the pce that she grew surprised, hearing what sounded like a woman''s evilughter. She couldn''t see the woman but she could hear thatughtering from every direction.


    "You must be the lover of the foolish Emperor! I wonder how much pain he will feel when I destroy his lover!"


    Felona repeated the lines that Eren had told her to say. Fortunately, no one could see her. Or they would have seen her face cringing with each line she said.


    Raising her hand, Felona opened a portal at the entrance of the pce. She had also cast a barrier in the surroundings to make sure that no one else could disturb them during these few seconds.


    Don''t miss chapters on m v l e m p y r


    Not even the strongest guards of the Holy Empire could sense the barrier, let alone broke it. As long as it wasn''t the Holy Priestess or Eren, no one could step inside.


    "Lover of the Emperor? What absurdity are you-" the girl was taken aback as she heard the words. However, before she could finish her sentence, she felt a presence behind her.


    A powerful palmnded on her back, sending her flying towards the portal.


    ''I''m never doing these embarrassing lines again,'' Felona thought, watching the girl flying straight to the portal.


    The other side of the portal was connected to the exit of the Mountain of Loss as she couldn''t open a portal inside that ce.


    Fortunately, with the opening of the portal and the impact of her push, the girl was going to fly straight into it.


    "Hmm?" Felona''s expressions changed, feeling as if her barrier had broken.


    She initially thought that Eren had arrived, right on time. However, her expressions darkened when she felt that it was an entirely different presence.


    She saw a man appear in front of the portal. The man reached out his hand, holding the girl by her waist to stop her from flying straight inside the portal.


    "That''s why I told you to not go anywhere alone." The man told the youngdy that was saved by him.


    Eren had also arrived at the same time, his thoughts in a mess. He had nned to be a savior, but he didn''t understand where this man arrived from.


    Just like the girl, his Identification Skill didn''t work on the man either. The only thing he could feel was that the man was dangerous.


    He felt the same level of threat that he had felt from an Overlord, if not stronger.


    The girl freed herself from the man''s embrace, ring at him. "You were following me secretly?"


    The man didn''t answer. He released the girl and looked in the direction of Felona. As Felona should have been invisible to anyone except Eren, she was surprised to see Eren looking straight at her.


    "You shouldn''t have attacked her." In the blink of an eye, the man appeared right in front of her. "Now I will have to destroy you."


    Some unknown essence gathered around his fist.


    "Are you trying to blow up this entire pce?" The girl in the distance asked in surprise, noticing the energy around the man''s fist. However, she didn''t look like she was nning to stop him, especially since she saw Eren in the distance.


    The man didn''t answer her either. He tossed his fist straight for Felona, who cast a spirit barrier. However, when her barrier touched the unknown energy around the man''s fist, it was destroyed without even the slightest of resistance.


    The fist came straight for Felona who couldn''t react fast enough as the space around her was getting destroyed by that energy. She couldn''t even teleport away.

 Chapter 496 I now understand

    Felona subconsciously closed her eyes. Even in what felt like herst moments, she didn''t feel any regret that she was going to die. If anything, she felt d that Eren hadn''t directly involved himself.


    As she had yed the part of the Emperor''s enemy, this person wasn''t going to harm him. With her death, she was protecting him.


    In herst moments, his face shed in her mind, a smile spreading across her lips instead of fear.


    Suddenly, Felona felt arge gust of wind that made her hair fly back. Her clothes fluttered, as if a powerful impact had been made. However, she didn''t feel any pain for some reason.


    Confused, she slowly opened her eyes, wondering why she was still alive.


    As she opened her eyes, her pupils trembled. "Why are you..."


    Her voice was shaky. She was in disbelief. If Eren hadn''t taken action, no link could be made between him and her. He wouldn''t have to fight this man who was as strong as an Overlord, if not more.


    Any sane person would have chosen to avoid this fight, sacrificing her.


    After all, even if she was dead, Eren had Yelen and the entire Spirit Realm at hismand. What was a mere Spirit Queen when a Spirit Ancestor was at hismand?


    Her heart was shaking violently as she looked at his back that felt too reliable in this moment. Even in front of an attack that could destroy half the city, the man was standing like a sturdy wall in an effort to protect her.


    Eren was holding on to the fist of the unknown man. The violent energy of the man was reacting fiercely to his holy essence.


    He felt his veins turn darker as the unknown energy invaded his body, his veins turning darker as if the corrupt energy was destroying his body from the inside.


    His body was in extreme pain but his expressions remained calm. He didn''t show even a single frown.


    "Shouldn''t you have some manners when visiting someone''s home?" he asked the man, not taking a single step back even as the violent energy ravaged inside him.


    Fortunately, his body had be stronger after evolution into the Dragon of the Beginning.


    Even when he wasn''t in the dragon form, he could still hold on based on his strength alone. If it was his old self, the oue could have beenpletely different.


    "Are you sure you are in a condition to be caring about manners?" The man asked Eren, his gaze momentarily shifting to Eren''s hand.


    Eren''s skin had turnedpletely dark. The skin on his arm had started breaking apart as the unknown energy was causing chaos inside him.


    "That person tried to hurt someone she shouldn''t have. If you don''t step aside, you will be considered an enemy," the man told Eren, appearing as if he was extremely serious about this threat.


    His first attack was made targeting the Spirit Queen. It was clear that he could make even stronger attacks if the enemy was different. He was still warning Eren to move aside.


    Even though Eren didn''t know what this destructive energy was, he knew that he couldn''t step back here. If he did, Felona was going to die.


    "If you want to make me an enemy, then I hope you won''t me me for what happens next," he answered, his voice being just as threatening.


    The unknown energy kept spreading through Eren''s body, soon reaching his heart. It was as if a ming poison was attacking his heart from every side.


    ''Leave right now.'' Eren sent a mental transmission to Felona, who was still in disbelief.


    Hearing his message, she came out of her daze. However, she didn''t know what to do next.


    If she followed his instructions, she had to run away. But if she did that, Eren was going to take the brunt of the man''s wrath.


    They still didn''t know the identity of the man. In this world, there shouldn''t have been someone this strong besides the four Overlords. If they killed him, what if there was someone even more threatening behind him?


    If she ran away, Eren was going to enter into even more trouble.


    "You foolish Emperor, I was here to make you suffer. But to think that you would unintentionally save me, just to protect your pce from being destroyed!"


    Felona arrogantly spoke, her voice looking down on the Holy Emperor. It was as if she was still in the role of the Emperor''s enemies, keeping his actions separate from hers.


    She gave his actions more meaning. He wasn''t here to protect her who was supposed to be his enemy. Instead, he was simply trying to protect her.


    "Even if I am dying here, I will drag you down with me!" She conjured a spiritual dagger in her hand.


    Even though the dagger looked threatening, it wasn''t harmful for Eren.


    ''I am sorry, but I can''t follow your instructions this time,'' she sent a mental transmission to Eren.


    She grabbed Eren by the cor and pushed her back, getting her away from the man. However, she made it seem like she did it so she could m him against a wall.


    As long as he wasn''t in contact with the unknown man, more poisonous energy wasn''t going to invade his body. As for the energy that had already invaded, it could easily be healed by his body within some time.


    She knew Eren was going to stand up and protect her again. She didn''t want that, so she flew straight towards him, stabbing her dagger in his chest, intentionally missing his heart.


    The dagger wasn''t simply to put up the act. With the dagger, she could keep him paralyzed as long as she wanted. At least until his body removed the effects of the dagger. Fortunately, it couldn''t happen that fast.


    She left Eren behind, unmoving, the dagger clearly stabbed in his chest.


    "Now that I have taken care of him, I shall kill you two as well," Felona told the unknown man, who was frowning at her actions.


    He had thought that Eren was working with her, which was why he protected her. Was he wrong?


    Felona didn''t look back at Eren. She conjured two daggers, preparing for a battle that she was certain she was going to lose. At least, she could protect Eren that way.


    ''There was a time when I really hated you. You took advantage of our problems to conquer the Spirit Realm. I should have hated you forever. However, I didn''t know when that hate changed into something else.''


    The Spirit Queen sent another mental transmission to Eren, as if leaving herst message to the person she wanted to remember her the most.


    While leaving a message to him, she stepped towards the man who gathered that destructive energy around his fist once more.


    ''You had so many incredible people around you, that I never felt like I deserved to be around you. Still, every time you asked me to do something, I felt happy...''  Felona continued with her thoughts that she was directly transmitting to Eren.


    "I now understand why the Spirit Ancestor had gone against the world for a man. So this is that feeling. It is not half bad¡­"

 Chapter 497 The Demonic Elder

    As the memories and emotions flooded Felona, she felt a sense of calm enveloping her. She felt happy that she could protect him.


    She stood silent, facing the unknown man, her twin daggers brimming with spiritual energy. Her heart filled with eptance, knowing full well the likely oue of this confrontation.


    The unknown man observed her with slight surprise. Normally, the girl should have tried to escape while Eren was keeping him busy.


    If she did that, he would have killed both of them at the same time. He had already prepared for it. To his surprise, she attacked him instead. It became somewhat clear that she had enmity with him.


    Not only that, she was also very arrogant about her abilities, believing that she could hurt him as well.


    "If you had kept your enmity to that man, I wouldn''t have to hurt you. But you came for someone you shouldn''t have." The aura surrounding him became heavier.


    At that moment, the world seemed to pause. He blinked, appearing in front of Felona who reacted fast. Multiple spirit chains came out of the ground, tightly wrapping around the man''s body like a poisonous snake that wanted to restrict his movement.


    Once he was restricted, Felona shed with her dagger. To her surprise, the dagger easily sliced through the man''s chest, letting blood stter all over her clothes.


    "Did I... seed?" she thought in disbelief. She never expected it to be this easy. Was the man weaker than she thought? He couldn''t even break her shackles?


    Even though she was surprised, she didn''t stop. She kept stabbing the dagger in the man''s body, as if not taking any risk. Atst, she sliced through his neck, making his head fly through the air.


    The man''s head flew higher, eventually falling on the ground with a thud. His eyes remained open, still focused on the woman. Even as he was destroyed so brutally, he didn''t make even the slightest noise.


    His head rolled on the ground, carrying a disappointing look in his eyes.


    "I thought you would have something more, since you had such confidence," the rolling head said. "But I am thoroughly disappointed."


    As he finished speaking, his head turned into smoke, disappearing into thin air. His body also followed suit, as if it had never been there in the first ce.


    Felona was taken aback. However, before she could react, she felt a hand grab the back of her neck. An unknown force gripped her arms, twisting them back. The daggers fell from her hand, disappearing into spiritual mist.


    "If you want to me someone, me yourself for not knowing who you shouldn''t offend," the man said, his grip kept getting tighter around Felona''s neck, slowly crushing her neck.


    Even though she was in her spiritual form, it didn''t matter. The man was somehow able to touch her even in this form, thanks to the unknown chaotic energy that had wrapped around his body like protective armor.


    Felona struggled helplessly. The man''s face showed no mercy, only a cold gaze that looked at her as if her life had no value.


    The man was standing behind Felona, so he couldn''t see her expressions. However, the woman engaged with Eren was looking at her expressions carefully. For some reason, she felt as if the person looked a little relieved. Was it her misconception? She wasn''t sure.


    "Hmm?" She felt as if she noticed a strange movement near the ce where the Holy Emperor was lying. She subconsciously looked in that direction, only to find the situation to be the same.


    The Holy Emperor was lying on the ground, his body pale while a dagger was in his chest.


    "Was it my misconception? I really thought that someone was moving there."


    She was slightly confused, but she didn''t think much about it. She thought that she was just overthinking.


    The unknown man kept crushing Felona''s neck, as if he wanted to torment her as much as possible before taking her life. Felona was suffocating, but she didn''t beg for her life even a single time.


    She simply closed her eyes, epting her fate. However, just as she hade to terms with her fate, she felt a familiar scent near her. Her eyes snapped open wide. Her lips parted, as if to ask something but she quickly closed her eyes.


    At the same time, the unknown men felt a strange sense of danger. For the first time, he had a feeling as if he was being watched by a wild monster.


    He subconsciously jumped back, her expressions turning darker. He looked at his surroundings, wondering where this feeling wasing from. However, the source appeared to be outside the pce.


    As he had released Felona, she dropped to her knees, coughing repeatedly.


    The sound of calm footsteps echoed at the entrance of the pce as someone stepped inside. The aura of that person was even more intimidating than the Holy Aura of the Emperor.


    It was the Sword Emperor''s Aura that made even the unknown men feel a sense of suppression.


    The man who had arrived, was dressed in the attire of the great demon sect, a long robe draping behind him, still stained with the blood of the monsters that he had killed.


    "You..." Felona looked at the person who had arrived, her eyes growing somewhat wet. She looked back at the Holy Emperor, understanding what had happened.


    The Holy Emperor lying there was not Eren anymore. Instead, it had been reced by the clone. Meanwhile, real Eren had returned to his Demon Sect''s avatar.


    The Demonic Elder of the Great Demon Sect had returned after destroying multiple great ns in the Northern Continent.


    The unknown man stopped thinking about Felona. He appeared next to the girl who was standing near the entrance, and in turn near the unknown guest.


    The man red at Eren, whose heavy aura felt like it had been tainted by the bloodshed of millions. The swords that were hanging on the walls had started trembling with each of those man''s steps.


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    Eren stopped merely a few feet away from the man, his cold eyes looking at the man before his gaze shifted to the Holy Emperor on the ground.

 Chapter 498 Sword of Retribution

    Eren stopped before the man of unknown origin who wanted to kill Felona. He also momentarily looked at Felona, who had stabbed him in the back.


    It was clear that she had done that to protect him. However, she didn''t know the spiritual dagger had been useless to him.


    If anything, it had helped him. Even though spiritual paralysis poison wasn''t harmful for his body, something within him found it to be extremely useful.


    The entire poison was greedily absorbed by the sword mark on his arm, awakening the mark that had been asleep for a long time.


    Although the paralysis was not effective on him, it allowed him to see just how much that girl was willing to sacrifice for him. It wasn''t loyalty that came from being conquered. Instead, it came straight from the heart.


    Her actions also allowed him an opportunity to switch ces. As the Holy Emperor, he couldn''t reveal other abilities. However, it was different for the Demon Sect''s Great Elder.


    He could go all out in crushing that man''s skull, especially since the Holy Priestess didn''t have time to care about these matters.


    He raised his hand, casting a Domain around the Pce. Although Ruler of the Ocean was more effective over an ocean, but even onnd, it could be used as a Domain, albeit not as effective.


    Fortunately, he didn''t care about effectiveness at the moment. The entire purpose of the domain was to keep the events hidden.


    Inside the domain, he could use his abilities freely without alerting the Holy Priestess. It was as if he had opened his own private space inside someone else''s private space.


    "You are-" The unknown man tried to talk to Eren, who didn''t spare him a second nce.


    Eren took a single step forward. Thews of this domain itself helped him. With a single step, he appeared in front of Felona.


    He reached out his hand to help Felona up.


    Seeing his actions, the fianc¨¦e of the Holy Emperor and the unknown man, both came to realize that the man was siding with the attacker. It became clear that he was not a friend but an enemy.


    "Why did you..." Felona tried speaking, as she grabbed Eren''s hand. However, she couldn''t evenplete her sentence before he pulled him up, almost taking her in his embrace.


    "I am not so weak that I would need you to sacrifice your life for me," Eren whispered in Felona''s ears. "Now be a good girl and return, or I will be quite upset."


    "That womanid her hands on someone she shouldn''t have touched! If you are siding with her, then I would have no choice but to consider you an enemy as well!" the unknown man told Eren, his voice filled with hostility.


    At first, he was surprised, as the man seemed to possess considerable strength. He wasn''t sure if the man was a guest of the Emperor or an enemy, so he remained cautious. However, the man''s affiliations had now be clearer.


    "When ites to touching what they shouldn''t, aren''t you the same?" Eren asked the man, while forcing Felona to open a portal behind her.


    "You touched what belongs to me," he added, as he gently pushed Felona back inside the portal that led her to the Spirit Realm.


    "If it''s about bing your enemy, then you don''t have to worry about it. I see no harm in making enemies of the dead," Eren said.


    He didn''t know who the Celestial Emperor was that was behind the girl. However, it didn''t matter at this point. Even if he had to abandon this identity, he was prepared!


    Now that he had already stepped inside this trap, he was going to make sure that he came out after seeding in his aim. But before that, he needed to punish the person who dared toy a hand on Felona.


    Only after killing this man could heplete his true aim.


    "Dead?" The man didn''t understand what Eren meant.


    "By dead, I meant... the soon to be dead," Eren let out a tired sigh as he called forth a sword. For the first time, he was able to summon a sword he had never used before.


    Even he was surprised when he felt the sword be stimted when he was attacked by Felona''s attack. There was something that had managed to stimte the sword, allowing him to sense it and connect with it.


    He had never realized that the key to awakening the sword was not his devotion or control but poison. He even felt foolish for not linking poison with the sword of the Sword Emperor earlier.


    Even though he had established a connection with the sword while supposedly being poisoned, it was still the first time he was going to try calling it out. It was also one of the reasons he had cast a domain.


    The mark on his arm started shining. Even through his clothes, a silhouette of a sword mark could be seen shining in his arm.


    Slowly, a sword started materializing in his hand, being a shadow of its formed glorious self. It was the same sword that the Sword Emperor in his dream had used to slice through heaven.


    However, as Eren called it out, he felt that there was a little difference. Even if the sword answered his call, something was stillcking. He was only able to call forth the sword of the shadow which was much weaker than what he had seen in the dream.


    Even if it was just a shadow of the sword, it was still more powerful than any artifact that he had held before. Just holding it in his hand, he was able to feel just how special this sword was.


    Around the shadow of the sword, a heavy green aura had gathered. It was the same poisonous aura that he had used with the help of his pendant of poison to kill the Dragon Prince.

 Chapter 499 Defying Defense

    As Eren held the sword in his hand, he was able to use the effects of the Pendant of Poison. He didn''t even need to physically possess the pendant.


    His aura also became stronger, and carried the scent of poison. It was to the point that he felt that even the domain of Ruler of Oceans was struggling to contain it.


    Even though the Sword Emperor''s Aura was strong previously as well, he had always felt that it was missing something. However, now it felt moreplete.


    Holding the sword in his hand, Eren truly felt as if he had stepped into an entirely different realm.


    When faced with Eren''s aura, the man already felt a strange sense of suppression. Looking at Eren, the man felt as if he could see a silhouette of a poisonous nine headed hydra behind him.


    He quickly snapped back to his senses, realizing that the aura was affecting his mind. It was like a poison that affected him passively.


    He used his destructive aura to shield his body and mind from this poisonous aura.


    "I don''t know much about this person, but he is dangerous. If I was alone, I could fight him. But fighting him while ensuring your safety will be harder. We should leave," he told the girl behind him.


    Previously, his enemies were insignificant. He could easily kill them without worrying about the safety of the woman he was protecting. But now, he wasn''t certain if he could maintain her safety.


    If he had to worry about her safety, he couldn''t focus on killing Eren. He wasn''t even sure if there were more people hiding nearby. He couldn''t leave that girl alone.


    "Is he that strong?" the girl asked, her eyes trying to see through Eren''s soul just as she had tried with the Holy Emperor.


    Even if a man was strong, it didn''t mean that his soul was also strong. If they couldn''t hurt his body, they could still target his soul and kill him while he had his guard lowered.


    Under the gaze of the girl, Eren felt the same burning sensation as before. However, this time he didn''t need to hide his other abilities. He wasn''t nning to do that either.


    Since she was so interested in hurting people''s souls, he wanted to teach her a lesson. The bloodline of the Dragon of Beginning within him was ignited. He also used the Ancient Dragon Tongue, whispering a few words under his breath.


    His pupils turned darker, albeit for a short moment. In that short moment, be looked at the girl hiding behind the man. The woman froze in ce under his gaze. Her heart skipped a beat.


    She felt a sudden pain rising within her heart, as if the flow of blood within her body was reversed for that short moment. Her face turned pale, and she vomited blood that stained her clothes.


    Pale-faced, she looked at Eren in disbelief. How was he able to hurt her? She didn''t understand. It was as if he had taken control of her body in that short moment.


    Fortunately, the effectssted for a fraction of a second. Otherwise, she wasn''t sure how dire the consequences would have been for her.


    Seeing her condition, the man responsible for protecting her was also at a loss. For the first time, he truly appeared to be panicked. It was as if he couldn''t even bear the consequences if something happened to that girl.


    The girl was his weakness, as well as his fear. Looking at the scene, Eren thought of something. Maybe this battle wasn''t as hard as he had thought.


    As he was a viin here, why wouldn''t he take advantage of the role? Since when did Viins y fair?


    Taking advantage of the moment that the person was distracted, Eren swiftly moved. He appeared right next to the man, swinging the shadow of his sword.


    The man, as if sensing the danger, thought about moving. However, he hesitated, realizing that the girl would get hurt if he moved. He couldn''t afford to survive by putting her in harm''s way, because her position was truly unique. Explore more stories with m,v l''e-NovelFire


    He made a split second decision and reached out his hand to catch the sharp de of the sword. Even if Eren''s sword was a treasure, he didn''t believe that it could slice through his hand which was surrounded by the chaos essence.


    In this world, there was nothing that was more powerful than his chaos essence, which he received from his master.


    With his other hand, he pushed the girl back to create some distance to deal with Eren. Even though he wanted to send her back first, he didn''t believe that Eren was going to allow it.


    He reached out his hand to catch Eren''s sword. His essence wrapping firmly around his arm, taking a shape simr to gauntlets around his arm.


    His chaos gauntlet grabbed Eren''s de. Meanwhile, he clenched his other fist, preparing to punch Eren as soon as he stopped the sword.


    "Huh?" His expressions twisted, as he suddenly saw blood stter everywhere. It was his own blood.


    He saw his fingers and half of his palm flying in an entirely different direction. At the same time, the green shadow of the sword came straight for his neck.


    At that moment, he even forgot about punching Eren. He arched his back backwards, barely avoiding Eren''s sword which just brushed past his chin.


    Eren didn''t let him go with each. It wasn''t often that he received such a good opportunity to take down an enemy. He twisted his wrist, changing the direction of his sword, thrusting it down.


    Fortunately for the man, he had received enough time to use his other abilities. He quickly turned into smoke, disappearing. Eren''s Sword passed through his body that was nothing but smoke.


    His real body appeared in the distance, his eyes still filled with disbelief. He looked at his right hand, half of which was missing. Normally, his hand should have healed, but to his surprise, his hand wasn''t healing.


    "How is it possible? Just what is that sword? How can it slice through the chaos?"

 Chapter 500 With heaven as my witness

    Eren didn''t feel the need to answer him. Even if that man had a unique essence that could avoid any protection, it didn''t mean his sword was useless.


    It was a sword that was used to slice through Heaven by the person in the dream realm. Even though he couldn''t call out theplete sword, it was still the essence of that same sword.


    "Do you know who you are going against?" the man asked Eren, after receiving no response from him. "If you stop right now, I might forgive you. But if you don''t, you will regret it for an eternity."


    "Do I know who I am going against? Are you talking about the Celestial Lord?" Eren asked the man, appearing just as carefree as ever.


    Thanks to the system''s hint, he had already realized the situation. He didn''t know who this Celestial Lord was, but one thing was clear. That person couldn''te here.


    If he coulde down to hurt him, then the system''s reward would be something rted to escaping, instead of just hostility.


    Hostility meant that person couldn''t personally descend. As long as the threat couldn''te down on his own, then he wasn''t as threatening as he appeared.


    Moreover, it wasn''t as if he was nning on fighting anyone beside the person in front of him. He had already nned about the end of this borate y to get rid of all the hostility that he had gathered.


    The key was in the hands of the Holy Emperor, who was his clone that was going to do everything he asked. As long as there was no interference, the chances of failure were much lower.


    "You... How do you....?" The man couldn''t hide the shock on his face. Just who was this person? How did he know about the Celestial Lord?


    The Celestial Lord was an existenceparable to a god that was so powerful that he couldn''t even descend here personally. Even to send him down, he had to pay a lot of price. So how did these people know about him?


    "Even after knowing about him, you are doing this?" The man red at Eren in disbelief. "In that case, you truly deserve to die!"


    He raised his other hand, calling forth something from his storage. Armor appeared around his body, made from the real body of a star.


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    His first priority was protecting the girl. Now that he had caught Eren''s attention, he could only fight with him, trying to kill him while avoiding blowing away the entire ce.


    He prepared to kill Eren, who waspletely focused on him, using every trump card that he had. As long as he gave it his all and avoided that strange sword, he believed that he could kill Eren.


    "I hope you won''t disappoint me!" Eren held his sword firmly and started running towards the man.


    The man also prepared for impact. However, his eyes widened when he saw Eren suddenly change his direction.


    He had been fooled. Eren''s attention was never on him. Instead, Eren went for the girl, realizing that she was his weakness. He was toote to react, as he was not expecting it at all.


    Before he could react, Eren had already appeared next to the girl. He raised her in the air, grabbing her by her neck.


    "You looked like you loved crushing people''s necks. It seems that we have the same hobbies." Eren told the man, whose expressions darkened as he saw him tightening the grip around the girl''s neck.


    He saw the man getting restless, as if he was thinking about taking action.


    "Uh, uh, uh. Move an inch, and she will die before you can even blink." He issued a warning to the man, advising him to not do anything stupid.


    "You are truly shameless! Instead of fighting like a man, you went after her?" the man asked Eren, his voice filled with disgust.


    "You''re wee." Eren smiled in response, being a master of provoking others.


    "What do you want? She has nothing to do with my actions!" The man clenched his teeth, even forgetting the pain of having three of his fingers chopped off by Eren.


    "You are right. She has nothing to do with your actions. I have no enmity with her. But you are different. You hurt someone dear to me. If you want this girl to live, then you have to die."


    The man went silent, hearing Eren''s words. He could try to use force to save her, but the chances of her dying in that case were higher. If he wanted to save the girl, he had to die.


    He had failed in his duties, which was his failure. If she died, then his death was also inevitable. In any case, he was going to die.


    "How can I be certain that you will let her live after you kill me?" he asked.


    Eren looked at the girl in his hand, whose face was still pale. Even though she wasn''t struggling to breathe like Felona, but she was still suffering the aftermath of his previous attack.


    "What is your name?" he asked the girl.


    "Tiena," the girl answered.


    Eren returned his focus back to the man and raised his other hand towards heaven. "I take an oath with heaven as my witness. If you die at my hands, I will not kill Tiena. I will also free her!"


    A heavenly oath in this world was a big thing. It didn''t matter which continent one was from, a heavenly oath couldn''t be broken once taken. At least that was the case until one was strong enough to face heaven.


    The man could see that Eren had clearly not reached that level. Even the Gods or the Celestial Lord couldn''t break a heavenly oath.


    In his distraction about the heavenly oath, the man didn''t notice that Eren had missed a crucial detail on his oath. It was an intentional omission that the man failed to catch.

 Chapter 501 Bloodline Skill

    Eren took a heavenly oath in front of the man. However, he hadn''t mentioned any timeline in his oath. He simply said that he was going to free her, but he didn''t say that he was blind to free her right away.


    In any case, he didn''t n to kill her. Even if the Celestial Lord couldn''t descend into this world, he still didn''t want to poke that person more than needed.


    After Eren had taken the oath, the man had no other excuse. Even now, he was thinking if there was any other method to save the girl which didn''t require his death. Unfortunately, he could see that Eren was carefully watching his every movement.


    He had tried to convey a message, but the domain was preventing that as well. He couldn''t even ask for any help. The domain had made things worse for him.


    He really regretted the fact that he hadn''t broken the domain before. He could do that now, but Eren wasn''t going to allow any movement. Even if he broke the domain, what was the point if the girl was dead?


    After running out of every other method, he came to a realization that he had no other option. He could only ept Eren''s words and sacrifice his life to save her.


    He took a deep breath and fell to his knees. "I ept."


    The person that possessed immense destructive power was now lying on his knees in front of Eren. It was all because Eren didn''t fight with him, instead going for his weakness.


    In the first ce, he wasn''t nning to fight him properly. If the domain was broken during their battle, nothing could stop the Holy Priestess from finding out.


    Just as the man wanted to avoid a battle to protect the girl, Eren wanted to avoid it to protect his domain. He also had to protect his clone which couldn''t take any damage.


    "It seems like you are very loyal to her. Or is it fear of the person behind you?"


    Eren was quite curious about the identity of the Celestial Lord and what rtion he had to the girl.


    As per his rough estimate, the person was most probably simr to the goddess that was worshiped by the Holy Priestess. But he didn''t understand why someone like him would pay attention to this girl?


    He wanted an answer, but at the same time he was worried. Normally, viins die when they waste too much time talking. There was always something that went wrong.


    Even though he had been having decent luck recently, he didn''t want to take any excess risk. It was better to kill the threat, than to risk everything.


    With his left hand, he was holding the throat of the girl, who was looking at the man. It was as if she still couldn''t believe that he was going to sacrifice his life for her.


    Eren thought that she was going to beg him to save himself instead. However, the girl didn''t say a single word. She truly loved her life more. She wasn''t hypocritical to tell him to save himself when she wanted to live, even if it cost his life.


    Eren held the sword in his right hand. He raised his hand and swung the shadow sword, which released a destructive arc of condensed poisonous essence.


    The attack sliced through the hard floor, leaving behind a deep crevice in its path. The man watched the attacking towards him.


    His body was already conditioned to the point that he could subconsciously dodge the attack, but he resisted the urge. If he dodged now, his fate in the future was going to be even worse if something happened to that girl.


    If he died here, at least his soul could survive and return. But if she died, then his master was going to torment his soul for an eternity after killing him.


    The poisonous energy sliced his body in two halves. It all happened so fast that he didn''t even feel the pain. It took a moment for the realization to set in, as the world turned dark for him.


    His thoughts were in a mess. He had thought that his soul was going to escape when his body was destroyed. However, something strange happened.


    He felt as if his soul was tied to his body. It was being destroyed by the poisonous essence that was burning his body along with his soul.


    He was horrified as the spiritual pain was much worse than physical pain. He couldn''t even do anything as his body was already sliced in two halves. He could only feel his soul burn until nothing was left.


    Not even his ashes were left behind.


    Meanwhile, multiple notifications resounded in Eren''s head.


    "Level +1."


    "Level +1."


    "Level +1."


    He was at a stage where leveling up was harder. Each level increase required an immense amount of experience.


    Despite that, he had managed to climb three levels after killing just one person. Looking at the leveling notifications, Eren was also pleasantly surprised.


    He previously had a feeling, which was now confirmed. The person he killed was no weaker than an Overlord. If anything, he gave him even more experience than an Overlord might have given him, probably because of his origin.


    Eren was feeling ted. He had finally crossed another great wall in his leveling. Finally, he was in the same realm as the four Overlords!


    His stats had taken another qualitative leap, increasing by multiple times.


    [Congrattions on taking another step in the path of a Conqueror]


    [You have crossed level 50]


    [You have been rewarded with bonus stats]


    [You have been rewarded with a new unique rank bloodline skill]


    As he crossed the fifth great wall in his leveling, he had also received a new skill, the notification for which appeared in golden words, appearing different from every other notification.


    It was called a bloodline skill, but he wasn''t sure which bloodline it was rted to. He already had skills for almost every other bloodline, except one¡­

 Chapter 502 Echo of Eternity

    .........


    [Name: Eren (Ren Necroline)]


    [Level: 52]


    [Identity: Holy Emperor of the Western Continent, Great Elder at the Demon Sect, Spy of Mythical Hero Academy, Owner of Devourer Bloodline, Heir of the Necromancer Tower, Ruler of Spirit Realm, Lover of the Dragon Empress]


    [Primary Main Bloodline: Paradox (25%)]


    [Secondary Main Bloodlines: Devourer, Dragon of the Beginning]


    [Guardian: First Spirit Queen Yelen]


    [Contracted Spirit: Spirit Queen Felona]


    [Age: 22]


    [Traits: Cold-blooded, Scheming]


    [Stats]


    [Strength: 11495]


    [Agility: 12918]


    [Stamina: 13793]


    [Intelligence :95]


    [Mana: 94448]


    [Cultivation: Unknown (Sealed)]


    [Hero Grade: SSS+]


    [Goddess Protection: Unknown (75%)]


    [Main Physiques: Lunar Frost Physique, Destiny Physique, Holy Physique, Absolute Dragon Physique]


    [Unique items in possession: Modified Mana Weapon, Overlord Killing Dagger (Iplete), Pendant of Prediction, Favor Token (Feng Yu), ###### Box (3/4 Seals), Sword of Retribution/ Sword Emperor''s Sword, Rebirth Stone]


    [Unique Skills: Sword Emperor''s Aura, Aura Control Method, Identification, Devouring, Ruler of the Ocean, Flight, Ancestral Dragon Language, Absolute Dragon Transformation, Wings of Domination, Skill Unification, Frost Domain, Disguise, eleration, Mind Maniption, Heightened Senses, Blood Maniption, Shadow Clone Creation, Echo of Eternity]


    .........


    At the first nce, Eren was able to notice quite a few changes.


    Previously, his stats were in the range of three to four thousand. However, now all of his stats had crossed the ten thousand mark, raising his strength by leaps and bounds.


    The unknown goddess protection had also gone up by twenty percent. Although he still didn''t understand what it was about, but he didn''t think that it was a bad thing.


    The thing that caught most of his attention was the new addition to his skills section. A new skill had appeared there.


    It was a skill called Echo of Eternity.


    From the name itself, he didn''t understand what this skill was about. He tapped on the skill''s name, opening the description of the skill.


    The moment he went through the description of the skill, he frowned.


    To his surprise, it was actually a skill rted to his main bloodline. However, the description didn''t make him feel that confident.


    .........


    Echo of Eternity


    Rank: Unique


    Bloodline: Paradox


    Level: 1


    Description: Once the skill is used, the soul of your future or past self will be temporarily called forth to possess your body for one hour.


    Limitation: The soul to call forth is selected at random. For the duration your body is possessed by your other soul, your present soul will be sleeping.


    Cooldown: One Month (Level 1)


    ...........


    The skill was a double edged sword. It was like having a random coin toss with your life on the line.


    Once he uses the skill, he could call forth his soul from the future or past. However, he couldn''t select how many years in the future or past the soul was going toe from.


    If it was his soul from the future, it was better. It meant that his soul knew everything that had happened, and things that he had done wrong. It could avoid those mistakes.


    The soul of his future self was also going to know how to use his skills better as it was going to have a lot of experience.


    The problem was the other end of this coin. As overpowered this skill was, it was also just as dangerous. If his soul from the past was called, then it was going to bepletely ignorant about the situation he was in.


    If he called forth his soul from his past, it wasn''t even going to know half the skills he had gained during this time.


    An even bigger problem was if his soul from his time on earth was called forth. He couldn''t even open his inventory or know a single thing about his skills. He was going to be a sitting target for his enemies.


    He couldn''t even guide his soul if it came from the past as his main soul was going to fall asleep as soon as he was possessed.


    Thinking about the drawbacks of the skill, he didn''t feel like it was particrly useful in a tense situation.


    Then again, his luck had been somewhat decent recently, so he thought that maybe it was not as bad as it could''ve been.


    ''This is still level one. I wonder if the drawbacks will be removed after it levels up. But I have to keep using it if I want to level it up. Just how long will it take them? Just the cooldown alone is one month...''


    He had already made up his mind about testing this skill in the future. However, he could only do that when the situation had settled down.


    For now, he still had to deal with the mess of this fiance that had appeared out of thin air.


    "You promised him that you will release me!" The girl had already started to struggle. Now that Eren had taken an oath that he wasn''t going to kill her, she didn''t have to worry about him crushing her neck.


    "Why will I release you?" Eren simply answered, revealing an amused smile. He closed the status screen, returning his focus back to the matter at hand.


    "You took a heavenly oath! Do you want to die?!" The girl asked in disbelief. Was this person really such a fool that he didn''t know the implications of a heavenly oath.


    "Did I take an oath to release you? Can you remind me when exactly I said I will release you?" Eren ignorantly asked.


    "You said you will release me after he dies!" the girl answered.


    "Oh? Then isn''t it fine? If I release you after ten years, it will still be after he died. Isn''t that right?" Eren smiled. However, in the eyes of the girl, the smile appeared like that of a devil.


    Her face darkened as she understood what he meant. She hadn''t thought about it either. The man had yed with the words of the oath, and none of them noticed it!


    "Now that you understand, you bettere to terms with your fate. Because, you are in for a world of pain now." Eren told the girl as he started walking away with her.


    Yelen opened a portal in front of him, from where he was going to take her away.

 Chapter 503 As long as I stand

    "You are making a big mistake!" the girl threatened Eren, stopping her struggles as she realized she couldn''t break free.


    At this point, it was wiser to stop resisting. Once she was out of this domain, she could call for help, and then Eren would face the inevitable tragic fate awaiting him.


    Despite her bravery, a flicker of concern was evident in her eyes. She had no idea what Eren nned for her. Help woulde, but it would take time. Until then, would she remain safe? She was unsure.


    "Thest person who uttered those words is lying dead right there," Eren remarked, gesturing with his sword toward the fallen guard who had apanied her.


    "If that threat could have saved him, do you think he''d be lying there now?" he asked, returning his sword. The sword''s shadow dissolved into specks of light that vanished into his sleeves.


    "Even if help arrives for you, it will be toote. I can''t predict my fate, but I assure you, yours won''t be any better." His smirk sent a chill down her spine, and she clenched her fists subconsciously.


    She had a terrible feeling about this man. What exactly was he nning? She had no clue.


    Fearful, she attempted to negotiate, promising to forget everything if he let her go. She assured him she would reward him in the future if he released her now.


    She argued that her life might not seem valuable now, but if he spared her, she would rise in power and one day return to repay his favor for sparing her life. She didn''t want to rely on rescue, as it might not arrive in time.


    Unfortunately, her pleas fell on deaf ears. Erenpletely ignored her words and dragged her back to the portal, leaving this ce.


    At this point, the girl felt really regretful. She was regretting her decision toe here. She was too impulsive in wanting to break her engagement which could have been der.


    If she knew that this was going to happen, she never would havee here. Unfortunately, it was toote for regret now. She might truly be in for a world of suffering if she was unlucky.


    "Did I give you permission to leave?" Just as Eren was about to enter the portal, he heard a voiceing from behind him.


    "Hmm? You are still alive?" His brows furrowed as he turned to look at the speaker. "You are truly like a cockroach, never dying. But it is good. It means I can kill you myself."


    His words targeted the Holy Emperor who was standing in the distance, his clothes stained in blood.


    His face was still pale and he didn''t look like he was in a good condition, but he was still willing to stand up for what was right.


    The girl also looked at Eren nkly. He had survived being stabbed by the dagger? Even if he had survived, why was he revealing it now?


    If he had stayed just like that, no one would have known. He could have waited for them to leave, not having to worry about his life. Instead, he was standing up to stop this man?


    Was it simply because of their rivalry? It didn''t seem to be the case. The Holy Emperor wasn''t foolish enough to know that he was at a disadvantage. Then why? Was it because of her?


    She didn''t know what to think. Even after she had insulted him and broken off the engagement, he was trying to protect her? Why? Did he have feelings for her?


    While she was lost in thoughts, Eren pushed her aside.


    "Wait right there. After I deal with him, I will take you to your new home," he told the girl, licking his lips, making the girl feel even more frightened of his intention.


    "She is a guest of this Emperor. Do you believe I will allow you to take her? Even if I have to ignite thest flicker of my life, I will still stand up for what''s right!" The Holy Emperor said, trying his best to buy show how much cringe he was feeling.


    He had thought that it was going to be thest time when he put up an act in front of the citizens. He didn''t realize that he would have to pretend to be a hero so early.


    "You fool, what are you doing? Even Heriel couldn''t stop him! Do you think you stand a chance?" The girl asked Eren, not understanding why she was saying such things.


    Even if the Holy Emperor didn''t have a chance, shouldn''t she be happy that he was buying some time for her?


    She hadn''t even shown such concern towards the guards, so why was she showing it towards this man? Was it simply because he was standing up for her? She didn''t understand.


    The Holy Emperor didn''t care about her words. He was simply focused on putting up the act of a knight in shining armor. However, he suddenly received a message from Eren, who gave him a new dialogue.


    The Holy Emperor felt a heavy dose of cringe in the dialogue of a savior, but he swallowed his embarrassment and said his lines out loud.


    "Are you saying I should watch him take you away?" he asked the girl, blood trickling down the corner of his lips to give his words more impact.


    "Even though you have broken every rtionship with me, you are still my responsibility for as long as you are here."


    As he spoke, his voice grew louder. "As long as I stand... As long as I still have a breath left, I will not let anyone harm you. Let alone another man, even if it was a god, I would still stand up for you!"


    His voice echoed through the entire corridor. Even Eren was surprised at how good his clone was with such dialogues. The clone felt even better than him at uttering these cringe dialogues.


    The girl heard Eren''s words, growingpletely nk. When was thest time she heard something like that?

 Chapter 504 The Hero

    The girl looked at Eren in silence.


    Even if her guard had put his lives on the line for her, it was because he was scared of a fate much worse.


    The Holy Emperor didn''t have such burdens as he didn''t even know about the person behind her. Despite that, he was trying to protect her, knowing full well that he was going to die.


    Even after she tried to kill him, breaking the engagement in front of his face, he was still standing up for her even as most of his body appeared to be broken.


    He was still holding his sword, even as blood trickled down the hilt of the sword. The clone was bleeding so much more, simply to give it more impact.


    "Impressive. To save that girl, you are willing to die? She is truly a lucky girl to have a lover like you," Eren said, breaking the silent atmosphere. "Unfortunately, she won''t be lucky anymore. First, I will kill you in front of her, and then..."


    Eren didn''t finish his sentence. He simply rushed towards his clone. He didn''t use the shadow sword, worried that the poison of the sword might harm his clone identally.


    He didn''t want the entire y to be spoiled, simply because his clone went poof after getting hurt.


    With a treasured Sword, he could control his actions much more. At the same time, he could use his Dragon Tongue to make Eren appear more majestic.


    Just like that, the battle between two people began. One was fighting to save the girl, and another was fighting to take her away.


    At the core, the two already knew the oue of the battle. The hero had to win with hisst breath remaining, by half move. The knight in shining armor couldn''t afford to lose, since his system was on the line.


    The battle kept going on, and the entire hallway was getting destroyed with each passing second. Even a few cracks had started appearing on the domain.


    The girl was looking at the battle in disbelief. She couldn''t believe how strong the Holy Emperor had be. Even when he was injured, he was fighting on an equal footing with the other person.


    Even her guard hadn''t looked this good when fighting against Eren, as the Holy Emperor did. Each of his sword strokes, apanied by the flickers of the Holy Aura that asionally appeared when the swords shed, made the battle appear even more intense.


    Even more surprising was that the Holy Emperor was keeping up with the speed of this person.


    Her guard was strong, as he wasn''t from this world. However, the battle of these two people made her realize that she was wrong about this world.


    These two people were much stronger than her guard. They might even be stronger than the Overlords from what she could see.


    Even if her guard wasn''t ckmailed with her life, she was certain that he would have been killed. It was only a matter of time.


    The person who surprised her the most was the Holy Emperor. He was still so young, yet he had be so strong. Even with external help, she didn''t feel as if she could catch up to him anytime soon.


    Even in the Celestial Realm, he might beparable to those rare geniuses that were the apple of the eyes of their ns.


    She couldn''t believe that she had looked down on this person. The more she saw him fight, the more his image improved in her eyes. Watching her long hair fly as he performed a sword dance, she felt as if he was truly the most handsome man in the world at that moment.


    Each time she saw his blood ssh around, she felt bad in her heart. She didn''t realize that Eren was observing even the smallest of fluctuations within her expressions, even as he was putting up such a fierce act.


    Looking at her expressions, he felt as if his n was proceeding sessfully. Fortunately, he didn''t take a risk and used his dragon tongue to increase the charm of the Holy Emperor during the moment.


    He had yed his part. Now, it was time to put an end to this act. His Sword flew off his hand after shing with the Holy Emperor''s sword.


    He tried to call another sword to protect himself, but it was toote. The Holy Emperor kicked his chest, sending him flying.


    He crashed on a wall, which finally shattered. His body flew through the broken fall and a few other corridors beforending on the ground.


    The Holy Emperor chased after Eren, disappearing from the girl''s view.


    On the other side, Eren started changing his clothes while screaming like a dying man who had been stabbed in the heart.


    His clone also changed his clothes and look, before running away to abandon his post. There was no need for him now. He felt somewhat relieved that it was finally over.


    Eren brought another random corpse from his inventory, and burned it with his holy aura beyond recognition.


    He made a few more wounds on his body while lying next to the destroyed corpse, as if he had been truly exhausted.


    The barrier around the ce also disappeared with the death of the intruder.


    Seeing the barrier disappear, the girl wondered if the battle was actually over. Hesitant, she stood up and walked towards the hole in the wall.


    She traveled through the holes in the wall, soon reaching the scene of carnage where she saw a charred corpse that was beyond recognition.


    Next to the body, there was a puddle of blood. Within the blood, a pale faced man was lying, his breathing being uneven as if he had gone through hell and returned.


    She quickly rushed to Eren, trying to heal him. However, Eren pushed her away.


    He forced his broken body up, his blood still being fresh on his clothes.


    "If you are done here, you can leave. After today, we won''t have anything to do with each other." Eren didn''t spare a second nce at the girl.


    With staggering steps, he started walking away, like a brooding hero.

 Chapter 505 Entangled

    Eren silently walked away, his steps almost faltering as if his legs were also injured. As he was leaving, he kept wondering why he wasn''t receiving a notification confirming thepletion of his mission.


    ''Come on... A man ced his life on the line for you after you broke your engagement with him. Just give me that one moment of regret, even if it''s fleeting.''


    Despite the passing seconds, he still hadn''t received any notification, making him wonder if his efforts had been in vain.


    Was it a failure? Did he need to try something else? He thought, extending his senses to observe the girl''s actions.


    His eyes widened in surprise as he saw her walking away as well. Not only did sheck any semnce of regret, but she hadn''t even offered a single word of gratitude towards him.


    At this point, Eren had almost started to panic. He turned around, looking back at her. He had to stop her from leaving, or the mission would be a failure.


    However, he also realized that if he stopped her, it would shatter the carefully crafted image he had built.


    ''What''s the point of having an image if I can''t evenplete the mission?''


    Despite his frustration with her response, he made up his mind to stop her, no matter what excuse he had to make. He reached out his hand, prepared to call out to her.


    ''Huh?''


    Just as his lips parted, he revealed his surprise as a notification appeared before him.


    [You havepleted the selected option]


    [You have been rewarded]


    He was pleasantly surprised to have seeded. The woman had indeed felt some regret, and that was all that mattered, regardless of the reason.


    A smile spread across his face, but he controlled his celebration, not wanting to alert her.


    Eren turned around and started walking back inside the pce, having no further business with the girl. For him, this was most probably thest interaction he was going to have with the girl.


    The person who killed her guard had died. There was no point for the girl or people behind her to hold a grudge, unless they had too much time to waste.


    He didn''t realize that as he was leaving, the girl had turned around and looked at him, her eyes carrying aplicated expression.


    The girl soon stepped out of the Pce, still thinking about the time Eren had stood up for her. When she thought about him abandoning her for another girl who was much prettier than her, she felt even more frustrated.


    "He isn''t half bad. Maybe it wouldn''t be a bad idea to..." she mumbled, not finishing her sentence.


    She simply brought out a paper and wrote something on it. After she finished writing a message, she tossed the paper back towards the pce.


    The piece of paper took the shape of a bird and flew inside the pce. Meanwhile, the girl walked away, disappearing into the distance.


    ....


    Eren was returning to the main hall after telling his boards to repair the broken corridor inside the pce.


    He didn''t tell them the reason for this destruction. The guards were also wise enough to not question anything that happened within the pce in recent days.


    What surprised them the most was that they didn''t even sense anything even when the hallway was damaged so badly. They quickly started working on repairing the ce, not alerting anyone else.


    The entrance of the pce was also closed, with no one allowed to have a meeting with the Holy Emperor.


    By the time they closed the door, the piece of paper had already flown inside. It flew straight towards Eren, who was right outside the throne room.


    Eren felt the presence of something flying towards him. With his increased strength, his perception had also increased. He could feel that it wasn''t harmful for him.


    He reached out his hand and grabbed a hold of the paper that had taken the shape of the bird. The paper unfolded, revealing the letter that was revealing a message.


    "We are still engaged. I don''t ept breaking off the engagement, so don''t go around thinking that you are free."


    The message only had two lines, with no name written beneath them. Still, Eren realized who had written this letter.


    "Just what is the girl thinking? Did the clone act so well that she actually fell for me?" He rubbed his forehead, watching the paper disappear after he finished reading.


    He didn''t know why, but he had a really bad feeling about this. He didn''t realize it right now but he had gotten involved in something more troublesome thanks to the girl, whose name he didn''t even know yet.


    He had left a very unique impression on the girl.


    Eren was about to push open the door when he suddenly remembered that he had made an excuse to go meet his so-called brother in the Empire. If he returned so fast, it could make the others wonder if he was lying.


    He quickly turned around and disappeared, stepping out of the pce.


    Now that he had crossed level fifty, he felt more confident in his strength. Even if it was an Overlord, he was confident that he could survive against them.


    For the first time in his life, he felt free. He didn''t have to worry about the dark clouds that had been hovering above his head since he entered this world.


    He left for a walk through the city, observing his surroundings while adjusting his mindset to the newfound freedom.


    Although there were still threats like the being that lived beneath the river of Life and Death, but he could at least be more confident about his trip to Hell


    Along the way, he opened his inventory to see if the extra life reward came in the form of an item.


    "Hmm? It''s not here?" He went through his inventory twice, but there was no new addition. He had received nothing, which made him wonder just what form his reward came in? Was it really just an addition to life?

 Chapter 506 Cardinals going wild

    He wasn''t even sure if he had actually received the reward or if he was trolled. To be certain, he opened his status screen.


    Even if it was an insignificant change, it appeared on his status screen. If his life had increased, he was sure it should''ve shown there as well.


    He opened his status screen, wondering if the extra life was going to appear there. Or was he fooled with the non existent reward? He wasn''t sure.


    .........


    [Name: Eren (Ren Necroline)]


    [Level: 52]


    [Life: +1]


    [Identity: Holy Emperor of the Western Continent, Great Elder at the Demon Sect, Spy of Mythical Hero Academy, Owner of Devourer Bloodline, Heir of the Necromancer Tower, Ruler of Spirit Realm, Lover of the Dragon Empress]


    [Primary Main Bloodline: Paradox (25%)]


    [Secondary Main Bloodlines: Devourer, Dragon of the Beginning]


    [Guardian: First Spirit Queen Yelen]


    [Contracted Spirit: Spirit Queen Felona]


    [Age: 22]


    [Traits: Cold-blooded, Scheming]


    [Stats]


    [Strength: 11495]


    [Agility: 12918]


    [Stamina: 13793]


    [Intelligence :95]


    [Mana: 94448]


    [Cultivation: Unknown (Sealed)]


    [Hero Grade: SSS+]


    [Goddess Protection: Unknown (75%)]


    [Main Physiques: Lunar Frost Physique, Destiny Physique, Holy Physique, Absolute Dragon Physique]


    [Unique items in possession: Modified Mana Weapon, Overlord Killing Dagger (Iplete), Pendant of Prediction, Favor Token (Feng Yu), ###### Box (3/4 Seals), Sword of Retribution/ Sword Emperor''s Sword, Rebirth Stone]


    [Unique Skills: Sword Emperor''s Aura, Aura Control Method, Identification, Devouring, Ruler of the Ocean, Flight, Ancestral Dragon Language, Absolute Dragon Transformation, Wings of Domination, Skill Unification, Frost Domain, Disguise, eleration, Mind Maniption, Heightened Senses, Blood Maniption, Shadow Clone Creation, Echo of Eternity]


    .........


    "There it is." He sighed in relief after receiving a viable confirmation.


    He tapped on the option to read more about this new addition.


    [You have received an additional life. Even if you are killed, with your body being destroyed, you can recoverpletely once. The recovery happens automatically, two hours after death]


    "Hmm?" He looked at the description which brought a smile to his face. With that, he felt that he had received the biggest reward of recent times, that removed the ws of his new bloodline skill.


    The problem with Echo of Eternity was that he wasn''t sure if his useless past self was going to be called or the future self. If it was his past self, it was almost the same as dying right away.


    With the increase in his life, he had another secret weapon. If he was ever in a situation where he might die with no other options at sight, he could use Echo of Eternity.


    If he seeded, he could escape from that situation. If he failed, then he was going to die in any case. With this, he now had the currency to take on that risk at least once.


    Finally, he didn''t have to worry about being screwed by the useless draw with Echo of Eternity if he ever needed it.


    Even better was that there was a gap between his death and his revival. If he was revived right away, he could be killed right away. However, no enemy was going to wait for two hours, worried about him returning to life after he was killed.


    "My dear system, you have been too good to me recently. I don''t know what brought this change, but I am truly grateful."


    He had cursed his system a lot in his starting days, but with each passing day, he was realizing that it had been helping him quite a lot at times.


    If not for the system, he wasn''t even sure if he would have made it to where he was right now.


    If he didn''t have a system, he would have been long dead. Either that, or he would''ve been hiding in the Demon Sect, still trying to put up an act without any strength.


    It was because of his system that he was able to stand on an equal footing with the Overlords. For him, this was just the beginning of his journey.


    Even the original Ren Necroline was stronger than the four Overlords. Despite that, he was sealed and almost died. Even if he was strong now, Eren knew that he had to be even stronger.


    He had to be stronger than the original Ren Necroline. He needed his own strength, but also the original strength of Ren.


    Only bybining the two strengths could he reach the stage which even Ren Necroline had failed to reach.


    "Shall we go collect some blood to break the seal?" He walked towards the Holy Church.


    When he was destroying the Holy Church from inside, he didn''t think that he was going to return to that ce anytime soon.


    However, thanks to the sacrificial guard who helped him break through the fifth great wall, he was in a situation to put more ns in motion.


    He had already broken one of the four seals with the blood of Mist. Getting the blood of Feng Yu was also easy, as he was on favorable terms with her. For now, he decided to focus on the Priestess.


    Initially, he thought that he might have to wait until the Overlords fought each other to get some fresh blood, but now there was no need to wait.


    Many people watched him go towards the Holy Church. Some even wondered about the strange gestures he was making, moving his fingers through the air.


    More than his strange actions, they wondered why the Holy Emperor was going towards the Holy Church. Was there going to be another conflict? Or did he have another reason? Quite a few people started following him, as if trying to see a spectacle.


    "Hmm?"


    Eren was only halfway through when he picked up the scent of fresh blood. It wasn''ting from one direction but multiple directions.


    ''Was the city really sowless?'' he wondered, disappearing into thin air.


    He appeared at the ce where he had sensed the blood, but there was nothing there anymore. It was as if the ce had been thoroughly cleaned up with holy essence.


    He had killed all the Bishops already, and the Priestess wasn''t going to do something like this. An ordinary person wasn''t going to be so thorough either.


    "Are the Cardinals going wild? Interesting."

 Chapter 507 Anyas fate

    ....


    In the Northern Continent, the situation had grown moreplicated in recent days. Ever since the Kiel Family was destroyed with the leaders of other Major Families, the situation had never been the same.


    Soon, news spread that the strongest family of the Northern Continent, Greyndor, was destroyed. Only a rare few people knew that the Greyndor Family had be coteral damage of the Necromancer Tower Master''s wrath.


    After destroying the Greyndor Family, the Necromancer Tower had simply disappeared, never to be seen again. Still, it had sent a signal across the continent that the Greyndor Family had offended the Necromancer Tower.


    Even the remnants of the Greyndor Family that weren''t at the main branch when it was destroyed, weren''t lucky enough to survive.


    The Mages of the Northern Continent tried to find them so they could kill them, helping the Necromancer Tower in the process.


    Thanks to Eren, the Greyndor Family had be a taboo in the Northern Continent. The heirs who used to flex the names of their family being the Greyndor Family were running around, hiding their identity.


    Even Anya Greyndor was forced to be on the run. She didn''t even understand why it was happening.


    She was the disciple of the Left Guardian with her future looking bright. She could even destroy an entire town without a single care in the world, turning innocent people into the food of her undead dragon.


    In an instant, she had lost everything. She was being hunted by everyone. She didn''t quite understand why it was happening, but she managed to learn that it had something to do with the young man she had left with her family.


    It wasn''t her family that had offended the Tower Master. Instead, it was that person. Her family had simply be coteral damage through no fault of her own.


    Meanwhile, the second strongest family had gained everything. The Rottenheim Family had gained control of the remaining major families that had lost their leaders.


    Everything that belonged to her, was taken by Leo Rottenheim when he was the person who had saved Eren when she wanted to kill him in Kiel Family Territory.


    Even the territory of her family now belonged to the Rottenheim Family.


    "I will make you all pay. One day, I will take back everything that belongs to me!"


    She was covered from head to toe, walking farther from the Necromancer Tower, trying to escape from the continent. At this point, her only chance of survival was to enter another continent and  wait for the right opportunity.


    She was even careful enough to not use the Undead Dragon during her journey, as it had be synonymous with her.


    She had already reached the Kiel Family Territory, entering the small town that had been destroyed by her undead dragon.


    She could still see signs of the carnage that she had caused here in the past to feed her dragon.


    "There she is!" As she was walking through the town, she heard a loud shouting from behind her.


    Stunned, she turned around.


    "Hounds of Rottenheim?" Her expressions darkened as she recognised the people from their attire. They were the hunters of the Rottenheim Family, especially trained to be ruthless killers.


    "The Rottenheim Family is really going all out to please the Necromancer Tower. But did they really think just the Hounds will be enough for me? I feel a little disrespected." Your adventure continues at m v|l-e''-NovelFire


    She thought that at least Leo Rottenheim was going to be leading the group chasing after her. However, she was frustrated that only the hounds were sent.


    At the same time, she was also slightly relieved that this had happened. Leo had strengthparable to her. If he was here, then with the help of the hounds, the chances of her survival would''ve been much lower.


    "Since you are already here, why don''t you stay here forever?" She called out as her dark shadow grewrger.


    From her shadow, arge creature flew out, soaring through the sky. The Undead Dragon spread out its rotting wings, with a heavy aura of death descending from the sky.


    At the same time, Anya also attacked the Hounds of the Rottenheim Family.


    "Did you really think we weren''t prepared when we came for you?" A dark robed manughed coldly, jumping back to maintain some distance from Anya.


    He brought a small key shaped item crystal from his pocket.


    "The Family spent a lot of money to buy this item in the past. However, they never thought that we would have to use it before your undead dragon even matured. Seems like a waste."


    Hisughter grew louder as he aimed the key towards the Undead Dragon in the sky that was about to attack.


    "That key..." Anya grew stunned at the sight of the key. She rushed to stop the person, only to be blocked by the other hounds.


    Meanwhile, the dark robed man twisted the key aimed towards the undead dragon. As soon as the key turned, a powerful essence of death rushed out from the key.


    The essence condensed into solid form, taking the shape of dark chains that flew straight towards the Undead Dragon.


    The Undead Dragon roared fiercely, firing dark mes towards the chain, trying to fly higher. However, the dark chains devoured the dark mes, growing even stronger.


    The chains soon reached the Undead Dragon. Anya realized how terrifying this item could be. She couldn''t even believe that the Rottenheim Family had been hiding it all this time.


    It was an item that was most useful against undead beasts, especially the mythical beasts.


    As her master was the only person who loved to tame undead mythical beasts, she hadmanded all great families to offer these things to her as soon as they found one. She never expected the Rottenheim Family to keep it hidden.


    The dark chains wrapped around the Undead Dragon, slowly devouring the essence of death from the dragon. Not only could the undead dragon not free itself, but it couldn''t even protect its own essence from being devoured.


    "Come back!" Anya realized that the situation wasn''t looking good. Without the help of her undead dragon, she couldn''t defeat these people before their reinforcements arrived.


    She called the dragon back, which was the one way to protect itself from beingpletely devoured. Unfortunately, the Dragons couldn''t even obey themands anymore.


    The Hounds also kept attacking Anya, who was pushed back with each attack.


    The two sides were so distracted with each other that they didn''t even notice that there was an outsider not far from them


    A young man was sitting over a mountain of rubble, watching the spectacle as if he was watching a movie.


    "In this world, there is never a dull moment. Even in this barren ce, I can find conflict. It''s just perfect for me." The man tilted his head sideways, looking at the Hounds with great interest.


    "I wonder if they can kill me sessfully. It has been a really long time since Ist died." The man rubbed the back of his head, wondering how he should die this time. "The others are certainly working hard. I can''t fall behind."

 Chapter 508 The Dying Transmigrator

    The young man dusted off his torn cloak that provided no protection,pared to the clothes of the Hounds.


    While the hounds were wearing clothes that were reinforced by the magic of the Rottenheim Family, the young man had clothes so ordinary that it looked like he had bought them from some random stall.


    Just as he was about to step down the mountain of rubble, he noticed a figure that was flying in his direction. It was Anya that had taken the brunt of an attack, being sent flying.


    Instead of catching Anya, he simply stepped aside, her figure flying past him, crashing on the rubble.


    "Are you alright?" the young man innocently asked, reaching out his hand to help the girl.


    The girl looked at him with a frown, not understanding who this crazy person was. He was in the middle of the battle for no apparent reason.


    Normally, an ordinary person should have run away at the sight of a battle of this intensity, but he was still here?


    She could feel that he was a two circle mage, but that was an insignificant strength in the Northern Continent.


    He was so weak that she couldn''t even use him as bait to dy the hounds as she attempted to escape. In her eyes, the young man couldn''t even distract the hounds for a single second before dying.


    With her dragon being restricted and the Hounds being prepared, it was looking even less likely that she might survive.


    Instead of running away and getting stabbed in the back, she made up her mind. Even if she had to burn her life here, she was going to kill the hounds.


    She was going to make the Rottenheim Family suffer the loss of their strongest force.


    "Run away, kid. That is, if you don''t want to die." She pushed the young man aside, walking past him.


    Even she didn''t understand why she was telling this insignificant person to run away. It wasn''t as if his life or death had any meaning for her.


    She wondered if it was simply because she wanted someone to remember that even in her death, she didn''t surrender to the Rottenheim Family.


    "Hmm? From which angle do I look like a kid?" The young man scratched the back of his head, appearing confused as he watched the girl walk away.


    The girl didn''t react to his question,pletely ignoring him. She had already warned him. If he didn''t listen to it, it was his problem now.


    "Now how can I die without it appearing like a suicide?" The young man was lost in thought. "Should I start running away? That should catch their attention. But I don''t know if that will be counted as suicide. If it does, I won''t have anything."


    Continue your journey on m|v-l''e -NovelFire


    He was lost in a deep thought. If he jumped in the battle, it was like he was looking for death. If he started running away, it was the same.


    "These terms and conditions are so annoying." He scratched the back of his head, wondering how he could tread the fine line between being killed and looking for death in the eyes of his system.


    The man looked at the Hounds of Rottenheim Family that had started paying attention to him.


    A few of them even looked surprised that they hadn''t noticed his presence before. Was it because he was too weak? They weren''t sure.


    "Go and kill him." The leader of the Houndsmanded one of the hooded figures.


    The young man had seen them use the artifact. They couldn''t let him live, even if he was insignificant in their eyes.


    The young man was staying in silence, lost in thoughts when a hound appeared in front of him.


    "Kid, you can only me yourself for being at the wrong ce at the same time."


    "Why does everyone keep calling me a ki-" the young man was about to question when a powerful magic sted his chest, leaving arge hole in his chest.


    He looked at his chest in disbelief. However, before he could even take in the gruesome sight, his head was ripped apart, tossed away.


    The young man was killed right away in a brutal manner. Even if he was as insignificant as an ant, the Hound didn''t go easy.


    They had been trained since their childhood to be killers of the Rottenheim Family. The first thing they learned during their training was to kill quickly and painfully.


    Even if she was a wounded tiger, Anya had managed to kill one of the Hounds when she started giving it her all. However, the situation was just as bad for her. With each passing second, more and more wounds were appearing on her body.


    She also caught sight of the young man being killed. However, she didn''t feel any pity for him. She only felt that he was a foolish man.


    Then again, she understood that it was already toote for him. Even if he had tried running away, his fate would have stayed the same.


    The hound turned around after killing the going man, returning to reinforce the other hounds against Anya.


    He didn''t notice the body and the head of the young man disappear. Instead, apletely intact body appeared. He lookedpletely unharmed, still in the torn robe that looked just like it had a few moments ago.


    "That hurt." The young man sat up, rubbing his throat that still felt the pain of being ripped apart.


    If anyone else was to notice him, they would have been surprised to see that a dead man had returned to life. Just as surprising was the fact that he had be a three star mage.


    "What? Only a D grade reward? What do you mean the death wasn''t significant enough?" the young manined out loud, catching the attention of the Hounds.


    Let alone the Hounds, even Anya was looking at him as if he was a ghost.


    "Should I have them kill me again? Then again, I don''t know if it will count as a higher grade. I suppose I can only take what I''m given and look for a more epic way to die so I can get more strength."


    ....


    Unaware about the changes in the Northern Continent, Eren had reached the Holy Church, looking quite upset as he came to realize what the Holy Church was doing to the people who had lost their faith in them.

 Chapter 509 Listen to Master

    Seeing the Holy Emperor arrive before the Church, everyone who witnessed it was left stunned.


    Many wondered about his intentions. Had hee to offer constion to the Holy Priestess? Their thoughts were clouded with uncertainty, unable to understand his true motives.


    As Eren was about to enter the Holy Church, he saw a Bishop stepping out. Through the open door, he could notice that the interiors had already been repaired.


    "What are you doing here?" the Bishop asked.


    "I thought all the Bishops were killed by the Necromancer. It''s good to see that there were survivors," Eren remarked, cing his hand on the Bishop''s shoulder as he walked past him.


    He did not bother to answer the Bishop''s question, nor did he reveal his true thoughts.


    Eren was certain that he had eliminated all the Bishops during his previous visit to this ce. The appearance of another Bishop made it evident that the portal formations had been repaired, and reinforcements had been summoned from other branches.


    He was surprised by the Priestess''s fast actions. Despite such a heavy loss, she was moreposed than he had anticipated.


    "Wait, you are not allowed to enter! The Priestess is resting right now. Pleasee back tomorrow!" The Bishop reacted, despite his evident shock.


    Once again, he blocked Eren''s path, refusing to let him step inside.


    "I''m certain she can find some time for me. You need not worry about it," Eren told the Bishop. Although his voice remained calm, the Bishop felt a strange fear rising within his heart, as if he were being red at by a frightening dragon.


    The Bishop tried to control his senses, but he was unable to. His body simply gave in, his legs growing weak, and he dropped to his knees. He was unable toprehend the source of his overwhelming fear.


    The Bishop was left behind on his knees while Eren stepped inside the Holy Church, disappearing from public sight.


    Even the ordinary people who watched the Bishop''s cowardly reaction were left surprised. The dignity of the Holy Church got destroyed even more while the Emperor was appearing like a superior entity.


    ....


    Eren was carefree about the response to his actions. He simply walked through the same corridors a second time, surprised at how well it had been cleaned.


    The hallways that were covered with the scent of blood by the time he left, were looking perfectly clean. Not even the faintest scent of blood could be felt.


    It was as if the Holy Priestess had brought the Holy Church back in time before it was even attacked. However, if that had been the case, the Bishops would have returned to life.


    Whatever she used, was far weaker than time reversal, which would have been an overwhelming ability.


    The Cardinals had already received information about Eren''s arrival. They quickly rushed to meet Eren, whose intentions were suspicious.


    They weren''t fools. They understood that the Holy Emperor had a hand in whatever happened here. However, they also couldn''t kill him since he made sure that everyone saw him enter.


    If the Holy Emperor didn''t return alive, then it was just as troublesome. Even if he was to die, he couldn''t die in the Holy Church.


    They wanted to kill him but they couldn''t, which made them quite frustrated. They intercepted Eren, unable to hide the hostility in their eyes.


    "Is the Holy Emperor here to see the results of his betrayal?" One of the Cardinals asked, his words appearing like daggers that weren''t held back.


    "Betrayal? I''m not sure what you are talking about." Eren shrugged innocently. "I am just here to meet a dear friend, who seems to be going through a bad time."


    Even though he didn''t ept it outright, he didn''t need to hide his intentions either. At this point, both sides already knew each other''s intentions.


    As he spoke of his innocence, his voice filled with sadness, he didn''t hide the smirk that was forming on the corner of his lips.


    It was as if he was intentionally poking the Cardinals, telling them, ''You know about it, but what can you do?''


    "You!" The emotions of the Cardinals red up. This person had caused the destruction of the Holy Church. He had a hand in the death of the Bishops, many of whom were about to be Cardinals themselves in the near future.


    His actions had dealt a heavy blow to the Holy Church. Despite that, he still had the courage toe here and flex?


    Before the Cardinals could further state anything, Eren continued, "I am so d that all of you are safe. It''s a relief that you weren''t here when it happened. It would have been a pity if all of you were to die as well."


    "You are ying with death!" The Cardinals couldn''t take Eren''s arrogance anymore.


    The Cardinals were trying really hard to control their anger, but they were clearly struggling. At this point, they were just inches away from forgetting about anything else and killing Eren.


    Eren was also enjoying annoying them. Normally, he would have been somewhat careful in front of the Cardinals, but the situation had changed a lot now.


    He had even started using a recording crystal to record everything that was happening here, the reason his words weren''t matching his facial expressions that weren''t recorded through the crystal.


    He opened his lips, trying to poke them onest time. He really wanted them to attack him so that he could have an excuse.


    "I-"


    "Let him pass."


    Eren was about to speak, when a single sentence echoed through the hallway. It was the voice of the Holy Priestess, which had directly appeared in everyone''s head.


    The voice was apanied by some unfamiliar magic which targeted a person''s mind. However, Eren remainedpletely unaffected by it.


    "See? You should listen to your master." Eren casually stated.


    The Cardinals clinched their teeth, escorting Eren. Watching the passage that was taken by the Cardinals, Eren was quite surprised.


    They were taking him towards the forbidden room which he had failed to enterst time.

 Chapter 510 Entering a tigers den

    In the entire Holy Church, there was only one ce which hadn''t been explored by him. It was the only room that was left, all because his system warned him against trying to force his way through.


    Find adventures at m_v l|e-NovelFire


    At that time, he was weaker than his current self, so he was quite curious to see if it was still the same case now.


    Even though that room felt like a risky ce, he had a feeling that it was a risk that he had to take sooner orter.


    He followed the Cardinals, asionally speaking, his words being just as ''innocent'' as ever. Even though he could see the Cardinals ring in anger, they were very restrained for some reason.


    "That''s quite boring." Eventually, Eren gave up, since the Cardinals didn''t look like they were going to attack him.


    The Cardinals soon reached the room in the depths of the Holy Church. The signs of a recent explosion had tainted the walls somewhat darker, but it was the only ce that hadn''t been repaired yet.


    Eren wondered if it was because the Holy Priestess was the target of that attack. Did she leave it because she wanted to be reminded of this every time she left the room?


    ''She is quite vengeful it seems.'' Eren thought, stopping in front of the doors that had been sealed previously.


    The Cardinals stepped back after bringing him here. Without saying a single word, they turned around and left the ce.


    After the Cardinals left, the doors closed on their own, revealingplete darkness inside.


    Even with his heightened senses, Eren failed to see inside the room. It was as if an unknown force was preventing any observation. The only way to look inside the room was to step inside himself.


    "Please enter." The Holy Priestess'' voice came from inside, just as calm as ever.


    Even though she knew that he was behind everything, her voice didn''t carry even the slightest of hatred. It was as if she hadplete control over her reactions.


    The calmer she was, the more suspicious Eren felt. Just what was inside this room? Why did she want to meet him here?


    He waited outside a few seconds, trying to see if his system was going to give him any hints. Unfortunately, there was no change.


    "What are you waiting for? If the Emperor isn''t willing to talk to me, then he can leave on his own," the voice came again.


    At this point, Eren had only two choices. He could either take risks, or leave right away.


    If it wasn''t for his extra life, he would have chosen to leave right away. However, his curiosity got the best of him, especially since he had some safety with his second life.


    He took a step forward. Just as his foot was within a few inches of entering the room, finally a system screen appeared, making him retract his steps.


    The options appeared, one that he had been waiting for.


    [Option One: Enter the room.


    Reward: Escape Talisman.]


    [Option Two: Return to the Pce right away.


    Reward: Stamina +10]


    [Option Three: Make the Holy Priestesse out if she wants to talk to you.


    Reward: Agility +10]


    [Option Four: Kidnap a Cardinal and try to make them tell you what''s inside the room.


    Reward: Strength +10]


    ''So it is actually dangerous inside the room. It was just as I expected. However, I still need to know what''s inside. If I am living in ignorance, it mighte to bite me in the future.''


    Eren thought about the fourth option, but he wasn''t even sure if the Cardinals were going to know about it. With the kind of personality that woman had, was she going to let anyone else know what was inside?


    Even if she did let someone know, it couldn''t be more than one or two people. How could he find them randomly? Moreover, the rewards were really insignificant.


    His stats were over ten thousand for everything. The increase of ten didn''t feel like a reward. If anything, he felt that the escape talisman was more useful.


    It had also helped him escape the restrictions of Mist previously, when his life was on the line. If he wanted to know what was inside this room, the escape talisman was his biggest weapon.


    He took a deep breath and selected the first option. A Talisman appeared in his inventory. He quickly called out the talisman and kept it in his hand, hiding it within his fist so that it could be activated at any moment.


    "How could I leave without even seeing the charming face of the Priestess?" he told the Holy Priestess as he stepped forward.


    He couldn''t see the reaction of the Priestess to his words. However, he was certain her expressions didn''t look good.


    Just as he had expected, the Holy Priestess clicked her tongue in disgust at his attempt at flirting.


    She silently waited for Eren to enter. Beyond the threshold of this room, was the territory of the Goddess. No other territory could affect it.


    As long as Eren was inside, she could haveplete control over his life and death. After all, not a single person who had entered this ce left alive.


    Eren had already gone too far by scheming against her. At this point, she didn''t care about antagonizing the citizens to that extent.


    The only reason she hadn''t gone to kill Eren herself was because she was worried about his helper who could affect the eternal domain of the goddess.


    As long as Eren was inside, no help was going toe for him. He wasing to death himself, and she couldn''t be happier.


    Unaware of the Priestess'' thoughts, Eren stepped inside the room, feeling as if he had entered another spatial realm.


    He would have wondered if it was his misconception if he didn''t feel the same sickness he felt every time he went through a portal.


    This was truly a different world within itself.

 Chapter 511 Making one crave death

    Eren entered the room, feeling as if he had entered an entirely different world.


    Continue your saga on m|v-l''e -NovelFire


    When he was under the Priestess'' Domain, he was weakened unless he used the Sword Emperor''s Aura. However, in this ce, even the Sword Emperor''s Aura didn''t nullify the weakening effect.


    It was as if the room itself was alive, constantly suppressing his strength.


    [You have entered the Domain of an unknown Goddess]


    [All stats have been temporarily weakened by fifty percent]


    Multiple notifications appeared in front of him, which surprised him. He had entered the domain of a goddess? The more he thought about it, the worse it appeared.


    He was finally able to understand why his Sword Emperor''s Aura wasn''t able to nullify this weakening effect. It wasn''t the Priestess'' Domain but the Domain of Goddess after all.


    It was bing even more clear that he had willingly walked inside a trap.


    The only way to leave this trap was the Escape Talisman hidden within his hand. However, even he wasn''tpletely sure at this point if the talisman was actually going to work in this domain.


    The darkness that had covered this room gradually gave way to a dim light, revealing multiple ming torches hanging by the walls.


    He was finally able to get a proper understanding of the room.


    The room was farrger than he had initially assumed. Walls of ck stone stretched upwards, disappearing into a mist thousands of feet above.


    In the center of this otherworldly room stood a statue. He raised his head, trying to see the face of the statue, only to be greeted by the unfamiliar mist that made it impossible for him to see the statue''s face.


    The mist appeared quite familiar as it was simr to the mist that prevented him from seeing the Author''s face. It was the unknown mist that had always apanied the author every time he arrived.


    Eren was somewhat curious about this mist and the reason these people needed to hide their faces. Unfortunately, he didn''t have time to be concerned about that now.


    It was clear that the statue wasn''t as lifeless as he had initially assumed. Even if the goddess hadn''t personally descended to this ce, she was clearly able to use her influence within the domain.


    It was simr to the author who was able to freeze everything around him in time with his arrival.


    In front of these people, was his increase in strength enough? Initially, he had thought that he was safer, but he was starting to unravel more of the world.


    The Overlords weren''t as simple as he had initially assumed.


    If the Western Overlord had a goddess that could interfere in this world, then what about the other Overlords? Just what were they hiding?


    ''No wonder Ren Necroline was sealed. If anything, it is more surprising that he managed to survive despite all this... at least until I possessed him.''


    While Eren was lost in thoughts, he heard the sound of a p. He came out of his daze and shifted his attention to the girl who was standing near the foot of the statue.


    The Holy Priestess was wearing deep crimson robes, quite a departure from her usual golden attire. Her eyes didn''t have any semnce of the kindness that she revealed in front of others. It was as if her real self was on disy in this ce.


    Her eyes were filled with disdain as her gaze locked onto Eren.


    "You''ve finallye," she said, her voice echoing softly through the chamber. There was a subtle hint of satisfaction in her tone, as if she had been waiting for him.


    Eren tightened his grip on the talisman hidden in his palm, ready for any eventuality.


    "I couldn''t resist your invitation," he replied, his voice just as calm as ever.


    The Holy Priestess gazed at Eren with a frown. "I still remember the day I helped you be the Emperor. If I knew that you would backstab me, I would have made a different decision that day."


    "What different decision would you have made?" Eren asked. "Would you have killed me like you killed my father?"


    He was here as the Holy Emperor. Fortunately, he had already learned the entire story of the Holy Emperor. He knew exactly how to y this part.


    The Holy Priestess looked at him in silence, the corner of her lips creeping up. "So you knew about it. It''s starting to make sense now. It was all about your little revenge?"


    She rubbed her forehead, her frustration bing even more evident. "I nned for everything. To think I couldn''t take into consideration the revenge of a little pawn like you..."


    "How foolish!" Her killing intent became heavier, her voice growing cold. "For your little revenge, you schemed against me? Did you think that these little tricks of yours can pull me down?!"


    With each passing second, it was bing clearer that she wanted to kill him in the most brutal of ways to punish him. She wanted to make him crave death for bing an obstruction in her path.


    However, before that, she wanted to search his soul. She needed to know how he managed to convince the Dragons. She wanted to understand more about the treasure that had managed to interfere with the domain of her goddess.


    All those questions were most possibly being hidden within Eren''s soul. It was also the best way to punish him, letting him feel his soul being ripped apart.


    She walked towards Eren, putting a heavy pressure on Eren''s body, which was even more effective with his stats weakening.


    Eren was also prepared to escape at any moment, but before that, he needed to make the woman bleed at least once. He needed her fresh blood to remove one of the three remaining seals.


    He was prepared to call forth and swing his shadow swords as soon as she was within his range. To put up a better act, he even fell on his knees under the pressure.


    The Holy Priestess didn''t think much about it. She kept walking closer to him, telling him that she was going to make him beg for death for his betrayal.

 Chapter 512 The Man who survived

    Experience new stories on m v|l e''-NovelFire


    She had seen the Holy Emperor when he was a child. It was she who had orchestrated his ascension to the throne, instead of his brother.


    Over the years, she had watched him grow, treating her as little more than a servant. Yet, that same servant had now turned against her in the most unforgivable manner.


    He deserved to pay for his betrayal. And now that he had willingly entered the domain of Goddess, there was no escape for him. Within these cruel walls, no outside force could interfere with the fate that awaited him.


    She couldn''t wait to rip the Holy Emperor''s soul apart, watching him cry in pain. She also couldn''t wait to find out about the others that were involved in this. Only after destroying all of them, could she feel confident enough to go after the Northern Continent.


    ''Five steps...''


    In his mind, Eren had already started counting the number of steps left before the Priestess was within the range of his attack.


    ''Four steps...''


    ''Three steps...''


    ''Two steps...''


    ''One step...''


    Eren was prepared to call out his sword. Just one more step and he could finally remove the second seal.


    "Hmm?" As the Priestess was about to enter his range, she suddenly stopped. Eren watched golden words form in front of the Holy Priestess.


    The words were carrying the same essence as the creator of the domain, which meant they were made by the goddess.


    Since the words were facing her, they appeared to be reversed for him. It took him a moment to read the reversed letters, which made his expressions darken.


    "He is not the Holy Emperor. It''s Ren Necroline!" The moment Eren read the sentence, it was as if he had lost his soul.


    Even though he was careful, his identity was exposed. He had made a big mistake. Even though his bloodline disguise ability managed to fool the Overlords, it had failed to fool a goddess.


    It was something that he hadpletely forgotten to consider. He had entered the domain of a goddess, who probably saw through his disguise. If anything, it was more surprising that it took her such a long time.


    Eren knew that he couldn''t waste any more time. He had to get the blood and escape. He called forth the Sword Emperor''s sword, breaking free of the Priestess'' Pressure.


    Since the Priestess didn''t enter his domain, he rushed forward to bring her in his range. The mark on his upper arm started shining and the shadow of a sword materialised in his hand.


    As soon as he reached the range, he swung his sword which was brimming with a terrifying poison aura.


    The Holy Priestess had her back drenched in hold, seeing the de of the sword merely a few inches away from her neck.


    Fortunately, before the de could touch her, Eren was stopped. The Goddess had interfered within her domain.


    More golden words appeared in front of the Priestess, scolding her for not being careful and almost dying.


    The Holy Priestess was also left in disbelief, seeing the shadow of the frightening sword just inches away from her neck. If it was even a fraction of an inch closer, it would have managed to poison her even without touching her skin.


    If it wasn''t for the goddess and her control within the domain, she would have been in a bigger problem.


    The Priestess quickly stepped sideways, getting out of Eren''s sword path just to be careful.


    "Ren Necroline..." The Holy Priestess looked at Eren, who was still disguised as the Holy Emperor.


    Even now, she couldn''t see through Eren''s disguise but she couldn''t doubt the words of the Goddess who knew better. Ren Necroline had actually returned and managed to get so close to her, without her knowledge.


    "No wonder the cowardly Holy Emperor became so troubled in such a short time. You had already taken his ce. I was truly a fool to not even realize it...," the Holy Priestess said still in disbelief.


    "If he wasn''t in my core domain, even I wouldn''t have noticed his real identity. You don''t have to me yourself." The words of the goddess changed, as if consoling the Holy Priestess.


    While the Holy Priestess was talking to the goddess, Eren was having a much harder time. He felt like he was frozen in ce.


    It was different from being frozen in time, an ability of the author. When one was frozen in time, not only their body but their mind and their souls were frozen as well. Even the elements of the world were frozen.


    Meanwhile, within the current restriction, only his body was frozen. Eren couldn''t even move his lips.


    The Ancient Dragon Tongue didn''t need words to be changed. He could use it without the need to move his lips, but the Dragon Tongue was useless in this ce.


    He couldn''t break this restriction with raw strength. It was the same for the Dragon Tongue Magic that failed to free him.


    In the end, Eren realized that staying here any longer was dangerous. Even if he had to give up on the Holy Priestess'' blood, he had to leave this ce. He had to use the Escape Talisman.


    "Hmm?" While Eren tried to activate the talisman, his mind felt like it waspletely shattered. There was no escape talisman in his hand. It had simply disappeared.


    He didn''t understand where it went. Did the Goddess use her control of the Domain to take the talisman from him without his realisation? Just how strong was she? How did he not notice?


    The more he thought about it, the worse he felt. He had lost hisst option of escape as well. Things had turned much darker for him.


    If he wasn''t worried about raising a red g, he would have wondered if things could get any worse for him.


    "Ren Necroline... The man who survived..." The Holy Priestess finished her conversation with the goddess, shifting her attention to Eren.

 Chapter 513: Will be mine

    513 Chapter 513: Will be mine


    "A Necroline... a forgotten relic of a failed era. The one that brought a cmity to this world, and still managed to avoid death."


    The Holy Priestess gazed at Eren with a very strange gaze. It felt different from the way she generally looked at the Holy Emperor. There was no disgust or contempt, but a very unfamiliar emotion.


    Eren struggled against the invisible binds holding him, even using the Dragon Bloodline to increase his strength temporarily. Unfortunately, under the weakening effect of the Domain, the increase in strength didn''t have much of an effect.


    The realization that the talisman was gone left him with great frustration. He had entered this ce trusting the Talisman for his escape.


    The only other option for his survival in this situation was to call forth the author but he couldn''t even do that.


    He thought about his other abilities to see if there was anything that could help him under the suppression of the goddess.


    In this situation, he was simr to the Necromancer Tower Master under the restriction of the author. However, he couldn''t afford to be that helpless, even if he had an extra life.


    "To think that the great Ren Necroline entered the core domain of the Goddess out of his own volition. Did you forget what happenedst time you did that?" The Holy Priestess paused, a smile ying on her lips.


    "Your disguise was clever, but ultimately useless. Her eyes pierce through all illusions, revealing the truth of this world. The goddess sees all within her domain. She controls everything within her domain."


    The Holy Priestess stepped closer to Eren, walking past his sword. Even though it was just the shadow of the Sword of Retribution, she hadn''t failed to recognise it.


    The disappearance of the sword was finally making sense. If Ren Necroline had personally taken action, then it made sense that no one knew about it.


    The Holy Priestess stopped in front of Eren, the distance between them barely half a meter. She opened her cherry lips, about to speak further.


    However, before she could utter a single word, she paused. Her attention was shifted to the next sentence of the goddess.


    "I want possession!" The floating words stated.


    "What? You want possession now? Did you forget how much burden it ces on my soul? Even if you possess me for a short time, it still devours most of my remaining life span!" The Holy Priestess was taken aback by the goddess''s words.


    The gods could not descend into this world in the current era, but there was one exception. If it was through possession, then a god could temporarily descend.


    All it took was the lifespan of the person being possessed. Normally, a god could only descend when the person in this world agreed to give their life.


    Even those rare few who knew about it considered it useless, especially since a god could only be present for a second at most. That was all a human body could bear before it was destroyed, unable to support the life span cost.


    Even if the god descended through possession, they couldn''t bring their divinity down with them. As long as they were in this world, even in the form of possession, they could still only use the strength of the person they possessed at most.


    Within her domain, the goddess could reduce the life span cost, but even that was enough to put a significant burden on the soul and life span.


    Even the goddess couldn''t ignore the strength restriction. At most, she could use a little more than the strength of the Priestess, but it was still far less from her real strength.


    Despite that, the goddess didn''t care. She wanted to descend. Her words were making it clear that she was getting restless for some reason.


    The Holy Priestess also understood why that was the case. After all, the person in question was Ren Necroline.


    Even though the Holy Priestess didn''t want to lose any more lifespan, she couldn''t resist the goddess who was stubborn like a child that had found her favorite toy.


    "Fine. I will agree. However, you must promise that you will help me in my ascension after I finish uniting the four continents! I need to increase my lifespan!" The Holy Priestess put forth certain conditions.


    She wasn''t sure if the goddess even considered her request or not. The goddess simply agreed right away.


    With no other excuse left, the Holy Priestess gave permission for possession, closing her eyes. She surrounded her body with the holy aura that connected to the statue of the goddess behind her.


    A few seconds had passed before the Holy Priestess opened her eyes, appearing somewhat different. Her eyes were pure golden, as if brighter than the sun. Even the aura around her felt different than normal, feeling unusually overwhelming.


    Eren had heard their conversation. He thought that the restriction was going to get weaker after the goddess possessed the Priestess, but that didn''t appear to be the case.


    The domain and the restriction were still intact, beingpletely independent of the possession.


    The Priestess who was possessed, revealed a greedy smile when she looked at Eren. In the blink of an eye, she appeared in front of Eren, merely a few inches of distance left between their faces.


    "I finally found you! I finally found you!" The goddess repeated like a crazy person.


    Listening to her words, Eren was confused. Was the goddess hostile to him? Or was she some estranged lover of Ren Necroline that was crazy for him? He couldn''t understand her emotions.


    Unfortunately, it didn''t take long before everything became clear when the goddess ced her hand on his cheeks, gently brushing them.


    Just as Eren was starting to think that maybe the goddess wasn''t as hostile to him as he thought, he felt a sharp pain in his soul.


    Sharp nails stabbed through his cheeks. The goddess kept bringing her hand down, her nails slicing through his face, almost wing out his skin.


    "I will enjoy watching you suffer, Ren. Your soul will beid bare, and every secret you hold will be mine. I will finally understand why ''they'' wanted you, to the point that they personally moved!"


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    13:34513 Chapter 513: Will be mine


    "A Necroline... a forgotten relic of a failed era. The one that brought a cmity to this world, and still managed to avoid death."


    The Holy Priestess gazed at Eren with a very strange gaze. It felt different from the way she generally looked at the Holy Emperor. There was no disgust or contempt, but a very unfamiliar emotion.


    Eren struggled against the invisible binds holding him, even using the Dragon Bloodline to increase his strength temporarily. Unfortunately, under the weakening effect of the Domain, the increase in strength didn''t have much of an effect.


    The realization that the talisman was gone left him with great frustration. He had entered this ce trusting the Talisman for his escape.


    The only other option for his survival in this situation was to call forth the author but he couldn''t even do that.


    He thought about his other abilities to see if there was anything that could help him under the suppression of the goddess.


    In this situation, he was simr to the Necromancer Tower Master under the restriction of the author. However, he couldn''t afford to be that helpless, even if he had an extra life.


    "To think that the great Ren Necroline entered the core domain of the Goddess out of his own volition. Did you forget what happenedst time you did that?" The Holy Priestess paused, a smile ying on her lips.


    "Your disguise was clever, but ultimately useless. Her eyes pierce through all illusions, revealing the truth of this world. The goddess sees all within her domain. She controls everything within her domain."


    The Holy Priestess stepped closer to Eren, walking past his sword. Even though it was just the shadow of the Sword of Retribution, she hadn''t failed to recognise it.


    The disappearance of the sword was finally making sense. If Ren Necroline had personally taken action, then it made sense that no one knew about it.


    The Holy Priestess stopped in front of Eren, the distance between them barely half a meter. She opened her cherry lips, about to speak further.


    However, before she could utter a single word, she paused. Her attention was shifted to the next sentence of the goddess.


    "I want possession!" The floating words stated.


    "What? You want possession now? Did you forget how much burden it ces on my soul? Even if you possess me for a short time, it still devours most of my remaining life span!" The Holy Priestess was taken aback by the goddess''s words.


    The gods could not descend into this world in the current era, but there was one exception. If it was through possession, then a god could temporarily descend.


    All it took was the lifespan of the person being possessed. Normally, a god could only descend when the person in this world agreed to give their life.


    Even those rare few who knew about it considered it useless, especially since a god could only be present for a second at most. That was all a human body could bear before it was destroyed, unable to support the life span cost.


    Even if the god descended through possession, they couldn''t bring their divinity down with them. As long as they were in this world, even in the form of possession, they could still only use the strength of the person they possessed at most.


    Within her domain, the goddess could reduce the life span cost, but even that was enough to put a significant burden on the soul and life span.


    Even the goddess couldn''t ignore the strength restriction. At most, she could use a little more than the strength of the Priestess, but it was still far less from her real strength.


    Despite that, the goddess didn''t care. She wanted to descend. Her words were making it clear that she was getting restless for some reason.


    The Holy Priestess also understood why that was the case. After all, the person in question was Ren Necroline.


    Even though the Holy Priestess didn''t want to lose any more lifespan, she couldn''t resist the goddess who was stubborn like a child that had found her favorite toy.


    "Fine. I will agree. However, you must promise that you will help me in my ascension after I finish uniting the four continents! I need to increase my lifespan!" The Holy Priestess put forth certain conditions.


    She wasn''t sure if the goddess even considered her request or not. The goddess simply agreed right away.


    With no other excuse left, the Holy Priestess gave permission for possession, closing her eyes. She surrounded her body with the holy aura that connected to the statue of the goddess behind her.


    A few seconds had passed before the Holy Priestess opened her eyes, appearing somewhat different. Her eyes were pure golden, as if brighter than the sun. Even the aura around her felt different than normal, feeling unusually overwhelming.


    Eren had heard their conversation. He thought that the restriction was going to get weaker after the goddess possessed the Priestess, but that didn''t appear to be the case.


    The domain and the restriction were still intact, beingpletely independent of the possession.


    The Priestess who was possessed, revealed a greedy smile when she looked at Eren. In the blink of an eye, she appeared in front of Eren, merely a few inches of distance left between their faces.


    "I finally found you! I finally found you!" The goddess repeated like a crazy person.


    Listening to her words, Eren was confused. Was the goddess hostile to him? Or was she some estranged lover of Ren Necroline that was crazy for him? He couldn''t understand her emotions.


    Unfortunately, it didn''t take long before everything became clear when the goddess ced her hand on his cheeks, gently brushing them.


    Just as Eren was starting to think that maybe the goddess wasn''t as hostile to him as he thought, he felt a sharp pain in his soul.


    Sharp nails stabbed through his cheeks. The goddess kept bringing her hand down, her nails slicing through his face, almost wing out his skin.


    "I will enjoy watching you suffer, Ren. Your soul will beid bare, and every secret you hold will be mine. I will finally understand why ''they'' wanted you, to the point that they personally moved!"

 Chapter 514: Echo of Eternity

    514 Chapter 514: Echo of Eternity


    Eren didn''t simply feel the pain of his skin being wed out. The pain was felt through his soul and mind, as if thousands of poisonous ants were biting all over his body.


    At this point, Eren realized that the goddess was probably the worst thing to have happened to him. She didn''t just want him to suffer because she hated him. Instead, there was an element of greed in her actions.


    He didn''t understand where that greed came from, but he did realize that he was going to go crazy if he didn''t stop her. His mind was going to bepletely destroyed at this point.


    It was the worst pain that he had ever felt before, feeling as if a part of him was dying with each passing second. After wing the entire right side of his face, the goddess ced her nail on his forehead, slowly stabbing them inside.


    The pain only increased, growing much worse. At this point, Eren couldn''t even think straight about the skills that could help him.


    His soul was hurting so bad that he couldn''t think about anything. The only skill that he was rarely able to remember was one that he had recently gained.


    He didn''t know if his future or past self was going to help him, or suffer the same pain that he was supposed to suffer. Even then, it was better to let them feel the pain than getting broken personally.


    At best, his future or past self was going to possess his body for half an hour. In the meantime, his real soul was going to be sleeping, avoiding the pain.


    Even if he was to die here, it was important to protect his soul. And in this situation, only that one skill could protect his soul. He had to use possession to answer possession.


    His vision had already turned red as blood trickled down from his forehead to enter his eyes. Everything in his eyes turned red, but the pain never stopped.


    Eren barely managed to gain enough mental strength to use one skill.


    "Echo of Eternity...."


    Eren didn''t know who was going to possess him; his past, or future? At this point, that was thest thing that mattered to him.


    As soon as he used the Echo of Eternity, the terrifying pain that he was feeling simply disappeared.


    Everything around him turned darker, as if his consciousness was floating in an endless dark world, created just for his soul to sleep during the Echo of Eternity possession.


    He had thought that he was simply going to sleep during this time, waking up when everything was over. However, this sleep felt a little different.


    Even in his sleep, he had a lot of time to think about things. He was really curious as to what was happening in the outside world.


    As he floated through the space, he wondered exactly which of his personalities was suffering. If it was his past self, he could only feel her for that person.


    One moment, his past self was a professor on earth. The next moment, he was being tormented by a goddess, craving for death instead.


    If it was his future self, then it didn''t change anything either. It wasn''t as if his future self could change anything. The only good thing about it was that at least he knew the kind of situation he was in.


    "If it''s my future self, I''m sure he will understand my actions, right?" Eren frowned. However, he also realized that it just meant he was going to suffer from it again.


    In the future, he was abruptly going to be called to the body of his present self and feel the pain that he had avoided currently.


    If it was his future self, then he had simply dyed this pain for the future.


    "The worst part is that I won''t even know which of my selves was called. How many years in the future or past? I can''t even prepare for it."


    He was supposed to have a peaceful time sleeping while his other self was suffering. However, he was lost in heavy contemtion which was making him feel another headache.


    Fortunately, this new headache was like a heavenly fruitpared to the pain that his other self was feeling in his body. Or so he thought...


    ....


    In the real world, the Goddess had stabbed her sharp nails inside Eren''s forehead, trying to destroy his soul so she could actually learn everything about him.


    Her nails weren''t simply prating through his skin in the physical form, but even in the spiritual form, they were infiltrating his mind, trying to enter the depths of his consciousness.


    As she was about to reach the deepest parts of Eren''s soul, trying to devour all his secrets, her expressions swiftly changed.


    She opened her eyes, looking at her wrist which was being held by man''s hand.


    She was taken aback, not understanding how Eren had managed to free herself from his restriction.


    His face was covered in blood. The pain was so bad that he should have been broken already. Despite that, he looked like he was inplete control.


    The blood in his eyes was trickling down, his vision still appearing red. However, something felt different about him. His eyes felt unusually cold.


    If his eyes were confused and hesitant previously, then they felt like they had a clear understanding of the situation currently.


    "So it''s this era..." Eren said, his fingers touching the scars on his face that were still bleeding. "How long has it been... I almost forgot about this..."


    The Goddess felt like something was wrong with Eren''s reaction. He was suddenly talking differently. It was as if he was thousands of years old, reminiscing about the past.


    "Even though I''m possessing someone, it shouldn''t have weakened the restriction to this extent. How did you free yourself?! How are you still sane?" The Goddess asked Eren, suddenly having a strong feeling that something was extremely wrong.

 Chapter 515: Sacrifice

    515 Chapter 515: Sacrifice


    Eren, or rather the consciousness now inhabiting his body, took a casual nce at the Goddess. His gaze didn''t show any peculiar emotions, despite knowing that the other person was being possessed by a goddess.


    There was no fear in his eyes. Let alone fear, he didn''t even appear as if he was concerned about the sudden situation he had found himself in.


    The Goddess felt strange in front of that gaze. She had met many powerful people, who could dominate one''s existence itself. However, it was the first time she had felt as if she was beingpletely seen through by another person.


    Although there were no emotions in those eyes, she subconsciously felt as if it was an existence that was looking down on her. She even felt a sense of humiliation rise from within her.


    As if it wasn''t enough, Eren even stopped paying attention to her. His gaze shifted elsewhere, looking into empty air.


    "Which one should I sacrifice...?" he mumbled, looking at the status screen that brought back so many memories.


    His gaze particrly rested on the bloodline section of the status screen. In the bloodline section, he could see many bloodlines. Some of them were superior bloodlines like Ancient Dragon Bloodline or Devourer Bloodline.


    However, there was one bloodline that particrly caught his attention. It was the Paradox. However, the Paradox was something that hadn''t even awakened properly.


    Only twenty-five percent of the paradox was awakened, which made it basically useless for now.


    There were other bloodlines as well, which Eren had stolen from others with the help of Devourer. The collection had increased by a lot after his trip to the Southern Continent.


    After taking a nce through the secondary bloodlines, he selected two bloodlines.


    "For now, these two should be enough..."


    One of the bloodlines that were selected was the Sea Serpent Bloodline which was the first bloodline that Eren had robbed using the Devourer during his trip to the ocean of blood.


    The other bloodline was a strengthening bloodline devoured in the Southern Continent, which was more or less useless for Eren after his dragon bloodline evolution.


    "********* ***** ******* *******"


    Once he selected the blood, he whispered something that was barely audible. Even though Eren was right next to the goddess inside her domain, she couldn''t hear the words spoken by him.


    It was as if there was an unknown force within the power that made those who heard them, forget about ever hearing them.


    [You have selected to sacrifice Sea Serpentine and Strengthening]


    [Please select the Bloodline to apply effects]


    The Goddess saw Erenpletely ignore her, which made her feel frustrated.


    Even though Ren Necroline was a special existence that many people paid attention to, it still wouldn''t have been someone that could threaten her. So what gave him this confidence to ignore her, especially in her domain?


    She couldn''t possess the Holy Priestess for a long time. Even if the burden was weakened within her domain, a mortal''s body was still notpatible with her divine soul.


    She raised her hand, using her domain to the fullest. The restriction acting on Eren became even stronger, as if a god was directly pushing down on him.


    Normally, it was the strength that could destroy the world itself. However, the strength was solely acting on Eren''s body, trying to push him down.


    As soon as the pressure descended on Eren, he uttered a single word.


    "Paradox."


    [Paradox has been selected to ept the sacrifice]


    [Awakening restrictions have been removed for thirty seconds]


    [Paradox awakening has reached hundred percent for next thirty seconds]


    One after another, multiple notifications appeared in front of Eren. The system screen had turnedpletely ck, with only the blood red words visible on the screen that showed the updates.


    The Holy Priestess had thought that Eren was going to fall t on the ground under her pressure, but to her surprise, he was standing perfectly fine. He didn''t appear to be under even the slightest of pressure.


    Instead, it was her that felt a frightening pressure. It gave her a sense of fear that she never felt before.


    She didn''t know what this feeling was, but it was truly scary. Without a second thought, she cancelled the possession, her consciousness flying back towards the statue.


    "Thirty seconds should be enough..." Eren said, waving his hands to make the screen go silent.


    "Right?" He gazed towards the statue of the goddess.


    On the shoulder of the statue, a young man was sitting carefree. Other than appearing a little older from Eren, he looked no different. It was as if he was Eren from another time.


    The only other difference was the clothes that he was wearing. His clothes were stained in blood from top to bottom as if he had descended from a bloody battlefield.


    Despite the blood staining his clothes, there was not a single scratch on his body.


    "More than enough." The person on the shoulder of the goddess smiled, tapping the head of the statue with his finger lightly.


    As soon as his finger touched the unbreakable statue of the goddess, the statue shattered in an instant. The divine mist that was hiding the face of the statue was also gone into the void.


    The consciousness of the goddess was returning to the statue which was a medium to return to her real body. However, the statue broke in front of her eyes.


    With no other option, she could only forcefully return to the body of the Holy Priestess who was still toe to her senses properly.


    The goddess entered the body of the Holy Priestess. However, as she was about to take control, she felt a hand grab onto her soul.


    She was abruptly pulled out of the Holy Priestess'' body like a toy.

 Chapter 516: Awakening

    516 Chapter 516: Awakening


    The Goddess was still in disbelief as she found another Eren. How was it possible? How could there be three people who had the same existence?


    It wasn''t just their appearances that were simr. The very essence of their being, the core of their existence, was the same. They were not merely clones, but truly the same people.


    What was even more shocking was that they were able to physically interact with her soul body, which had grown considerably weaker during her descent.


    This unexpected development left the Goddess grappling with questions and a growing sense of disbelief.


    "Did you really have to call a third one? Aren''t you just being wasteful at this point?" The second Eren came down from the rubble of the goddess''s statue, looking somewhat frustrated.


    He thought that he was enough. After all, they were simply dealing with a weakened goddess who had foolishly descended without realizing her own abilities.


    "This body is too weak at the moment," The consciousness possessing Eren answered, looking at his pale hands.


    He could already feel the weakness in this body. In the eyes of Eren, he had be extremely strong. However, in his eyes, this strength was far from enough.


    "You don''t look disappointed though." The second Eren asked, noticing the smirk in the corner of first Eren''s lips.


    "Oh? You noticed." Eren didn''t hide it anymore. He was actually very petty. He hadn''t forgotten how he was tormented by the goddess.


    Even though it had been a long time for him, and he didn''t remember much since he had escaped through Call of Eternity, it was still something for which he wanted to settle scores.


    Unfortunately for him, the moment he came out of Echo of Eternity''s sleep, the goddess was already dead. He finally understood why that was the case.


    "Looks like she never wondered why the other gods didn''t dare descend to find me?" The third Eren, who appeared to be the oldest out of all of them, said.


    As he finished speaking, he kept the soul of the goddess in a dark space that opened next to him.


    The Goddess struggled to free herself, feeling as if a horrifying future was waiting for her. Unfortunately, she couldn''t do anything in front of these people.


    She could only curse her decision to descend, wondering about the secrets of Eren that had made ''them'' interested in him. She finally understood why that was the case.


    Now that she found a part of that secret, she was really regretting her actions.


    "Don''t destroy her soul too fast. She is useful," the consciousness that had possessed Eren told the third Eren.


    "Aren''t we all the same?" The third Eren sighed, shaking his head. He didn''t argue about it, especially since the effect of the skill was running out.


    "Do you think she would be coughing blood if she finds out that we were able to descend because of her?" The Second Eren asked, as his body started disappearing.


    The time for paradox had almost run out.


    The original Eren''s consciousness was also starting to awaken. Meanwhile, the possessing soul started feeling sleepy as it was time to return to its real time.


    "If it wasn''t for her domain and Echo of Eternity, just two bloodline sacrifices would have been far from enough. Even if it was for only thirty seconds, a lot more sacrifice would have been needed."


    "Aren''t you going to leave any messages for him?" The third Eren asked, his body also slowly disappearing.


    The consciousness possessing Eren appeared to be lost in thought. Eventually, he shook his head.


    "If I did, it''ll be all for nothing... too much interference... Everything will fall apart..."


    His eyes closed as he dropped to the ground suddenly. The other Eren also disappeared, leaving only the real Eren who was lying on top of the Holy Priestess.


    [The Effects of Sacrifice has run out]


    [Paradox Awakening state has returned to normal]


    [Paradox Awakening has increased by two percent]


    [Paradox Awakening: 27 Percent]


    As the soul of the goddess was taken, the domain also lost its effects. The core domain copsed, removing every restriction from this ce.


    Even the Domain Protecting the Holy City had vanished. What was even more surprising was that everyone who had gained holy essence through the blessing of the goddess had lost it.


    With the disappearance of the goddess''s soul, even her real body had be useless. There was no one left to maintain the blessing.


    The Priests, Bishops, and even the Cardinals had suddenly lost all their holy essence. They could immediately feel the change, panicking in the process.


    All the Branches of the Holy Church started contacting the main branch to understand what had happened to them.


    Even the Cardinals of the Main Branch were just as confused. They rushed towards the sanctum of the Holy Priestess, calling out to her. Unfortunately, they didn''t receive a response.


    They could only keep calling out to her,cking the courage or strength to force their way through. Their repeated knocks on the door hadn''t awakened the Holy Priestess. However, it did manage to wake up Eren.


    Just a moment ago, Eren had felt like he was floating in an endless space, worried about the pain his other self might be going through. Now, he suddenly felt like he had regained all his senses.


    He felt as if he was lying on something soft. He slowly opened his eyes and pushed his body up, growing surprised to find himself on top of the Holy Priestess.


    "Just what did the goddess do?" For a moment, he even wondered if they had done something strange. However, both of them were fully clothed, so it seemed unlikely.


    He quickly stood up, touching the side of his face that had been wed out. But there was no wound anymore. His face had healed, and he couldn''t feel any pain.


    He looked at his surroundings, only growing more surprised at the sight of the broken statue.

 Chapter 517: A mess

    517 Chapter 517: A mess


    "What just happened here? It''s as if a storm has ravaged through this ce."


    Looking at the scenery, he was extremely confused.


    He had temporarily lost his sense of time when he was under the effect of Echo of Eternity. However, looking at the carnage around him, he couldn''t believe that everything happened in just thirty seconds.


    It was impossible for the goddess to destroy her own statue, unless she had gone crazy. It could only mean that this was the work of the personality that was summoned with Echo of Eternity.


    As his past was that of a weak and ordinary human, that was out of consideration as the reason behind this carnage. That only left his future self, that had been summoned.


    Still, even if his future self was summoned, just how could he do all this in thirty seconds? The Echo of Eternity only summoned conscience, and not the strength from the future.


    Even if the conscience from the future had been summoned in this world, it shouldn''t have any extra advantage. Even his future conscience should''ve been limited to his current strength. So how was it possible?


    The more Eren thought about it, the more his headache increased. He couldn''t remember anything from those missing thirty seconds of his life, which were spent with his consciousness floating in endless darkness.


    "Ah, the recording crystal." He suddenly remembered that he had activated a recording crystal before entering the room. Within the unknown, that was the only thing that could answer his questions.


    He inserted his hand inside his pocket to bring out the recording crystal, only for his expressions to darken. His fingers brushed against the broken pieces of the recording crystal.


    It didn''t look like an ident either. Someone had intentionally broken the crystal within those thirty seconds.


    "Just what was he trying to hide?" Eren brought out the shattered pieces of the crystal from his pocket, most of which had turned into dust. Even gods couldn''t recover them.


    He kept the dust of the recording crystal back in his pocket. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn''t get an answer.


    The only thing he came to learn was that something strange was going on with Ren Necroline. There were still many secrets hidden within this body that he hadn''t managed to explore yet.


    Even with his current strength, his future self had saved his life. Not only that, he had even defeated a goddess, removing her connection to this world.


    22:49


    Eren still didn''t know that the consciousness of the goddess was already taken away. He simply thought that her connection from this world was removed after breaking the statue which in itself was a great feat.


    "It looks like this skill is more special than I gave it credit for."


    Since there was not much he could find out about these thirty seconds, he stopped thinking about them.


    There were repeated knocks on the door which were very distracting. Still, his attention returned to the Holy Priestess who was lying unconscious.


    It was just the perfect opportunity to remove the second seal. He brought out the small box and stepped closer to the Holy Priestess.


    He raised her hand and ced it inside his mouth, biting on her finger just enough to make her freshly bleed.


    He brought her finger out of his mouth and let a drop of blood fall on the box. A bright light started shining around the box as the symbol on top of it changed.


    The description of the box also changed, revealing that only two more seals were left. With this, he hade one step closer to making Ren Necroline''s strength belong to himpletely.


    After not receiving a response for a long time, the Holy Cardinals couldn''t control themselves. One of them shouted out loud.


    "Your Holiness, please open the door. Something is extremely wrong! The Holy Barriers have disappeared suddenly. We have also lost our holy aura!"


    "Hmm?" Eren had been ignoring the constant knocks on the door. However, the moment he heard their words, his ears perked up.


    The Cardinals had lost their strength? Even the barrier had disappeared? Now that he thought about it, he truly couldn''t see the suppression of this realm.


    "Could my luck really be this good?" he thought of a possibility. With the connection of the goddess being cut off from the goddess, all those who had gained her blessings had suddenly lost it?


    Although it was simply a possibility in his mind, he was momentarily excited. Unfortunately, that excitement onlysted for a short time.


    If the Holy Church had lost their strength, then wasn''t it no different than hitting an ax on his own foot?


    He had already sparked a strong spark of hostility between the Western Continent and Northern Continent. In this war, the Holy Church was going to be his weapon against the Necromancer Tower.


    It was also the reason he wasn''t trying to kill the Holy Priestess, even though she was unconscious. Had he truly lost his weapon? He couldn''t help but frown at the possibility.


    "Identity."


    He used his skill, which was previously only partially effective on the Holy Priestess because of the blessing protecting her.


    ***********************************


    Name: Seraphina


    Previous Identity: False Holy Priestess


    Current Identity: None


    State: Extremely weakened


    Remaining Life Span: Two Days


    Stats:-


    Strength: 5


    Agility : 3


    Stamina: 7


    Intelligence: 37


    Mana: 0


    Goddess Protection: None


    Unique Skills: None


    Unique Items: [Tap to Expand]


    ***********************************


    "Her stats are even worse than an ordinary human''s stats."


    Looking at her status screen, Eren came to a realization that his assumption was correct. If anything, the situation was worse than he had assumed.


    The woman that was known as the strongest in the Northern Continent, was even weaker than an ordinary girl in this continent. It was the blessings of the goddess that had made her so strong.


    The only other time he had seen such bad stats was when he first checked his own stats. However, even they were not this bad.


    "This is a mess." Eren sat on the ground, scratching the back of his head, watching the Holy Priestess who looked like she was sleeping peacefully.

 Chapter 518: Technically, I did

    518 Chapter 518: Technically, I did


    Even though the Holy Priestess was sleeping peacefully, Eren could see that her condition was as bad as it could be.


    The Divine Descent had already taken a heavy toll on her life force.


    Normally, the goddess'' blessings might have allowed her to live slightly longer, but without the goddess'' presence, she was unlikely to survive beyond forty-eight hours.


    "I don''t know if I should feel happy about it, or frustrated."


    On one side, Eren was happy that a big threat was gone. If it wasn''t the goddess, it would''ve been him dying today. Even if he might have revived, he would have still lost that one extra life.


    On the other side, he had lost a good distraction for the Necromancer Tower Master.


    This incident had made him realize that the four Overlords were more than what met the eyes. If even the Priestess had so many dangerous secrets, what about the other three Overlords?


    Shaking his head in disappointment, he picked up the Holy Priestess on his shoulders.


    Within thest few days, it was the second time he was bringing an unconscious girl home. However, the circumstances were all different


    Even if the Holy Priestess only had two days left, she was still beneficial to him. There were a few things that only she knew about. Now that she was weak, she didn''t have much leverage either.


    More importantly, he still wanted to know the method toplete an Overlord killing weapon.


    The weapon was something that could kill an overlord, but Eren was sure that it was more than that. Otherwise, the author wouldn''t have reacted so strongly when he was first asked about that weapon.


    If it was just a weapon that was being made by the Holy Priestess, he wouldn''t have given such importance to it. However, with the involvement of a goddess, its existence had be much more unique.


    The door of the sanctum opened. The Cardinals stepped back, expecting the Holy Priestess to being out to answer them.


    However, when the light shone on the person inside the sanctum, they saw a man. It was the Holy Emperor who was carrying the Holy Priestess on his shoulders.


    The Holy Emperor should have been killed by the Priestess already. So how was he alive? And why was the Priestess on his shoulders? Was he responsible for the things that had happened to them?


    "What did you do to her?" A Cardinal asked, watching the pale face of the unconscious Priestess.


    "She is still alive." Eren answered, walking past the Cardinals that have lost their strength.


    The Cardinals were stunned, not even reacting in time. They allowed Eren to walk past them before they came to their senses.


    "If everyone lost the holy essence, doesn''t that mean he is the same? Do we even have to be scared of a single man? Are we going to allow him to take the Priestess?"


    They didn''t have their holy essence, the Emperor was the same. Since everyone had lost their strength, they were all the same. They could easily take down the Emperor.


    Multiple Cardinals attacked Eren, drawing their swords. While attacking, they were careful to avoid the Priestess on Eren''s shoulder.


    Eren didn''t even look back. He simply waved his hand, a barrage of holy essence rushing out of his body.


    "H-how..." All the Cardinals that had rushed towards Eren felt a thin line of red appear around their neck, following the wave of holy essence that rushed past them.


    They couldn''t understand how the Holy Emperor was still able to use the holy essence when the others shouldn''t. Unfortunately, they weren''t left alive to ask those questions anymore.


    Eren simply walked out of the hallway, leaving the Cardinals bleeding on the ground.


    "They were truly fools. The Holy Emperor''s essencees from the destiny of the Empire. It isn''t received through the blessing of the goddess. What does her disappearance have to do with my holy essence?"


    Before leaving the Holy Church, Eren cast the spell of invisibility on him. Now that the blessing was gone from this continent, there was not a single person here who could see through his invisibility.


    He walked past the civilians that had gathered in front of the Holy Church, waiting for the Emperor to leave. However, they were in for a long wait as the Holy Emperor had already left.


    Eren entered the Pce, avoiding the gazes of Xiu Ying and the others. He selected an entirely different floor from where the others and the Dragon Queen were.


    Once again, he called his clone to meet him, telling him to be sure to avoid anyone following him.


    The clone checked all around him. Only after making sure that no one was following him, he knocked on the door.


    Eren also confirmed that there was no one to make a hassle about it. With a wave of his hand, he opened the door for his clone.


    The Clone entered the room and the door closed behind him.


    Before the clone could even see Eren, his gaze fell on the woman lying on the bed.


    "Another one...?" He asked, his gaze weirdly looking at Eren. "Do you have some obsession with unconscious women?"


    Eren appeared behind the clone, lightly pping the back of his hand. "It seems that you have learned to criticize me as well. I miss the good old days when my skill was weak and you didn''t have intelligence."


    "You don''t have to lie. You like the fact that I have some semnce of intelligence. Otherwise, it would be an even bigger hassle to handle theplicated matters of the Empire."


    The clone rolled his eyes and walked closer to the Holy Priestess.


    "Did you beat her up?" he asked, checking the condition of the Holy Priestess who looked like she was barely alive.


    Even though she looked just as young as ever, there was barely any life left in her.


    "Well, technically I did...," Eren innocently answered.

 Chapter 519: The Greatest Motivator

    519 Chapter 519: The Greatest Motivator


    "Is the Holy Church about to attack us? Or they don''t know about this yet?" the clone asked Eren, walking closer to the window to peek outside.


    If the Holy Priestess was kidnapped and taken hostage, it was only a matter of time before the Cardinals were going to surround this ce.


    "I don''t think you will have to worry about the Cardinals anymore. The Holy Church is..." Eren started exining, only to stop in the middle.


    He realized that exining it was going to take a long time. Instead of exining everything, he simply shared the memories of the entire incident with his clone.


    Although his clone was useless in an actual battle, he was still useful as an administrator. Eren didn''t want to deal with the massive vacuum created with the destruction of the Holy Church.


    The Royal Family had to take the lead and stabilize the situation. As this was a time consuming process, Eren left it for his clone to deal with.


    After receiving the memories, the clone understood everything. He realised what Eren had wanted from him.


    "Fine. I will deal with this mess."


    The clone took another nce at the Holy Priestess before leaving the room. He was still taken aback by the information he had received. Just thirty seconds... It was all it took to bring down a goddess.


    The clone had the same questions that Eren had. However, he didn''t have a ce to question it. He was not even a real person. He could be destroyed with a single thought of Eren.


    His existence was only meant to help Eren. Although it was a sad existence where he had to listen to everything his master told him to do, he couldn''t do anything about it.


    Within an hour of the Clone''s departure, a meeting was called. The meeting was attended by the Ministers loyal to the Holy Emperor, as well as the Generals.


    The Holy Emperor, who was yed by the clone, was sitting on the throne to lord over the meeting.


    All the Ministers were wondering what this meeting was about. They had a feeling that it had something to do with the attack of the Necromancer.


    A few of them even wondered if there were other traitors amidst them which the Holy Emperor wanted to kill likest time.


    "The Holy Church is destroyed," the clone started the meeting with the explosive news. "The Necromancer had managed to harm the core of the Holy Church. I just received the news that all the Holy Priests have lost their strength."


    "They lost their strength?"


    Almost all those in attendance stood up from their seats in shock. They didn''t know that the strength of the Holy Church depended on some source. However, the Holy Emperor was saying it personally. They had no reason to doubt his words.


    "As you might have heard, I went to meet the Holy Priestess to talk about our future ns for actions. However, what I found there was nothing short of a disaster."


    "The blessing of the goddess is lost forever. The Holy Priestess also suffered the bacsh of the loss of blessings, and died."


    "As of this moment, all branches of the Holy Church are useless for the war that is toe. If anything, they might be targets of the Necromancers since they still have been hoarding a lot of treasures."


    "In their current weak states, they are like sitting ducks for the enemies. Henceforth, I am forced to make a hard decision."


    The Ministers earnestly heard Eren''s words, their expressions growing darker with each passing second.


    Although they had already felt that something was wrong with the disappearance of the protective barrier, the reality proved to be much worse.


    The Necromancers had seeded in destroying the Holy Church, which was their biggest enemy. Even if the Royal Family was strong, were they alone enough?


    "I want you to do two things," Erenmanded his men. "The first is that you must conquer all Holy Church Branches!"


    "Bring all their treasures to me before they fall into the hands of enemies. Take the Priests into protective custody! As they have lost their strength, they won''t be a problem for the Royal Guards."


    "And secondly, you must keep it a secret from the ordinary people that the Holy Church has fallen, at least for the time being. So while taking control of the branches, you have to be more careful than ever."


    The Ministers looked at each other''s faces after listening to the Holy Emperor''smands. It was easy toplete his first demand, if everything he said was true. However, it was much harder to keep it a secret.


    As the barrier protecting the city had disappeared, it was clear that people were going to be suspicious.


    "If you can''t evenplete these two instructions, then tell me right now." Eren could see the concerns on their faces. Still, he wasn''t going to let them hesitate.


    As he spoke, his fingers gently brushed against the sword that was standing with the support of his throne.


    He made it look like it was an ident as the sword fell on the ground, making a clunking sound.


    "My bad..." He picked up the sword, gently brushing his finger against the de.


    The Ministers gulped down heavily, not forgetting that it was the same sword which had drank the blood of thousands of royal guards not long ago.


    "How can we disappoint you! We will definitely make it happen!" The Ministers quickly eximed, hastily running out of the meeting toplete the instructions of the Emperor.


    After everyone left, only the clone was left behind, lost in his own thoughts.


    "Someone said rightly. Fear is the greatest motivator." Shaking his head, he kept the sword next to him and closed his eyes, finally having some moments of peace.


    He wasn''t sure how long this peace was going tost. No matter how best these ministers tried, it was true that these things couldn''t be kept secret for long.

 Chapter 520: Across the Three Continents

    520 Chapter 520: Across the Three Continents


    If this had happened in the past, the Royal Guards would never have dared to forcefully enter the Holy Church, even if it was just a branch. However, the situation had changed drastically.


    The Holy Church had been weakened. Meanwhile, the Royal Family had be even stronger.


    Not only did the Royal Guards enter the Holy Church branches simultaneously, but they also arrested the Priests.


    While arresting the Priests, many of them had expected resistance, wondering if the Priests had actually lost their strength or not. To their pleasant surprise, it turned out to be true.


    The Priests couldn''t offer even the slightest resistance in front of the Royal Guards.


    In the past, the Priests had lorded over the Western Continent, as if they were the true rulers. It was only now that they realized the true authority belonged to someone else.


    The Royal Guards had taken action simultaneously, ensuring that the news couldn''t spread to other branches.


    The Royal Family''s influence had extended across the entire Western Continent. Even those who had been loyal to the Holy Church previously, realized that the winds of change had blown.


    They regained their loyalty towards the Royal Family and turned against the Holy Church, which had seemingly fallen for the trap of the Necromancers.


    While the Holy Churches were being raided, the news about the Holy Emperor''s defeat of the Necromancer had also been spreading.


    The Holy Church had been losing its standing in the eyes of the people, while the Holy Emperor was rising. The people''s faith was shifting with each passing moment.


    With the sudden disappearance of all the Priests, there was no one who could stop these rumors.


    With people''s faith increasing in the Holy Emperor, Eren had started gaining the power of faith, without even realizing.


    It was a power that was different from the source of his holy essence which depended on the fate of this dynasty.


    After the Holy Church had been destroyed, Eren hadn''t lost his holy essence. However, it had still weakened somewhat as did the fate of the Holy Empire in the absence of its protectors.


    As the Holy City used to be protected by the Holy Barrier, no spies could enter the city without permission from the Holy Church or Emperor.


    That still didn''t stop the spies of other Continents from making their ce in other cities across the entire continent, especially in cities closer to the Holy City.


    The spies also came to learn about the story of the Holy Emperor which surprised them. The most surprised amongst them were the spies of the Northern Continent.


    Did the Necromancer Tower really infiltrate the Royal City and attack the Holy Church directly? Why didn''t they know anything about it?


    They realized that something was extremely wrong. They started gathering more information about the incident and managed to uncover many things.


    Even though the Royal Guards tried their best to keep everything under wraps, it was impossible to keep itpletely hidden.


    Those who were prying into the movements of the Royal Guards had already learned about the fact that the priests were being arrested by the Royal Guards.


    Normally, the priests would have resisted. However, they couldn''t find any signs of resistance. It was as if the Holy Church hadpletely lost the strength to resist.


    The spies also learned about the absence of the protective barrier around the Holy City. Many even tried to infiltrate the City directly to test the barrier. They easily managed to enter the city without the slightest of resistance.


    The spies weren''t sure if it was a trap set up by the Holy Emperor and Priestess to lure the Necromancer Tower to attack the Holy City directly.


    They conveyed the information that they had gathered to the Necromancer Tower. Even if it was a trap, it was for the Necromancer Tower to decide what to do with this information.


    The spies of the Demon Sect, and the Hero Academy weren''t behind either. They had also gathered just as much intelligence, conveying it to the Overlords behind them.


    The Overlords of the other three continents had received the information at almost the same time.


    Was it a trap set for the Northern Continent? Mist and Feng Yu thought the same thing. They couldn''t believe that a single Necromancer might have hurt the Holy Priestess.


    Both of them knew just how strong that woman actually was, especially within the Western Continent.


    The Necromancer Tower Master was also wondering about the information that he had received. For a trap, this was too simplistic.


    He was sure that he hadn''t sent anyone from the Necromancer Tower to attack the Holy City. How could the rumor about his organisation fool him? He had a feeling that something else was going on.


    It might actually be rted to the person that had escaped from his handsst time. If that was the case, it meant that Ren Necroline was in the Western Continent.


    His eyes revealed greed, as he thought about going there personally. However, he soon dropped the thought. Hell was going to open within a few days. He didn''t have time to spare others.


    As for finding Ren Necroline, it was going to be even easier after he returned from Hell.


    No matter how far Ren Necroline was going to run, he couldn''t run from the person that was waiting for him within Hell.


    When that person returned, it was going to be the end of Ren.


    "Not long... The wait is almost over..." the Necromancer Tower Master said, looking at the gates of Hell that had almostpletely opened.


    .....


    While the Royal Guards were conquering the Holy Church branches, and bringing the collected artefacts to the Holy Emperor, Eren was sitting in front of the Holy Priestess.


    He made the Holy Priestess wake up from her deep slumber.


    The Holy Priestess starteding to her senses, finding it harder to breathe. She abruptly opened her eyes, feeling the pain in her chest.

 Chapter 521: The Past is insignificant

    521 Chapter 521: The Past is insignificant


    The Holy Priestess starteding to her senses. She grabbed her chest, finding it a little harder to breathe.


    She abruptly opened her eyes, feeling her life force being at the bare minimum. She had thought that the goddess was going to help her after she was done. She never expected it to wake up in such a bad condition.


    She was about to ask the goddess why she hadn''t helped her with improvement in her life span. However, as soon as her eyes regained their focus, she saw a face that she never wanted to see.


    Eren was sitting in front of her, without even the slightest wound on his body. He looked even better than her. Even the surroundings looked different.


    It wasn''t her sanctum. Instead, she appeared to be in some room. The view through the window made her realize that it was somewhere in the Emperor''s Pce.


    The Holy Priestess wondered if she was dreaming. She pinched her cheeks with trembling hands.


    Her pupils trembled and her heart skipped a few beats when she felt the sharp pain that was only increasing.


    "It is not a dream. However, you can still call it a nightmare," Eren said, his eyes looking at the Priestess who had lost everything in an instant.


    Even he hadn''t expected to be able to take care of the Priestess in such a short time. Although it was out of his expectations, he knew that he had to make the best of the cards he was dealt by his future self.


    "How are you still..." The Holy Priestess tried speaking, her speech pattern being unstable as uttering every word was a struggle.


    "Alive?" Erenpleted her sentence, freeing her from the misery ofpleting her sentence.


    At first, he had thought that the Holy Priestess was going to know what happened to him after he used Echo of Eternity. Unfortunately, from her reaction, it became clear that it wasn''t the case.


    She had been possessed before he used Echo of Eternity. She woke up after he had returned. She was even more confused than him.


    The Holy Priestess didn''t know what had caused such a drastic change in the situation, but she didn''t feel safe with Eren.


    She knew that she had to return to the sanctum. She tried to use her holiness to push back Eren and return.


    "Huh?" She stared at her trembling hands in disbelief, feeling unable to conjure even the slightest trace of her holy essence.


    She couldn''t feel it! She couldn''t feel the blessing of the goddess! Not only had she lost her life span, but she had also lost her strength.


    As the unbelievable reality started setting in, she felt as if she had simply lost her soul.


    Was she abandoned by the goddess after she received what she wanted from Eren? She wondered.


    Even in her wildest dreams, she never could have expected Eren to have killed the Goddess by capturing her soul.


    "Ha... Hahahaha... so this is what it''s like to be abandoned." She weaklyughed, realizing that she had been abandoned.


    The connection with the goddess waspletely cut off. There was no other possibility. She had been abandoned by the goddess who treated her like a pawn.


    Eren also understood what she was thinking. He didn''t correct her thoughts. As long as there was a misunderstanding, it was better for him.


    "Funny, isn''t it?" Eren asked the Holy Priestess, as he stood up.


    He walked closer to the window and looked outside, soaking in the view of the city that had no idea about the kind of trouble that was knocking on their door.


    "You were the true Overlord of this continent. Even the Emperor of the Continent was nothing but a pawn to you, that could be abandoned at your single whim. In the end, you became the same pawn for someone else."


    Eren''s words were like sharp daggers that stabbed through the already dying Holy Priestess.


    The Holy Priestess couldn''t even argue back. She could feel that she might die soon. Every second, her pitiful life force was growing weaker.


    "Did you keep me alive to rub salt on my wound?" The Holy Priestess asked, lying back on the bed. She couldn''t even stand properly. If she was going to die anyway, was there even a point to resist?


    She had lost everything. Even an ordinary guard of the Royal Pce could kill her in her current state, let alone the person who had caught the interest of the goddess who abandoned him.


    "Your words are so cruel. Why would a kind person like me want to run salt on someone''s wounds?" Eren innocently answered, as if he had been wronged.


    "Kind person? Hah, I would have believed you if I didn''t know about the destruction you had caused in this world before being sealed. Now that you are back, the world is truly going to suffer again..."


    The Holy Priestess had thought that she would be the winner in this war with the Northern Continent. She never expected Ren Necroline''s return to cause such a drastic change in her fate.


    It was as if the four Overlords didn''t matter at all. They only acted as the caretaker of this world in Eren''s absence. Now that he had returned, stronger than ever, it was once again signs that blood was going to rain from the sky.


    For some reason, she felt at peace. She was dying first, but it also meant that she wasn''t going to suffer from what was toe for this world.


    "The past is insignificant to the present." Eren didn''t argue about the past, especially since it wasn''t rted to him. Whatever mess Ren Necroline had caused, had nothing to do with him.


    Then again, the blood in his hand wasn''t any less either. At that point, he couldn''t really argue back either.


    He brought out the Overlord killing dagger, and asked the Holy Priestess, "I can help you live longer, if you help meplete this."

 Chapter 522: The first blood

    522 Chapter 522: The first blood


    Eren made the Holy Priestess an offer. In exchange for the information on thepletion of the dagger, she could receive her life.


    It was still unclear if Eren actually meant what he said, or simply he was simply trying to scam her even in thest few days of her life.


    He could use soul search on the Holy Priestess to read her memories. However, her soul had already been damaged, bing more unstable in the process of possession.


    She didn''t just lose her lifespan but her soul was also damaged. If he tried searching her soul in this statement, he wasn''t even sure if her soul was going to survive until he finished looking for the information that he wanted.


    If the Holy Priestess could help him out of her own volition, then the risks were minimised.


    "Without my help, you will die in two days. If you help meplete this dagger, I can help you live longer," Eren told the Holy Priestess, whose eyes revealed a little interest.


    "So you were the one who stole the dagger. If it wasn''t for that, then maybe I..." She couldn''t evenplete her sentence as she started coughing repeatedly.


    Eren walked closer and used some of his holy essence to stabilize her condition temporarily.


    The Holy Priestess looked at Eren, her thoughts being iprehensible. She couldn''t believe Eren''s words.


    Even if he was to take a heavenly oath, it was useless. She knew that he was someone that even the Heavenly Oath couldn''t bound. If that wasn''t the case, the tragedy of the past wouldn''t have happened.


    He has already broken a heavenly oath when he caused a massacre across the four continents in his wrath.


    If a normal person broke the heavenly oath, their souls were destroyed. However, even the heavenly punishment had failed to hurt Ren''s Soul.


    If the Heavenly Oath had stopped him, then everything would have been much different. Maybe ''they'' wouldn''t have arrived. The Four Overlords wouldn''t have appeared either.


    Until now, she had thought that those beings had arrived in this world because of the broken heavenly oath. However, with what happened with the goddess, she came to realise that the reason might have been somewhat different.


    She couldn''t trust Eren''s words. There was no force in this world that could make sure that Eren wasn''t going to go back on his words.


    Despite that, she still agreed with him.


    The goddess had abandoned her. The other Overlords had also be an obstruction in her path all these years. She didn''t want to be the only Overlord to die.


    She was just as vicious. Even if she was to die, she wanted the others to suffer even more.


    She wanted the other Overlords to be destroyed, worse than she was. Although a little childish, it was herst effort to protect her dignity as the best Overlord of the four.


    Eren was surprised that the girl agreed so easily. She didn''t even ask him to make a heavenly oath. Was she really this naive to believe that he was going to keep his words?


    Even though something felt out of ce, he couldn''t put his finger on it.


    "Hundred Million..." The Holy Priestess said abruptly.


    "A hundred million what?" Eren asked the Priestess, confused about her meaning. Why was she suddenly talking about such arge number?


    "Kill a hundred million people, and make that dagger absorb the blood. As long as they are pure souls, the dagger will bepleted," the Holy Priestess said without the slightest change in her expressions.


    It was as if she wasn''t talking about a hundred million lives but a few thousand only.


    Hearing her, Eren was also at a loss of words. Toplete this dagger, he needed to take a hundred million lives? They also needed to be innocent souls, which meant people who had nevermitted any vile crime.


    Was this the reason the author was so hesitant about telling him anything about this dagger? Was he worried that he might actually go with this method?


    "Were you really going to kill so many people toplete it?" he asked the Holy Priestess.


    "The people of the Northern Continent... I was going to use the enemy''s life toplete a weapon that would have decimated them," the Holy Priestess answered. "It was stolen before the war could even happen..."


    She even wondered if it would have been better if she had used the lives of her own people. It would have been easier, and faster.


    Unfortunately, she couldn''t get herself to kill her own people. Even if they weren''t useful in the war, they were still those who believed in her.


    Even when they lost their faith in her and cursed her at her face, she didn''t ask to have them killed. Although she was cold, she wasn''t ruthless to her own people.


    Even the ones that she killed across the Western Continent, like the previous Holy Emperor, were only out of necessity.


    If she could have been more cruel, she would have longpleted the weapon. Unfortunately, it was all spilled water now. She couldn''t turn back time.


    "I don''t need you to increase my life. I don''t believe you would do that in any case. However, can I ask another request from you before I die?" she asked, reaching out her hand to hold Eren''s hand.


    "What?" Eren asked. The girl didn''t want her life to be extended, so what else could she want? Did she want him to take revenge on the goddess for her? He had no interest in keeping that promise even if he was made to make one.


    "If you want toplete this weapon, please use the lives of those in the north. Even if I won''t be here, I don''t want my people to suffer," the Holy Priestess said.


    "Also¡­" She pulled his hand closer, bringing the dagger closer to her chest. "I brought this weapon into this world. Can you let mine be the first blood that this dagger tastes?"

 Chapter 523: A Request

    523 Chapter 523: A Request


    The Holy Priestess weakly grabbed Eren''s hand, attempting to guide the dagger towards her chest. However, her weak strength was no match for his firm grip.


    Eren could only frown in response, his expression unmoving. "Do you truly believe you qualify as an innocent soul?"


    If the dagger required the blood of the pure to bepleted, the Holy Priestess could never meet that criteria in his eyes.


    No matter how she rationalized her actions, she was far from innocent. Even he couldn''t fulfil that criteria, having lost the innocence of his soul the moment he first spilled blood in this world.


    To find so many innocent souls, it was easier said than done. Across the entire continent, he wasn''t even sure if there were a hundred million people who could be counted as innocent souls.


    Even if he could find so many people, it was too abhorrent even for him. Just toplete the dagger, he didn''t believe it was a justified action, at least not at this cost.


    He pulled his hand back, freeing it from the woman''s grip. Although he was disappointed that he couldn''tplete the dagger, he still didn''t kill the Priestess who was dying on her own.


    Moreover, she was still more useful alive, at least during the next few days.


    The Holy Priestess needed to make an appearance in front of the people, at least onest time to pass on theplete authority to the Holy Emperor.


    He could also have his clone disguised as the Holy Priestess, but he had a feeling that his clone was going to have a few sharp words to say when asked to disguise as a woman.


    "Is there no other method toplete it?" he asked the Holy Priestess who was surprised that Eren didn''t outright leave to kill the people so he couldplete the dagger.


    "That was the only method I was told," the Holy Priestess answered, feeling herself withering away slowly. Even her mind couldn''t properly focus anymore.


    "It''s the method you were told? Was it the goddess that told you about this weapon and the method of creation?"


    Eren asked the question, but the Holy Priestess didn''t answer. She simply looked at him, her eyes nkly staring into the space between them.


    "I feel sleepy..." The Holy Priestess said after a long pause, her eyes slowly closing.


    Eren could feel that her heartbeat had started slowing down for some reason.


    He was sure that she was going to survive for the next few days with the life essence she had left. However, for some unknown reason, that life force was withering away even faster.


    He tried to use the Dragon Tongue, and even his holy essence to further stabilize her condition but her heartbeat kept falling until her heart was barely breathing.


    It was such a drastic change that even Eren was left stunned. Although the Priestess looked weak, she was talking perfectly fine until recently with no signs of such withering.


    It was only after he started asking about the source of this information that she started showing such strange symptoms.


    The heartbeat kept growing weaker and weaker, until the heartpletely stopped breathing. The Holy Priestess hadn''t even closed her eyes when she lost thest traces of her life.


    Her lifeless eyes were still looking nkly in the direction of Eren, her lips slightly open as if trying to utter something in herst moment that she failed to speak.


    Eren stared at the holy priestess who had finally died. One of the four Overlords waspletely gone from this world.


    He closed the eyes of the Holy Priestess, letting her slumber forever. Even though she was his enemy; in death, there was no hostility.


    He should''ve felt happy that an enemy was gone forever, but instead, he felt uneasy. There was something about her sudden death which felt out of ce.


    Was it really the goddess who had told her about this method? There were so many things he wanted to ask her.


    As the Priestess, she probably knew a lot of secrets about the other Overlords as well. In an instant, all those trails were cut off.


    Eren had no way to change reality. He could only keep the corpse of the Holy Priestess in his inventory.


    Even if she was dead, he couldn''t just abandon her corpse. It was a strange world where dead could be brought back to life and controlled by Necromancers.


    Even if the Holy Priestess had lost all her strength and abilities, he still didn''t want to take any risks in a world that he didn''t understand entirely.


    He still didn''t know what had happened to the goddess or if she could find a way back to this world after the connection point of the statue was broken.


    If she did find her way back to this world, could she possess a corpse ande for him? Even if it was an unlikely possibility, he was extremely cautious.


    The only safe ce for the corpse of an Overlord was his inventory, a world that was detached from anything else.


    Even the goddess couldn''t ess his inventory. If she could, she would have already sensed the presence of the dagger in there.


    "The Western Continent has lost its Overlord. I have a feeling that the continent would be looking quite delicious to the other continental forces when they find out about it."


    "I wanted to draw the Northern Continent to war so I could cause mutual losses. But at this rate, the other Continents might attack to take a piece of this pie first."


    "The empty ce needs to be filled fast..."


    Sighing, he stepped out of the room, and went straight to meet his clone.


    ....


    "Absolutely not!''


    The clone outright rejected as soon as he saw Eren.


    "But I haven''t even asked anything yet." Eren innocently replied.


    "Yeah, but you have that look in your eyes. Every time you have a weird request for me, you have that same look!" The Clone replied, as if he had been wronged.


    Unfortunately, his resistance fell on deaf ears.


    The next morning, the Holy Priestess stepped on the balcony of the Royal Pce, revealing her presence to everyone.

 Chapter 524: The Fifth Overlord

    524 Chapter 524: The Fifth Overlord


    When Eren first created the clone, it was an unintelligent being that could only follow basic orders. Anything tooplex, the clone couldn''tprehend.


    However, with Eren''s growing strength, his clone had also evolved. It was still just as weak as ever, but it had developed a rudimentary intelligence. The clone could now experience emotions like sadness, happiness, and even embarrassment.


    And that embarrassment was precisely what the clone was feeling at the moment, dressed as a woman and disguised as the Holy Priestess.


    "If it was earth, you would have been jailed for child abuse." The Clone mumbled under his lips, to Eren who was right next to him, as the Holy Emperor.


    "From which angle are you a child?" Eren asked in a low voice while waving his hands towards the citizens that had gathered in front of the Pce.


    Almost all the citizens of the city had been informed that the Holy Emperor was going to announce something important today, and many people had arrived to listen.


    Now that the Holy Emperor was so famous, almost everyone wanted to see him, and listen to him. Within half an hour, so many people had gathered that there was not even space left to stand.


    Amidst the crowd, Eren was certain that there were a few spies as well. However, he didn''t bother to find them. The spies had only one responsibility, which was to convey what he wanted to be conveyed.


    "I am only a few months old, aren''t I?" The Clone shrugged, still being a little grumpy that he was made to do this.


    He was the clone of the person that had destroyed an Overload. He should''ve been handling territory and big matters, not being dressed as a princess and giving speeches.


    "Do you think anyone would''ve believed you if we were back on earth? Good luck trying to convince the cops," Eren continued the light hearted banter, not minding theints of his clone.


    At the end of the day, he was pleased that his clone could talk to him like this. He felt less lonely since there was another person who could understand what he was going through.


    In this world, even Yelen didn''t know about his true past. He couldn''t tell anyone about the origins of earth. Only his clone could be apanion to his secrets.


    "Citizens of this brave empire!" Eren started speaking, his voice being enhanced so that it could be heard by all.


    All those who had thought that something was wrong with the holy essence of this continent were left surprised when they saw Eren using holy essence.


    Even the spies thought that the rumours might have been wrong. After all, the Holy Priestess was standing next to Eren, and she looked quite friendly to him.


    As Eren and the so-called holy priestess were standing next to each other, they couldn''t even differentiate between the source of the Holy Essence. It was as if both of them could use it.


    Their aura was also so heavy that almost everyone here could feel their Majesty.


    "I am certain that many of you know about the attempts of the Necromancer Tower to destroy our peaceful lives! Not only did they invade our continent, but they even attacked the Holy Church!"


    "They have waged a war on the Western Continent, and we shall not hide behind cowardice! The Holy Priestess and I have decided that it has been enough holding our ground!"


    "That''s why, today, I am dering!" The clone, disguised as the Holy Priestess, also started speaking, taking Eren''s lead. "We are going to attack the Northern Continent with all we have."


    "The cursed existence of the Necromancer Tower shall be destroyed under the holy light! May the blessing of the goddess be with the brave men and women of the continent."


    Although many people expected something like this, hearing it with their own ears felt surreal. This was a deration of war! This was not a normal war between kingdoms, but a continental war!


    Even the spies hiding amidst the crowd were left pale faced, especially the spies of the Northern Continent.


    They knew that there was hostility between the continents, but they didn''t think that a continental war was going to be waged so fast.


    Hell''s Opening was right around the corner. There could be no worse time for this war. However, it was also an opportunity.


    Even if the Hell''s Gate hadn''tpletely opened, it had still strengthened the Necromancers beyond what the Western Continent knew about.


    Even if the Necromancer Tower didn''t send its main force, the Northern Continent might still win this war, or at least drag it long enough for the Tower Master to return after achieving his goals.


    The spies were getting restless. It was big news that they had to convey back to their masters, but they still calmed their nerves and waited to see if there was anything else.


    "The War shall be led by the Holy Emperor, the sole authority of the Western Continent!" The Holy Priestess dered, shocking the crowd even further.


    The Priestess was calling Eren the sole authority? Was she givingplete control to Eren? Something didn''t seem right.


    "I know you might have a lot of questions about the disappearance of the barrier and the absence of Cardinals. I am pleased to dere that the Goddess had decided to bless the Holy Emperor, just like she had blessed me!"


    "That''s why, today, I also dere the birth of another Overlord who is as strong as me now, if not stronger!"


    The clone looked towards Eren while dering.


    To remove the power vacuum of the Western Continent in the absence of an overlord, another Overlord was needed. And that second Overlord was a position that Eren took for himself as the Holy Emperor of the West.


    He was finally dering to the world that he had arrived! The power structure of this world had started shifting from this moment onwards.

 Chapter 525: A new era

    525 Chapter 525: A new era


    The deration of the Holy Emperor sent shivers down the spine of those who were listening to him. Finally, there was going to be a great war.


    None of them were old enough to remember thest time a war of this scale was fought, but all of them knew that it was going toe with great cost attached.


    Despite that, none of them med the Holy Emperor. They knew that the Holy Emperor had no choice in the matter. It was started by the Northern Continent that sent people to attack them.


    If they didn''t respond even now, then it was only a matter of time before the Western Continent was going to be conquered by the forces of Necromancer Tower.


    When that happened, their lives were going to be turned into hell. At least that''s what they believed, since there wasn''t much information amongst the people of Western Continent about the kind of lives people on the Northern Continent lived.


    Most of them had only heard rumours about the brutality that ordinary people in the Northern Continent went through, their lives being cheaper than dirt.


    None of them wanted to see the day where they would be ruled by the Necromancer Tower, their descendants suffering for their cowardice.


    "Long live the Emperor!"


    "Long live the Holy Empire!"


    Loud chants erupted amidst the crowd, many of them expressing their desires to fight for the Holy Empire, even if they weren''t part of the Royal Guards.


    The news about the Holy Emperor''s rise to an Overlord was just as shocking, especially for the spies. They quickly retreated, disappearing into the unknown amidst the crowd.


    All spies started sending messages to the forces that they were affiliated to, especially since a war of this scale was never the matter of just two continents.


    If the war spilled over to other Continents, it could cause an even bigger effect.


    "We didn''t start the war, but we will end it!" Eren raised his fist in the air, his voice echoing across the entire city.


    At this moment, the people of the city didn''t know, but the projection of the Holy Emperor and Priestess was simultaneously being shown across the entire empire, in every city, small andrge.


    The deration of the Emperor reached every corner of the Holy Empire, the faith of people shifting from the Priestess to the Holy Emperor, who was leading the war.


    Eren could feel his holy essence bing stronger, as hundreds of millions of people started putting their faith in him. As for those who had already ced their faith in him after hearing the rumours, their faith grew even stronger.


    Previously, the Holy Essence wasn''t something that wasparable to his other abilities, especially since it was limited. However, with the power of faith, he could feel that the Holy Essence was also bing a significant weapon in his arsenal.


    In the absence of the Goddess, there should''ve been no one who could harvest the power of faith, but he was able to do it.


    Deep down, Eren was quite happy with the progress of his holy essence. The citizens also appeared to be taking his message well enough, not doubting him much.


    He was sure there were going to be a few people suspicious of this development, but their numbers would only be far too insignificant to matter.


    Eren turned around and went back inside the pce with the Holy Priestess.


    The citizens didn''t know at that time, but it was thest time they were ever going to see the Holy Priestess, who was going to fade away into obscurity from this point onwards.


    It was especially the case since Eren didn''t need her anymore. There was no need to make his clone disguise. Instead, his clone had a better responsibility now.


    ....


    It was as if the Royal Guards were already waiting for this moment, expecting it to arrive at any second. They had already finished the preparation, with the clone performing his administrative role quite well, expecting a future like this.


    As soon as Eren made the deration, the Royal Army had already started matching out towards the Northern Border.


    Only the bare minimum number of guards were left behind in the major cities to maintain the peace during their absence.


    Even the Holy City was no different, with the guards departing, being led by the clone disguised as the Holy Emperor.


    "Are you really going to fight the Northern Continent?" Xiu Ying asked Eren who was standing on the balcony.


    Eren didn''t answer. He was simply looking at his clone marching out with the army, wondering if he was making the right choice at this moment.


    It was a war that was caused by him. The lives lost in this war were his responsibility. However, this was also something that had to be done.


    With the opening of Hell, he couldn''t waste any more time. He couldn''t let the Northern Continent exist as it was, or the main character of that continent was going to be a nightmare.


    The Northern Continent was like water that had been still for too long. If he didn''t make any waves, then the still water might drown him, especially since the main character of that continent was rted to him.


    "My dear brother is returning from hell. It''s only fair that I prepare a gift for him," he muttered under his breath, calling forth his Phoenix that soared through the sky, spreading her wings wide.


    The phoenix had also grown slightlyrger, her strength increasing to a certain extent. It had also be faster, after Eren fed it some of his own blood with the ancient dragon essence.


    Once Erennded on the Phoenix with Xiu Ying and the others, the Phoenix soared through the clouds, flying towards the Northern Continent, even leaving the clone and army behind.


    ....


    "They are waging a war at this time?" The Necromancer Tower was in a mess as soon as the message was delivered. "But the tower master entered Hell just half an hour ago!"


    Send Gift

 Chapter 526: Council of Shadows

    526 Chapter 526: Council of Shadows


    The main force of the Necromancer Tower had already entered Hell, leaving only a few Hall Masters behind to manage the Tower.


    As soon as the Hall Masters received the news, they started trying to contact the Tower Master, only to fail in every attempt.


    Even the messengers that entered hell to deliver the message died before they could catch up with the Hall Master.


    The Hall Masters had no choice but to handle the matter on their own. They gathered in a dimly lit chamber.


    The news of the Holy Empire''s deration of war had sent ripples through their ranks, especially when the leaders were away.


    "What timing!" grumbled one of the senior necromancers, his voice thick with frustration. "Do they know? Is this orchestrated to strike while we''re vulnerable?"


    Another necromancer, a woman with sharp eyes and amanding presence, spoke up. "We can''t assume they are aware of our master''s absence. But we must prepare as if they do."


    "Do you believe the deration that the Emperor has grown as strong as an Overlord? If that is the case, can we even stop them? They will have two Overlords now."


    The room fell silent at the thought of facing two Overlords. Even though they had be stronger with the opening of hell, was it enough to bring them on the same level as an Overlord?


    Without their leader, their strength waspromised. They couldn''t even ask for help from other Overlords as they couldn''t reveal the absence of the Tower Master.


    "We must summon the Council of Shadows," the woman continued.


    As soon as her words fell, many of the Necromancers grew pale.


    "They are no different than monsters who don''t differentiate between friends and enemies. Isn''t summoning them no different than inviting a lion to scare away a tiger?" Another Necromancer asked.


    "Do we have any other choice? We are talking about two Overlords. If they reach the entrance of Hell, everything will fall apart." The woman sighed.


    Even if they had to invite a bigger monster, they had no other choice. As long as they should dy the two Overlords until the Tower Master returned, it was worth it.


    While the Necromancer''s were deliberating, a Phoenix soared above the river of Life and Death, entering the Northern Continent.


    Eren had returned to the Northern Continent once more. This time, he was not as weak as he used to be in the past. He had changed. He had evolved.


    This time, he could clearly see the invisible thread that had appeared around his body. It was this thread that had led the Tower Master to himst time.


    He wasn''t sure if the Tower Master was going toe straight for him again. If that was the case, it was for the better, especially since he didn''t want to face the Tower Master inside the Necromancer Tower if possible.


    Even after half an hour had passed, Eren didn''t feel the presence of the Tower Master. Either that man had grown more patient or he wasn''t even in the Northern Continent anymore. None of the two possibilities was good news for Eren.


    Eren had a feeling that it was the second possibility, since it was about time for Hell to have opened already. He could already feel the aura of death, which had grown extremely dense.


    For an ordinary person from the other Continents, it would''ve been even harder to breathe in these conditions.


    "If he''s already entered Hell, then I can''t stay behind either."


    He instructed the Phoenix to change direction. With a bright screech, the Phoenix turned and went towards the nearest major n''s territory, instead of the Necromancer Tower.


    Eren was only thinking about taking the shortest path to the Necromancer Tower. In his distraction, he didn''t pay attention to the people on the ground.


    The phoenix flew past a broken town, where multiple corpses were lying on the ground.


    A young man raised his head, looking at the phoenix in the sky, feeling a little jealous.


    "Can''t you reward me a Mythical Beast for dying as well?" The young manined, but there was no response to him.


    Not far from him, there was a woman who was feeding the essence of the dead to her Undead Dragon that had suffered multiple injuries.


    She also looked at the phoenix in the sky, feeling a familiar presence. She didn''t know if it was just her misconception, but the phoenix felt quite strong.


    It was certainly not a beast that could be found in the Northern Continent, which made her wonder if someone from another continent was visiting.


    When she thought about other Continents, she was reminded of Eren, who had screwed her over. She couldn''t help but curse Eren inwardly, not realizing that the man was sitting on the phoenix without a single care in the world for her thoughts.


    ....


    Almost all the major ns of the Northern Continent were in chaos. They had received news from the Western Continents.


    A war was on the horizon and they couldn''t avoid it. Almost all the ns had started gathering their own army for the battle that was toe, not knowing if the Necromancer Tower was going toe for their aid or not.


    One such n was the Triad n that was the most troubled.


    It was a n that controlled the territory next to Kiel Family Territory. After the destruction of the Kiel Family, they were the nearest major n to the Border.


    If there was a war, they were going to be the most affected by it. It hadn''t been long since their n leader died in the Kiel Family Territory. Later, their family was controlled by the young man from the Rottenheim Family.


    And now, they had to suffer through the war. The current leader of the Triad Family was pacing back and forth, his forehead covered in sweat.


    The portal of the family had been extremely busy today with people from other major ns arriving to check the situation. However, none from the Necromancer Tower had arrived.


    "Is the Necromancer Tower going to watch us be destroyed before taking action?" The Family Head sighed.

 Chapter 527: A stronger existence

    527 Chapter 527: A stronger existence


    Suddenly, the door to his room burst open, and a frantic man rushed inside.


    "Master, a portal connection has been established from the Necromancer Tower! Someone ising!" the man informed the Family Head, whose eyes widened with hope.


    "Finally, we have not been abandoned!" the Family Head eximed.


    He hurried out of the room, making his way towards the portal formation to wee the guests descending from the Tower.


    With the involvement of the Necromancer Tower, their chances of survival had increased drastically. As long as the Necromancer Tower was to destroy the enemy army, their family might not even need to be involved in this war.


    The Family Head opened the door of the portal room. The light of the portal formation hadn''t even dimmed as the guests had just arrived.


    Still, the Family Head''s face wentpletely pale as he saw the sight inside the room.


    Many dark robed people were standing in the room, with a few of them having their teeth stabbed in the neck of the people who were here to wee them.


    "T-the shadow council...." The Triad Family Head dropped to his knees in disbelief.


    He had heard about the Council of Shadows, a forbidden entity of the Necromancer Tower. It was a council that could only be controlled by the Tower Master.


    They had freedom to kill anyone they wanted, as long as they had the strength. Even if they killed the Hall Masters of the Necromancer Tower, the Tower Master wasn''t going to react.


    These people were truly crazy, who did what they wanted.


    It was only after the Council of Shadow had attacked the Left Guardian, that they were defeated and sealed by her in anger.


    He had only heard his father talk about them in the past, never expecting to see them in his life. He couldn''t believe that the Shadow Council had been released.


    Not only was the shadow council released, but it was even stronger, under the effect of hell''s appearance.


    ....


    "Only three hall masters died before they left. Should we call ourselves lucky?"


    Back in the Necromancer Tower, the Hall Masters looked at the corpse of the other hall masters that had died.


    They considered themselves really lucky that they weren''t the ones who caught the attention of the council of shadows.


    The Council of Shadow had only killed three hall masters before they stopped, learning about the iing war with the West.


    Their eyes shone in excitement as they tossed the corpse of hall masters and left the Tower to go to the battlefield.


    "As long as they can stop the forces of the West, it is a worthy sacrifice." A Hall Master said while summoning a few undeads to carry the corpses of the dead hall masters.


    Even if they were dead, they could still be used by the Tower Master if needed. They were precious resources.


    "I just hope that the Tower Master returns fast, before anything else can go wrong."


    The Triad Family Head touched his forehead on the ground, bowing like a dog in front of the Council of Shadows, almost begging for his life with his actions.


    "Cowardly... I don''t like..." One of the dark robed figures stepped towards the Triad Family Head who had started shivering.


    He reached out his hand towards the family head, the blood of his previous prey still dripping down his lips.


    He was about to grab the head of the Triad Family Head, only to stop as his fingers were mere inches away.


    A look of interest appeared in his eyes as he tilted his head towards the side, as if sensing an approaching presence that was strong enough to catch his attention.


    It was especially the case since it wasn''t the presence of anyone who had lived in the Northern Continent. It was a presence of a mythical beast, which was filled with life.


    The Council of Shadows walked past the Triad Family Head, who had lost their interest.


    The family head dropped on the ground, his body covered in sweat. He couldn''t believe that he had managed to survive.


    Had hemitted some good deeds in his past life, for which he was rewarded now? He wondered. Then he remembered that the Council of Shadows could return at any time to kill him.


    He quickly stood up and ran away to hide in some bunker of the Triad Family, only waiting for the Shadow Council to leave after taking care of the Western Army.


    Even if his entire n was wiped out, it didn''t matter as long as he was alive. While hiding, he used amunication device to gather information and convey his instructions to the n members.


    ....


    "This should be the territory of the Triad Family. They should have a portal formation that can send us to the Tower faster," Eren told the others, as soon as the phoenix left the Kiel Family Territory, entering the Triad Family Territory.


    "Are we really attacking the Necromancer Tower? Shouldn''t we contact the Sect Master first?" Great Elder Zia asked Eren.


    Although she knew that Eren was strong, they were still entering the territory of another Overlord. She didn''t know that Eren had already killed one of them, although unintentionally.


    Even if she knew what he had done in the past, she still wouldn''t have thought that it was a good idea. Still, she apanied him.


    What she didn''t understand was why Eren was bringing his disciple to this dangerous mission with him. And why didn''t they inform Feng Yu?


    "Don''t worry. The Northern Overlord isn''t in the Northern Continent anymore," Eren told Zia.


    As for not informing Feng Yu, he had no choice in the matter. The Tower Master knew his real identity, thanks to the thread around his neck that only appeared when he was in the Northern Continent.


    He wasn''t sure if Feng Yu could also see that thread if she was here. He didn''t want to take the risk.


    If she finds his real identity, then let alone helping him, she might try to kill him instead.

 Chapter 528: Truly gone

    528 Chapter 528: Truly gone


    Eren knew he couldn''t involve Feng Yu in this mess. That''s why he was in a hurry, ever since the barrier over the Holy City had disappeared.


    It was only a matter of time before the other Overlords became involved. Before that happened, he wanted to take care of this matter.


    The Holy Priestess was dead and his clone couldn''t fight. The forces of the Western Continent were the weakest they had ever been, so there was no point in fighting arge-scale war.


    That was especially the case since he wasn''t going to gain anything from it.


    Still, he dered war for a simple reason. The entire war was nothing but a distraction. It was a false smoke screen for the other Continents keeping an eye on the Western Continent.


    The only person that caused him concern was the Dragon Queen, who hadn''t woken up yet. He had left a few blood guards behind to guard her room, while leaving a letter for her before leaving.


    He also left a few spirits behind, who could keep an eye on her to update him on the situation.


    Eren thought that he had considered every variable in the situation. He didn''t realise that he had almostpletely forgotten about someone else who was waiting for him.


    The Main Character of the Western Continent was still waiting in the middle of a desert with Aster.


    It had been a long time since Aster was delivered a message that Eren was going to meet him soon. However, weeks had passed since then, but no one came to meet them.


    For the first time, he had started to wonder if Eren was actually dead. Since he had stayed in the desert, waiting for Eren, he was also unaware about the drastic changes that had taken ce across the Western Continent.


    "Are we going to grow old, waiting here?" The girl couldn''t wait anymore, growing impatient. She stood up and started walking towards the Holy City.


    Even though these people had saved her, she couldn''t waste too much time. She was already very considerate by waiting for weeks.


    She knew that the more time she wasted here, the stronger that false Holy Priestess was going to be. Before that happened, she had to achieve her goals. She had to take that woman down, who had taken everything from her.


    Aster wanted to stop her, but even he couldn''te up with a good argument to stop her. Even he was starting to wonder if Eren hadpletely forgotten about him.


    Did something happen to Eren? Was he caught by the Holy Priestess? If that was the case, then he had to save him. He had to go to the Holy City.


    Although slightly hesitant, he started apanying the girl. Both of them walked towards the Holy City.


    "Do you have any ways to enter the Holy City? Because even my portals can''t pass through the barrier," Aster told the girl.


    The girl nodded in response. "I have a method. However, I might need your help for that."


    "If he is really caught, then I have to save him at any cost. I will lend you a helping hand if you can help me enter the Holy City." Aster knew that his life depended on Eren. He couldn''t let anything happen to that person, or his own life might be lost.


    The two people went towards the Holy City, and after walking for close to half a day, they were finally able to catch a glimpse of the Holy City in the distance.


    16:23


    At the sight of the Holy City, both of them grew surprised. Neither of them could see the Holy Barrier, which had been a defining feature of the Holy City throughout the years.


    The two people went towards the Holy City, and after walking for close to half a day, they were finally able to catch a glimpse of the Holy City in the distance.


    At the sight of the Holy City, both of them grew surprised. Neither of them could see the Holy Barrier, which had been a defining feature of the Holy City throughout the years.


    The girl was confused. Why had the Holy Barrier disappeared? Just what was the Holy Priestess trying to do now? Something felt out of ce.


    She started running towards the Holy City.


    "There''s no need to run. If the barrier doesn''t exist, I can take you to the heart of the city easily." A portal appeared in front of the girl, created by Aster.


    Before her eyes, Aster stepped inside the portal. Frowning, the girl also entered.


    Both of them stepped out of another portal, which had opened inside the city.


    After entering the city, the two of them started investigating the reason behind the disappearance of the barrier.


    They thought that they would have to be stealthy, since the Holy City was said to be heavily guarded. Once again, to their surprise, that didn''t seem to be the case.


    They could barely see any guards or Priests. Even the Holy Church appeared to have been abandoned.


    Only ordinary people were left behind. They didn''t even have to ask any questions. The people all over the city were talking about the recent incidents.


    "Do you believe it?" Aster called the girl, finding it hard to believe that the Holy Priestess had given up her position of the Western Overlord.


    He had also learned that Eren wasn''t captured. Instead, he was treated as a guest in the Royal Pce.


    Eren staying in the Royal Pce and the ascent of the Holy Emperor as the next Overlord, made Aster feel as if it had something to do with Eren.


    He didn''t know why, but he had a strong feeling that there was a hand behind the dark curtains that was manipting everything in the Western Continent, and it belonged to Eren.


    The girl didn''t answer Aster. She simply closed her eyes, growing absolutely silent. After a long time, she opened her eyes that had turned pale silver.


    "She is gone... She is truly gone..." The girl said in disbelief.


    She started running towards the Holy Church. Although there were a few random guards left behind in the city, they weren''t near the Holy Church.


    There was no one to stop the girl from opening the doors of the Holy Church. The girl ran inside, and went straight in the direction of the Holy Priestess'' Sanctum, as if she had been there before.

 Chapter 529: Return of the true one

    529 Chapter 529: Return of the true one


    Aster followed her inside the sanctum, catching a glimpse of the hidden room of the Holy Church. After Eren, they were the only two people who had seen this room, and were still alive.


    "What is this ce?" Aster walked around the room, feeling strange. "There are traces of the space beingpletely destroyed. It still hasn''tpletely recovered."


    As his bloodline was rted to spatial maniption, he could feel even the slightest disturbance in space.


    There was only one other person he had seen, who was able to manipte space to the extent that he could. It was Eren, when he had gone berserk during their first battle.


    Initially, he wondered if Eren was also responsible for this. However, he soon dropped this thought. Even if Eren was strong, they were talking about an Overlord here.


    It was impossible for him to fight an Overlord. Aster didn''t believe it.


    "It''s not just the space that was destroyed..." The girl walked closer to the broken statue of the goddess, looking at one particr piece.


    It was the exact spot where the other Eren had touched it, destroying itpletely.


    "Even the flow of time is irregr." she added, her thought in a mess. "Is it..."


    She didn''tplete her sentence, growing silent. After a long time, she stood up, uttering a single sentence that stunned Aster.


    "The Holy Priestess is dead," she said. "And the one who killed her, might be even worse than her."


    The Holy Priestess was dead. Was it after she dered the Holy Emperor as the next Overlord? The girl didn''t believe it.


    If anything, she was killed long before the deration. It meant the one who took her position was the person behind this deration of war.


    With the death of the Holy Priestess, she had lost the reason for her existence. However, instead of being disappointed, she startedughing.


    She stopped on the remains of the statue, her gaze turning colder.


    "Finally, no one could stop her. She was going to take everything that belonged to her in the first ce. The Holy Priestess, or the Goddess, wasn''t here to stop her.


    She brought out seven colorful crystals from her storage ring and ced them around the broken pieces of the goddess'' statue.


    Aster didn''t know what she was trying to do. He could feel a strong spatial power within those crystals, that was mixed with another unknown power that even he couldn''t understand.


    "What are you doing?" he asked the girl, trying to approach her. However, as soon as he reached within five meters of the girl, he felt like he had hit some invisible wall.


    "Don''t disturb me." The girl told Aster, cing down the seventh andst crystal.


    Once the circle waspleted, she used her blood to carve a mark on each of the crystals.


    Aster didn''t know what the girl was trying to do, but he felt ufortable in the face of the unknown. Even if it was a good thing, he didn''t want it to happen until he knew what it was.


    He tried to use his spatial abilities to pass through the barrier, but he again failed.


    The barrier was simr to the Holy Barrier, if not stronger.


    "With the departure of the false goddess, it shall be the descent of the true goddess, the rightful owner of this world that was banished by that cursed man!"


    The pieces of the goddess''s statue started rising in the air, merging with each other. However, instead of creating a new statue, they started forming a door.


    ....


    "Cursed... This Continent is truly cursed," Eren said, wondering how people could live in the Northern Continent where a strong stench of death was everywhere.


    Even though he was supposed to have been bored in the Northern Continent with a bloodline suitable for Necromancy, he was still quite unsettled with the heavy aura around him.


    It made him feel especially uneasy, since the aura was mixed with the stench of hell.


    "Someone save my child!"


    "No, don''t eat my parents! I beg you!"


    "I will give you everything I have! Please don''t kill me!"


    The Phoenix soared through the sky in Triad Family Territory. Eren was able to hear many painful cries for help through his sharp senses.


    It wasing from all over the ce, especially from various towns that he felt above.


    It wasn''t even an extraordinary scene. In this continent, scenes like this were as normal as they could be. Even if there was a threat of a continental war, there were still Necromancers who didn''t care about it in the least.


    They still focused on fulfilling their devilish cravings of blood. With the Hell''s opening, the cravings of these people had only gotten stronger, with it bing harder for them to control their thoughts and emotions.


    Eren heard many cries for help, but he could only ignore them all. It was not his ce to save others when his own life might be in danger if he waste.


    He wasn''t some great saviour who couldn''t ignore the wrongs of this world.


    If it was the main character, they might have been swayed to help the stranger, but he had arrived here for a very specific purpose. If he started helping others, he might be here all night long.


    Xiu Ying and Zia were the same. It wasn''t as if the Eastern Continent was some heavenly utopia. They were all people that had seen enough blood to the point that the value of others'' lives had fallen drastically in their eyes.


    The phoenix soon reached near the Triad Pce, where the n actually lived.


    The phoenix started descending near the Pce, with Eren preparing to jump down. He also told the others to be ready.


    However, just as he was about to jump, he felt a powerful dark aura approaching. A ck aura de came flying in the direction of his phoenix from the roof of Triad Pce, where a few dark robed beings were standing.


    "I didn''t think they would send people to wee us. Since they are here, we might as well enjoy their hospitality..."


    Eren summoned his sword and jumped down from his phoenix.

 Chapter 530: Ill do it myself

    530 Chapter 530: I''ll do it myself


    Eren leaped from the Phoenix, summoning the shadowy sword that materialized in his grasp.


    Using the dark de, he sliced through the aura de flying towards his Phoenix, shielding her from the attack.


    His sword cut the aura de in two, but he did not stop there. The purest essence of poison gathered around the shadowy sword.


    While it may not have matched the devastating sword technique he had witnessed in his dream, it far surpassed the power of the Pendant of Poison he had used before.


    With a decisive swing of his de, Eren made the very space tremble. A condensed essence of poison shot forth towards the dark figure on the pce roof.


    The poisonous arc of essence spiraled through the air, leaving a trail of green mist in its wake.


    The figure, d in a cloak as ck as midnight, revealed an interested look. At first, he had thought that the appearance of the phoenix in the godforsaken Northern Continent was surprising.


    He didn''t expect there to be even more surprises there.


    He raised a hand to counter the attack. A barrier erupted before him, but the poison''s power was relentless. It shed with the barrier, causing a violent explosion of energy that lit up the space.


    The dark robed man hadn''t thought much of Eren. He thought that even if the attack was strong, he could easily stop it. After all, the person couldn''t be as strong as the Tower Master.


    Moreover, he had be stronger with the opening of hell. There was barely anyone in the Northern Continent who could resist him. So where did this mane from?


    His barrier crumbled, and he could even feel as if his body itself was getting poisoned. Within a fraction of a second, he reacted and teleported away before the attack broke through his barrier andnded on the pce.


    The force of the impact sent shockwaves rippling through the air, causing the very pce to copse.


    The people of the Triad n didn''t even have the time to escape when they died under the copsing pce. Even those in the Triad n who were strong enough to survive the copse, couldn''t resist the poisonous mist that had spread across every crevice within the rubble.


    The Triad n Leader had just entered his bunker when the pce had been destroyed. He thought that he had escaped the onught, but before he could even be relieved, he felt as if he was being suffocated by the poison.


    Even Eren was surprised by the strength behind this attack. He had tried the same attack before, but it was nowhere near this destructive.


    Was it because his Sword was bing more active? Or was it because of some external help during Echo of Eternity? He wasn''t sure.


    He simply stopped himself in the air, looking down at the cloud of poison while his phoenix circled through the sky, rising even higher as if scared of the poison.


    A phoenix was a mythical beast with the Bloodline of fire that could burn any impurity in the world. And even then, the phoenix felt an innate fear of that poison.


    "Did I... destroy the portal formation?" Looking at the green mist everywhere, Eren was at a loss.


    He grew a little too excited when attacking, never expecting his attack to be this destructive.


    "I hope I didn''t." Erennded on top of the rubble. Using his Dragon Tongue, he started removing the rubble to find the portal formation.


    "Hmm? Did the corpse of those people melt in the poison? That doesn''t seem to be the case."


    While removing the poison, he could see the corpses of Triad Family Members that had died in the ident, but he couldn''t find any bodies of the dark robed figures that had attacked him in the first ce.


    "Did they escape?" Although entering the Necromancer Tower was a priority, he didn''t want to leave those people be.


    He was sure that they belonged to the Necromancer Tower. Even if they weren''t as strong as a Tower Master, but he was certain that they were at least as strong as a guardian under the effects of hell.


    Eren flew higher in the sky, his figure rushing out of the cloud of poisonous smoke towards the Phoenix in the sky.


    "That was a strong attack. You have truly piqued my interest."


    Eren was flying higher and higher to get a better view of the Triad n territory when a voice fell in his ears, apanied by cold cacklings.


    A sharp chain wrapped itself around his neck, pulling him back. At the other end of the chain, the dark figure appeared, drawing Eren''s life force through the chain.


    "Were you getting worried about your friend on that little bird? Unfortunately for you, the others have already left to take care of them."


    "Even if you can reach them, all you will find are their bodies. So why not focus on me? It''s been a long time since I found such an interesting toy with such delicious life force."


    The dark robed man revealed his face, which was like a shrivelled up corpse, his flesh sticking close to his skull with not even space for any blood in between. He appearedpletely pale.


    "I don''t have time to y around." Eren swung his sword, attacking the chain that had tied around his neck.


    "Hmm?"


    His shadow sword struck the chain, but to his surprise, it failed to slice through.


    "That chain is an artifact that was brought back from hell thest time it opened. Do you think a fake sword can break it?" The old manughed even louder.


    He didn''t know what that poison around Eren''s sword was, but it wasn''t as effective against the artefacts that were of the higher tier. After all, the chain couldn''t be poisoned as it wasn''t alive.


    Even Eren felt frustrated. The Sword of Retribution was a sword that could slice through heaven itself. What was a mere artefact? It was simply because he could only call out a shadow.


    Still, he didn''t believe that he needed to rely on it. After all, he was different from before. He was much stronger. Since when did an Overlord need to rely on an artefact?


    "Fine. I''ll do it myself."

 Chapter 531: Like a toy

    531 Chapter 531: Like a toy


    Every Necromancer in the Northern Continent had grown stronger with the opening of hell. Even the mana within the Continent had grown denser, helping other elemental mages perform stronger magic.


    Even if the other Overlords were to enter the Northern Continent, it was unlikely if they couldpare to the Northern Tower Master during this phenomenon.


    Fortunately, the Tower Master was not here. Even if the Council of Shadow was strong, they hade across a solid wall that was no weaker than another Overlord.


    In many aspects, Eren was even greater than them. With the Dragon of Beginning bloodline, his life essence was almost infinite, recovering faster than ever.


    Even if the artifact of the chain was trying to destroy his Life Essence, it was recovering faster than ever, not affecting him much.


    He grabbed the chain with his hand. An electric current coursed through his body as soon as he held the chain, with the chain trying to resist him.


    Eren didn''t resist the pain. He only used the Dragon Tongue to lower his senses of pain. As long as it wasn''t a life threatening situation, he didn''t want to be affected by the pain of this Calibre.


    After holding the chain tightly, he jerked it forward, pulling abruptly.


    The Necromancer was holding the chain. With the chain being pulled, he didn''t have time to react. He was also pulled with the chain, flying in the direction of Eren.


    Eren clenched his fist, throwing a punch straight for the Necromancer''s skull.


    The Necromancer was horrified. Even if the punch hadn''t reached him, he could feel that it carried a frightening strength.


    In the past, he had fought certain mythical beasts that focused on strength. However, the strength behind this simple punch felt no weaker. He was sure that he was going to die if he was hit.


    Taking a split second decision, he released the chain and teleported away before Eren''s fist could connect with his face.


    With the chain being released, the control of the Necromancer over it was also gone. The grip of the chain around Eren''s neck weakened. The chain loosened up and freed his neck.


    "Should I thank you for the gift?" Eren held the chain, gaining control over it.


    The Shadow Council member clenched his teeth. First the poison and now this strange strength. Eren was an annoying person in his eyes. But more than that, he was iprehensible.


    The Shadow Council member had tried to overwhelm Eren with fear. However, it seemedpletely ineffective.


    "You are strong. You are at least as strong as me. But can the same be said about your friends? After the others take care of your friends and join me, I wonder if you can keep the same confident look in your eyes."


    "By others, do you mean them?" Eren innocently asked, pointing in the distance.


    The Necromancer also looked in the direction that Eren was pointing, his expressions turning solemn.


    In the distance, he saw a Shadow Council member calling from the sky. There was a small wound on his chest, as if his heart was destroyed by something.


    It wasn''t just one shadow council member. More had started falling from the sky, with the same wounds that looked like they were made from small projectiles


    "H-how did you do it?" The Necromancer was in disbelief.


    Even if the Right Guardian was here personally, he couldn''t destroy the entire Shadow Council this fast. It was as if they didn''t even have the opportunity to resist.


    Just who was sitting atop the Phoenix? Was it another Overlord? No, if that was the case, he could have sensed the overwhelming sense of difference in strength.


    The Council Members were not foolish. If it was another Overlord, they could have sensed. They would have been more cautious.


    He was sure that the people atop the phoenix were weaker than Eren. So how did they kill them so fast when Eren himself hadn''t managed to kill him? Unless Eren was simply toying with him.


    Suddenly, he came out of his daze, feeling something sharp wrapping around his neck. It was the chain that had previously belonged to him.


    He was again pulled in the direction of Eren. Once again, he tried to teleport. However, this time he failed as Eren whispered something under his breath.


    The Necromancer''s pupils trembled. The space around him was sealed. He couldn''t teleport either. Being pulled by the chain, he came straight for Eren.


    A fist connected with his face, and everything turned ck.


    ....


    After the poisonous mist around the pce dissipated, the Phoenixnded on the ground, atop the lifelessnd.


    From the phoenix, three girls jumped down. However, they weren''t the only ones there.


    A figure that looked like a human also jumped down. It was made purely from blood and had no face or any defining characteristic. The only difference about him was that it shared Eren''s aura.


    It was connected to Eren, a being created with his own blood. The blood figure was holding a gun in his hand that used mana to attack.


    With Eren''s mana already bing stronger with his leveling, further affected by the dense mana of this continent, the attacks had also grown stronger.


    Zia and the others were repeatedly ncing at the weapon in the blood figure''s hand. They had never seen an artefact like this in the past. It was especially the case since the attacks of this weapon were stronger than anything they had seen before.


    They weren''t even sure if they could protect against these attacks if they weren''t prepared in advance. Just where did Eren find this artefact?


    Just as surprising was the bloody figure itself. They had seen these blood demons in the past when Eren summoned them to keep the Emperor''s younger brother busy while putting up the act.


    Still, they didn''t understand how Eren was able to create these blood demons. The more they came to learn about him, the more iprehensible he appeared.


    "Is he dead?" Zia asked Eren, looking at the person that Eren was carrying in his arm like a sack of rice.

 Chapter 532: The Credits

    532 Chapter 532: The Credits


    Even though they wanted to ask him about the artifact and the blood demon, they knew it wasn''t the right time. Everyone had their own secrets, and if Eren wanted to share, he would have done so already.


    Instead, she asked about the man Eren was carrying in his arm.


    "The entire Triad n is dead. We need someone to open the portal, so I kept him alive," Eren said, raising the man''s body to reveal he was still breathing, though passed out from pain.


    The chain remained wrapped around his neck, repeatedly draining his life essence to keep him weaker.


    The blood demon walked over and handed the weapon to Eren.


    Eren took the weapon, noticing the gazes of the three girls taking another subtle nce at the weapon.


    "It''s something I found in the Holy Church. It seems to be an artifact she had prepared for the war on the Northern Continent," he gave a short exnation, which couldn''t be far from the truth.


    "It''s also thanks to the method I found inside the Holy Church, that I learned the method to create the Blood Demons," he further added, giving even more credit to the Holy Priestess to avoid exining any further.


    It wasn''t as if she was going toe back to live and expose him. The dead were the best secret keepers in this world.


    If there were any further unexinable things in the future, he already knew who deserved the credit.


    He bit his thing and let more drops of his blood fall to the ground, summoning more blood demons.


    Before long, there were already twenty blood demons that could use mana, just like him. Unlike his real clone which had a face and personality, these clones couldn''t take a proper human physique.


    They were already in the form of a blood demon, with a body made purely of blood. However, they also had additional advantage over his clone.


    While his clone could die from even the slightest of wounds it received from anyone other than him, these clones could keep fighting. Even if they were destroyed, they could recover as long as he could keep supplying mana.


    As long as he didn''t die, his blood demons were also not going to die. The only w was the mana consumption to maintain them.


    However, that w was further covered by another advantage of theirs, which was that they could use mana just like him. They could also use artefacts that were tied to him.


    The mana consumption to use those artefacts by then was almost two or three times more than it would have been if he used them, but it was worth it if he was fighting more than one enemies, like in the present case.


    The Blood Demons started clearing the rubble around the area, trying to locate the portal formation.


    .....


    "Please kill me! I don''t want to live without them! I never should''ve tried to fight you!"


    Eren cried at the top of his lungs while the Necromancer stood proudly with his foot resting over Eren''s head.


    Next to Eren was the corpse of the phoenix, along with a few other bodies that were beyond recognisable.


    The Necromancer grinned, watching the suffering of Eren, who had been more proud before him.


    "I will forgive you, after I reanimate your corpse as an undead. As my forgiveness, you will have the privilege to serve you even in your death."


    The Necromancer stomped his foot, crushing Eren''s skull into a puddle of blood and flesh.


    The Necromancer startedughing coldly. However, just as he was enjoying the process, he saw the Tower Master appear in front of him.


    "Master, I took care of the enemies!" He respectfully answered.


    "That is good." The Tower Master nodded, tapping the cheeks of the Shadow Council member lightly.


    The Necromancer was slightly surprised by the Tower Master''s strange behaviour but he still enjoyed thepliment. However, the Tower Master didn''t stop.


    He kept hitting his cheeks. Soon, the light taps changed into proper ps.


    "Master, it hurts," he eximed, but the Tower Master didn''t stop.


    The ps only became stronger.


    "Master, it hurts!" The Necromancer said louder, feeling a sharp pain in his cheeks.


    "Master? When did I be your master?" The Tower Master asked, before pping him again.


    "Master!" The Necromancer eximed, opening his eyes abruptly. His face had almost swollen red, with the pain being even stronger.


    "Are you finally awake?" A voice fell in his ears.


    With his vision bing clear, he noticed Eren sitting in front of him. His hands were tied behind his back by the same chain that was tied around his neck.


    "I thought I would have to keep pping you all night long, until you woke up," Eren told the Necromancer, who was in disbelief.


    He didn''t believe that this was real. He had actually lost? He lost to a random person who wasn''t even an Overlord? Not only did he lose, but the entire council lost.


    "Who are you?" he asked Eren, still in disbelief.


    "I suppose you can call me an old friend of your Tower Master. So, would you be kind enough to open a path so I could meet my old friend?"


    Eren stepped aside, revealing a portal formation that had fortunately not been destroyedpletely. Even the minor damage was repaired by Zia who had some basic knowledge about formations.


    "What made you think that I will help you? Even if I die, I won''t do as you ask. You can go and screw yourself." The Necromancer closed his eyes.


    Even if he couldn''t win, it didn''t mean that he was going to surrender to Eren and start begging for his life like a pathetic dog.


    He was going to die with dignity. Because if he betrayed the Tower Master now, then his death was going to be even more pathetic. He was going to suffer even in his death if he betrayed the Tower Master.

 Chapter 533: True fear

    533 Chapter 533: True fear


    "It is good to be loyal," Eren said, cing his hand over the Necromancer''s head. "Unfortunately, you chose the wrong person to be loyal towards."


    The Necromancer looked at Eren with defiance. "You think you are scary? In that case, you don''t know what true fear is."


    "Don''t I?" Eren responded. "Let''s find out what this true fear you speak of is."


    He didn''t need the man to answer; he was simply hoping to make things easier for himself. However, he could make it happen without the man''s cooperation.


    Unlike the Holy Priestess, the Necromancer''s soul wasn''t weak or fragmented. He wasn''t going to die from the soul search. At worst, he would go crazy as his soul fell apart.


    Eren started a soul search on the Necromancer, invading his mind and consciousness to see just what the Necromancer was hiding.


    Although Eren only wanted the method to activate the portal formation, it didn''t mean he wasn''t craving more information about the Necromancer Tower''s recent actions, especially since they received the information about the war.


    Most of the memories that the Necromancer had, were insignificant for Eren. However, it did make him understand the essence of Necromancy.


    He had already learned some of it from the Left Guardian. However, the information he received from a shadow council member felt morepatible for him, albeit just as ruthless.


    He was surprised that the person hadn''t used that Necromancy when fighting him. He soon realized why that was the case.


    After he offended the Left Guardian, she had destroyed all his creations before sealing him with the other Council Members.


    He was only released from the seal to protect the Northern Continent from the Western Forces, in the absence of the Tower Master and other significant powerful beings of the Tower.


    He didn''t have time to create more Undeads. He was nning to create Undeads by destroying the entire Triad n and the enemies from the West.


    It was only because he was distracted by Eren, that he didn''t have time to create the Undeads. He didn''t put any urgency on it, because he didn''t know that Eren was going to be so strong.


    Even though the Triad Family had escaped the onught of the Shadow Council that wanted to use them, they still became a coteral damage of the battle.


    Through the man''s memories, Eren also learned that he was correct. The Tower Master had actually entered Hell, which waspletely opened. That was why he wasn''t here yet.


    Eren felt somewhat relieved that the Tower Master wasn''t here. At the same time, he felt a little restless, because the Tower Master was probably getting closer to his brother with each passing second.


    Through the memories of the Necromancer, Eren also learned about the method to activate the Portal Formation that connected to the Necromancer Tower.


    It needed a very specific essence signature that was only possessed by the Tower members. Still, thanks to the Necromancer, Eren managed to learn about it.


    He temporarily took control over the man''s body, who had stopped screaming in pain, after his eyes lost their shine, his soulpletely fractured.


    He was on the verge of death, which was also the perfect opportunity to control him.


    Eren made the Necromancer walk over to the portal formation and drop his blood on it, along with releasing whatever essence he could control with a broken soul.


    Fortunately, it was enough to activate the portal formation and establish a connection to the Necromancer Tower.


    Tears of blood came out of the Necromancer''s eyes, his body also falling apart with his soul.


    Before Eren stopped controlling him, he stabbed a w in the heart of the Necromancer, wing out his heart.


    Eren kept the heart in his inventory, along with keeping the body separately. He didn''t react to the gazes of the girls that were following him.


    He entered the portal formation, apanied by the girls that were brought by him for a very specific purpose.


    His biggest reason was that he was worried that Feng Yu might try to contact them to learn about the things that were happening. If he brought them with him, he could make sure that it didn''t happen.


    As for the second reason, it was just as important. It was because he needed someone to take control of the Necromancer Tower, which was left defenseless in the absence of the Tower Master.


    While he was inside Hell, he needed someone back here. In case he was lost, he could take their help to guide himself back through the Spirits.


    He could leave spirits in the Necromancer Tower, but he was worried that they might be killed before he could even take their help.


    The Necromancer Tower was the worst ce for a spirit as the Necromancers had a high advantage against the spirits as they ruled the realm of the dead.


    Xiu Ying and the others were also to protect the spirits that he was going to leave behind.


    Eren entered the Necromancer Tower, returning to the ce for the second time. Although he knew that he was going to return, he didn''t know that it was going to be like this.


    He was going to take a trip inside Hell, while the world had been shoved in the embrace of a grand war, all as an object of distraction.


    "So this is the Necromancer Tower. It looks exactly like I thought it would..." Ziamented, looking at the grim surroundings of the Necromancer Tower.


    She had never thought that she would step inside this godforsaken ce that was ruled by another Overlord.


    There was only one person from the Eastern Continent who had ever stepped inside this ce after all. And that person was Feng Yu, another Overlord.


    "Aren''t you d that the Demon Sect isn''t like this ce?" Eren asked Zia light-heartedly, stepping out of the room.


    The Demon Sect was like an open world. People could have their own mountains that had their own characteristics.

 Chapter 534: Waiting on other side

    534 Chapter 534: Waiting on other side


    If an Elder loved ice, he could have a frost mountain. If another loved herbs and Alchemy, they could have a mountain perfect for growing herbs.


    The Demon Sect was like a small world in itself, under the bright sky. Meanwhile the Necromancer Tower was an enclosed space, which felt suffocating for people who could never imagine living in a ce like this.


    Living in the Necromancer Tower felt like living inside a prison, where you could move freely. However, itcked a certain lively character.


    The Hero Academy was also simr to this ce, but it was still a thousand times better.


    Zia agreed with Eren. She was about to speak when she heard the sound of footsteps.


    "Who are you? How did you get in here?" A loud shout came from the distance. However, merely a fraction of a second had passed before a dagger passed through the Necromancer''s chest.


    A slender woman grabbed his face, ripping his head apart and tossing it away.


    With most of the prominent faces of Necromancer Tower entering Hell, only the weaker members were left. Even if they were strengthened, they couldn''tpare to the Great Elders of the Demon Sect.


    After killing the Necromancer, Zia looked back at Eren, her face having a few traces of blood. "It looks like you were right. I don''t sense any powerful person within a mile radius. In that case, we can truly run wild here."


    Eren agreed with Zia. The Necromancer Tower was at its weakest at the moment, even if Hell had been opened. That was also the perfect opportunity for Eren.


    He told Xiu Ying to take his disciple. They were responsible for finding treasures that were kept inside the Necromancer Tower. It was also the safest task.


    As for Zia, she was responsible for finding and killing the Necromancers and Hall Masters that were still alive.


    After both of them were done with their work, they were to gather at the same ce near the portal formation.


    He sent a blood clone with Zia, leaving the gun with him to help her if needed. Although he couldn''t maintain the blood clone after entering Hell, it was still useful while he was still here.


    Eren didn''t tell them that he had left a Spirit to follow each of them. The spirits were his thread back to this world. As long as the Spirits weren''t destroyed, Yelen could always guide him back to this ce.


    After assigning the task for each of them, Eren went down a different path that was especially for himself. It was a path that led to the door of hell.


    He had seen the door of hell in the memories of the Left Guardian. At this point, he didn''t even need a map.


    He treaded the path that he had seen in the memories and reached the depths of the Necromancer Tower. The closer he came to the Door of Hell, the more corpses of unknown monsters were noticed by him.


    It looked like grotesque beings that had escaped from hell, only to be killed by Necromancers. The closer he came to the door, the higher the number of these corpses.


    He had already seen hundreds of corpses that were destroyed by the Right Guardian who was protecting this ce in the past. However, there were no fresh bodies.


    Ever since the door hadpletely opened and stabilized, no monsters had left. It was unclear if it was simply because they had all died already.


    Eren soon reached the entrance of Hell, which was like a giant door that connected to another world.


    Standing near the door, Eren could truly feel the depths of terrifying auraing from hell. Even with his increased strength, he felt unease within his heart.


    He had to release the aura of the Sword Emperor to remove the suppression of hell that was acting on his body, and that was barely enough.


    The thread around his neck had only grown more visible, as he was standing right next to the door. The other end of the thread was inside hell, passing through this door.


    Eren was really curious as to where this thread was going to take him if he was going to follow it inside hell. For some reason, he didn''t want to find out.


    If there was a force inside hell that could find him, even in this world, then it couldn''t be a weak force.


    Eren brought out the Hell''s Pass from his inventory.


    Even though he could easily enter through the main door which had already been opened, he didn''t want the reward to go to waste.


    If his system has given him this reward, then it was definitely for some reason. The only benefit about going through the main door was that he was going to take the same path as the Necromancer Tower Master.


    He didn''t even know what kind of world was on the other side of this door. Even if he entered through the same path, there might be thousands of routes that couldn''t be taken by the Tower Master.


    Finding that person through the entrance alone was impossible. The only answer was that he needed to go to the core of hell. If the pass could get him even a fraction closer to the core, then it was worth it.


    He transmitted a message to Xiu Ying and the others that he was going to take some time before meeting up with them near the portal formation. He didn''t tell them that he was entering hell, or else they might want to follow him as well.


    "Are you really going to enter? I feel like something really horrifying is waiting on the other side." Eren prepared to activate Hell''s Pass when he heard Yelen''s voice in his head.


    "Believe me, if I had another choice, I wouldn''t dare to do it. I can feel chills running down my spine. However, it is something that I feel like I must do. Before that horrifying thing finds me, I have to find it. Or it might be toote..."


    Eren took a deep breath. He was worried that he might change his mind if he thought too much about it. Hence, he activated Hell''s Pass without a second thought.

 Chapter 535: Grand World

    535 Chapter 535: Grand World


    "This is... Hell?" Eren''s face was a little pale as he looked at his surroundings.


    As soon as he activated Hell''s Pass, his body was shrouded in the essence of space. Before he knew it, he was brought to this unknown ce.


    If the essence of death was strong near Hell''s Gate, then it could only be described as abysmal here. There was ck smoke everywhere, which was the purest form of essence of death.


    In this ce, he could barely see his surroundings. The visibility was merely ten feet from where he was standing.


    He had thought that the thread around his neck would guide him to the core of hell. However, the thread was nowhere to be seen. It was as if the thread was simply gone, ever since he willingly entered hell.


    Without the thread, no one could find him. At the same time, he also couldn''t navigate to the core of hell.


    He was like a criminal who had tossed away gps which could lead his enemies to him. However, he also didn''t know the right direction without that same gps.


    Not only was the visibility bad, but his senses also felt like they were being obstructed by the essence of death. Even with his heightened senses, he couldn''t see beyond ten feet from him.


    If there was one positive in this situation, it was that he hadn''t suffered too badly from traveling through space.


    He didn''t feel like he was going to pass out. His vision was a little shaky and his head was spinning, but it was much better than it used to be in the past.


    He ced a healing pill in his mouth while trying to calm his heartbeat that was in chaos. He wanted to recover more before trying to find his way through this ce.


    Eren took a deep breath, feeling the bitter taste of the healing pill slowly dissolving on his tongue. Even if the healing pill couldn''t help his situation, it still had a soothing effect that was spreading through his system.


    He closed his eyes for a moment, focusing on the rhythmic beat of his heart, attempting to steady its frantic pace.


    As his heartbeat gradually steadied, Eren opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings once more.


    The ck smoke was all around him, almost as if it were alive, filled with hostility of all those who had died.


    "I thought hell would be much warmer. Strangely enough, it''s quite cold."


    Eren reached out his hand, trying to touch the ck mist which avoided his fingers.


    Despite the fascinating environment, he knew he couldn''t afford to stay in one ce for too long. The longer he stayed here, the more dangerous it could be. He needed to move, to find some semnce of direction in this hellish realm.


    He selected a random direction, as he had no map to guide him. Even if he had ess to a map, he doubted it would be of much use, as this world likely did not follow the same spatial logic as Earth.


    He couldn''t follow the directions of the sun''s movement to make sense of the directions. The rules that governed this ce were entirely foreign to him.


    Eren began walking on the uneven ground, which looked like it hadn''t been walked on for a long time. As he moved, he tried to focus on any sound or sign that could lead him to any living being.


    He had only walked for a short distance when he finally noticed something. There were signs! He saw footprints of a person. The only problem was that the footprint was a little too big.


    With limited visibility, it took him quite some time to even cover the entire perimeter of the footprint, confirming that it was indeed that.


    Calling the owner of that footprint was an understatement. The footprint alone was seventy feet long and twenty feet wide at the widest portion.


    "Just what in the hell..."


    The footprint didn''t belong to a monster. From the shape of the footprint, it felt closer to the footprint of a human. The only difference was the size.


    Were there humans living in Hell that were giants? Or was he the one that had shrunk? He much preferred the first possibility, not even wanting to think about the second possibility.


    He knew that there was only one way to confirm it. He had to follow the footprints, which was much easier said than done with such bad visibility.


    The owner of that giant footprint was going to have even longer strides. As long as he was walking straight, it was good. However, if he abruptly turned somewhere without leaving any signs, then it was going to be an absolute loss.


    Eren hoped for the best as he started following the footprints, soon reaching what felt like a small wooden mountain on the way.


    Initially, he didn''t think much about it. It took him a moment to realize what that small mountain actually was. It was nothing more than a small tree branch that was tossed here as a waste.


    "If it is really a tree branch, then am I really..." Eren felt like he was at a loss. He still didn''t want to believe it.


    Did he really shrink? Was he the only one who shrank or was the Tower Master and everyone else the same? Or did it have something to do with the usage of Hell''s Pass? He wasn''t sure.


    Even in suffering, it was normal human instinct to wish the same suffering to their enemies if not worse. Eren really wanted it to be something that affected everyone who stepped into this world from their world, rather than for it to be the effect of Hell''s Pass.


    Two wings appeared behind his back, as he became even more impatient to find the owner of these footprints. He entered the form of the Dragon of Beginning and started flying in the direction.


    After following the footprints for half a day, he finally saw a change in scenery.

 Chapter 536: The Small Ocean

    536 Chapter 536: The Small Ocean


    In the distance, a faint glow caught his attention. Even in the low visibility, he could still see that glow which was at least a few miles away from him.


    The light was subtle, like a mere flicker in the sea of darkness. The footsteps were also leading him towards that distant flicker.


    Eren headed toward the light. As he approached, the essence of death seemed to grow heavier, as if it was wrapping around him.


    If he hadn''t crossed the fifth great wall before entering this strange ce, he was certain that the oppressive atmosphere would''ve been enough to make him go crazy.


    The glow grew brighter as he neared, revealing what appeared to be arge body of shining blue liquid.


    "An ocean? No, it can''t be. In a world where everything is muchrger to my perception, it''s too small to be an ocean. It must be some kind ofrge pond orke," he mused, taking in the sight before him.


    There was no ck mist above the pond. Finally, his visibility had improved and he was able to see across most of the pond. As far as his eyes could see, he only saw that blue liquid and no end to the pond.


    "I am certain that the footsteps led here. But where is the owner of those footsteps?" Eren wandered,nding next to the pond.


    He didn''t try to fly above the pond. He still hadn''t forgotten the story about the river of Life and Death. He didn''t want to enter the water, not knowing what was at the depths of it.


    He was wondering about the whereabouts of the person that had arrived here, but he couldn''t find any signs. The footsteps had simply ended in front of the pond.


    The person had clearly entered what looked like the water of this world. However, even if he was paid enough, he wasn''t going to try drinking this strange water, let alone entering it.


    In this chaotic world, he couldn''t even find the person whose footsteps he had followed. How was he going to find the person that was his so-called brother?


    The difficulty of this task was finally setting in, especially since he couldn''t feel any connection to the Spirits he had left behind.


    His guardian was still connected to him, but she couldn''t reach him because of unknown forces of hell. Even Eren hadn''t expected something like this beforeing here.


    He was truly on his own. It was a do or die situation, where he couldn''t expect others to help him.


    He was even starting to grow hungry, with the essence of death slowly wing at his aura. He brought out the heart of the Necromancer that he had saved, and took a bite of it, recovering some of his essence.


    In a world that strengthened a Necromancer, being anything else was a sin. Eren was probably the only person in the world who could take advantage of a Necromancer''s body while being in hell.


    He took a bite of the heart, recovering some of his strength. He also gained some of the death''s essence of the Necromancer which was blessed by hell.


    As he took thest bite of the heart, he wondered if he should think about other leads.


    As if his fate had taken a sudden turn, something changed. Eren watched as the water began to rise in the distance, like a tsunami was about to arrive.


    With the water receding to the sides, the figure of a human became clear. It was a woman, her long silver hair clinging to her bare skin.


    Sparkling droplets trickled down her wless skin as she wiped her face with her hand.


    Normally, seeing a woman in a pond would be a normal sight, albeit somewhat umon. But this was far from ordinary, for the woman was a giant. Eren had to stress his neck to even look at her face.


    He didn''t even have to hide from her. With howrge that woman was, he was certain that she couldn''t even notice him. Unless her vision was extremely good, he was going to appear as no different than a mosquito to a human.


    Eren could already feel his neck aching, raising his head high. Tired, he lowered his head, not expecting to see something entirely different which even made him somewhat embarrassed.


    Her chest was also out of the water, being asrge as a small mountain for someone his size. Although he tried to be a gentleman and avoid the sight, it was still fascinating to him as a man.


    Ever since he had Transmigrated, he had experienced so many new things. There was a fairy who was tiny, and now there was a woman who was a giant. The world was truly filled with wonders.


    "She is strong."


    Her attractive physique wasn''t the only thing that caught his attention. He could also feel that she was quite strong.


    Was she as strong as the Tower Master? He wasn''t sure. The only thing he knew was that she was dangerous.


    The first person he found in this world randomly, was also letting his instincts warn him. He already expected Hell to be dangerous, but it was slowly setting even more on him.


    While Eren was watching the girl, taking dips inside the water, he felt the ground tremble. He heard the sound of footsteps that were so loud to him that they sent his ears buzzing.


    He was forced to use the Dragon Tongue to lower his hearing threshold temporarily, looking back.


    The sound of footsteps grew evenrger and soon, another giant figure came to his sight. It was another pale woman who looked like she had barely any blood on her body.


    "Are you here?" she asked, looking at the pond.


    "Didn''t I tell you to not disturb me when I''m here?" The girl came out of the water again, opening her lips to reveal the sharp vampire-like fangs.

 Chapter 537: The Primordial Star

    537 Chapter 537: The Primordial Star


    "It is something important. Your father has called for you," the woman answered, appearing extremely respectful in her demeanor.


    The giant woman in the pond sighed heavily, the sound resonating like a low rumble.


    "It better be important," she said, stepping out of the water.


    Eren watched as water slid off her body, forming miniature waterfalls that sshed onto the ground. He crouched low, ensuring he remained unseen, as the two giants conversed.


    Clothes materialized around the woman''s body, as if appearing out of thin air. However, Eren could feel a thick scent of blooding from those clothes.


    "So what is it?" she asked.


    "The Stars have arrived," the maid answered. Even though she was mentioning people who weren''t present, her tone was even more respectful than before.


    No, it was not respect exactly. Instead, it was as if she had extreme fear towards the people she was talking about.


    "What are the stars doing, so far from the capital?" The silver-haired woman asked, brushing her fingers through her long hair, drying them.


    "There''s a disturbance near the border, something unusual," the pale woman continued. "The Gatekeepers felt it, and it somehow reached the Capital."


    "So the Stars are here to investigate?"


    "That is the official reason. However, it''s also clear that they have another reason, because a primordial star is also apanying them," the maid exined.


    "Which one is it?" the silver haired woman asked out of curiosity.


    There were only seven primordial stars in Hell after all. They were called the stars of seven primordial sins.


    It didn''t make sense for one of them to be sent here for such a reason, unless there was something special about the so-called intruders.


    "It is the Seventh Primordial Star, Rezekiel. Lady Yevni, you should be careful," she added after again observing her surroundings to make sure that they were alone.


    "Seventh Star? The crazy stalker?" Yevni rubbed her forehead in frustration, clearly distraught at the mention of that person.


    She knew the Seventh Primordial Star a little too well. His reputation preceded him. It was said that he was the most lecherous out of all the stars.


    Even though he wasn''t the most dangerous out of the seven primordial stars, but he was the one that she wanted to see the least.


    It was because of him, her father never allowed her to go to the Capital, worried that she might catch his attention in the Capital.


    Rezekiel already had a bad track record of abducting women that caught his attention, using them and then throwing them away. Even after his crimes were well understood, he never received any punishment


    It was partially because he never left any evidence of his wrongdoings that could convincingly lead back to him. Even if there was some evidence, he was still never going to be punished as his sister was the lover of First Primordial Sin.


    No one wanted to antagonize the most dangerous primordial sin by going after the brother of his lover.


    It was said that it was better to die than to catch his interest. And now that same Rezekiel had arrived in her Territory for something that shouldn''t need the involvement of a primordial sin.


    She wasn''t sure exactly what Rezekiel was nning. Was he here for her? Was she his next target?


    "If he tries anything, I will kill him," Yevni said, making up her mind.


    Even if she was going to be put to death for the crimes of killing a primordial, she was still willing to do it if he tried anything.


    The maid felt a chill run down her spine, hearing those words. Herdy was probably the only person who could talk about killing a primordial, knowing the consequences.


    However, for her, the thought itself was absurd. Rezekiel wasn''t any normal star. He was one of the seven primordial stars, one of the oldest demons of hell.


    It was said that the seven primordials were the true rulers of hell, with the first primordial being the strongest out of them.


    There was also a rumor that there was one person who was even stronger than the Primordials, but no one knew the reality of those rumors.


    "Did father send you to alert me?" Yevni asked,ing out of her daze.


    "Yeah. He wanted me to deliver a message to you."


    "What message?" Yevni asked, only to have the maid reach out her hand, revealing a dagger that was covered in a beautiful pattern.


    "Father''s dagger?" Yevni frowned in confusion. It was a dagger that was used by her father, being one of his treasures. It even had his mark.


    In her hand, the dagger looked normal. However, looking from a distance, what Eren saw was a massive dagger, that was hundreds of timesrger than a dagger that he might ever use.


    "He said you would know what to do with it," the maid handed over the dagger to Yevni. Even she didn''t understand what Yevni''s father meant by offering that dagger as a message.


    Did he want Yevni to kill herself? But that was impossible. This dagger couldn''t kill anyone after all. That was what made this dagger unique.


    Even if someone was hurt with the dagger, they didn''t die. All wounds made from the dagger were healed immediately. Only marks of the wounds were left behind, as if to remind the person forever about them.


    This dagger came in a set with another dagger which was still with the father of Yevni. The marks or wounds left by the first dagger could only be healed by being wed out with the second dagger.


    Without the second dagger, not even the greatest magic or healing herb in the world could heal those marks.


    Yevni took the dagger. "I understand what he wants me to do."


    She held the dagger firmly and started slicing through her face, leaving deep marks on his skin. She was disfiguring her face and body out of her own volition, realizing what his father wanted her to do.

 Chapter 538: Its just me

    538 Chapter 538: It''s just me


    He knew that his daughter''s beauty would inevitably draw the attention of the Primordial Star of Lust. It was already likely that he had arrived here after hearing about the beauty of his daughter from somewhere.


    If he confirmed that rumor and became interested in her, it was going to lead to only two inevitable oues. Either the primordial star would die, or Yevni would.


    If Yevni were to die, that would be the end of it. But if the Primordial Star were to meet its end here, then the first Primordial Star might arrive. And when that happened, their entire n was going to be buried with the Seventh Star Rezekiel.


    Yevni''s fate was sealed in either scenario.


    The only way to save her was to ensure that she did not appear attractive enough to captivate the seventh Primordial Star.


    She could disguise, but the Primordial Star could easily see through the disguise. Only reality could fool him, and that''s what Yevni had to do.


    "L-Lady Yevni?" The maid was slightly horrified when she saw Yevni start to slice through her own flesh, leaving not even an inch untouched.


    Even though the wounds weren''t harmful because of the healing, permanent marks were left on her face. She didn''t stop there and kept slicing through, feeling the pain of every inch that the dagger stabbed through in her flesh.


    "Aren''t they a little too scared of the Seventh Star? They''re so strong, and still they are so scared. I wonder how strong this Seventh Star is going to be."


    "Should I follow these two back to their n? I mighte across the Primordial Star, which will be dangerous."


    Eren was starting to wonder about his next course of action. He could follow them, which was dangerous. The Stars were clearly here to look for him, or the Necromancers that came before him.


    He was basically going to be led straight to the people that were looking for him. He didn''t even know if they had any method of locating him if he was too close to them.


    At the same time, he also couldn''t stay behind. He had barely found another person in this ce where he could barely see anything. If he let them go, he might never be able to get out of this ce.


    Moreover, simply because he didn''t follow the girls, it didn''t mean that the stars weren''t going to find him in this ce if they actually had a method to locate him.


    "The most dangerous ce is often the safest ce. And it seems like the girl also wants to avoid them. Maybe it might actually not be that bad."


    He tried to convince himself to follow the girls. Through them, he might gain information that was restricted to the upper echelon of this world, which might also contain the news about his so-called brother.


    These people were supposed to havee from the Capital after all. Although he didn''t know if hell followed the same system as earth, there was a high chance that the Capital was the most important ce of hell.


    After the woman finished scarring her body, she kept the dagger back. Normally, her wounds would''ve healed on her own. However, under the effect of the dagger, the wounds weren''t healing to that extent, despite her bloodline.


    It was exactly what she wanted. From the prettiest girl in her n, she had now turned to the ugliest girl in the n as per her own definition.


    After finishing, she started leaving, her eyes appearing just as cautious as ever.


    Eren spread out his wings and started flying after the two girls, who covered arge distance with a single step. It was proving harder for Eren to catch up to their speed, because of the size.


    Even more troubling was the fact that he had to go through that dark mist again, which restricted his vision. Fortunately, there was the sound of footsteps which helped him find a rough lead.


    After walking for close to half an hour, the girls had slowed down. Eren was able to get even closer to them, his speed finally matching and even surpassing their speed.


    Instead of following like a fly from the distance and getting caught, he took the risk and flew closer. He grabbed the robe of Yevni, stabbing his ws inside to hang by it.


    "We caught the intruders! Hahaha, so fast!" Another shout came, which surprised Eren.


    12:46


    He didn''t have to fly after them anymore. He could simply hide inside her robe, avoiding any sharp gazes of others. At the same time, he could also rest and save his energy.


    As Yevni stepped out of the forest, the estate of her family came to sight, with bones littered all around it, as if forming a bridge that led to the estate.


    As she reached the entrance, the guards took a second nce at her, trying their hardest to not ask questions or show any disgust to her looks.


    They also appeared somewhat confused. When she left, she was so beautiful. How was she so scarred after returning? Was she attacked by someone along the way?


    If the maid wasn''t following her, they would''ve even suspected if she was actually Yevni or someone else, despite the same clothes.


    "If you don''t want to be my food, then step aside," Yevni the guards, who quickly stepped aside, repeatedly apologizing.


    Distracted by her looks, they had forgotten how dangerous this woman should be.


    Yevni was about to step inside, and Eren was also relieved that he wasn''t caught.


    "Intruder!" Suddenly a loud shout came.


    Eren''s expressions darkened. Was he caught so fast? The n actually had a method to detect intruders as long as they passed through the threshold of the estate?


    "We caught the intruders! Hahaha, so fast!" Another shout came, which surprised Eren.


    He was alone. Why were there shouts that they caught intruders? Unless they weren''t talking about him.


    He peeped out of the robe, being extremely careful. He briefly caught sight of more giant guards that were dragging two humans who were tied by chains.


    "F*ck my life!" Eren eximed, catching sight of the so-called intruders.


    They were wearing Necromancer Tower robes. They were definitely two of the many Hall Masters that had arrived with the Tower Master.


    What frustrated Eren the most was that their size was normal. It wasn''t the people of this world that were giants. Instead, he was the one who was extremely small.


    "It''s just me..." The realization started setting in.

 Chapter 539: A Good time

    539 Chapter 539: A Good time


    Two Hall Masters of Necromancer Tower were being dragged back. They didn''t even offer any resistance, appearing lifeless. If it wasn''t for their breathing, Eren would have thought that they were already killed. There were no wounds on their bodies, which made him wonder exactly how they had been defeated.


    Why did the Tower Master not save them? Was it because he couldn''t? Or was their group also separated, meaning the Tower Master wasn''t even there to help them? Eren couldn''t think straight. He felt slightly envious that they were of normal size. It meant he was the only one who had been shrunk aftering to this world. This was definitely not something he liked.


    ''I should have walked straight through the door, instead of using Hell''s Pass. I grew overconfident and trusted the reward received through the system a little too much.''


    His luck had been a little too good when it came to his system, which was like a partner in crime. He thought that there might be a good reason for the pass that was given to him. Unfortunately, instead of helping him, it had given him another headache. His smaller size was beneficial in hiding. But overall, it was a great disadvantage as it left him unable to do so many things. He was like a mosquito. Even if he was a strong mosquito, that was it. In his smaller size, his speed was slower. His senses could also cover a much smaller range. And more importantly, his attacks were also rted to his size. Even if he attacked with his sword, was it any different than attacking a human with a needle? "Size matters, no matter what everyone says." He thought, returning back to his hiding position inside the robe. He had no reason to help the Hall Masters. There was no friendship between them, and there wasn''t any information he could gain from them. Either they were abandoned by the Tower Master, or they were separated identally. In any case, they were useless for him since they weren''t going to know the current position of the Tower Master. The Tower Master wasn''t someone who was going to let them know something about his true n or intentions either so interrogation was also useless. The n was truly wasting their time on these people. The moment they came to their senses, they were going to kill themselves. "The Stars will definitely reward us!" The guards who had captured the two intruders couldn''t hide their grins at all. Although they worked for the woman''s n, they appeared to respect the stars even more. Even if they had to abandon the n to be dogs of a Primordial Star, they found it a thousand times better. Normally they didn''t even have an opportunity to get close to a Primordial Star, but they felt like their luck was much better today. The Primordial Star hade to their n directly, giving them opportunity. Yevni looked at the guards in disgust, as if she was able to read their thoughts. Rolling her eyes in disgust, she entered the n. Now that she was uglier, she didn''t have to worry about catching the attention of the Lustful Primordial Star. At least that''s what she thought. Instead of taking the prisoners to the n master, the Guards dragged them to the guest quarters where the Primordial Star was staying. The guest house had be an Independent Territory within the n, where even the n members weren''t allowed to enter without explicit permission from the Stars. The only exception were the beautiful women of the n, who were selected and brought by the Stars as a gift to the primordial star. "Oh, you already caught some of the intruders? Lord Rezekiel would be really happy." The Stars blocked the guards from going any further. Theyplimented the guards, before taking the two prisoners. "We will take them from here. We won''t forget to mention your contribution."


    "C-certainly." The Guards had thought that they should personally meet the Primordial Star and get thepliment as well as an opportunity of their lifetime. However, they couldn''t force their way through the protection parameter. "We will try to catch more intruders. I am sure there will be more." They turned around, after telling the Stars their names so that the stars could use their names when asked by the Primordial Star. "Tsk, who cares about your names? They really thought that they could rise to the sky in a single step." After the guards left, one of the Stars clicked his tongue. "There is no loss in letting them dream. The greedier they are, the harder they will work. Maybe we won''t even need to search for the intruders ourselves."


    The two young demons dragged the unconscious prisoners back to the distant house where the Primordial Star was staying. They had only reached near the door when they were able to hear soundsing from inside the house. The sounds were loud and filled with pleasure. "Lord Rezekiel is working hard it seems. Should weeter?" One of the Stars thought out loud, wondering if he should wait. He didn''t want to disturb Rezekiel''s ''personal'' time. "Did you catch the intruders?" Just as the stars were about to turn to leave, they heard a voiceing from inside. The doors swung open and they saw a young man, approaching them while wrapping a towel around his waist. Sweat trickled down his well toned muscles as he appeared as carefree as ever. Behind him, there were more than ten women lying on the ground, breathing heavily, their faces red as tomatoes. None of them even had a shred of clothing on their body. The Stars were also surprised, seeing the condition of the women. "They look like they had a good time," one of the menmented, only for Rezekiel to smirk in response. "Which girl doesn''t when they are with me?" Rezekiel appeared proud, taking it as apliment for him.

 Chapter 540 Tower Masters Plight

    The Necromancer Tower Master was pacing back and forth. Not far from him, the group of hall masters were sitting on the ground, tending to their wounds.


    "They should be fine. They are just a little wounded," the Right Guardian came up to the Tower Master, giving him a short briefing.


    "I can''t understand. How did we end up in the Inner Part of Hell? It''s as if the entire n went down the drain. All that preparation, for nothing!" The Tower Master said, appearing somewhat frustrated.


    Back in the world, he was always in control. There was nothing that could throw him off bnce. But Hell was different.


    It was like a terrifying Nightmare where creatures that were beyondprehension, lived. That''s why he had prepared a n. Your adventure continues at empire


    He was supposed to follow the maps that were created in the past, to navigate through the safe passage until they reached the core region.


    They never expected something to go wrong. Instead of ending up in the outer region like thest time hell had opened, they were tossed straight into the inner territory of hell where true monsters dwelled.


    If it was just that, they would have been fine. They should be able to take care of threats within the inner region, as long as it wasn''t something serious.


    Unfortunately, their luck was absolutely worse. They came across people right when theynded. Even though they managed to kill them, the information about intruders from outside had leaked.


    Ever since then, they had been chased with intent to kill. No matter how many people they killed, the chase didn''t stop.


    The Tower Master was strong. He could simply find the territory of these people and kill them all, to end the chase once and for all. Unfortunately, or rather fortunately, he had received news that the Stars were about to arrive, apanied by a Primordial Star.


    He had been to hell in the past. He knew what those words meant. If it was a Primordial Star, then he absolutely couldn''te across them. It was extremely dangerous, even for him.


    He had a very specific goal. To make sure that he didn''t go astray, he had to avoid the Primordials at all cost. Hence, he could only be on the moving.


    "We need to leave this Territory as soon as possible. Tell them to be ready in a minute," he told the Right Guardian who nodded.


    After the Right Guardian left, the Tower Master looked at the dark sky that was covered in ck mist.


    "Ever since I met him again, everything has started going wrong. The mishap this time... I hope I am overthinking."


    He watched the Hall Master stand up, as per his instructions, despite being injured. He couldn''t care less about their injury. He had to avoid the Primordials at any cost, at least until he found the one that he was looking for.


    For that, even if he had to abandon all the Hall Masters here, he was willing. For him, it was worth it. As long as he found that person, everything was going to change.


    The past, present and the future, everything was going to change forever. After that, even the Primordials couldn''t stop him.


    He looked at the crystals in his hand, that he had gathered for exactly that purpose. He was going to wake up the Necromancer, who had been abandoned in Hell.


    "Thest time I found you, I couldn''t do anything because I wasn''t prepared. But this time, I came with preparation. This time, I won''t return without you..." He kept the crystals in his storage ring safely.


    "Hmm?" He suddenly frowned, hearing the sound of footstepsing from a distance. "They just don''t leave me alone."


    He disappeared, turning into mist. A few secondster, he returned. His clothes were stained in fresh blood and the sound of footsteps werepletely gone.


    He didn''t offer any exnation and told the others to get moving with him.


    Along the way, he used his mana to clean his clothes from the scent of blood.


    ....


    Yevni stopped in front of a red door and gently pushed it open.


    Eren was hiding inside her robe, hoping that she would enter her room and rest, which might allow him an opportunity to sneak out. However, he soon realized that he couldn''t be more wrong.


    "Father..." Yevni said, as soon as she stepped inside the room.


    Eren''s heart sank as he came to the realization that this wasn''t Yevni''s room. Instead, it was the ce that belonged to her father.


    Ever since Eren woke up inside hell, he was able to feel a dense aura of death everywhere. The only exception was this room, where he couldn''t feel any aura of death.


    Instead, it was the only ce where he could feel life.


    "Yevni!" The man who was sitting on a throne stood up, his eyes revealing great relief. He was relieved that his daughter had managed to return safely.


    As soon as the man stood up, the woman who was sitting on hisp fell on the ground.


    Yevni looked at the girl on the ground who quickly stood up, not even wiping the blood that was trickling down her neck where two sharp fangs had been stabbed recently.


    She quickly shifted her attention back to her father.


    "You are still the same. Every time you are nervous, you can''t control your appetite."


    Yevni''s father didn''t answer. Instead, he sent the girl flying out of his room. The doors shut on their own.


    The man cast a barrier around his room to make sure that no one outside could hear anything.


    "How can I not worry about you when a Primordial is here?" the man, wiping the trail of blood that was trickling down the corner of his lips.


    Not only did he sound young, but he also looked extremely young. It was as if he wasn''t Yevni''s father but her brother.


    His face was just as pale as her, as if he didn''t have a shred of blood inside his body, which was in stark contrast to the trickle of blood on the corner of his lips.

 Chapter 541 Scent of life

    "I am d that you understood my message." He approached his daughter and hugged her, his eyes revealing his concern for his daughter.


    While hugging her, he repeatedly apologized, "I am sorry. I couldn''te up with a better way to protect you. Because of me, you had to..."


    His fingers brushed against the scar of his daughter. It was as if these weren''t the scars on her, but scars on his heart.


    He could have asked her to run away, but with the manhunt for the Intruders, it was going to be worse if she was confused as an Intruder and caught by the Stars.


    He had to bring her back while making sure that she was safe. This was the only solution that seemed viable to him


    Even though this was the only option he had, he still felt guilty for it. If he wasn''t worried about protecting his entire n from the Wrath of Primordials, he would have personally killed Rezekiel.


    Instead, he could only turn a blind eye and use other girls from the n to keep Rezekiel distracted.


    "It is not your fault," Yevni also understood her father''s difficulty. Her father was the one who doted on her the most. She understood how difficult it must have been for him.


    "I knew you would... Hmm? Where are youing from?" The man suddenly stepped back, frowning.


    "I went to the pond in the forest like normal. Why?" Yevni was also a little surprised by her father''s reaction.


    "Strange. Did youe across anything peculiar? Like some rare flower of life?" The man asked, his expressions appearing to be even more confused.


    "Nothing like that. Don''t you know that Flowers of Life are extremely rare. If we had them in the forest, we would have already known. Why are you asking such strange questions?" The girl didn''t understand the intentions of her father.


    "It''s because you appear to have a very peculiar scent of life around you that I haven''t seen before. How strange..." The man''s frown deepened in response as he circled around Yevni, observing her.


    Eren felt his heart skip a beat. He was hiding inside the girl''s robe, who hadn''t felt his presence. He didn''t think that her father was going to discover his presence so soon.


    Was it because this room didn''t have the heavy scent of death to mask his scent of life? If he was discovered, he was sure it was going to be a big problem.


    ''That''s why I wanted to avoid strong people. Who would''ve thought that the foolish girl woulde straight to the strongest person in her family?''


    Despite his curiosity about the man, he hadn''t even tried to catch a glimpse of him, worried that he might get caught. He didn''t expect him to catch his scent despite that. Enjoy more content from empire


    Eren knew that he only had two options if he was discovered.


    The first option was to eliminate them. However, he couldn''t gauge the strength of the man he hadn''t even seen. If he chose that option, he could only hope things would go ording to his wishes.


    The second option was to talk to them and exin his side. This option felt just as dangerous. He was a prized target in this world that the Stars were after.


    There was no way the n would side with him and provide shelter when the leader was a man who could even let his daughter hurt herself to protect his n.


    Would he risk his n by protecting a stranger? There was no chance of that. Eren wasn''t naive enough to put his life in the hands of another man, unless absolutely necessary.


    He took a deep breath and was prepared for the worst as the man observed his daughter.


    "Strange. Am I overthinking because I''m anxious?" The man stopped circling around his daughter. "But that''s unlikely. My senses are never wrong."


    The man was unwilling to drop the matter, only for Yevni to remember something.


    She suggested, "Maybe it''s because I came across a few intruders?"


    "Two of them were imprisoned by our guards and were being dragged back. It must be their scent which is still lingering. You''re just too sensitive about it," she added, making Eren want to kiss her in gratitude.


    When he needed help the most, that girl hade up with an excuse to protect him, without even realizing.


    He also felt a little gratitude towards the Hall Masters of the Necromancer Tower who were caught at the right time. If it wasn''t for them, he didn''t think the family head would''ve been willing to drop that matter.


    Now the man had no excuse to be worried. This was truly a perfect exnation, as it was all about scent.


    He was so small that his scent could only bepared to the lingering scent of life from the giant Hall Masters.


    "Ah, that must be it. But if the intruders were caught, why wasn''t I informed?" The man finally lowered his guard, his thoughts shifting to a different matter.


    As a family head, he didn''t even know about some of the intruders being caught yet.


    "Do you even need to ask?" Yevni asked sarcastically.


    It should''ve been clear why he wasn''t informed when a higher authority like a Primordial Star was present. Even the guards were trying to gain favor of the Primordial Star.


    The man scratched the back of his head, realizing the answer himself. The matter of intruders was being led by the Primordial Star.


    If he tried to intervene and exert authority, it was no different than going against a Primordial Star. He could still do it, but he didn''t want to attract the attention of the Primordial Star towards his family.


    "Fine. I will let him y around. After he is tired, he will leave on his own. Until then, you are not allowed to leave your courtyard!"


    Yevni was basically under house arrest by her father. She tried to negotiate but it was useless. In the end, she could only agree and leave the room, apanied by Eren who felt relieved after getting farther from the family head.

 Chapter 542 Brave or foolish

    Yevni returned to her room, noticing many curious gazes along the way. Even the maids and servants were looking at her with interest.


    Some eyed her suspiciously, wondering about the origin of the scars that now marked her skin. Was she hurt by someone? Others watched her with great interest.


    After confirming Yevni''s presence, several of them slipped away quietly to inform the Primordial Star, who had instructed them to keep a close watch for her.


    The Primordial Star had already heard stories about her beauty, even in the Capital. He had tried multiple times to get her toe to the Capital with various excuses.


    Unfortunately, the n had their own excuses. She never came to the capital. Her family always gave their own excuses to keep her back.


    The Primordial Star was running out of patience when he heard the news about the intruders in this territory.


    Even though he didn''t need toe here personally to deal with such a small matter, he volunteered toe. It was all to see Yevni, who had been the focus of many rumours throughout the years.


    Unfortunately, even as he came here, he was told that she wasn''t at home. He thought that the family head might be lying and asked the guards to keep an eye on the girl.


    Now that Yevni was back, his spies quickly rushed back to inform him.


    Unfortunately, even they weren''t allowed to get close to the Primordial Star. Just like the other guards, they could only convey the information to the Stars who revealed a fascinated grin.


    The Primordial Star was going to be really happy when he received the news. They told the guards to return and keep an eye on the girl to make sure she didn''t leave the n anymore.


    Meanwhile, they personally went back to inform the Primordial Star.


    ....


    "A world where you are considered one of the strongest? I can only wonder how weak that world must be."


    The Primordial Star was standing in front of two tall trees. With each tree, one of the Necromancers was tied.


    Their mouth was filled with blood and their teeth were missing, as if they had been painfully ripped apart. Not far from them, the teeth were littered around, stained with the blood of the Necromancer.


    "Despite being so weak, and knowing what a dangerous ce this is, you came here? I don''t know if I should call you brave or simply foolish."


    He hadn''t managed to receive much information about their goal. The people who were caught alive were clearly low in the hierarchy of the Necromancer Tower.


    They were only good enough to gather information about the number of total intruders and the ce that they came from. However, that was the extent of it.


    The one that fascinated him the most was the leader of this group. From what he managed to learn, the Tower Master hade to this world in the past, at least once.


    Not only did hee here, but he managed to return alive. He should''ve been thanking his stars for surviving hell. Instead, he came here again?


    It should simply be the shortsightedness of the Tower Master, but he didn''t know why, it felt like it wasn''t the case. The man had a clear goal oning here, which he had kept hidden from his followers as well.


    "I want the leader of that group caught. If you can''t do it, then I would have to do it myself," the Primordial Star looked at his followers.


    "And if I have to do it myself, then what''s the need for you to live? So you better make sure that I don''t have to move. I am here on a vacation, and if my vacation is spoiled, then I might be an entirely different person."


    The Primordial Star didn''t issue a direct threat, but his words couldn''t be any more clear. If the Stars failed to catch the target, then they might be the target instead.


    "We will drag him back to you, alive!" The Stars could only make sure that they wouldn''t fail. Even if they had to mobilize everything, they had to catch the target.


    "On your way out, don''t forget to take the trash with you. It would serve as a good example..."


    The Primordial Star silently walked away, leaving the Necromancers that were barely breathing. The Stars freed the Necromancer who were worried about their fate.


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    Were they going to live? Or were they going to be killed? Fortunately, they didn''t know. If they knew their fate, they would have been wishing for a quick death instead.


    A trail of blood was left behind as the living Necromancers were dragged away.


    The Primordial Star returned to his residence. He opened the door, revealing multiple girls waiting for him inside. Some of the faces werepletely new as well.


    He was about to step inside when he felt the presence of his followers. They were responsible for guarding the surroundings so that there was no disturbance to his pleasure.


    "I am not in a good mood. So you better have good news."


    "I have news that you might like." The Star said gleefully.


    He had already seen the fate of the other stars that were assigned a mission. They were d that they were on Guardian Duty. Not only did they escape the mission, but they had also received another good news for the Primordial Star


    "The Lady of the House has returned," they informed the Primordial Star, whose lips curled up.


    "I thought that damned Vampire was going to hide her for an eternity. It looks like he''s still a little wise. He didn''t test my patience too much."


    Rezekiel had thought that he might have to take some drastic steps to make the Nightwing n learn their lesson. Now it seemed as if there was no need to go the extra mile.


    "Should I drag her here?" The Star asked Rezekiel.


    As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a terrifying killing intent which made him fall to his knees subconsciously.

 Chapter 543 Fallen Luck

    The Guardian Star thought that he might have pleased the Primordial Star if he brought that girl here. He didn''t expect to offend Rezekiel.


    With such a heavy killing intent, he truly felt as if he was killed a thousand times over.


    "Is that how you treat a delicacy?" Rezekiel coldly asked.


    "N-not at all. I was wrong!" The Guardian Star didn''t argue back. He knew that if he made a mistake here, he was going to be killed before he even knew it.


    Death was still a better fate. If he was unlucky, he might actually suffer a fate even worse, just like those Necromancers from other worlds were going to suffer.


    "Don''t touch the girl. I will personally go to her. I have waited a long time for her. I can wait a few more hours," Rezekiel warned the Guardian, retracting his killing intent.


    Finally, the Guardian was able to breathe properly. He felt relieved that he wasn''t going to be killed.


    "I will make sure!" he added as he stood up, his clothes covered in sweat.


    "Just make sure that she doesn''t leave the n. Her prince wille for her, after he finishes his breakfast."


    Rezekiel entered the residence, and closed the door behind him. Once again, sounds of pleasure filled the entire ce, that didn''t stop for a long time.


    The Guardian Star left the ce, and personally went on to make sure that Yevni didn''t leave her room.


    He didn''t realize that there was another man inside the room with her. Let alone him, even Yevni didn''t realize the presence of another man as she took off the robe and tossed it on the bed.


    Eren flew with the robe, falling on the bed. He leaked his head out, and saw Yevni taking off the rest of her clothes.


    She removed the clothes, stripping to the bare minimum before she changed into morefortable clothes that reminded Eren of the clothes that were used on earth.


    ''Is that a pyjama?'' He wondered, surprised at the clothes that existed in this world.


    Was it a coincidence that they developed the same sense of fashion as earth? Or was there another link between this world and earth, which allowed the cultural influences to spread.


    Eren quickly snuck out of the robe and hid at a different ce before the girl could turn back in his direction.


    The girl walked over to a table and picked up a book and walked back to the bed. She slid the robe aside to make some space for her andid on the bed, immersing herself in the book.


    ''To think that there are intellectuals who read books on hell as well...''


    With the girl distracted, Eren nned to sneak out of the room. However, as he was about to jump down the bed, he halted. He looked back at the girl, his expressions turning weird.


    It took him a moment to realize the kind of book that the girl was reading. It wasn''t even a proper book but aic book.


    It was too much to be a simple coincidence. Fashion sense could be the same, but theics that were titled the same as they were on earth?


    It was aic book about a noble vampire that was fairly popr on earth.


    ''This world truly has some connections with earth. Is it because there was a transmigrator here who came from earth? Did he change this world? Or is it because this world actually has a much deeper connection to earth than I thought?''


    Hell... It was an existence that was believed back on earth as well. If it was the same hell that was believed by people of death, then it could exin why there were such things here.


    He was starting to get a feeling that Hell wasn''t connected to only his new world. It might be connected to more than one world.


    It might even be an interlink between various worlds. That''s why the people of this world were that serious about the intruders, because they might be from any number of worlds.


    Eren came to a realization. Hell was more important to him than he thought. It wasn''t just about finding and killing the Main Character of the Northern Continent anymore.


    There were too many things about this world that he needed to learn.


    He jumped off the bed, floating in the air to gentlynd on the floor. He soon rushed towards the door that had a small gap with the floor.


    Normally, that gap wasn''t even enough to let out a single finger. However, his small size created an opportunity for him to sneak out.


    He flew towards the gap in the door. However, as he reached near the door, he suddenly felt dizzy. His head was in disorientation.


    He felt as if the gap at the bottom of the door was suddenly getting smaller with each passing millisecond.


    ''No, it''s not the gap that''s getting smaller. It''s...'' The moment he came to a realisation, it was already toote.


    The timing couldn''t be any worse for him. He was starting to return to his original size at the worst time possible.


    Thud!


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    A loud thud echoed across the room as Eren''s head shed with the door. His skull was strong. The entire door flew open as he slid across the floor, ending up in the hallway in front of the myriad of eyes that were focused on Yevni''s room.


    One of those observers was the Guardian Star who saw a strange mane out of Yevni''s room.


    The loud noise even caught Yevni''s attention. She ced theic aside and looked at the door, watching someone lying on his belly, with the top half of their body outside the room and bottom half inside.


    Her entire door had been broken with a human sized hole being around that person''s body.


    "Just when I thought my luck was starting to get better." Eren scratched the back of his head, realizing that he was in deep waters.

 Chapter 544 That Damned Healing

    The hallway waspletely silent, except for the sounds of surprise from those who had witnessed Eren''s unceremonious exit from Yevni''s room.


    Eren sighed in frustration, scratching the back of his head.


    He had taken the destiny physique from the Eastern Continent''s main character.  Ever since then, his luck had been somewhat good, at least for the most part.


    He didn''t expect his luck to betray him at such a crucial stage. When he needed size, he was smaller. When he needed to be smaller, he received his old size.


    He wasn''t sure if it was normal, or because he was in a different world. Was the Destiny Physique fated for the Eastern Continent useless in this world? Because ever since he came here, he hasn''t been having a good time.


    Yevni, still seated on her bed, looked at him with a mix of confusion and curiosity.


    When Eren slid out of the door, she waved her hands. What was left of the door, opened up to reveal the hallway. There, she saw Eren patting his clothes in an attempt to remove dust from his clothes.


    "Who are you?" she asked, her voice filled with confusion. Now that Eren was back to his normal size, she could feel a very powerful scent of lifeing from him.


    It waspletely different from the intruders that were caught by the guards. If anything, even she felt a sense of danger emanating from that unfamiliar man.


    She couldn''t believe that this person had managed to get so close to her, in their home, without her realisation.


    She might have thought that Eren was here to hurt her, if he wasn''t facing the other way. From the way he was stuck, it was clear to her that he was already in the room when she waspletely unaware.


    If he wanted, he could''ve attempted to harm her. Instead, he seemed like he was trying to leave when he was caught.


    Eren couldn''t afford to reveal too much, not when he barely understood the intricacies of this world himself.


    "I didn''t mean to intrude. If you would excuse me, I will take my leave now." Eren acted shamelessly, not even acknowledging the situation.


    It was as if he was simply a guest who had lost his way to end up at the wrong ce at the wrong time.


    The Guardian Star, recovering from the initial shock, began to advance toward Eren with a look of rage. His killing inte wasn''t hidden from anyone.


    Even the servants and maids felt the burden of the killing intent, falling to their knees, finding it harder to breathe.


    "An outsider," he said, his voice echoing with rage. "How did you manage to get here? And what were you doing in her room? Is the Nightwing n working with the outsiders?"


    The way the Guardian Star phrased his words, made Yevni frown as well. If the Nightwing n was used of working with the outsiders, then it was bad for their entire n as well.


    Their entire n could be considered Traitors, which was a disastrous oue. Even if Eren didn''t have intention to hurt her, she knew that she had to make the Nightwing n''s affiliation clear.


    She got off the bed. To make sure that the Guardian Star couldn''t me her n, she had to make everything clear. She had to take down the Intruder with her own hands.


    Eren innocently scratched the back of his head, unaware of the intentions of the girl inside the room.


    He was more focused on the Guardian Star as he answered, "Would you believe me if I say that I was looking for the toilet and got lost?"


    The Guardian Star didn''t seem convinced, and Eren knew that was going to be the case. The Guardian Star would have to be a fool to believe any excuses. After all, he was supposed to be the enemy.


    He could also feel that the Guardian Star was dangerous. Although he was able to resist that man''s killing intent with the Sword Emperor''s Aura, he didn''t know if that was going to be the care when the unknown Primordia Star came.


    He had to find a way to protect himself. And there was only one way that he could think of, which could confirm his safety to some extent.


    The Primordial Star was dangerous, but his lust was his biggest weakness from what Eren had managed to decipher.


    A man like that hade all this way for Yevni. She was the prize that he was after, and he didn''t know that she had wounded her own face.


    The only way to leave this ce safely was for him to take what the Primordial Star wanted the most. He had to take Yevni hostage.


    With a hostage, he had managed to escape from the Southern Overlord as well. The Primordial Star wasn''t going to be much different, unless he was overestimating how much the Primordial Star desired Yevni.


    He spread out his divine sense to observe Yevni, trying to learn her current position without alerting the Guardian Star.


    "Hmm?" The moment he sensed Yevni, his expressions quickly shifted.


    He dodged to his side, realizing that Yevni was right next to him, her sharp fangsing straight for his neck.


    He dodged to the side at thest moment, and used his enhanced speed to appear behind Yevni. He struck at the back of her neck hard, making her pass out.


    Or so he thought. His thoughts were proven wrong when Yevni didn''t pass out. Instead, she turned around, her sharp wsing for Eren''s neck.


    "All intruders need to die!" Yevni eximed, making it clear that she had nothing to do with the outsiders.


    "That damned healing of yours!" Eren cursed, avoiding Yevni''s sharp ws again. "I''ll have to make it more painful then."


    He grabbed Yevni''s wrist, twisting her arm, cracking her bones. He didn''t have time to worry about her as she had extremely good healing. He only wanted to make her lose the initiative.


    Sharp nails came out of his fingers, and he aimed for Yevni''s heart. "I wonder if your super healing can help you survive after I w that heart out. Should we test?" Find more to read at empire

 Chapter 545 Shall we test?

    Eren''s sharp nails stabbed through Yevni''s chest, almost gripping her heart. Just a little pull, and he could w her heart out of her chest.


    He didn''t care if the person in front of him was a man or a woman. There was no gentleness in his eyes. For now, he only cared about his own safety.


    If she doesn''t ensure his safety, then he could only take more drastic steps, which he wanted to avoid.


    He was slightly curious to see if he could take Yevni''s bloodline with Devourer, or if that skill didn''t work on beings of hell, just like his destiny physique didn''t. Continue reading on empire


    For the time being, keeping her alive was more important so he didn''t w her heart out. She was his ticket out of this ce. He couldn''t hurt her yet.


    "If you kill me, you can''t leave this ce alive either."


    Yevni used her other hand, stabbing her ws in Eren''s guts. Instead of freeing herself, she tried to hurt him even more, knowing that he couldn''t kill her.


    "Dying with a prettydy that even a Primordial desires? I don''t think it''s a bad death. I might be able to brag about it in the afterlife."


    Eren''s nails brushed against Yevni''s heart, making her feel the pain of having her heart wed. "Are you sure you want to test if I can do it or not?"


    Even as Eren fought the woman, he made sure that the Guardian Star couldn''t see her face. He didn''t know if the Primordial Star was going to care about her looks or not, but he didn''t want to take the risk.


    He needed to use the Primordial Star''s desire. He couldn''t let anyone in the close circle of the Primordial Star know what the Princess of the Nightwing n actually looked like.


    It was the unknown beauty which had piqued the interest of the Primordial Star. He had to keep the charm of the unknown.


    Eren brought his lips closer to her ears, and gently whispered, "Oh right. My healing is most probablyparable to yours. So if you are dreaming that I will bleed to death, then you should drop that thought."


    Yevni''s expression darkened. It was as if Eren was able to read her thoughts. It was the reason she had stabbed her ws in his body.


    She was hoping that he might pass out from the loss of blood, without even realizing. She didn''t think that he was going to have the same healing factor as her.


    In this world, there were many powerful people who were able to heal their wounds. However, the Nightwing n was specifically known for their healing abilities.


    They were the creatures of the night, that were called undying. The only exception was their heart. Their heart was their only weakness and Eren was targeting that same weakness.


    "You know that a Primordial is here, still you came here? I don''t know if I should praise your courage orugh at your foolishness. Do you think he would let you escape, just because you took me hostage?" Yevni scoffed in response.


    She hated the Primordial Star, but she also didn''t want her n to be associated with the outsiders. At the same time, she didn''t believe that the Primordial Star was going to let Eren escape.


    After hurting her face, she had lost her charm for the Primordial Star. There was no way he was going to care about her now. At least that''s what she and her father believed when they came up with this n.


    If Eren thought that he could leave this ce after being caught, then he was in for a rude awakening.


    "I suppose we will find out soon," Eren said, taking off his cloak. He covered Yevni with his cloak, hiding her from the world. His ws still remained around her heart, not letting her escape.


    It was only after he believed that she was in enough mental distress, he used the Ancient Dragon Language to put the girl to sleep.


    Yevni didn''t know why, but she suddenly started feeling sleepy. She found the situation strange, but she couldn''t resist the urge to sleep, especially since her mind felt extremely fatigued.


    Her body went limp, and she passed out. Eren finally freed her heart, and brought his hand out of her chest, observing the incredible healing factor.


    Within a second, the wound in her chest hadpletely healed, even though she wasn''t even conscious.


    He had said that his healing was just as incredible, but that was clearly not the case. Fortunately, the girl fell for his bluff and didn''t see that his healing was much slower than hers.


    He could use other external factors like the Dragon Bloodline to strengthen his healing, but that was more useful in the ancient dragon form.


    In his human form, that healing had limited use.


    After Yevni passed out, Eren brought out a healing pill from his storage ring and ced it in her mouth, letting the effect enhance his healing speed.


    The Guardian Star hadn''t interfered when Yevni attacked Eren. He didn''t think that an outsider could defeat the youngdy of the Nightwing n.


    He didn''t expect Eren to end this battle so swiftly. Before he could even react to the battle, Yevni was already within Eren''s grasp.


    At the moment, he felt like he had been truly foolish. If only he had intervened faster, she wouldn''t be in Eren''s grasp.


    If it was any normal girl, he wouldn''t have cared. He would have taken out Eren, even if it meant hurting the girl. Unfortunately, the girl was far from normal.


    She was the little princess of the Nightwing n. She was also the person that a Primordial Star wanted the most.


    If he hurt her, then even if he managed to catch Eren, it was going to be his head on a tray when the Primordial Star found out about it.


    "Do you know who is in your arms?" he asked Eren, his expressions grim.

 Chapter 546 The Deal

    "Isn''t she the heartthrob of your owner?" Eren asked.


    The Guardian Star flinched temporarily due to the disrespect in Eren''s words. He was basically being called a ve of Rezekiel.


    Despite that, he couldn''t say anything to argue against it. Rezekiel was truly very important for Hell. That''s why he had been serving Rezekiel. Hence, it wasn''t entirely wrong, albeit disrespectful.


    "If you know about the Primordial Star, as well as that girl, then quickly release her. I will grant you a quicker death. If he came here, then you can''t even imagine your fate."


    The Guardian reached out his hand, trying to convince Eren to release the girl. As long as the girl was protected, he could take care of Eren easily.


    "Not only do I know your master, but I also know his temperament. You are scared of him, aren''t you?"


    Eren had heard enough about the Primordial Star to understand his personality. Apanied by the fear in the Guardian''s eyes, his suspicions became even more clear.


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    "If something happened to the girl, you would suffer worse than me. I caught her right in front of you. Will your owner let it go and forgive you?" Eren pushed forth.


    Just like the Guardian, he also didn''t want to be discovered by the Primordial Star yet. For that, he had to leave this ce before Rezekiel came. It was good for both of them.


    "What do you want?" The Guardian narrowed his gaze, almost struggling to control his urges to kill the outsider that was trying to negotiate with him.


    He had seen quite a few outsiders. Many of them had even died in his hands. Never once had he found himself in a situation like this.


    If he didn''t have to worry about Rezekiel, he wouldn''t have hesitated, even if Eren wiped out the entire Nightwing n.


    "I want your survival, which is somehow closely rted to my survival. I am sure you are wise enough to understand."


    The Guardian clenched his fists, understanding Eren''s intention.


    "Fine! I will allow you to leave safely. Release the girl and I promise to let you leave this ce alive. I will also keep this a secret from him. However, the next time we meet, it will be your end!"


    "Do you think I am a child to believe your words?" Eren didn''t want to ce his safety in the man''s words.


    If he released the girl, he was going to lose his only leverage. He thought about making the man take a heavenly oath, but he wasn''t sure if that could restrict people who were in hell already.


    Just like Destiny Physique didn''t work in this world, there was a high chance that the heavenly oath might not either. He didn''t want to take a risk. He had to keep his leverage.


    "You are to let me leave with the girl. For one hour, you are not allowed to chase me. You can''t send anyone to search for me either. After an hour when I am far away, I will release the girl and she will return on her own."


    Eren ced a suggestion in front of the Guardian, who was momentarily at a loss.


    "That''s absurd!" It took him a long time to find words to react.


    Not only was Eren nning to leave, but he wanted to take the girl with him? If he took her, then what was the guarantee that he wasn''t going to kill her to screw him over after he was far enough?


    Even if they caught himter, it wasn''t going to mean anything if the girl was hurt.


    "I can''t ept that. I can''t trust you to ensure her safety!" he eximed.


    "In that case, all three of us can die together." Eren smirked, cing his ws in front of the girl''s chest, his killing intent being as clear as day.


    "Stop!" The Guardian couldn''t watch. He couldn''t let the girl die! Even if he killed Eren a thousand times over, it wasn''t going to make up for it.


    Eren ced his hand near his ears, as if trying to hear better. "Did you say something?"


    "I agree! I agree! But after an hour, you must release her!" The Guardian Star had lost this war of will.


    He was scared of the consequences. He had a lot more to lose than Eren, who was fated for death in any case.


    Once they started searching for him seriously; let alone an hour, even if they gave him ten hours of lead, they were still going to catch him eventually.


    "Just look at my face. Don''t I look trustworthy?" Eren asked innocently. "Now don''t waste time. If Rezekiel came here, then it will all be for nothing."


    The Guardian clenched his teeth.  He was already looking forward to the time that he was going to catch Eren. He was going to make him regret being born in this world when he did.


    Unfortunately, now wasn''t the time. He got to work and started assigning the guards of the mansion in positions that left a clear path for Eren to leave the mansion without being detected.


    He also killed all the servants and guards that had seen what happened here. He made them disappear, not wanting information about his deal with the outsider to leak.


    "You better release her after an hour. If she doesn''t return safely, then you will regret the day you were born!" He apanied Eren to the exit of the mansion, almost wanting to rip him apart.


    A few seconds passed but Eren was simply standing near the exit in silence.


    "Why aren''t you leaving?" The Guardian asked.


    "Now that I think about it, I don''t have a decent mount either." Eren wondered out loud.


    "You evil bastard!" The Guardian clenched his fist so hard that his hands had started to bleed. He understood the meaning of giving an inch to lose a mile.


    However, he suddenly thought of something which made him calm down a little. He waved his hand, summoning his favorite Mount that he cherished the most.

 Chapter 547 Gambling

    The Guardian Star summoned his mount, making Eren see another new species of this world which he hadn''t seen before.


    It was an infernal beast that resembled a fusion of a dragon and a colossal wolf, with skin beneath his scales that appeared like moltenva.


    Its scales are a deep obsidian ck with glowing veins of crimson and gold that appeared to be alive. Its eyes were filled with darkness, sharp like a demon waiting to devour everything in its path if offended.


    On its head were  two curved, obsidian horns that arched back, apanied by a unique crest that looked like it had been carved on the horns with a material even harder than the horns.


    Though primarily a ground beast, the Infernal Beast possesses wings that could unfurl to glide over short distances or to leap great distances.


    Eren had to avoid the tail of the beast which had sharp spikesing out of it. He was sure that if it touched it even lightly, it was going to hurt real bad.


    "This is the fastest mount I have. After an hour, just leave the girl on the mount and it will return here," the Guardian told Eren who noticed something strange.


    Previously, the Guardian looked like he was about to die from anger. But now, he was slightly calmer. If anything, it was as if he was trying really hard to act to hide his glee.


    There was something with the beast. If it was the most cherished beast of the person, why was he so happy that it was being taken?


    ''It doesn''t make sense. Unless... It has something like a blood contract with him. If that''s the case, it''s highly likely that the person can trace the horse anywhere. Is that why he is happy?''


    Eren was able to make a rough guess about the man''s intentions being his willingness to hand over a stead.


    Still, he didn''t say no to the man. He happily took the Infernal Beast, having his own n to screw over the Guardian.


    "Since you are being so kind, I will follow all your kind instructions." Eren climbed over the Infernal Beast with Yevni in his arms, still asleep peacefully.


    As Eren settled onto the back of the Infernal Beast, he felt the heat radiating from its body. Unlike the Phoenix which had a burning body that didn''t harm him, he could still feel the difort of sitting atop an Infernal Beast.


    Yevni, though unconscious, seemed unfazed by the warmth, her breathing steady as she rested in his arms.


    The Guardian Star watched them with an inscrutable expression. He had given a double edged sword to Eren. And now he was looking forward to the face that Eren was going to make when he found out the ways in which he was screwed over.


    He wondered if Eren was going to feel despair when he found him in front of him, right after he released Yevni.


    Eren gave a nod to the Guardian who instructed the Beast to follow Eren''s instructions for the next one hour. Surprisingly, it responded to the words, the dark eyes ncing back at the Guardian with a flicker of recognition.


    With a powerful lurch, the beastunched forward, its massive paws thundering against the ground as they sped away.


    Thendscape blurred around them, the wind rushing past with a force that made Eren''s cloak billow behind him like a banner.


    Eren had used many mounts in the past, including a mythical Phoenix which was known for its speed. Still, the Internal Beast proved to be even faster.


    It was also something that never ran out of energy. He could feel that the Internal Beast was recovering his energy with the essence of death that was in overwhelming quantity in their surroundings.


    Eren didn''t spend much time to marvel about the Infernal Beast. If anything, he was more curious about the kind of mount that the Primordial Star was going to have.


    If a Guardian Star had such an amazing Mount, then the Primordial Star was going to have something even more amazing. He even felt a little jealous.


    Still, he didn''t dwell on that thought. The Guardian''s motives were clear. He intended to track them. Before that happened, Eren had to deal with this problem.


    He only had an hour to take care of this problem, and there were only two solutions that he could see. He could either kill the Infernal Beast to hurt the Guardian Star and change directions, or he could try to gainplete control over the Primordial Star.


    He initially tried to use his Ancient Dragon Language to take control of the mount. Unfortunately, it didn''t work.


    The Infernal Beast was already in contract with another person. To break that contract, just the Dragon Tongue wasn''t enough.


    "Should I...."


    "I only have fifty minutes to solve this mess. With the kind of luck I have, the chances are low. But even if I am wrong, I will only lose thirty seconds. The girl won''t wake up any time soon."


    He was lost in serious thoughts, especially since he hadn''t been really lucky ever since he came to this world. Was it right to gamble at this point, even if he wasn''t going to lose anything more than thirty seconds?


    "Argh, I feel like I am getting addicted to this gambling."


    There were only two people who could know the right answer to his problem. The first person was the Author. Unfortunately, it felt like a waste to use a Question Voucher here.


    The only other person who might have the right information, was his future self.


    He joined his hands and started praying to all the gods that he knew about.


    "Please don''t screw me over this time. I don''t need a jackpot. Just someone old enough to know the solution to this problem."


    After praying, he brought out a piece of leather and ced it on the back of the Infernal Beast, writing some words on it as a safeguard.


    If it was his future self, he was going to understand. But if it was his past self, he might panic. He didn''t know if his past self was going to read anything when he found himself on a Mount from hell, but he could only try his best.


    After he finished the preparation, he took a deep breath and prepared himself for using the spell that he called gambling.

 Chapter 548 Result

    He seized the opportunity to utilize the unpredictable skill and softly whispered, "Echo of Eternity!"


    The moment he activated the skill, Eren felt his consciousness being drawn into an unknown darkness, while another consciousness took control of his body.


    He drifted in the boundless darkness for what seemed like an eternity, even though the skill''s duration was only thirty seconds.


    He was slightly curious to see if his problem was going to be solved likest time when he returned. He was even looking forward to it.


    After what felt like an eternity, he felt his consciousness being freed from this prison again. He was returning to his body as the time of skill was over.


    "It hurts..."


    It was the first thought that came to his mind when he came to his senses. He felt like the back of his head was hurting a lot, as if he had hit something hard.


    There was lying on the ground, with something heavy resting on his body.


    He already had a rough guess about the situation as he opened his eyes. Yevni was lying on top of him, still asleep. Enjoy exclusive content from empire


    Just as he expected, he was on the ground, with a heavy stone being close to his head.


    Normally, if he had hit that stone the way he did, his skull would have cracked open. Fortunately, his physique was much stronger. All he felt was a little pain but he wasn''t bleeding.


    Looking at the situation, Eren came to a realization. He had failed in his gambling. The skill was just as unpredictable as he had assumed.


    Within thest thirty seconds, he had fallen off the Infernal Beast. It was most probably because the one summoned this time was his past self which was horrified by this situation.


    Fortunately the skill duration was only thirty seconds, or something much worse might have happened.


    "Just as I thought, my luck is not good in this world."


    He sat up, still holding the girl in his arms. Fortunately, he soon caught sight of the Infernal Beast which was standing not far from him.


    Even after he had fallen, the Infernal Beast hadn''t run away.


    "It is a disappointment, but it seems like I might have to give up on you." He walked closer to the Infernal Beast, feeling slightly regretful that he might not control it.


    If he had more time with the Infernal Beast, he might have found a way to control itpletely. Unfortunately, time was what hecked in the first ce.


    "If only I could take you with me, without worrying about that man..." He patted the beast, which was clearly going to turn hostile when given the right opportunity.


    It was only temporarily that the beast was listening to him, because of its real master''s instructions.


    He retracted his hand, thinking about sending a blood close with the Infernal Beast to fool its master.


    He was about to summon a Blood Clone when he abruptly stopped.


    "Wait a minute..."


    Suddenly, a thought came to his mind. The problem was that he couldn''t take the Infernal Beast without being located by the owner.


    If that was the case, didn''t he already have a solution? He needed something that could hide the Infernal Beast to the point that even its master could not locate it.


    He had just the thing that was needed for it. It was something that even the goddess couldn''t detect in her own domain, let alone a mere Guardian.


    "Your master told you to follow me. So will youe with me?" Eren asked the Infernal Beast, knowing that it was an intelligent being, albeit not to the extent of a human.


    The Beast didn''t understand the meaning of the question. Still, he nodded as his master told him to do it. He had to make sure to stick with Eren, until it was the right time.


    After receiving the response of the Infernal Beast, Eren revealed a smile. All the conditions were satisfied.


    The Infernal Beast was suddenly caught by spatial chains as an Inventory appeared next to Eren. The beast resisted, but it was toote. It had already given permission to Eren''s request, satisfying the condition.


    It was dragged inside Eren''s inventory, which could also carry living beasts, just like it had been carrying the Phoenix.


    With that, Eren robbed the Infernal Beast from the Guardian. He had all the time in the world to find a way to control the Infernal Beast. From having barely any time to having all the time in the world, it took only a few minutes.


    "I need to get out of here." Eren wasn''t sure if the contracts of this world were the same as his world.


    If it was the case, then it was only a matter of time before the Guardian was going to feel the connection disappearing suddenly. When that happened, the Guardian was definitely going toe personally.


    He didn''t want to be here when that happened. Fortunately, he had no need to wait for the Guardian to arrive.


    In his inventory, there was just the thing that he needed. It was a Mythical Beast of his own, his very first mount in this world.


    Eren summoned the Phoenix, which appeared in front of him. The Phoenix was a beast that was closely connected to life and death. It was one of the one few beasts that could resurrect through death.


    If any beasts from his world werepatible with hell, then it was the Phoenix. The essence of death couldn''t corrode the mes of a Phoenix.


    Instead, it was the essence of death which was burning when getting close to the phoenix. With the summoning of phoenix, the area was immediately purified of the essence of death, increasing visibility.


    Eren didn''t have time to appreciate the right. He simply climbed on top of the Phoenix with the girl in his arms.


    The phoenix spread her wings, soaring high in the skies of Hell.

 Chapter 549 Disappeared

    The Phoenix soared through the sky, its ming wings cutting through the dense aura of death.


    Eren felt more at ease with the Phoenix than he had felt when riding the Infernal Beast. There was no difort, only a sense of warmth andfort radiating from the Phoenix''s mes.


    As the Phoenix carried him through the air, Eren could feel his fatigue melting away. The mes that engulfed the mythical bird seemed to soothe his weary body and mind.


    He had ced Yevni on the side after tying her hands with the chains he had taken from the Cardinals. Your next chapter is on empire


    Normally, the chains could drain the life essence of a person, weakening them. But even if that wasn''t the effect, it was still a useful and sturdy artifact to tie the Vampire Princess, not wanting to be attacked when she woke up.


    Eren didn''t even know the direction in which he was going. All he saw was the dense essence of death, which made him feel like he was cutting through clouds when flying.


    "At this rate, let alone finding the Tower Master, I can''t even locate the Capital. I suppose I will have to wait until the girl wakes up."


    He had a destination in his mind, but no way to reach it. He could only wait for the girl to wake up while the Phoenix flew straight, going as far away from the Nightwing n territory as possible.


    He didn''t even know how far their territory spread. For now, he just wanted to stay away from the Primordials before knowing more about them.


    ....


    Back in the Nightwing n territory, the Guardian had kept it a secret that the Princess of the n had been kidnapped.


    Even the Nightwing n Patriarch didn''t know about the disappearance of his daughter. He still thought that his daughter was still in her room, away from all the chaos.


    The only person he paid attention to was the Primordial Demon. Fortunately, that person hasn''t even left his room.


    The Guardian was pacing back and forth, waiting for the right time. He was really in a race against time to bring Yevni back before Rezekiel was finished with his present entertainment.


    "Fortunately he won''t be finished before a few hours at least. I still have time to make everything right."  The Guardian was standing with his back resting against a wall, observing the guest house in which the Primordial Demon was staying.


    Only the minutes had passed since Eren left the ce, but it felt like an eternity had passed. For him, time seemed to be passing so slowly that every second felt like an hour.


    "Only fifty minutes more... And then I will bring her back." He closed his eyes, trying to calm his head that was filled with thousands of thoughts.


    Although his n was perfect, it depended on Eren. As long as Eren kept his promise, everything was going to work out. However, if he killed Yevni before that time, then it was all going to fall apart.


    He was trying his hardest to not think about the worst, but those thoughts kept crossing his head.


    "Everything will be alright. Even he won''t be foolish enough to kill the Nightwing Princess that a Primordial wants."


    "Hmm?" Suddenly, his brows were raised. He looked in the direction that was initially taken by Eren and the Primordial Beast.


    Until now, he had been able to sense the whereabouts of the Primordial Beast which was tied to him. But suddenly, he wasn''t able to sense him at all.


    "Did he kill him? No, the soul contract is still existent. But why can''t I sense him?"


    His thoughts were suddenly clouded. There were only two conditions in which he might not be able to sense his Beast. The first was when it was killed. But if that happened, the contract would''ve broken right away.


    The contract was still existent, which meant his beast was alive.


    The only other condition was for his beast to have entered some forbiddennd. As far as he remembered, there was no forbiddennd in the Nightwing n Territory.


    "What did he do?" He was starting to panic. If he couldn''t sense his Beast, he couldn''t locate Eren either.


    He couldn''t stay calm anymore. He was responsible for staying near the Primordial Demon, but he decided to leave and check the situation himself.


    He suddenly disappeared, rushing out of the Nightwing n. He flew straight to thest known location of the Infernal Beast.


    Inside the Nightwing n, the Primordial Demon was taking a sip of wine while looking out the window. He allowed the girl a moment to rest as they were on the verge of passing out from pleasure.


    He was about to return to the girls when he noticed the Guardian Star standing in the distance, seemingly lost in some thought.


    He didn''t think much about it. However, he soon noticed a horrified expression of the Guardian Star which was a rare expression.


    The Guardian Star immediately rushed out, appearing to be panicked. Rezekiel sensed his presence growing distant as the man left the Nightwing n abruptly.


    "Interesting..." A single word came out of his lips as he ced the ss of wine aside.


    ....


    "There are no traces beyond this point. It''s as if it has just... Disappeared."  The Guardian Star appeared at thest known location of its Infernal Beast.


    There were no footsteps beyond this point. Instead, he saw additional marks that there was something other than Eren and Yevni at this ce.


    The marks didn''t belong to a human. It was clearly a beast, but there were no further marks beyond that point.


    "It''s as if this thing..." The guardian star touched the traces of the Phoenix before raising his head towards the sky.


    The Guardian Star opened his lips. However, before he could utter anything else, he heard someone else''s voice.


    "It flew away."


    Another personpleted his sentence and that voice sent chills down his spine.

 Chapter 550 Battle of Ego

    "Y-you..." The Guardian couldn''t even gather the courage to turn around. He recognized that voice all too well.


    It was the voice that belonged to a very unique person in hell. Many people took Rezekiel lightly, thinking that he was nothing more than a pervert who had entered the Primordial Rank through the help of his brother-inw.


    The Guardian was one of the rare few people who knew the reality. The Lustful Primordial was much more dangerous than anyone gave him credit for.


    Even without any external help, he was still capable of standing amidst the Primordials. Behind his persona that the world had seen, there was a truly scary demon.


    "W-what are you doing here?"


    The Guardian didn''t know how much Rezekiel knew about the situation. Did he already know that the girl was kidnapped? If that was the case, then he was in really serious trouble.


    "I saw you leaving in such a hurry. I was curious as to where you were going." The Primordial Demon walked past the Guardian, only his cold back visible.


    There was only a few meters of distance between them, but the Guardian knew that the real distance between them was muchrger. Even if he worked all his life, he might not be able to catch up to Rezekiel.


    With a single thought, the Lustful Primordial could kill him a thousand times in the most painful ways that could make someone crave death.


    "I-i sensed the presence of a strong outsider and came to check. It seems that the person already ran away." The Guardian tried to salvage the situation as much as possible.


    "Oh? There was a strong outsider whose presence could be sensed by you but not me?" The corner of Rezekiel''s lips crept up.


    Even though there was a smile on his lips, the Guardian felt the coldness in those words.


    "I-" the Guardian tried speaking, but he felt an innate sense of danger. He could feel that he was going to die if he spoke a single word.


    "If I''m not wrong, I told you to guard the Princess of Nightwing n. But here you are, chasing after an outsider. Were you ignoring my orders to gain more achievements and the glory of catching outsiders?"


    The Primordial observed the footsteps of the Infernal Beast.


    "Or... you already failed that task? You were chasing the outsider because he took away the girl? Not only did he take her away, but you helped him do that?"


    Every sigh was pointing towards the same thing. Within a few seconds, Rezekiel had already realized the situation.


    "I..." The Guardian felt cold shivers run down his spine.


    He realized that he was already caught. He was about to kill himself before Rezekiel could have an opportunity to do much worse.


    Unfortunately, before he could do that, an invisible force grabbed a hold of his body.


    The Primordial Star finally turned around, revealing his devilish gaze.


    "I didn''t expect you to disappoint me to this extent. I had really high hopes for you."


    He stepped closer to the Guardian and ced his hand on the Guardian''s head.


    "One more chance! Give me one more chance! I will bring her back!" The Guardian''s pupils were trembling as he pleaded for another opportunity,


    "Shhh..."


    The Primordial Demon waved his hand lightly, and the Guardian''s lips closed forcefully. The flesh of his lips started melting, merging with each other to remove any openings from his mouth.


    "Mmmmm! Mmmmm!" The Guardian''s muffled cries could be heard, as tears streamed down his cheeks.


    His eyshes started moving on their own. They acted as threads that sewed his eyes shut.


    "You have lost the right to talk to me. Even looking at me is sphemy for a failure like you. The only thing that you need is that pain. It will remind you of this failure until the moment you die..."


    Rezekiel devoured the strength of the Guardian Star, who couldn''t even resist. Only tears of blood streamed down the corner of his closed eyes.


    "Take him away to the same ce as those outsiders." The Primordial Star grabbed the Guardian by his hair and tossed him away.


    From the shadows, more Stars came out. They caught the Guardian Star and dragged him away, disappearing into the unknown.


    After the Guardian Star was dragged away, Rezekiel looked back at the traces of the Phoenix.


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    He looked in the direction that was taken by the phoenix. However, he didn''t seem pleased either.


    "It just had to be a phoenix..."


    If it was any other beast, he could have traced them with the aura they left behind. Unfortunately, a Phoenix was the most difficult being to trace.


    A Phoenix''s aura was perfectly destroyed by the essence of death which was all over the ce.


    He could only guess a rough direction based on the marks that the Phoenix had left on the ground, but it wasn''t enough to judge the right direction. The phoenix could easily have changed the direction in the sky.


    "If he''s an outsider, he will definitely meet his friends. It seems like I will have to give them a personal visit." The Primordial Star turned around and disappeared as well.


    Eren was flying away without any destination. He didn''t know that there was a person who was trying to guess his destination.


    He didn''t have even the slightest idea about how badly he had screwed the Hall Master of the Necromancer Tower, who was now considered to be his friend by the Primordial Star.


    Previously, the Primordial Star didn''t take the outsiders seriously. It was just a game for him. His real aim was Yevni.


    Unfortunately, this game had suddenly turned extremely serious for him. An outsider had entered his den and taken something that belonged to him.


    It had been a long time since someone had offended him to this extent. Not a single person who had done that in the past had survived to see this day.


    For the Primordial Star, it had be a battle of ego.

 Chapter 551 Miscalculation

    ....


    "Ugh. My head hurts..."


    The Princess of Nightwing n starteding to her senses, feeling a throbbing pain in her head.


    "Aren''t you overreacting? I didn''t even hit your head." A man''s voice came in response.


    As soon as she heard the familiar voice, her eyes snapped open. It was a voice that belonged to the outsider that she was fighting before everything turned dark.


    Normally, that man should have been killed by the Nightwing n. It was impossible for him to escape. So how was she hearing his voice?


    She swiftly controlled her body and jumped back, trying to create more distance from the man. In her haste, she doesn''t even notice her surroundings.


    She was lying on the back of the phoenix which was soaring through the sky. Although the phoenix wasrge, it wasn''trge enough to have a lot of space tond for her.


    By the time she realised that she had no ce tond, it was already toote. She had already fallen off the Phoenix.


    "I knew I should''ve tied her legs as well!" Eren eximed, scratching the back of his head in frustration.


    Dragon wings appeared behind his back and he also jumped down after the Princess of the n. Even though he couldn''t see far in this mist, he could still roughly estimate her fall trajectory.


    He soon found the Nightwing n Princess, who was falling from the sky uncontrobly. Still, she didn''t scream or look to be in distress.


    "Strange. Is it because she has a good healing ability that she doesn''t worry about falling to her death?" Eren wondered, following the Princess.


    He could easily increase his speed and catch her, but he was curious to see the reason behind her confident look.


    Eren was somewhat more worried than the Princess about her safety. She was going to be his guide after all.


    It was only when they reached near the ground that he started noticing somewhat panicked expressions of the Princess.


    "Don''t tell me the reason behind her confidence was because she didn''t know?" Eren scratched the back of his head, somewhat disappointed in what he was seeing.


    Yevni thought that she could use her abilities tond safely. She had forgotten the existence of the chains of restriction that Eren had tied her with.


    Due to the presence of the chains, she was fairly limited in what kind of abilities she could use.


    "What is this cursed chain?" She was growing even more panicked as the ground drew closer. "How can it stop me?"


    "It''s the chain of the Holy Priestess. Did she really think I wouldn''t take precautions against her? I wonder what kind of outsiders she faced in the past to be so naive." Eren shook his head, realizing that he might have to save her in the end.


    He flew past her, without getting noticed by her. Hended on the ground first, where the Princess was going to fall.


    He cast a strengthening spell on his body before reaching out his hand to catch the Princess.


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    "If I''m not wrong, this should be the right ce. If I save her, I wonder if she will be more considerate." He confidently waited at the spot to catch her.


    Unfortunately, even after a few seconds passed, the Princess didn''t fall in her hand.


    What came was a loud sound that didn''t originate far from him, as if something really heavy had fallen on the ground. Even the ground trembled with the impact.


    Eren''s back was drenched in cold sweat. He had miscalcted. He found himself at the wrong ce.


    "Cough, cough, it must be the wind that changed her trajectory." He tried to calm his heart as he flew towards the source of the impact.


    He found a deep crater, and at the center of the crater, there was a woman who was cursing out loud.


    Fortunately, she didn''t seem to be hurt. Instead, she was very lively.


    As a member of the Nightwing n, her body was strong. Even with her main abilities restricted, the natural protection of her body was still intact.


    Eren had noticed this trait when even his dragon ws faced some resistance when he stabbed her chest to grab a hold of his heart.


    He jumped inside the crater and reached out his hand, "Are you alright?"


    The Princess looked at him weirdly.


    In the first ce, she didn''t want the support of an outsider. But even if she wanted to take his support, how could she grab his hand? Her hands were tied behind her back.


    "Why are you looking at me as if I pushed you off the bird? You jumped yourself." Eren retracted his hand. Instead, he grabbed the cor of the princess to help him up.


    "Do you realise what you have done?" The Princess asked Eren, freezing her cor by stepping back.


    "If I had a penny for every time I heard that..." Eren didn''tplete his sentence. Just in this world itself, he had heard these words twice already.


    It wasn''t as if he didn''t know what he had done. He had kidnapped the girl that a Primordial Demon wanted. Not only that, he had also offended the Nightwing n.


    Although he didn''t know what rank that n had in the hierarchy of this world, it definitely wasn''t weak. Just based on the strength of the Nightwing n''s Leader, that n was dangerous.


    "Release my hands!" The Princess didn''t argue with Eren. She simply ordered him, as if she still had control of the situation.


    "Why should I release your hands? So that you can attack me?" Eren asked. The girl had attacked him first after all.


    Even if she hadn''t attacked him, he still would have kidnapped her to escape. But that didn''t change the fact that she had attacked him first, giving him a proper justification.


    The Princess red at him. It was true that she had attacked him. However, wasn''t he the one that had entered her n uninvited?


    She opened her lips to talk. However, she was shocked as Eren grabbed her shoulders and pulled her closer into a hug.

 Chapter 552 No other options

    "You! What are you doing?!" Yevni asked in disbelief, as Eren wrapped his arms around her.


    "Release me this instant!" She suddenly pushed Eren back, freeing herself. "How dare you touch me?!"


    Eren didn''t answer. He simply raised his right hand, revealing a chain that he was holding.


    It was only now that the Princess realized that her hands were freed. The chain was actually removed by Eren.


    Even though she had asked him to free her, she didn''t actually expect him to do that. If anything, she thought he might actually kill her.


    "Why...?" After a long time, she could only utter a single word.


    He was an Outsider who had managed to achieve the impossible. He had kidnapped the Princess of the Nightwing n. He could have used her as a tool for negotiations. Instead, he was freeing her? Why?


    Was it because he was confident that he could take her down even if she attacked him? Or was it because he was scheming something else? She didn''t believe that he had any good intentions behind his actions.


    Eren kept the chain of restriction in his inventory as the Phoenixnded behind him, being a towering existence.


    "Because I know that you won''t go back." The Phoenix lowered her head, spreading out her wings, weing Eren.


    Eren climbed on the Phoenix without any further exnation. He simply looked at the girl, waiting for her decision.


    He realized that forcing her was useless, unless he was nning to use soul search on her. He needed her genuine help, so that she wouldn''t lead him into a trap.


    He had all the weapons that he needed to convince her. He had simply made the first move.


    "Why do you think that I won''t go back?" The Princess asked. However, her expressions gave her true thoughts away. She was surprised that Eren understood her intentions.


    "Because you don''t have a ce to go back to. If you went back to the n, you would be used of working with an Outsider. Do you think that they would believe that I simply let you go out of the kindness of my heart?"


    "If you return, your n will be the viin of this world. It will be the target of the Primordials. Your return will result in the destruction of your n and you would be responsible for it.''


    "As for you... You would be taken by the Primordial that wants you so bad. Unless you truly believe that a few scars will dissuade him? Even if they actually do, he might make you suffer even worse. Are you willing?"


    The girl was in disbelief. It was as if Eren was reading her mind. Every word that he spoke was like an arrow, hitting the mark.


    It was true. If she returned, then her n was going to be a target. If she ran away elsewhere and was detected, it was the same oue for the n.


    Eren knew that she had no other option but to stay with him from the moment he had kidnapped her. He didn''t need to force her. If anything, she needed him to seed as much as he did.


    "Your n is safe, as long as you are the hostage of an outsider. It means we are enemies. However, the moment you stop being a hostage, we would be allies for the world. No matter how loud you scream of your innocence, no one would believe you."


    The girl clenched her fist, feeling as if she was in quicksand. The more she resisted, the more she was devoured by the quicksand.


    It was only after she thought of something that the corner of her lips crept up, revealing her sharp fangs.


    "In your haste, I think you forgot something important."


    "Oh? Did I?" Eren asked, revealing an amused expression. "Why don''t you tell me what I missed?"


    "Won''t I prove my innocence if I just kill you and drag your corpse back?" Yevni asked. "You have already released the shackles on me. You didn''t think about that, did you?"


    "What makes you think that I didn''t consider that?" Eren shrugged his shoulders. "Let alone the fact that you can''t defeat me, but even if you did, I have a skill that will destroy my corpse and every artefact I possess when I die."


    He mixed lies with the truth, muddying the waters for the girl. He didn''t need to be entirely honest with her. He only wanted to convince her that she had no other way forward.


    "How will you prove your innocence without my corpse? They will simply believe that you helped me escape. And you are back to square one."


    "You!" The girl clenched her teeth so hard that Eren could hear the grinding.


    The girl had truly believed Eren''s nonsense about a skill that would destroy his corpse when he died. Even if he had a skill like that, he didn''t want to be in that situation. He cherished life the most after all.


    "Shall we go, my dear hostage?" Eren reached out his hand, realizing that he was an annoyance to the girl.


    The girl clenched her fist. Despite her unwillingness, she realized that she had to be a hostage. Not only that, she had to make sure that Eren wasn''t caught.


    If he was caught by others, she didn''t know what kind of nonsense he was going to tell them about her n.


    Although frustrated, she realized that she had to betray hell to protect her n. She had to help Eren escape, and maybe leave this world with him.


    She stepped forward and jumped up,nding on the back of the Phoenix,pletely ignoring Eren''s helping hand.


    "You are a demon, you know that?"


    "I did hear that a few times. It''s quite a good title, don''t you think so?" Eren didn''t mind her sharp words.


    His Phoenix spread her wings, rising in the sky once again. The only difference was that the girl wasn''t jumping off this time.


    Eren had gained an unlikely ally who had no choice but to help him while he was in hell.


    Even the Primordials didn''t realize what kind ofmotion was in the fate of this world from the moment Eren had stepped in this world.

 Chapter 553 Hellhound City

    Yevni''s re had been fixed on Eren. If looks could kill, Eren would have been a corpse already.  But despite her frustration, she was powerless, trapped in a situation beyond her control.


    "How do I get to the Capital?" Eren finally asked, cutting through the tension.


    "It''s impossible for you to enter the Capital," Yevni spat out, each wordced with venom.


    "Is there some kind of barrier keeping outsiders away?" Eren questioned, his tone curious.


    "That''s not why I said it''s impossible," Yevni retorted, her voice dripping with disdain. Even though she had to work with him, it didn''t mean she was happy to do that.


    "Then why?" Eren pressed, not minding her sharp responses.


    "Because we''re flying in the wrong direction, you idiot!" Yevni exploded, her patience finally snapping. "We''ve been getting further and further away from the Capital this whole time!"


    "If you want to go back, we''ll have to fly through Nightwing n territory. And guess who''s waiting for you there?" She paused, letting the implication hang heavy in the air. "That perverted Primordial."


    Eren rubbed his forehead, a sigh escaping his lips. "Of course. Just my luck."


    He could only me his luck that the random direction he selected was theplete opposite to his destination.


    It wasn''t as if he could''ve waited for her to wake up when he was in the enemy territory either. He had to make a decision and he made a wrong one.


    He nced at Yevni, her anger still palpable. "Look, I get that you''re frustrated¡ª"


    "Frustrated?!" Yevni asked in disbelief. "Frustrated?! I''m trapped with the Outsider who kidnapped me, flying on the back of a glorified chicken, further and further away from my home. Why would he be frustrated?!"


    "Okay, maybe ''frustrated'' is an understatement." Eren scratched the back of his head. "Is there a way to reach the Capital without going through your territory?"


    A flicker of apprehension shed in Yevni''s eyes.


    "It''s impossible," she stated firmly. "You are better off returning where you came from."


    Yevni couldn''t deny the selfish desire that rose within her. If Eren returned to his world, he would be beyond the reach of those who were searching for him.  With his escape, the danger hovering over her family would dissipate like morning mist.


    She assumed Eren would listen to her warning. After all, who in their right mind would willingly return to the clutches of a Primordial after escaping their grasp?


    But Eren defied her expectations.  Instead of turning back, the Phoenix simply turned around and soared towards the direction they hade from.


    "What do you think you are doing?" Yevni cried out, her voiceced with disbelief.


    "I''m returning," Eren replied with a nonchnt shrug. "What else?"


    Even if it meant going through Nightwing n Territory, he wanted to enter the main city of hell.


    He knew, with unwavering certainty, that his so-called brother resided within the heart of that infernal city. That was the destiny of a main character, starting from the outer region and ending up in the core ce of the world.


    If that person was strong enough to threaten him, then he was definitely staying near the core of Hell.


    "You fool! It''s not just your life that you are putting on the line! Even my family would be devoured because of you!" The girl cried in disbelief.


    She thought Eren was going to leave. She didn''t know that he was even more stubborn than her.


    Eren didn''t answer her. Now that he knew the right direction, he could focus on more urgent things.


    If he was returning to the Nightwing n Territory then he had to be even more careful. He might even need to fight the Primordial. For that, he didn''t just need physical preparation but also mental preparation.


    The girl kept trying to speak to him, but Eren seemingly paid no heed to her words. After getting ignored, Yevni was growing even more impatient.


    "Urgh! Fine! There is another way to pass through the Nightwing n Territory!" After a long time, she gave up and confessed.


    It became clear that Eren wasn''t going to return. The only option left with her was to help him pass through her Territory undetected.


    Finally Eren reacted to her words. He had a feeling that she was hiding something, but he couldn''t be certain. Now that she had confessed it herself, it was much easier.


    "The City of Hellhounds," the girl exined without Eren having to ask. "You have to go through the City of Hellhounds."


    "Why didn''t you tell me earlier? I thought I might actually have to face a Primordial." Eren sighed in relief. As long as he didn''t have to face a Primordial yet, he was confident about his skills.


    "You don''t have to be so happy. The city of Hellhounds isn''t some heavenly ce where we can simply enter and leave."


    "What do you mean?" Eren asked, wondering why the daughter of the Nightwing n appeared so worried about a neighbouring Territory.


    Was it simply because she was worried about getting recognized? It didn''t seem to be that exact case.


    "You will find out when we get there." The girl answered, sighing. "You better hope that you have good luck when we enter the city of Hellhounds. If not, you mighte across something much worse than the Seventh Primordial."


    At this point, she couldn''t care less. Eren wasn''t listening to her in any case. It was better for her to die with him as a hostage than to keep running around all over the ce.


    Still, if possible, she didn''t want to die with him.


    Yevni guided Eren towards the Hellhound Territory which was on the East of the Nightwing n Territory.


    They went all around the Nightwing n Territory, avoiding all the dangerous ces where the Stars might be searching for them.


    It was only after reaching near the Hellhound Territory, she told Eren to send the Phoenix back andnd on the ground with her if he didn''t want to be detected.


    The two of them jumped off the Phoenix, with Eren sending the Phoenix back to his inventory.

 Chapter 554 Earth

    Wings erupted from Eren''s back, as he flew towards Yevni. He reached for her, fingers outstretched, but just as he was about to catch her, she dissolved into a cloud of ck mist.


    The mist surged outwards, morphing into a swarm of bats that darted through the suffocating aura of death.


    They swooped downwards, evading Eren''s grasp entirely. Only when they neared the ground did the bats gathered again, reforming into the shape of the girl.


    Erennded behind her, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. He was slightly impressed by her abilities. It wasn''t just a good flying skill, but also a decent escape skill if utilized well.


    He was slightly d that she hadn''t been able to use it when she first attacked him. Her heart was grabbed by him right away. If she had been able to use this ability before that, it would''ve been much harder to catch her.


    Even though he was impressed by her ability, he didn''tpliment her. He simply apanied her in the direction of the Hellhound City.


    Along the way, he watched the girl start another transformation. Her nails became longer. She used those sharp nails to slice her long hair, cutting it shorter.


    She also changed the color of her hair, turning them into a darker shade of silver. The girl removed the symbol of the Nightwing n, wearing an ordinary cloak.


    With the scars on her face, it was also much harder for anyone to link her with the Princess that was the definition of beauty around these parts.


    "Not bad. I should keep youpany..." Eren stated, as his looks also started changing.


    He had an ability that allowed him to polymorph into another person. He already had many personas that he could select.


    Despite that, he selected to go with his original looks. In his real world, he couldn''t walk around as Ren Necroline as everyone hated him. However, this world was different.


    Since his brother wasn''t a twin with him, he didn''t have to worry about people offended by the main character recognising him.


    It was also a face that wasn''t seen by the Guardian. He could truly walk around without a false facade in this world.


    Instead of disguising himself that he normally did, he revealed his real face to another person after a really long time.


    Besides the Necromancer Tower Master the Princess of Nightwing n was possibly the only living person who had seen Eren transform into his real face,


    The Holy Priestess and the Left Guardian had also seen him but both of them were dead, killed because of him.


    Even the Princess was slightly amazed by Eren''s looks. She couldn''t help but take a second nce.


    The people of the Nightwing n were known for their pale skin and their beauty. Still Eren appeared even more better looking than any other man she had seen.


    "Your disguise looks better than your real self. Is there really a person like that in your world?" the Princess of Nightwing n asked, not realizing that it was the real Eren.


    "Why? Do you want to marry him?" Eren asked, but taking her unlikelypliment seriously.


    "As if." Yevni scoffed. "I was just curious about the world you came from."


    "The world I came from?" Eren repeated, thinking back to his time on earth. "I doubt you would find that world very impressive."


    He had been in his new world for such a long time that his memories of earth had already started fading to some extent.


    "Have you heard about a world called Earth?" he asked Yevni. "I used to think that earth was chaotic. It was only after leaving earth that I realised what true chaos actually was."


    "Did you say earth?" Yevni eximed, unable to hide the shock on her face. "Isn''t that the world that the First Primordial..."


    She quickly closed her mouth before she could evenplete her sentence.


    It truly wasn''t the first time she had heard about the world called earth. She wasn''t the one person who had heard about Earth.


    Amongst the higher ranking people of this world, there was hardly anyone who hadn''t heard about Earth.


    "You are from Earth!" She quickly changed the topic, not wanting Eren to catch on to her previous sentence.


    "As I thought... Earth is linked to this world. Theic that you were reading was also from Earth." Eren slowed down.


    He was quite happy that he had managed to confirm his assumption. Just as he thought, hell was connected to more than one world. Earth was most probably one of them.


    ....


    "Tell me where she is?!"


    The Necromancer Tower Master was covered in blood. For the first time in a long while, he had been injured by another person.


    In the entire Nightwing n Territory, there was only one person who could suppress him to this extent. It was the Seventh Primordial.


    Because of Eren, a primordial had started the hunt. It took him only a few hours to catch up to the outsiders who had been trying to cover their tracks.


    Unfortunately, it was useless in front of a Primordial.


    Around the Tower Master, there were corpses of the Hall Masters, littered around everywhere. Only the Right Guardian was alive, but even he was missing his left arm.


    Normally, he could heal his arm. However, it was destroyed by a Primordial. His healing has bepletely useless on his missing arm.


    "I told you, we have nothing to do with any girl. We are simply trying to find our way back!" The Necromancer Tower Master eximed, cursing his luck.


    He didn''t realize that it wasn''t his bad luck. It was Eren''s bad luck that was shifted on to him.


    Meanwhile, Eren had already left the Nightwing n Territory. He was oblivious about the fact that he had already screwed over the Necromancer Tower without even realizing.


    The Seventh Primordial sighed. "Since you don''t want to answer me, then I will have to make it more painful for you."

 Chapter 555 Bracelet of Obedience

    ....


    Eren felt relieved to find out that there was another connection to Earth. It wasn''t even because he wanted to return to Earth.


    He had long stopped craving for his life on earth, as life felt more distant than ever. The only reason he felt relieved to know that there was a connection to earth, was because he wanted to check on his real body at least once.


    His soul had been summoned to this world. He still didn''t know what happened to his body. If possible, he wanted to secure his body.


    He didn''t know what was going to happen to his soul if he was ever destroyed to the point that even his extra life wasn''t enough.


    If that happened, what was going to happen to his soul? Was it going to disperse into nothingness, or return to his main body?


    If it was the former, there was nothing he could do. But if it was thetter, then he absolutely had to secure his real body.


    Even if it was for a fleeting moment, he wanted to bring his main body back with him. With the kind of treasures he possessed, he could ensure that his real body was kept at an even more secure ce.


    Not only that, he could also use more treasures to strengthen his earthly body. In that case, even if he was to ever return to his real body after death, he could still be as strong as he currently was.


    Eren''s hopes had been ignited. Unfortunately, the mes were quickly dispersed as Yevni poured cold water over him with her following words.


    "Hell used to be connected to Earth. However, that connection has been destroyed by the First Primordial a long time ago."


    Eren looked at Yevni nkly. She didn''t even give him a moment to be happy before destroying all his future ns.


    Eren didn''t even know how to respond. He knew that he was going to be irritated the more he thought about this lost opportunity, as well as his real body that might as well be cremated by others if it was discovered.


    He could only stop thinking about it, so as to not mourn the loss of something that he couldn''t retrieve.


    "Do you know why he destroyed the connection to earth?" he asked the girl, approaching the distant Hellhound City.


    "How would I know what those monsters are thinking when they do something? They are all so unpredictable... Except that Seventh Primordial, whose mind is filled with pleasure only."


    ....


    "Can we just walk in?" Eren wondered aloud, gazing up at the colossal walls encircling Hellhound City.


    The walls soared thousands of meters high, looking less like city walls and more like a tower housing an entire city within.


    As they approached, Eren noticed the mist thinning, the air growing clearer with every step. Soon, the haze had all but vanished.


    He looked back and could still see that dense mist, which made him feel as if there was an invisible wall near the Hellhound City which prevented the mist of death from getting closer.


    "Just wear this. We will be fine." Yevni reached out her hand, revealing a bracelet. She didn''t exin anything to Eren, simply expecting him to trust her.


    Eren took the bracelet but he didn''t wear it right away. With his skills, he didn''t have to trust anything blindly. He used his identification skill on bracelet.


    ************************


    Item Name: Bracelet of very


    Item Rank: Unique


    Description: An identification token used to signify a person''s position as the ve of Empire. Once worn, it can never be removed unless destroyed with brute force or released by the owner of the bracelet.


    Limitation: Can''t be used to control the actions of the ve. It can only be used as identification.


    ************************


    "A Bracelet of very?"


    Eren frowned. If it wasn''t for the limitation that it couldn''t be used to control a person, he would have thought that the girl was trying to scam him into bing her ve so she could control his every action.


    "For an outsider, you seem to know a lot about it. It is given to the ves of the Empire, or the outsiders who have been enved by Nobles of Hell," the girl answered.


    "What is the point of a bracelet when you can''t even control the actions of a ve? Isn''t that just a risk for the nobles when they could be betrayed at any time?" Eren asked, not seeing much point of this bracelet other than an identification card.


    "You are right. But if you can think that, do you think the Nobles can''t? The bracelet is only given to a ve after a mark of envement is cast on their soul," Yevni eximed the process of enving outsiders.


    Eren had thought that the outsiders were simply killed in this world. However, he was getting to learn that there were more outsiders than he thought.


    They hade from different worlds, most getting trapped here after getting caught. They were enved, and in most cases, sold to Nobles of the Empire.


    The bracelet of very was only given to those whose soul had been marked with the seal of envement. It was used to mark the ves as properties of the nobles.


    With the bracelet, the outsiders could walk outside freely. It was simply believed that they were on a mission from their owner.


    Unfortunately, it didn''t mean that they were treated as a person. Even if they were killed, no one was going to raise an issue as long as an appropriatepensation was given to the owner of the ve.


    In this world, the value of a ve wasparable to the coins that were spent to buy them, and nothing more.


    They weren''t free in true sense but they weren''tpletely imprisoned either.


    "Normally it is a crime to give a bracelet of very to a person who hadn''t been marked with the seal of obedience," Yevni stated. "However, there are only a few people in this world who can notice it. So as long as you aren''t extremely unlucky, we should be fine."

 Chapter 556 Death flag

    "As long as I am not extremely unlucky? Why does it sound like someone has just raised a death g?"


    Eren didn''t know what to say. Ever since he had entered this world, his luck had repeatedly failed him.


    "A death g? I read about it in aic. Isn''t that what you earthlings call a meme?" Yevni revealed a slight surprise, finding a familiar term that she had read about.


    The stories about the First Primordial had sparked a me of curiosity in her, making her intrigued about Earth.


    On her instructions, the Nightwing n became a regr at auctions, eagerly outbidding others to acquire things rted to earth. The items often came in forms of books andics, sometimes clothes.


    Once, she had even heard about a b of ss that could light up and show various information. Unfortunately, her family had failed to purchase the item, as it was taken by one of the Primordial ns.


    As time passed, her intrigue had turned into a hobby. She truly didn''t expect to meet another person who came from earth, especially since the portal to earth was imed to have been sealed.


    "At this point, my life might be a meme." Eren shook his head, not understanding why the girl appeared so happy to understand a single reference.


    She was like a child who had gotten the correct answer that only she knew about. Eren even wondered if she was expecting him topliment her or something.


    Eren wore the bracelet of very on his left arm, having confirmed that it was safe. Even the problem of the bracelet being unremovable could be solved by simply destroying it after leaving this world. So he didn''t worry about it much.


    With the bracelet, he didn''t have to worry about being caught due to his essence of life. Even if someone recognized him as an outsider, he could prove that he was already caught and sold to someone.


    With that, the immediate problem was solved. He approached the entrance of the towering Hellhound City.


    The Hellhound City had four entrances, one being in each direction. Each of these four entrances werepletely empty with not even a guard being in sight anywhere.


    "This feels...too easy," Eren muttered. The Nightwing n had been guarded by so many people, but this city was theplete opposite.


    What was the point of having such high walls when there was no one to protect them? His instincts were telling him that something was wrong.


    He had expected tight security, maybe even some sort of magical scan at the gates of a city this important. But nothing?


    Yevni tilted her head, looking confused. "Easy? What do you mean? It''s always like this."


    "Always like this?" Eren echoed, his suspicion growing. "You mean, there''s no one guarding the entrance to the city? No checks, no nothing?"


    "Nope!" she answered. "Even my father avoids messing with the Hellhounds. Let alone the Nightwing n, even the ns of the core hell don''t like dealing with them, so they don''t really need guards. Besides... they have other ways of knowing who enters and leaves."


    "Did you think I was joking when I said that Hellhound City might be more dangerous than going through the Nightwing n Territory? Just let me do all the talking and we should be fine."


    "Fine. You are the guide after all." Eren wasn''t intending to do any talking in the first ce.


    He was supposed to be a ve in this world, where everyone looked down on ves. If he did the talking, he could only imagine the reaction of the others.


    He had read enough novels to understand how easy it was toe across some hidden young master and offend them. It was much better for Yevni to do the heavy lifting in this city that she knew better than him.


    Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire


    He stepped closer to the entrance, a faint humming sound reached his ears. The moment he passed through the entrance with Yevni, the world seemed to distort.


    He felt a strange pulling sensation, like he was being drawn into another world. He absolutely hated the feeling. He tried to pull back, but it was toote.


    The world dissolved into a dizzying chaotic space, and then everything went ck.


    When Eren regained his senses, he found himself standing in a bustling marketce, surrounded by various unfamiliar sounds and smells.


    Tall, imposing figures with canine features and fiery red eyes strode through the crowds.  The architecture was a mix of intimidating gothic structures and sleek, modern buildings, creating quite a contrast.


    He had entered Hellhound City. But something felt different. He turned to look for Yevni, but she was nowhere to be seen.


    "Yevni?" he called out, his voice barely audible above the noises of the marketce.


    He looked all around, but he couldn''t see that girl anywhere. He was alone, in a city full of powerful beings, with no idea where he was or how to find her.


    "Did she... betray me?" he wondered, his expressions turning darker. "Did she run away to find the lord of this city to tell him about me?"


    Eren''s fist clenched rightly. He thought that she might actually be helping him aftering to terms with it. But it looked like she still craved for that freedom, even if it meant harming her n.


    Eren was lost in deep thoughts when a low growl rumbled behind him. He turned slowly to find himself face to face with a towering Hellhound warrior, its red eyes burning with suspicion.


    "You," the Hellhound growled, its voice deep and menacing. "You are blocking my path!"


    Eren quickly stepped aside, clearing the path for the young hellhound who could have easily walked around him if he wanted.


    Just as he expected, the Hellhound was already offended. He didn''t walk past him. Instead, he red at him with disgust.


    "A disgusting outsider who doesn''t know manners? It seems that I should teach you a little in your master''s stead."


    Eren couldn''t even react when the Hellhound attacked.

 Chapter 557 New Toy

    Eren barely had time to register the blur of motion before a crushing blow sent him flying, his body skidding through the crowded stalls.


    A groan escaped from his lips, his face contorted in pain.


    Since awakening his Dragon''s physique, he''d be much harder to hurt through physical attacks. But this attack was different. He could feel the sickening crunch of fractured ribs.


    Though his enhanced healing rapidly healed the damage, he was still very shocked. This man had effortlessly bypassed his defenses.


    "Oh? You''re still alive?" the attacker sneered, surprise evident in his voice.


    Even seasoned warriors of the city would have been crippled for months by that blow. A mere ve should have been killed instantly. Yet, here Eren stood, already back on his feet, though his face was pale and he coughed up a bit of blood.


    Intrigued, the man pressed, "Who is your master?"


    A ve capable of withstanding such force was definitely incredibly valuable. Even his family would have paid a lot for a ve like this.


    Eren looked around, noticing that his surroundings had already be emptier. The people around him moved away as soon as the battle started, if it could even be called a battle.


    It would''ve been a battle if he was attacking that person as well. He really didn''t want to catch too much attention if possible.


    The man''s grin widened like a predator savoring the anticipation of the hunt.


    "Are you not going to answer until I break you a little more?" He sneered, raising his sleeves as if relishing the prospect of Eren''s resistance. This one wasn''t as frail as his usual victims, which excited him. He had found a new toy.


    Eren, however, remained unfazed.  With chilling calmness, he repeated his warning, "Touch me, and I will return the favor."


    "Hmm?" Hearing Eren''s words, the young hellhound''s demeanor shifted. A ve was threatening him? He was even more excited to punish that ve now.


    Thud!


    A sickening thud echoed through the surroundings, followed by a pained groan.


    A towering figure, well over two meters tall, materialized behind the Hellhound.  With a speed that defied his size, he punched the young man''s head, the impact echoing through the street.


    "Argh! Who dares?!" the Hellhound roared, turning around to retaliate. But his fist was caught in an iron grip.


    The moment he saw his assant, the Hellhound''s arrogance evaporated, reced by a forced nonchnce.


    "Ah, so it''s my dear uncle. What brings you here?" he stammered, trying to regain control of the situation.


    His uncle ignored the question.  Gripping the young man''s ear, he began dragging him away, ignoring the howls of pain.


    "Ouch, ouch, ouch! Uncle, you''re embarrassing me! Ouch, I''m sorry! I shouldn''t have broken my promise! Please, my ear! You know they are sensitive!"


    "You brat," his uncle growled. "How many times have you promised your father that you wouldn''t lose your temper for no reason? Half the estate''s monthly expenses go towardspensating the ve owners for the ones you''ve ''identally'' destroyed!"


    Eren watched impassively as the young Hellhound was dragged away by his imposing uncle. Just before they vanished from sight, he saw the older man''s hand flick outwards.


    A projectile shot towards Eren with the speed of a bullet.  He reacted instinctively, snatching the object from the air.  His eyebrows rose in surprise as he examined it.


    "A coin?" he mused, turning it over in his fingers. "Is this the currency of this world?"


    Was thispensation from that man for the trouble his nephew had caused? Eren found the method of delivery rather peculiar, to say the least.


    A weaker person could have been seriously injured, if not killed.  He wondered if the man genuinely intended to hurt him or if he simply assumed Eren could catch it since he''d withstood the Hellhound''s attack.


    Eren pocketed the coin, a small smile ying on his lips. It seemed like an apology, albeit a rather unorthodox one.


    He understood that no matter where he went, strength reigned supreme. Even apologies were delivered with a hint of violence. He wasn''tining though. Free money was free money.


    He nced around at the dispersing crowd. The onlookers, who moments before had been enjoying the spectacle, now resumed their bustling activities as if nothing had happened.


    He heard many distant whispers of people calling him lucky that he managed to survive, despite catching the attention of the young lord.


    Through their words, he also understood quite a lot about this ce. The person who had attacked him was the young lord of Hellhound City.


    Hearing that, he felt more unlucky than lucky. Right after entering the city, he had offended the young city lord. This was such a cliche main character troupe that he even wondered if his life was also some kind of novel.


    The young that concerned him the most was still the fact that Yevni was nowhere to be found. If she didn''t appear despite themotion, it was clear that she did not want to find him.


    Eren became even more certain that she had run away. He could not rely on that girl. He had to find his own way out of this chaotic city.


    Deciding to make the most of the situation, Eren continued his exploration of the market. Since Yevni wasn''t helping him, he had to find someone else.


    This time, he didn''t want to rely on their kind-heartedness. Even if he had to force it, he made up his mind to search their souls so he could get the answer himself.


    As he wandered through the maze of stalls, his senses were overwhelmed with sounds, and smells.


    Fruits and vegetables he had never seen before were piled high. The air was filled with the aroma of spices and roasted monster meats.


    To his eyes, they looked absolutely disgusting and rotten. He wasn''t even sure how people of this world could eat something like that.


    He paused at a stall disying an array of weapons, his fingers tracing the intricate carvings on a sword.


    The craftsmanship was exquisite, but even more surprising was the formation that was carved on the de. He could feel that the de was constantly gathering the essence of death from surroundings.

 Chapter 558 Dragonkin

    Waa this formation the reason that there was no mist here? Eren couldn''t be certain. If that was the case, it meant that the entire city was one big formation that was absorbing the essence of death. But for what reason?


    His attention was soon drawn to amotion further down the market. A group of people had gathered around a raised tform, their voices being loud. Curious, Eren made his way towards the crowd.


    As he drew closer, he saw a man standing on the tform, his voice being heard across the marketce. He was advertising the wares of a nearby merchant.


    Eren lightly shook his head. He had thought that something interesting was happening, but it was quite boring for him. He made his way towards the north.


    Suddenly, the man''s voice faltered. His eyes widened in disbelief, and he pointed a trembling finger towards the edge of the crowd.


    "Look!" he stammered, his voice barely a whisper. "It''s¡­ it''s a Dragonkin!"


    The crowd erupted in a frenzy, their attention shifting from the man to the neer. Eren, sensing the sudden shift in atmosphere, turned to see who had caused such a stir.


    Standing at the edge of the crowd was a woman, her tall, slender figure radiating a graceful aura.


    Her skin was the color of polished jade, and her eyes beautiful with an emerald fire. But it was her hair that drew the most attention, vibrant green locks that flowed down her back like a living waterfall.


    "I never thought I would see a Dragonkin in this life! Aren''t there only two left in this world?"


    "Doesn''t that mean she is..."


    "She is ''his'' Sister."


    Eren watched with interest as the girl moved through the parting crowd.


    He couldn''t help but wonder what her purpose was in this city. From the conversation of the people around him, he learned that she was an important person in the Hierarchy of Hell.


    She was the younger sister of the second strongest person in Hell. And here she was, walking around the Hellhound City that was one of the farthest cities to the Capital.


    "She doesn''t even have any security around her," Eren was really intrigued about the purpose of the girl. "No, she has security."


    He noticed many powerful auras hiding around your crowd, secretly following the girl. There were also many on top of nearby buildings, watching over her.


    "They are hiding. They are following her secretly, ready to kill anyone who shows even the slightest hostility. Interesting."


    The only dragons he had seen were the Sea Dragons, but the dragons in hell were clearly different. Normally, he would have been more interested in a Dragonkin.


    Unfortunately, he didn''t have time to spare. Yevni was missing. She had most probably betrayed him. Assuming the time it was going to take her to reach the City Lord, he didn''t have much time to waste.


    He had to leave this city before it was ced on a lockdown.


    Eren turned away and started making his way towards the North. He didn''t realize that someone had started paying attention to him.


    The young girl that everyone was staring at, was looking in the direction of Eren. Even she didn''t understand why, but there was something that was stimting her bloodline.


    In his world, her Bloodline was one of the superior bloodlines. It was rare for her Bloodline to be stimted.


    She could count on one hand the number of times she had held her bloodline getting excited. And it was always in front of the other Primordials.


    Was the young man also one of the Primordials in disguise? She pondered for a moment, before catching sight of the ve bracelet on Eren''s left wrist.


    "An Outsider?" For a moment she couldn''t believe her eyes, but there was no doubt about it. It was a real ve bracelet.


    A Primordial would never wear something like that, even if they were to take a disguise. They would have found even the idea of holding a ve bracelet in their hands disgusting, let alone actually wearing it.


    There was no doubt about it. Eren was an outsider with a dangerous bloodline which could even stimte her bloodline.


    With such a bloodline, could that person really be weak? Was it because he didn''t even know about his bloodline or how to use it?


    It wasn''t the first time she had seen people who had lived the life of the weak, unaware about their own unique characteristics. If that was the case, she had to get that ve.


    She rushed through the crowd, trying to catch up to Eren. However as she was getting closer to him, she saw his figure getting blurry. Right in front of her eyes, Eren turned into a shadow and disappeared.


    The girl came to a sudden halt, looking around in surprise. He was able to use abilities? Did his owner allow him to use his abilities? Normally, owners didn''t allow that. Something really didn''t add up about Eren.


    ....


    Eren was nning to leave the city as soon as possible, not even realizing that he had caught a girl''s attention.


    He didn''t know the girl was trying to chase after him. His mind was more distracted by Yevni''s presence that he was finally able to feel.


    It wasn''t just her presence. He was also able to feel the scent of blood, due to his heightened senses.


    He disappeared from within the crowded street, which was more distracted by the Dragonkin''s appearance.


    He moved so fast that his figure almost became a blur, only to stop when he appeared at the entrance of an alley.


    The moment he looked inside the alley, his expressions shifted. He didn''t even know how to react to the sight.


    Inside the valley, he saw three Hellhounds. They were different from the man he had seen before. It was more as if they had transformed into their real self.


    The Hellhounds were beasts that moved on four feet. They looked roughly simr to a wolf, if one was to ignore the fierce mes of hell that were all over their bodies.


    They were also muchrger than a normal wolf. They were over three meters tall, which made Eren appear tiny before them.

 Chapter 559 No backing away

    When he first appeared in this city, Eren was attacked by a Hellhound who was in his human form. That man''s attack had managed to break past his physical defences with ease.


    The three Hellhounds in front of him felt even stronger and much more dangerous. If the ordinary Hellhounds were this strong, then how strong would that Hellhound be if he had transformed before attacking?


    The thought vanished as Eren spotted the woman cornered at the end of the alley. Her lips were stained crimson with blood that clearly wasn''t her own.


    It was a familiar face, covered in scars of her own making. The woman was the heir of the Nightwing n that had brought him here.


    Around the girl, there were three bodies. Two of the bodies were headless, as if their heads had been ripped apart. The third body was more or less intact, but it looked extremely pale, as if the entire blood of the person had been sucked dry.


    Around his neck, there were two small holes, matching the fangs of the girl.


    Eren didn''t even know how to react. Yevni was telling him to not offend anyone in this city and be careful until they left the city. Wasn''t this the advice she should''ve taken for herself?


    Even if she had betrayed him, it would''ve still taken time for the entire city to be on lockdown. But this was much worse. For some reason, she wondered if it would''ve been better if she had betrayed him.


    "Hmm?" While Eren was wondering if he could deal with the three Hellhounds before other Hellhounds arrived, he noticed something.


    One of the sleeves of Yevni was torn. He also saw the torn part in the hands of one of them men who had his head ripped off. Was she the one attacked first? Even then, she was a little too impatient.


    "Fine. I will help her. Though it''s truly going to be a mess." Although he could ignore the sight entirely, focusing on his escape, he selected otherwise.


    The girl hadn''t betrayed him. It looked like she had a luck that was just as bad as his luck. He was teleported in front of that awful Hellhound, almost dying if he was weaker.


    Meanwhile, Yevni was teleported to this ce, catching the attention of these men. Before she could even escape after dealing with them, she was caught by the Hellhounds.


    At this point, Eren wasn''t even sure who had worse luck. As he remembered her situation, her luck appeared just as bad as her. For some reason, he even felt some sympathy.


    Just as Eren made up his mind to help the girl, a familiar interface appeared in front of him.


    There were four options, but this time he didn''t even need to look at them. He knew his system well enough to understand what kind of options there were going to be.


    As he had already made up his mind, he selected the option to help the girl by escaping alone. It also helped that this option was also what came up with the best reward of the four.


    "We need to deal with them before the other Hellhounds realize and gather. Keep them distracted. I''ll deal with them," he sent a mental transmission to Yevni, who revealed quite a surprise in her eyes.


    Yevni was extremely surprised that Eren wanted to help her, even after looking at the kind of situation she was in. If she was in his ce, could she have made the same decision? The answer was no.


    She would have focused on escaping herself, rather than putting her life on the line for a person that she barely knew, especially since that person wasn''t helpful anymore.


    On the contrary, Eren was still here. Even after seeing everything, he didn''t run away. Instead, he came to help her. But even if he did that, what could he change?


    She hadn''t seen him fight before. Although he took her down before, it was because she was more distracted by the safety of her n.


    Even she would have a hard time against three Hellhounds, let alone the others that were going to arrive here.


    If she revealed her identity, she might survive. But she couldn''t afford to do that either. She was supposed to be a hostage. Which hostage ran around freely?


    ''You don''t have to die with me. Just leave this ce and don''t get caught. And even if you''re caught, don''t drag my n down with you.'' she responded to Eren''s message with a mental transmission of her own.


    Although the method was different from the one used by him, it worked just the same.


    She told Eren to leave. Even if he was going to help, they were going to die. And if they died together, the rumor about her working with the outsiders might be proven, hurting her n.


    She was the only one who had to die here.


    "I don''t think I asked your permission, did I?" Eren reacted, raising his right hand.


    He used the Dragon Tongue, casting a sound istion barrier around this ce. He also cast an illusion magic, hiding the events that were taking ce inside the alley.


    Once he was finished, he transformed into his Absolute Dragon Form. Instead of summoning the Shadow of the Sword, he summoned the Holy Sword that was much more useful in this world.


    This was the first time he was fighting the Hellhounds in this world. He didn''t want to make a mistake and end up dying because he underestimated the enemy.


    The Hellhounds also noticed the disturbance in the atmosphere, along with the presence of another person.


    Initially, they didn''t find that presence threatening. It was only after Eren transformed into his true dragon form, they sensed danger.


    One of them turned around, abruptly pouncing on Eren, who walked past the Hellhound. He looked like he was moving at his normal speed, but the Hellhound couldn''t even react to Eren, his own speed working against him.

 Chapter 560 The Third Dragon of Hell

    The Draconian Girl was looking around for Eren. Normally, it would have been impossible for her to find Eren who had already covered arge distance.


    Fortunately for her, he had a powerful bloodline. Even if he was hiding somewhere, as long as he wasn''t outside her range, she could sense the traces of the bloodline aura. The dragons were especially more sensitive towards aura.


    Amidst the watchful eyes of the spectators, she rushed away. Many people from the Hellhound Family tried to follow her as she was an important and dangerous person.


    They had barely started following the girl when they sensed a terrifying killing intent. Stunned, they looked around but they couldn''t find the source of that killing intent.


    All they could feel was that the killing intent was meant as a warning against following the girl. It was also originating from very powerful people that were definitely stronger than them.


    "If you follow the Princess, you will die." A voice that only they could hear, fell in their ears.


    With that, they were even more certain. The killing intent and the voice belonged to the guards that had arrived with the girl. It was the elite force created by the Second Primordial.


    No one knew the exact number of people in the elite force. However, it was widely believed that the elite force of the Second Hellhound could kill anyone, excluding the Primordials that were in a different league entirely.


    Many Primordials had their own elite force. However, the second primordial was different in one way. While other Primordials used their elite force for themselves, the Second Primordial''s Elite Force was entirely assigned to protect his sister.


    Even if it was the Hellhound Territory, they could truly do anything they wanted. They were the guards of the girl who was the only sister of the Second Primordial after all.


    The Hounds stopped following after the girl. In any case, she was protected by the elites of the Second Primordial.


    Even in the capital, the number of people who could hurt her with this kind of protection could be counted with two hands. All those people were the Primordials, none being in the Hellhound City presently.


    ....


    "It should be around here." The girl approached the alley, revealing quite a surprise.


    "Is this the Dragon Tongue?" She hadn''t even reached the entrance of the alley, but she could still see the principles of the worldlyws being twisted. It was certainly the work of the dragon tongue.


    "His bloodline was that of a dragon?"


    She already knew that his bloodline was strong, but it came as a pleasant surprise that the powerful bloodline was actually a Draconian Bloodline.


    Only the Dragons could use the Dragon Tongue. Even amongst the dragons, only those with the purest of bloodline could manipte thews of the city to this extent.


    "Strange. I didn''t feel a familiarity with the bloodline. It was definitely not the same bloodline as mine, but it was not weaker either. What a strange sight."


    She used the Dragon Tongue as well, erasing her presence before entering Eren''s spell domain.


    While she was outside the domain, she couldn''t hear anything happening within the alley. Nothing felt out of ce.


    It was only after she entered within the domain''s effect, things changed. She felt a strong scent of blood.


    "Hellhounds..."


    The temperature of the surroundings was extremely hot. It was as if the Hellhounds had fought someone here. At the realization, she started worrying about Eren.


    If he was someone from the Dragon Bloodline, she couldn''t let him die. In this world, there were only two pure blooded dragons. If there was a third dragon, especially an outsider, then it was something worth protecting.


    Worried about Eren''s safety, she rushed to the entrance of the alley and looked inside.


    She didn''t know what she was expecting, but what she saw was far out of her expectations. It was absolute carnage.


    There was blood all around the ce. The walls of the alley were painted red in blood. However, that blood didn''t belong to the person she was worried about.


    It was the blood of the Hellhounds, their corpses being littered all across the alley.


    Even though there were one three Hellhounds, it was still incredible that someone had managed to kill them inside the Hellhound City, that too so secretively.


    The mes around the Hellhound Corpse were still alive, even after they had died. It was clear that it hadn''t been long since the battle ended.


    At the end of the alley, the Draconian Princess saw the back of a man, whose clothes had mostly been burned by the mes of the Hellhounds.


    Even his skin had some burn marks that were slowly disappearing with the healing.


    The man had strange draconian wings around his back, which were different from the wings that she and her brother had. It was definitely a different species, but she didn''t know which species it actually was.


    The only thing evident was that it was at least as strong a species as her species.


    When he was in his human form, she could feel the strength of his Bloodline. But when he entered his draconian form, she truly saw the intensity of his Bloodline.


    When Eren was in his absolute dragon form, even the draconian girl felt as if her bloodline felt a strange unease.


    ''Just what exactly are you?'' the girl thought, staring at Eren in a daze.


    "Are you alright?" Eren asked Yevni, who was sitting in front of him, still in disbelief about what she saw.


    She thought Eren was strong, but what she saw went far beyond strength. He had ripped apart an entire Hellhound with his bare hands.


    There was no doubt about it. He was stronger than her. Even if she had given it her all in fighting him, she couldn''t see a path to victory.


    She opened her lips to answer Eren, only to see him frown.


    "It looks like we have some more guests." Eren frowned.

 Chapter 561 Greed

    Eren looked back, sighing. It seemed like the universe was conspiring against him. Everything that could go wrong, had. He could feel a many powerful presences closing in, each radiating an aura far stronger than the Hellhounds he''d faced before.


    These were the elite that he had seen before. They were the guardians of the Draconian Girl.


    "How did you notice me?" The girl''s voice held a note of genuine surprise.  She had entered his spell''s domain cloaked in the silencing magic of Dragon Tongue, erasing her presencepletely.


    Even if he was strong, detecting her under those conditions should have been impossible unless she actively exuded hostility or killing intent. Yet, here he was, seemingly aware of her arrival. Was he even stronger than she had initially assumed? She wondered.


    Eren remained silent, a flicker of unease in his eyes. He wouldn''t admit it aloud, but he hadn''t actually sensed her presence at all. It was a stroke of luck, a fortunate miscalction on the part of her guards.


    They had entered his range without bothering to mask their own auras.  Their presence was evident, and if they were here, it was clear that they were following the girl.


    After all, what good were protectors who strayed from the one they were supposed to guard? It wasn''t as if they would have cared more about the fate of a few Hellhounds over their master''s sister.


    The girl also cancelled her stealth spell as there was no point to keep it up. She was already detected, or so she thought.


    Eren had thought that he could kill the Hellhounds fast and leave the city before the incident could be detected. That''s why he had given it his all when killing the Hellhounds, even releasing his absolute dragon of beginning form.


    Albeit, he wasn''t fast enough. If it was anyone else, he could have killed them, even if they were Hellhounds. But it just had to be that Draconian Girl who was protected by so many people.


    If he attacked her, her guards were going to jump in. No matter how fast he was, the incident was going to spiral out of control.


    "Do you need something from me?" he asked the girl, cleaning the blood in his hand with a handkerchief like a gentleman.


    Even though she was someone he didn''t want toe across, it was undeniable that she didn''t show any hostility towards him yet. It was as if she didn''t really care about the Hellhounds.


    She looked more curious about him than the death of Hellhounds.


    If he could just convince her to ignore everything that he saw here, then it was for the best. If not, then he might be needing a second hostage.


    As he spoke, he took a step towards the girl. Before his foot could even touch the ground, a barrage of killing intent barged in, warning him against approaching the girl.


    A woman, dressed in a ck robe appeared behind the draconian girl, her eyes being blood red. Her killing intent was the strongest, as if she had already killed many strong people in the past.


    "Your guards are being really scary. I might have a heart attack from fear at this rate."


    Eren smiled, keeping the handkerchief back in his inventory. Although he talked about being scared, there was not a single sign of fear on his face.


    "Space magic without any fluctuations?" The Draconian Girl revealed even more surprise.


    Space Magic was the most special magic in hell. It was the magic that was considered even one step above the Dragon Tongue.


    There was only one person in this world who could use spatial magic without using any external tools. And that person was none other than the First Primordial.


    Eren was already very special in her eyes because of his Dragon Bloodline. But if he could use the space magic as well, his value shot up incredibly high.


    It was as if Eren was abination of the First Primordial and the Second Primordial. She didn''t know how well he could control the element of space. Even if he was only able to use it barely, it was still an incredible feat.


    "I... I want you." The girl eximed, realizing that a ve like this could truly help her family rise even higher than the First Primordial.


    Even though the Eight Primordials were said to be close to each other, only those in the inner circle knew that there was always friction between them, especially amongst the top.


    It was especially worse between the First Primordial and the Second Primordial. The First Primordial was considered the strongest, which made people consider him as the default king of hell.


    Her brother hated that fact. Unfortunately, he couldn''t find a way to suppress the First Primordial who had no weakness at all.


    The First Primordial had a lover and a brother inw which might be considered his weakness, but her brother knew that it was far from being the case.


    Even with that weakness, the first primordial couldn''t be controlled. He was the true master of space after all. If anything, it was going to make him really upset which might be bad for her brother as well.


    They needed something... Something that could change the status quo of hell. In front of her was just that opportunity.


    The girl flew past Eren, appearing in front of Yevni. "Are you his owner? I will pay you whatever you need. Hand his ve seal to us!"


    Yevni didn''t know what to say. ve seal? Eren had nothing like that. Even if she wanted, she couldn''t hand over the control of that person. She wasn''t the owner after all.


    Eren scratched the back of his head, being just as much at a loss as Yevni. He finally understood why he didn''t feel any hostility from the draconian girl, despite the sight she had witnessed.


    It was because her eyes were filled with greed to the point that there was no room for hostility.

 Chapter 562 Out of place

    Eren wasn''t sure what the girl''s true intentions were. Was she going to try to enve him when she finds out that he didn''t have anything like that? That seemed to be the most likely case in the current situation.


    "She is not my owner," Eren told the Draconian Girl, who revealed quite a surprise.


    "She is not your owner?" She didn''t understand why Eren was protecting that girl if she wasn''t her owner.


    "Then who is your owner?" she asked Eren, really hoping that it wasn''t one of the other Primordials. If that was the case, then it was truly the worst scenario.


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    "I will tell you if you answer my question first. What do you want to do with my master?" Eren asked the girl, trying to gauge her true intentions.


    "I want to buy your ve seal from him. But you don''t have to worry. As long as youe with us, you would have a life thousand times better.''


    She told Eren that she was nning to buy him, which was exactly what he had guessed. After seeing his capabilities, it would''ve been surprising if she didn''t desire to have a ve like him.


    Unfortunately for her, he didn''t have any master. He couldn''t be controlled through any seal, and he wasn''t nning to enter servitude either.


    "I am happy with my current master. You don''t have to worry about me." Eren used blink, and appeared next to Yevni.


    Seeing him teleport, the draconian girl was even more stunned. Her eyes were almost shining in fascination. Eren could really use space.


    Eren held Yevni''s hand, helping her up. He supported her, walking past the young dragon as his wings retracted.


    The girl opened her lips, but before she could utter a single sentence, Eren spoke.


    "If you want to threaten me about exposing what happened here to the Hellhounds, then you don''t have to brother. You are free to do what you want."


    It was true that she wanted to convince him. She even though about using the event that happened here to tell him that only she could protect him from the Hellhounds.


    Before she could even have an opportunity to say it, Eren already rejected her offer. It was as if he wasn''t scared of death at all.


    She couldn''t be any more wrong. Eren was scared of death the most. He was the person who cherished life the most.


    The only reason he didn''t take her help was because he knew that she wasn''t going to expose him. If she wanted him, then she couldn''t tell the Hellhounds. She couldn''t afford him dying.


    It was also because of that same reason, she couldn''t use her guards to kill him. She could try to use her guards to suppress him and capture him without hurting him, but it was almost impossible.


    Eren was of the dragon species. He was definitely much stronger than he revealed. She didn''t believe that her guards could suppress him without killing him. It was also because of that, her options were very limited.


    She had already revealed her strong desire, which gave Eren the advantage in this negotiation. From this point onwards, he just had to take advantage of the situation.


    Just as he expected, the guard of the girl raised a sword. The tip of the Sword was merely inches away from his chest.


    In response, Eren only smiled. He touched the de of the sword, raising it until it was resting against his throat.


    "A dragon doesn''t die immediately after their hearts are stabbed. They can still cause a lot more damage. If you want to take out a dragon, you should go for the throat," he told the guard, who red at him.


    Her killing intent became even heavier, making Yevni feel like she was suffocating.


    "That''s enough! You are here to protect me, not harm people!" The young dragon shouted, making the guard stop abruptly.


    "But youngdy, he is being-"


    "You don''t have to mention it. I can take care of my own matters! Let him go."


    The guard frowned, but she couldn''t go against the orders of her master. She retracted her sword and stepped away from Eren''s path.


    Eren waved his hand without looking back, walking away from the Draconian Girl. His n had worked, but only partially.


    He still has a smile on his lips, expecting a reaction soon. Just because that girl let him walk away, didn''t mean she was letting him go.


    "How long are you going to follow me?" His voice didn''t reveal his true thoughts, appearing slightly irritated instead.


    "Until you tell me about your master." A young woman''s voice came from behind him.


    The girl was following him, just as he wanted. Although it was going to attract a lot more attention to him, it was the best option for his safety in the current situation.


    He needed to go to the capital. What better way than to get close to the young girl that was greedy for more than she could have.


    "What if I say that I don''t have a master?" Eren asked the girl, making it appear like a hypothetical question.


    "I would''ve been so much happier if that was the case. Wouldn''t that mean that we can have you for ourselves?"


    "By enving me?" Eren asked.


    "That''s for our protection. We can''t let an outsider roam freely, out of control. However, envement doesn''t mean that you lose your rights."


    "What if I don''t want an envement seal? Do you think you can force me like you people did with the other ves?" Eren asked again.


    The more he spoke, the less hypothetical his questions were sounding. It was as if he was intentionally making his situation clear.


    Normally, it would have been a foolish decision. That''s why Yevni was pinching him hard, trying to warn him. Eren ignited her entirely, having a n of his own.


    "You..." The dragon girl was also starting to realize that something felt out of ce.

 Chapter 563 Dignity of a Dragon

    "Do you..." The girl hesitated for a moment. She wasn''t sure if she was on the right line of thought. But his words made her feel as if there was a possibility.


    "I don''t have a ve seal." Eren told the girl, despite the signals from Yevni, advising him against it.


    Eren understood that the girl wasn''t going to leave him until she found out about his so-called owner. It was only a matter of time before she found out the reality.


    Before that happened, he had to take the initiative in his own hand, leaving the girl overwhelmed.


    There was a possibility that she might think about turning him into a ve, but could she really do that without killing him? It was impossible. It wasn''t as if she knew that he coulde back to life after death.


    "How is that possible? That bracelet..." She was so overwhelmed that she didn''t even think about anything, rushing past Eren.


    She stopped in front of him and tore his shirt open, looking at his bare chest.


    "You truly don''t..." Although it was unbelievable, she was able to verify that Eren didn''t have the soul envement.


    In that moment, she felt hundreds of emotions, not knowing which emotions to focus on. There was excitement that she didn''t have to deal with another owner that might know about the special existence of Eren.


    There was also a certain extent of fear. Eren was an outsider, who was extremely powerful. He was also able to use the element of space that only the First Primordial could use.


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    As special as he was, he was also extremely dangerous. There was nothing stopping him from going berserk. There was no seal to keep him in ce.


    Eren took a step back and buttoned his shirt, hiding his bare chest. He thought the girl might be overwhelmed, but he didn''t think that she was going to do something like this so openly.


    It was especially surprising since there were so many people watching.


    "Did she just..."


    "Who is that man? How can she be so close to him?"


    She had suddenly closed in on a man, tearing his shirt open. It was something that was done between lovers in the privacy of their homes. It was never done so openly.


    Many people were starting to wonder if the man was her lover. In that case, wasn''t he going to be the brother inw of a Primordial?


    That thought was just as shocking for everyone, especially since they could see the bracelet of very around his wrist. It was clear that Eren was an outsider.


    The girl, finally registering the whispers around her, blushed crimson. She had acted impulsively, driven by a desperate need for answers. Only now did she realize what she had done.


    She couldn''t just tell them that she was checking for his ve seal, as that might alert the hounds. She couldn''t even offer any exnation.


    Still, she didn''t like being stared at by everyone like this. She had to get out of here, but not without Eren.


    She grabbed Eren''s hands, beautiful white wings appearing behind her. The wings spread out and she rose in the air, bringing Eren with her.


    Yevni was still in Eren''s arms, so she was also dragged along, which made people even more shocked. Was this some love triangle? When the Draconian Princess was expressing her interest in a ve, he still had time to think about another girl?


    Soon, the Dragon Princess disappeared into the horizon, reaching the central part of the Hellhound City.


    It was the part of the city where the most important people lived. It was also the ce where the City Lord''s Mansion was established.


    Not far from the City Lord''s Pce, there was an estate which belonged to the Second Primordial. The estate had been closed for a long time.


    For the first time in a while, the estate was opened. The girl simply rushed inside with Eren. The leader of her Guardians also entered right behind her, still hiding in her shadow to protect her.


    The doors of the estate closed again, with the remaining guards stationing themselves outside.


    The estate of the second primordial was opened after a long time. It wasn''t something that could be kept hidden, especially the appearance of the Draconian Princess.


    The news had already reached the Lord of Hellhound City. The Lord had already sent some people to invite the Princess to the Lord''s Pce for a meeting.


    The girl didn''t know anything that was happening outside. She was standing inside the house, with Eren standing not far from her.


    "You know that you are going to be enved if anyone finds out that you are free?" she asked Eren. "Instead of bing the ve of a Hellhound, why note under my control?"


    "A Dragon doesn''t serve anyone," Eren told the girl, already taking a glimpse of her status screen. "That''s why you are wrong."


    The girl was strong, but if he wanted, he could definitely take her out. Her guards were a bit more problematic, but it wasn''t impossible either.


    "In this world, I would either stay free or die fighting. That applies to everyone."


    He knew that the girl was also a dragon, and dragons were known for their dignity. Although the girl said she wanted to enve him, he knew that he could change her thoughts.


    For him, there was no better defence than a dragon''s dignity? If she insisted on turning him into a ve, she was going to lose him. And even if she managed to capture him on the off chance, turning him into a ve was going to destroy the dignity of the dragons.


    Although they were different species, at the core, they were born dragons. If his dignity was destroyed, it was going to affect all the dragons. For her, it was a bigger loss as he was much more useful to her alive than dead.

 Chapter 564 A Beneficial Deal

    "How did you survive for so long without being enved?"


    In this world, it was hard for an outsider to survive for long. Not only did Eren survive, but he also managed to get a bracelet from someone.


    Only a few high ranking people had spare bracelets of envement. Those were all people who were never going to betray Hell. Still, Eren managed to get one.


    Even after all that, no one even knew about the existence of someone like Eren in this world. If the other Primordials knew about him, then they were definitely going to do anything to either enve him or kill him.


    Eren''s survival itself was a miracle.


    "Was it the Nightwing n?" she asked Eren.


    In this ce, there were only two ns that satisfied the criteria. It was the Nightwing n and the Hellhound n.  Eren already had an enmity with the Hellhounds, so they couldn''t be the ones.


    That only left the Nightwing n. She had also heard about the appearance of some outsiders in the Nightwing n Territory. She didn''t know how serious that situation was, especially since the Seventh Primordial was supposed to be staying here.


    The girl looked at Yevni. Although the girl had many scars over her body, it couldn''t hide her Species characteristics. The girl was from the Nightwing n which confirmed her suspicions.


    Hearing the attention being brought to her n, Yevni couldn''t help but flinch. That''s why she didn''t want Eren to tell the girl. She knew that it might be associated with her n. It wasn''t a small issue.


    At this point, she even cursed herself for bringing Eren to this city. If she knew that it was going to happen, then she would have chosen to go through the Nightwing n Territory instead.


    Now, she had no other option. She couldn''t even pretend to be a hostage. Moreover, the person who knew about this reality was not insignificant either.


    It was someone rted to the second primordial. There was no point in keeping up the act. She had toe clear and tell the girl that she had no choice, and that her n had nothing to do with it.


    Eren opened his lips to speak, but Yevni cut him off. "You have already made enough of a mess. Don''t speak a single word more!"


    She started exining everything that happened, from the moment she heard about the arrival of the seventh primordial to the moment she was kidnapped by Eren from right under her family''s nose.


    She didn''t say anything about intentionally scarring herself for protection. She med Eren for kidnapping her and threatening her into betraying the family if she wanted to protect them.


    She made it clear that she had no choice in the matter. His family was innocent and if anyone needed punishment for betraying hell, then it was her.


    She thought the girl was going to kill her right away for betraying hell and siding with an outsider. Giving an outsider an envement bracelet without a seal was like creating a false identity card. It was a big crime in hell that even the major families were scared of.


    It was a crime big enough for the entire family being wiped out by the Primordials as these rules were formed by them. She really hoped that she could save her family.


    "Huh?" She waited to be attached, but nothing happened.


    She slowly opened her eyes, only to find out that the girl wasn''t even paying attention to her.


    Instead, she was looking at Eren with even more fascination. The more she learned around Eren, the more incredible he sounded.


    Until now, he was only someone who had killed a few Hellhounds. But now, he was a person that had managed to kidnap the daughter of the Nightwing Family, who was on the same level as the Hellhounds.


    He also managed to achieve that when the Seventh Primordial was residing in the Nightwing n Estate, trying to search for the outsiders.


    She wanted Eren even more, but she hadn''t forgotten Eren''s words. The man was more willing to die than to be a ve.


    If she insisted on turning him into a ve, she might lose him forever. She didn''t want to lose such a treasure.


    "Wait, maybe we can keep the act." She stated, noticing the bracelet on Eren''s wrist.


    Only she and her personal guard knew about Eren''s ve seal being fake. The others were stillpletely unaware. If she didn''t expose him, then she should take him as a servant of her n without having to actually enve him.


    Continue reading at empire


    It was a trade that was beneficial for both of them. Eren could live in this world without worrying about his safety. And she could take his help for what was toe in the future.


    "What if I say that I don''t want to enve you?" She asked Eren. "I only want you to be in a cooperative rtionship with our n. You just have to keep it a secret that you have a fake seal."


    Eren didn''t show much reaction, but he was very pleased inwardly. This was the exact oue that he wanted.


    It was a deal that made sure that he had his independence. Moreover, the others might be worried about a person free of the envement seal harming them, but a Primordial was different.


    They were the strongest beings in this world. Was a Primordial really going to care about it, as long as he was siding with them!


    With the help of the girl, he had created a passage that turned him from a fugitive being chased by the Seventh Primordial to the person belonging to the Second Primordial.


    He had created a passage that led him straight to the capital. And with their resources, he might even find more about his so-called brother.


    "You have a deal." He reached out his hand.


    The young dragon finally sighed in relief, shaking Eren''s hands. She had received what she wanted. Now it was time for the hierarchy of the capital to change.

 Chapter 565 Invitation

    [You have established a rtionship with the Dragons of Hell]


    [You have received an exemry achievement]


    [You have triggered new paths]


    [Path One: Work with the Dragons to destroy the first Primordial]


    [Path two: Work with the Dragons and find an opportunity to get close to the First Primordial, exposing the schemes of the Dragons]


    [Path Three: Be a Primordial Demon before leaving this world]


    [Path Four: You don''t trust the Primordials. Find a way to sneak away without getting caught]


    Eren already had an idea about what he wanted to achieve in this world. He didn''t take much time to think before selecting one of the four options, starting his new journey with his system in this new world.


    Strength was everything in this world. As long as he worked for others, it was only a matter of time before he was killed or enved when he ran out of use.


    The only thing that could benefit him in this world was to focus on his own strength. It was the same principle as back home where strength was the most useful thing.


    [You have selected the third path]


    [You have been partially rewarded]


    [You have received a Demon Seed]


    ''A demon seed?'' Eren didn''t know what the Demon Seed was. He opened his inventory to check if anything new had appeared, but he couldn''t find any new items inside his inventory.


    He suddenly had a bad feeling about this. If the reward wasn''t in his inventory, then there was only one other ce where it could be. Your next journey awaits at empire


    Just as he was starting to grimace, he heard another notification.


    [The Demon Seed has taken ce in your heart]


    [Once the demon seed ispletely awake, you can be a Primordial]


    [Please feed the Demon Seed properly to ensure a healthy growth]


    ''Feed it to ensure a healthy growth? What am I even supposed to feed it? My blood?''


    Eren wasn''t sure if there was anything extraordinary he needed to do, for the seed to grow. Or was it automatic, with the seed being nurtured in his heart?


    He opened his status screen and tried to check more about the seed. Fortunately, he did manage to find a seperate section for it.


    .......


    Name: Seed of Primordial


    Tier: Legendary


    Description: An unknown seed that originated from the Cursed Tree of Death, that is the life of hell. Once the seed grows, you can connect to the Cursed Tree of Death like other Primordials.


    Nurturing Method: To nurture the seed, it needs to be fed the essence of demons from hell. The purer the essence, the faster the growth.


    .......


    ''That''s... a lot moreplicated than I thought.'' Eren could see between the words.


    If the purity of essence helped the growth, then it was indirectly telling him to target the Primordials. The Primordials had an essence thousands of times purer than the other demons.


    Even if he killed other demons, he didn''t know how many he had to kill. Could I even achieve that number without raising suspicions?


    While Eren was lost in thought, he forgot his surroundings. Both the girls saw him looking in the empty air, asionally moving his fingers like a mad man.


    "Did he already lose his mind at the thought of associating with the second primordial?" Yevni wondered, not understanding why Eren was behaving so strangely.


    It wasn''t even the first time she had seen him do that. There were often times when he was foolishly staring in the distance.


    "When are we leaving for the capital?" Eren waved his hand, closing the status screen.


    Even if he had to kill the demons, the capital was the perfect ce for that. There were many pure demons residing there. He also had the protection of the second primordial.


    ''While I work to find my dear brother, I might as wellplete this seed of chaos. One can never have too much strength when dealing with a main character.''


    "We will leave tonight. But before that, I think we might have to deal with something unnecessary." The girl looked towards the door, hearing footsteps approaching.


    She already knew that people were going toe here, the moment her presence was revealed. They were the Hellhounds.


    Soon, there was a knock on the door. A guard informed them that the Hellhounds were here to invite the youngdy.


    "ept the invitation," the girl told her guards, without even opening the door.


    Although Hellhounds didn''t like it, they had no choice. They extended their hands to give the invitation to the guards.


    The guards also reached out their hands to ept the invitation of the Hellhound family. However, before they could touch the invitation, the invitation card snatched away.


    "Why are you giving such a precious invitation to mere guards?" A man revealed his presence, ring at his guards in arrogance.


    "You are a guest in our city. Isn''t it good manners to ept the invitation yourself? Or are you looking down on the Hellhounds because of your family?" A sharp voice came, surprising even the guards.


    Even Eren was a little taken aback as the voice belonged to the same Hellhound that had attacked him.


    Although the young dragon didn''t want to deal with unnecessary matters, but she approached the door, opening it.


    "Isn''t it good manners to not disturb a person when they are resting? Should I personally ept the invitation, instead of resting? Are you the Hellhound Family Head to demand such a thing?" She coldly looked at the tall man.


    Her personal guard came out of the shadow, her heavy aura descending upon the young hellhound.


    Even under the suppression, the Hellhound only revealed a smile. It was as if there was a burning passion in his eyes. He didn''t care about the family behind the girl.


    As long as he didn''t hurt her, what was her family going to do? He knew that the top Primordials were in a race against each other. None could afford to leave the capital.

 Chapter 566 Tower Masters Grave Mistake

    The young hellhound extended his hand, offering the invitation directly to the girl. He didn''t care about herint or the behaviour that he was showing.


    His father might care about these people, but he was different. He could never care about the politics, as long as it wasn''t something that might lead toplete annihtion of his family.


    "We are done here." After forcefully handing over the invitation, he turned around, telling his men to return with him.


    The young dragon looked at the arrogant Hellhound, frowning. "I finally understand why you killed them. They are truly annoying."


    He handed over the invitation to Eren. "Do you want to attend?"


    Normally, she wouldn''t care about it. She would have simply left the city, but it was a different case now. Eren had killed a few Hellhounds. If they left, it was going to make them look suspicious.


    Thanks to this incident, it was also established that she had some conflict with the Hellhounds. She couldn''t give them any opportunity to put the me on them.


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    "I see no region to reject." Eren looked at the invitation, his left hand rubbing his belly where he was punched.


    At that time, he couldn''t react since he was supposed to be a ve that could be killed. Now, he was rted to the family of the second primordial.


    As long as he didn''t openly kill the Hellhounds, he could go much farther. It was also the perfect ce to test his demon seed growth.


    He had already killed a few Hellhounds. It was clear that the killer was in the city. There was nothing to stop him from going all out, now that he had an alibi.


    Moreover, he also had a feeling that a familiar face might show up soon. The Necromancers were in the Nightwing n Territory, where a primordial was going crazy.


    They definitely couldn''t pass through that territory. If they had to go towards the center of hell, the only other route that they could take was through Hellhound City.


    If they were still alive, and hadn''t been caught by the Primordial, it was only a matter of time before they came this way. When that happened, he had another person scapegoat for the incidents taking ce in the city.


    ...


    While Eren was nning to screw over the Necromancers, the Necromancer Tower Master had appeared in front of the Hellhound City.


    He was missing his left arm, his clothes stained in blood. He looked even more pale, and there was no one apanying him anymore.


    He didn''t even know if the Right Guardian was killed or caught by the Primordial. He had barely managed to get away after all, noticing the situation turning unfavorable for him.


    The Necromancer Tower Master had no idea about the things Eren was nning for them. If he knew, he might have coughed up some blood.


    First, he was targeted by a Primordial because of Eren, which destroyed most of his forces that had apanied him. And now, Eren was nning to send the Hellhounds after him.


    Despite so much, he waspletely unaware about why everything was going wrong. He took a deep breath, realizing that he had no other choice but to pass through the Hellhound Territory.


    Although the Hellhounds were worse for a Necromancer, they couldn''tpare to a Primordial. This was his only option.


    He healed his left arm and changed his clothes. Using his Undead Magic, he also erased his otherworldly aura, making himself appear like one of the undead species that lived in this world.


    His heart had almost stopped beating, something he did intentionally. He also rearranged some of his organs.


    He selected a method much different from Eren. Instead of pretending to be a ve, he was pretending to be a person from hell.


    After preparing everything, he quickly rushed inside the Hellhound City, feeling the presence of a Primordial drawing closer. Only the Hellhound City could protect him now.


    ....


    "Why is this ce so heavily guarded?" The moment Necromancer Tower Master appeared inside the city, he was left shocked.


    He could see Hellhounds everywhere. They were clearly searching for someone. They were checking the identity of every person in the city.


    Necromancer Tower Master even saw a person being burned alive in the mes of hell, simply because he was considered suspicious by the Hellhounds.


    "Just what is happening here?" he wondered. His expressions twisted even more when a Hellhound suddenly pointed toward him.


    "There he is!"


    Before the Tower Master could understand anything, he was surrounded by the Hellhounds. His mind was in an absolute mess.


    These people were pointed at him, as if they were certain about his identity. They clearly recognized him for some reason, but how? That was the question.


    He hadn''t changed his face. He only did a few minor adjustments to appear like an undead species of this world. But that shouldn''t have given his identity away.


    He made sure that everyone who saw him in hell, during hisst trip to hell, had died. No one should have recognised his face, except the Primordial who had seen him before.


    "Hmm? He''s actually here?" Even Eren couldn''t believe his luck, noticing the Tower Master while hiding in the shadows.


    He had taken a risk. He killed even more Hellhounds throughout the day, only letting one escape. When he let that one Hellhound escape, he was disguised as the Necromancer Tower Master, cing cards for the future.


    He didn''t realize that his cards were going to start being effective so fast. The Necromancer Tower Master really had bad luck. In some ways, his luck was even worse than Eren.


    He had escaped from one nightmare, only to end up in another nightmare. Moreover, he was also discovered by Eren, who had lost him before.


    Eren had a trail now. Normally, he would have been worried about the trail being cut off when the person was killed, but he knew the Tower Master was much stronger.


    Hellhounds couldn''t kill him. Even if they could seriously hurt him, they couldn''t stop him from escaping. The man was an Overlord after all.

 Chapter 567: Round Two

    567 Chapter 567: Round Two


    The Necromancer Tower Master was someone who had managed to escape from a Primordial. Even with multiple Hellhounds surrounding him, he refused to give up.


    Although he wasn''t sure why he was being attacked, he fought back fiercely. This was the first time Eren had seen the Necromancer Tower Master fight with all his might.


    The mes of the Hellhounds were the worst enemy for the essence of death that the Necromancer Tower Master used. Despite that, the man was still frightening.


    Within an instant, he killed two Hellhounds, ripping their hearts apart. The Hellhounds fell to the ground lifelessly, the essence of death slowly invading their bodies.


    The Necromancer Tower Master made his way towards the exit of Hellhound City, killing Hellhounds as he went.


    He also managed to turn the Hellhounds he had killed, bringing them back to life to fight for him.


    The Hellhounds had bright and powerful mes. But as Undead, their mes turned much darker. They were no longer able to use mes that could hurt the essence of death. Instead, they were using the mes of death.


    The Necromancer Tower Master knew that the Hellhounds fighting him were the weakest. The Lord of this city and the higher-ups were the true threats.


    Before they arrived, he wanted to leave a gift for them. He wanted to turn their own Hellhounds against them.


    The aura of death spread out with the Tower Master at its core. Even as he fought, he managed to divide his focus.


    In just one day, over a hundred Hellhounds had died. More than fifty of them had died at the hands of the Necromancer Tower Master, with the rest dying in Eren''s hands who was taking advantage of the chaos.


    Many Hellhounds that were making their way towards the battlefield inside the city, were killed before they could even reach the Necromancer Tower Master.


    They were killed by a man that came out of the shadows and disappeared inside the shadows after killing them, increasing the demonic essence within the Primordial Seed in his heart.


    "This is so slow. At this rate, how long is it going to take?" Eren returned to the roof, from where he had the best view of the battlefield.


    Suddenly, a powerful aura exploded from within the mansion in the center of the Hellhound City.


    "The big ones are joining. Is this the opportunity that I need?" Eren looked at the source of the aura that was hundreds of times stronger than any Hellhound he had seen before.


    He saw a ming shadow approach him at the speech of light. Taken aback, he returned to his shadow and waited for the ming shadow to fly past him.


    One after the other, the powerful auras flew past him. The entire city trembled as the people came out of their Shadows,nding all around the Necromancer Tower Master.


    Amongst them, the one who stood out the most was the Hellhound City Lord. His younger brother was also next to him. He was the same person who had given him a coin aspensation.


    The young city lord was also in the group, but he was kept at the back. He appeared very frustrated as he wasn''t allowed to take part in the battle.


    He was simply brought here to gain experience as it was rare for a threat like this to appear in the Hellhound City.


    "Father, I can take care of him. Do you really need to-"


    "Just stay behind and let the elders deal with it." Before he could evenplete his sentence, he was shut out.


    It was not a normal fight. It was a fight with someone that could even turn the Hellhounds into Undeads, an outsider that they had only heard about once in the past.


    There had long been a rumor about an outsider that had created a lot of problems in the past.


    No one who had seen that person''s face, was left alive. Only their corpses were discovered, shrouded in the essence of death which was the same as what they could feel from the Undeads now.


    Many people had tried to search for the person in the past, but he was never found. It was as if he was a ghost who had disappeared into thin air.


    "So you finally appeared again. Just as I thought, you were an outsider." City Lord revealed his wolf-like fangs, transforming into his beastly form.


    "I don''t know how you people found out about me, but you will regret the moment you tried to stop me. Because this time, I can''t fail!"


    The Tower Mastermanded his undead Hellhounds to keep the other elders of the family busy, while he personally attacked the City Lord.


    Once he took out the city lord, the battle was as good as over. After all, the city lord wasn''t as strong as Primordial.


    The draconian girl and her guards also came out of their residence after hearing themotion, but they didn''t lend a helping hand.


    Just like Eren, they were also watching from a distance. The rise and fall of this city had nothing to do with them, not that they believed that the City Lord could lose in the first ce.


    Unlike Eren, the young city lord wanted to take part in the battle but he could only watch from a distance as there was no ce for him to join the battle.


    He could only curse his luck that he wasn''t here first. If he was here, he would''ve had the opportunity to fight.


    "Shall we go for round two?"


    As the young hellhound was cursing his luck, he suddenly felt a presence behind him.


    Before he found reach, someone grabbed his cor and tossed him back, far away from the battlefield.


    The young heir regained his bnce before he could fall on the ground,nding on his two feets.


    "I don''t know who you are, but I should thank you for getting rid of my boredom at the cost of your life."


    He cracked his knuckles, watching a young man in the distance whose face was hidden behind a wooden mask.

 Chapter 568: Hunting the Prince

    568 Chapter 568: Hunting the Prince


    "Lady Sophia, isn''t that..." The Dragon Princess'' guards caught sight of the masked man that had intercepted the heir of the Hellhound City.


    Although Eren was hiding his identity behind a mask, she was certain that he was the masked man. After all, he disappeared only recently, being nowhere to be found.


    "It looks like he really hates the Hellhound." Sophia also agreed with her personal guard.


    She had already seen Eren kill three Hellhounds, and now he was going after the heir of the Hellhound n. She also had a feeling that he also had something to do with the deaths of the Hellhounds throughout the day.


    If it wasn''t for the appearance of the Tower Master, she would have been certain that Eren was behind it. But now, she wasn''t so sure.


    "Should we stop him?" The guard asked Sophia, who lightly shook her head, denying the permission.


    She didn''t like the young hellhound in the first ce, especially because of the brazenness with which he had behaved in front of her. She had no incentive to save him.


    Even more importantly, she wanted to see Eren fight. She had never seen him fight at all. Evenst time, she only reached there when the battle had already finished.


    "Let''s see what you are truly capable of." She wanted to see Eren''s Bloodline at full disy, including the level of his spatial control.


    "But why is he not transforming into his real form? Is he that concerned about hiding his identity?" The Guard raised a doubt that even the Princess couldn''t answer.


    Eren had to release his true draconian form to face three Hellhounds. The prince of Hellhounds was much stronger than them, yet Eren wasn''t releasing his true form. Was he that confident? Or did he have other apprehensions?


    "When facing me, you shouldn''t be distracted, brat!" The Hellhound Prince rushed forward, clenching his fist.


    Once again, he aimed for Eren''s gut, just like he had attacked on the first meeting. The only difference was that there was much more strength behind that attack.


    Like the rushing winds, he appeared right before Eren and threw a punch.


    He thought he was going to see Eren panicking, but he heard what appeared like a light chuckleing from behind that mask.


    "What?" His face soon twisted, as he saw his fisting to an abrupt halt. Eren had grabbed his fist with ease, not even taking a single step back.


    "Do you know why I can afford to be distracted?" Eren asked, bringing his lips closer to the Hellhound''s ears. "Because I don''t have to hide anymore."


    If it was the Patriarch of the Hellhound Family, he would have still been a little cautious. But it was just the prince.


    Most of the forces of the Hellhound n were being kept busy by the Tower Master, giving Erenplete freedom to settle the scores.


    "You!" The Young Hellhound roared, but his roar changed to a painful groan as a fistnded on his stomach, sending him flying back instead.


    "Hmm? He was right. It is indeed fun to hit things," Eren looked at his fist as the young prince shot through multiple buildings beforending on the ground, coughing blood.


    When he first fought the Hellhound, he wasn''t sure about the exact strength of these creatures. He had released his absolute dragon form to fight them, giving it his all.


    In the end, he was left quite disappointed. He felt like he had gone overboard, using a cannon to kill insects.


    The Hellhound Warriors were strong, but they were not as strong as he had initially assumed. He had truly underestimated himself in this world.


    While Sophia thought that he had to use his dragon form because he couldn''t face the Hellhound Warriors otherwise, the reality was quite different.


    That''s why he didn''t use his dragon form to kill the other Hellhounds, even doing so when disguised.


    If even the Tower Master could face the Hellhound Patriarch, then wasn''t he on a simr level? He had even higher stats, even if his skills were different.


    He thought he had to hide in this world where death was roaming at every step. But this world was more or less the same as the world he came from, excluding the Primordials that he truly didn''t understand yet.


    "I will kill you!" The Hellhound Prince howled at the sky, running out of the rubble. His body had grown muchrger, like that of a beast.


    He was at least twice the size of the normal Hellhound Warriors, with his pupils being a darker shade of red. He was the true alpha of this pack, just like his father.


    Despite that, he was hurt by an outsider? He could only wash off this shame with Eren''s blood.


    "That howl..." The Hellhound Patriarch also heard the howling of his son, growing stunned.


    He had left his son behind so he wouldn''t involve himself in a fight. Then why did his howl sound so desperate? Just who was he fighting? It couldn''t be an undead Hellhound.


    Was there another outsider like the Tower Master? He wondered. He immediately told his younger brother to leave the undead Hellhound to the others and help the young heir.


    He couldn''t risk his son getting hurt, especially since the ceremony of the capital was drawing near.


    "I''ll deal with it, and be right back." The middle aged man disappeared, rushing to find the young prince.


    "My Lady, it was surprising that he was able to hurt that brat without transforming. But with the Vice Patriarch going there, things are going to get more dangerous for him. I should bring him back."


    The Princess'' Guard stepped forward, but as she was about to disappear, she saw Sophia raise her hand. Sophia gestured for her to stay back, and not interfere.


    "I don''t think he will listen to you. It''s good for him to suffer some losses. When he''s about to die, we will interfere and make him understand that he needs us. Until then, let him suffer a little."


    Although he didn''t want to lose Eren, who was a precious help, it didn''t mean she wanted to help him unconditionally.

 Chapter 569: Princess Scheme

    569 Chapter 569: Princess'' Scheme


    "The Princess is wise. A wild beast is truly more dangerous. It might be a good opportunity to tame him." The Guard nodded, feeling somewhat proud that her mistress was so wise.


    She was sure that the Second Primordial was going to be proud when he heard the way his sister dealt with this issue.


    "Ah, the punching bag is back." Eren revealed a smile, watching a ming figure rushing towards him.


    "Ice!" He raised his hand, using his Frost Physique, something that he hadn''t used in a long time.


    He didn''t use his physique to attack the Hellhound, only freezing the entire street and surroundings in ice.


    The young hellhound had been running towards Eren, but the entire street had suddenly turned to ice. He momentarily lost his bnce while running, skidding across the distance.


    Still, he kept his focus on Eren, opening his jaws wide to reveal his sharp fangs. Unfortunately, the slight moment of his lost focus was enough for Eren to take the advantage.


    Eren stepped aside, whispering under his breath, "Strengthening."


    "Dragon Tongue... I was right." In the distance, Sophia''s eyes brightened up.


    Although it was a basic spell of dragon tongue to strengthen the physique, it was still something that only dragons could use.


    Eren didn''t stop and used another dragonnguage spell. "Stability!"


    Eren firmly nted left foot on the ground, twisting his body clockwise as his right foot came swinging.


    The reinforced right foot was further strengthened as dragon scales appeared on Eren''s feet that mmed against the Hellhound''s face, sending him flying into another building.


    "Partial Dragonification. That''s..." With every passing second, Sophia was growing more impressed by Eren''s abilities.


    Even for her, learning partial Dragonification took a long time to learn. But Eren was already able to use it, especially with such precise control.


    "The Vice Patriarch might not be enough. Tell the Patriarch that the enemy is as dangerous as the one he is facing. Make him send more people." She suddenlymanded her guard, not certain anymore if the Vice Patriarch alone could bring Eren to the threshold of death.


    Even if she had to destroy Eren until he could only breathe, she wanted him! She had to make sure that Eren had no choice but to rely on them.


    The guard didn''t ask any questions and disappeared. She sent a mental transmission to the Hellhound Patriarch, telling him that his son''s life was in danger.


    To make sure that the man didn''t ask her for help, she informed him right away that she was only responsible for the safety of her master.


    The Hellhound Patriarch had no choice but to send more people to help her son, being the only one left behind to stop the Tower Master.


    Initially, the Necromancer Tower Master was surrounded from all sides. He was being suppressed, and even thinking about ways to leave.


    To his pleasant surprise, the encirclement was removed by the Hellhound Patriarch himself. With that person being the only one left behind, it gave the Tower Master an opportunity.


    In an instant, he released most of his strength and started giving it his all, to kill the Hellhound Family Leader.


    "It''s just as I thought. That man loves his son. Even at the risk of letting that man escape, he sent the others to protect his son. With that, it''s only a matter of time." Sophia gazed at Eren, her eyes filled with greed.


    Eren could see that he was being observed by the Princess, but he didn''t think much about it. That girl already knew about his draconian identity after all. He waspletely unaware about the schemes of that woman.


    He was more focused on the young prince. This time, he didn''t wait for the prince toe for him. Right after kicking him away, he ran after the prince like lightning.


    Multiple explosions echoed across the surroundings with each fist of Erennding on the Hellhound, akin to a missilending.


    The Hellhound had been arrogant all this time, as someone who was above everyone else. He was one of the most talented people in the younger generation after all.


    He had never suffered through any loss in his life, which made him look down on others. Unfortunately, Eren wasn''t someone that could be looked down on.


    After a long time, he had finally found a wall that he shouldn''t have tried to climb.


    "Why aren''t you fighting back? I thought you enjoyed fighting." Eren asked, again his fistnding on the Hellhound''s face, almost cracking his skull.


    "W-who are you?" The Hellhound never felt this close to death, as he did now. It was clear that this man wanted his life.


    He didn''t want to use him as a hostage to save the other outsider. Instead, he genuinely wanted to kill him.


    "Did you forget me so soon?" Eren asked, but didn''t exin. His fist never stopped, as he was starting to enjoy it.


    It was as if he was trying to see how many punches without any special abilities it took, to crack through that man''s skull.


    "Stop right there!" Eren was so immersed that he barely heard the should of the Vice Patriarch of Hellhound Family.


    "Ah, if it isn''t the old man. It''s fine, you don''t have to worry. Even if I kill him, I will give you a nicepensation."


    As Eren spoke, he swung his left hand, tossing a projectile at the Vice Patriarch.


    The Vice Patriarch reached out his hand, catching the projectile. However, even he was barely able to catch it, the projectile passing through his flesh, entering his palm halfway.


    "This coin..." He pulled out the projectile from his bleeding palm, not failing to recognize it. The simrity was uncanny, especially the same coin being tossed.


    "It is you!" He eximed, unable to believe that the person that his nephew was bullying, was such a strong outsider.


    "Release my nephew this instant, or I will be forced to take action!" Although he was shocked, his nephew''s life was still most important for him.


    "Release him? Since I am a kind hearted man, I will listen to you. I will release him..." Eren sighed and stood up, releasing the Hellhound.


    However, just as the Vice Patriarch was starting to feel relieved, he saw Eren turn around. His hand transformed into a w that stabbed through the zing chest of the Hellhound.


    To everyone''s disbelief, Eren wed out the heart of the young hellhound before finallypleting his sentence, "I will release him from this life, just as you asked."

 Chapter 570: Uno Reverse

    570 Chapter 570: Uno Reverse


    When Eren agreed to release the Hellhound Prince, the Vice Patriarch was somewhat relieved. As long as he could get the prince back safely, everything would be fine. He could always kill Eren after ensuring the Prince''s safety.


    Unfortunately, the reality waspletely different. Eren essentially pped him in the face by killing the Prince in front of everyone, showing that he clearly couldn''t care less.


    The Vice Patriarch was in disbelief for a long time. Did it really happen? Or was he dreaming? How was he going to answer to the Patriarch? How was he going to tell him that the Prince died right in front of their eyes?


    The Vice Patriarch was going crazy. Even if he killed Eren, he wasn''t going to avoid punishment. It was all because of Eren! He had to kill the bastard who was behind it all.


    He transformed into his beastly form and charged forward. Unlike his nephew, he didn''t underestimate Eren. He didn''t go easy on the crazy bastard who was able to hurt his nephew.


    As he ran, dark mes erupted from his body, turning the entire alley into a hell of mes. The entire area was engulfed by the dark mes of the Hellhound.


    The entire street was covered in Eren''s ice. But the moment it was swallowed by the mes, the ice evaporated, leaving behind only the pitch ck mes.


    Eren also didn''t look down on the Vice Patriarch of the Hellhound Family. The man was not as ignorant and arrogant as the Prince.


    He was experienced in battles and about the precise use of his strength. He wasn''t naive to the tricks of the enemy.


    The Princess of the Dragon n looked at Eren, realizing that she was finally going to see him give it his all. The time was drawing near. It was only a matter of time before he was begging for her help.


    "Hmm?" Eren was about to release his dragon form when he felt more auras approaching.


    More Hellhounds were arriving, and they were definitely not weaker than the Vice Patriarch.


    No, it wasn''t just the fact that more Hellhounds wereing. Instead, excluding the Hellhound Patriarch, almost all Hellhounds were approaching.


    It didn''t make sense at all. Why would the Hellhound Patriarch stay alone with the Tower Master, leaving him for the others. Did he really think that the unknown enemy was stronger than the Tower Master?


    If it was just his worry about his son, then the Vice Patriarch should have been enough. With theck of information that the Hellhound Patriarch had, wasn''t this an overkill?


    Even if Eren could kill them, he had a feeling that something else was in ce. Someone was definitely messing with him, and there was only one person that came to mind.


    There was only one person who was watching the entire battlefield like a spectator. It was the sister of the Second Primordial.


    "Is she nning to have me beaten to death? But that wouldn''t be beneficial for her. Then what? Ah, right. The knight in the shining armor n..."


    Eren facepalmed himself. He had used this scheme against the others toe out as the hero and gain their favor. But this was the first time he was on the receiving end of the scheme.


    "Since you want to y the knight in shining armor, I will make your wishe true, my dear knight." Eren looked towards the Princess, ignoring the Hellhound that was rushing to him like a mad bull.


    Two draconian wings appeared behind his back and he rose in the air. He didn''t fly to attack the Hellhound, but he didn''t run towards the city exit either.


    To everyone''s shock, he flew straight towards the battlefield where the Princess was standing like a spectator. He didn''t leave the prince''s body behind either, carrying it with him through the sky.


    The Hellhound didn''t let him go and chased after him, jumping from one building to another, leaving a trail of fire behind.


    The other Hellhounds also transformed and chased after the shadowy figure in the sky that the Vice Patriarch was chasing.


    Eren was being chased by the strongest Hellhounds of the Hellhound City, but his expressions remained still. He wasn''t panicking.


    The one panicking was the Princess instead, especially since Eren was flying in her direction.


    "W-why is heing here?"


    She thought Eren was going to use all his strength to fight, only to be surpassed eventually. That was when she was going to appear in front of him, and give him a choice of epting her ve seal if he wanted her help.


    That was how everything was supposed to go. Then why was Erening for her? Did she just happen to be in his path? Was it truly a coincidence? She wasn''t certain.


    Unfortunately for her, it was far from a coincidence and she was soon going to realize it.


    Eren reached the Princess,nding on the same building roof as her. He tossed the corpse of the prince at the Princess''s feet and immediately went down on one knee.


    "My Lady, I have finished the task assigned by you. The boy who disrespected you, has been killed as per your instruction! Your ve hasn''t failed you!" Eren eximed, not even trying to keep his voice down.


    The Vice Patriarch of the Hellhound Family, as well as the other elders heard him loud and clear.


    They abruptly came to a stop. The sister of the second primordial was behind it? She had the heir of the Hellhound family killed because of a little disrespect?


    They had already heard from the servants about the little arrogant act of the heir when he came to deliver the invitation. They didn''t think it was a big deal.


    They never expected that the Princess was going to be so brutal that she was going to have the heir killed.


    "I was wondering about the identity of the person that could have a powerful ve like him. Now it''s all making sense!" The Vice Patriarch frowned.


    "I... I..." The Princess didn''t know what to say either. She was also at a loss. Eren had simply screwed her over.

 Chapter 571 Leaving a trace

    "W-what are you talking about? When did I ever tell you to kill anyone?"


    The Princess couldn''t believe Eren. Not only had he killed the Hellhound Prince on his own, but he had also led the enemies straight to her. As if that wasn''t enough, he even told them that she was the one who had instructed him to do it!


    She wanted Eren to fight with his life on the line, revealing all secrets that he had. But he had brought the fight to her.


    If everything had gone ording to her n, Eren would have had to beg for her help. But now, she was already involved in his mess, without any need for help.


    With her involvement, the Hellhounds were not going to pay as much attention to Eren as before. She was a bigger threat than Eren after all.


    "Just because you are the sister of a primordial, you think you can do anything? I will tie you and drag you back to the Family Head, letting him punish you! Only then, this rage inside me is going to calm down!"


    The Vice Patriarch of the Hellhound Family shifted targets. He focused on the princess, and less on Eren who was just a pawn in this entire scheme of the dragons.


    The Draconian Princess sighed, having no choice in the matter. If her life was in danger, her guards were going to get involved.


    The conflict between Eren and the Hellhounds had swiftly shifted to be a conflict between the Dragons and the Hellhounds.


    To prevent the Vice Patriarch from bringing this information to the Hellhounds, she had to kill them all here.


    "Kill them all," she told her guards who immediately came into action.


    Eren had be a spectator instead, watching the battlefield while taking a bite of the Prince''s heart who had the purest Bloodline of the Hellhounds.


    To make sure he wasn''t dragged into this mess again, he had already shifted ces. He left the Hellhound Prince''s body next to the draconian princess, and moved to a distant building in the shadows from where he could have a better view of all the battles.


    He cast an invisibility cloak on himself, making sure no one could disturb his feasting time.


    Just as he expected, the Hellhound Patriarch was barely keeping up with the Necromancer Tower Master. Alone, he wasn''t strong enough to hold the Tower Master back.


    The Tower Master could have easily escaped if he wanted, but he intentionally stayed behind, not wanting to miss the opportunity to add a powerful ve like the Hellhound Patriarch to his collection.


    His previous collection had mostly been destroyed by the Seventh Primordial, leaving him to start from scratch here. And what better opportunity than now?


    It wasn''t often he could get the Hellhound Patriarch away from the other powerful beings of the Hellhound Family.


    He didn''t know what made the Family Head send his strongest warriors away. Was there another enemy? In his mind, the Tower Master was thanking the other enemy of Hellhounds.


    "At this rate, he will seed in killing the Hellhound Leader." Eren took thest bite of the heart. "Should I let it happen? But if he bes stronger, it will be more troublesome for me as well."


    He used the Dragon Tongue to clean the blood from his hands, even as he felt the burning sensation inside his body.


    He was gaining another powerful bloodline. His Frost Physique gave him affinity with the cold. Simrly, the Hellhound Bloodline was giving him an affinity with the mes of hell.


    He was also able to change his aura into that of a Hellhound, almost making himself undistinguishable.


    "Should I help him?" he wondered, raising his right hand. A ck me rose up over his hands.


    "Nah. The Family Head probably knows all the Hellhounds already. "He might know that I''m not a friend. I don''t want to be backstabbed while I''m helping him."


    Eren quickly gave up the thought of directly involving himself in this battle. But it didn''t mean he couldn''t indirectly involve himself.


    He opened his inventory, bringing out the gun he had received as a reward. Even if it wasn''t strong enough to kill the powerful beings, it was still strong enough to mess with them.


    More importantly, it worked with his mana. He needed to get some of his mana inside the body of the Tower Master, so he could track himself.


    Eren raised the gun, and supplied his raw mana, which had grown even denser with his leveling spree. Stay updated with empire


    He aimed at the heart of the Tower Master. Although he knew that he couldn''t kill him with this, it was still going to be painful for the Tower Master.


    "Let''s treat this as a repayment for thest time you screwed me over." Eren aimed, his hands bing extremely still.


    The Tower Master distracted the Family Head with the Undeads and went for the lethal strike, flying through the dark mes that left his clothes burning.


    At the same time, Eren fired the shot.


    Before the Tower Master could reach the Hellhound Leader, a dense mana bullet flew through the dark mes, taking advantage of the fact that the Tower Master couldn''t see through the mes properly.


    Just as Eren expected, the Tower Master wasn''t able to dodge in time, and the bullet prated his chest, going straight for his heart.


    He jumped back, giving up on the attack. He was simply left shocked, watching the hole in his chest. Although the hole healed on its own, he was still shocked.


    Just what kind of attack was this? He couldn''t understand. He couldn''t even see where it came from. It was clearly different from what the Hellhounds used.


    After shooting the mana bullet, Eren hid behind a wall, hiding himself. Even if he had the invisibility thanks to Dragon Tongue, he didn''t rely on it alone.


    The Tower Master also didn''t have much time to be distracted as the Hellhound appeared in front of him, wing through his chest, leaving deep wounds

 Chapter 572 Bringer of Bad Luck

    The Tower Master barely protected his vitals, jumping back again. But the injury was already done, the hell mes starting to cause chaos inside his body.


    "Urgh!" He groaned in pain, sending his Undead to keep the Hellhound Patriarch back. In an instant, all the advantages he had gained were destroyed.


    He had no choice but to give up on his goals and focus on escaping. He needed to get away from the battle to protect himself and get rid of the raging mes that had entered his body.


    He didn''t know who was responsible for messing with his ns, but now wasn''t the time to think about it. He jumped high in the sky, leaping past the Hellhound Patriarch.


    He started running away, while the Hellhound Patriarch dealt with the undead Hellhounds.


    By the time the Hellhound Patriarch was finished, the Tower Master had already reached the other end of the city.


    On his way out of the city, he killed all the guards that he came across. At the same time, he also spread the gue of death across the city to keep the Hellhounds even more upied, not wanting to be chased.


    Soon, he had left the city and disappeared into the unknown.


    Eren had initially nned to stick close to the Princess to find the Necromancer Tower Master. But now that the person was right there, he didn''t want to lose him.


    As for finding the draconian princess, he could always do thatter thanks to Yevni, whom he was leaving behind.


    He chased after the Tower Master, also leaving the city. He left the Draconian Princess to deal with the mess that he had created.


    On his way out, he didn''t forget to send a mental transmission to the Princess.


    "I have something urgent to do, so I will have to take my leave. When I am finished, I will find you at the Capital. Until then, you can have my colleague as coteral!"


    The Princess was stunned by the message. She thought about chasing after Eren, but the Hellhounds were already keeping her guards busy.


    It was the worst opportunity that Eren had chosen to run away, which left her with no chance to catch up to him.


    Instead, she was more worried about the consequences that she might have to face.


    The Hellhound Prince was dead, and she was imed to be responsible. Even if she was the sister of a Primordial, she might not escape scot free.


    As long as she was in Hellhound City, she was not safe. She didn''t know what a broken father might do for revenge, even forgetting about the wellbeing of the city. Your next journey awaits at empire


    Even worse was the fact that Eren was believed to be associated with the outsider that had attacked the City. She had chewed more than she could swallow, and now she had to suffer, especially since the Tower Master had also escaped with Eren.


    Since Eren had left the city, he didn''t know the events that transpired after his departure. However, it was something that had sent shockwaves through the Capital.


    Most of the Hellhound City Warriors were killed, including the Prince. Even more shocking was that most of the higher ups of the Hellhound City had died at the hands of the Second Primordial''s Guards that he assigned to his sister.


    The Hellhounds had truly gone crazy and tried to destroy the girl that they believed to be responsible.


    Even if the Guards were strong, they were in Hellhound City. When the formations were activated, along with the traps, even the Princess'' guards couldn''t protect herpletely.


    The Hellhound Patriarch was truly going for the kill.


    The Second Primordial also didn''t stay behind. The moment he received a message from his sister, asking for help, he also became more active.


    For the first time in centuries, the second Primordials had left the Capital. And when he descended on the Hellhound City, nothing was left behind.


    After a long time, hell had seen the wrath of a Primordial Dragon. His mes rained down the city, taking the lives of everyone, including the innocent people who had nothing to do with it.


    The Hellhound Patriarch couldn''t do anything against a Primordial, especially against one of the strongest primordials.


    Except the Princess and her people, not a single person was left alone in the city that had been turned into a barrennd of death.


    Even the Neighbouring Territory of the Nightwing n was also shaken. The Seventh Primordial was also about to arrive at the Hellhound Territory, following a trail of the Tower Master.


    It was only when he sensed the presence of the second primordial, he quickly retracted, giving up on the outsiders.


    Even if he desired a woman, he wasn''t going to put his own life in danger to chase after her. The second primordial didn''t have any good rtionship with his brother inw either after all.


    He returned to the Nightwing n and stopped chasing after the Tower Master and decided to return to the capital.


    The Second Primordial had destroyed an entire city. He could feel that a storm was brewing. The other Primordials were also going to get active, especially his brother inw, the first primordial.


    The longsting peace in hell had been destroyed in an instant. And it was all because of an outsider, that the Draconian Princess wanted to bully into submission.


    Instead, that outsider had screwed her and left her behind to take care of this mess on her own.


    The girl was really regretting her decision of not stopping Eren right at the start. If only she had stopped him from killing the Hellhound Prince, it never would''ve happened. Unfortunately, there was no medicine for regret.


    Her brother dragged her, and her followers back to the capital, not saying a single word to her throughout the way back.


    ....


    Meanwhile, the person who had poured oil on the fire, was simply chasing after the Tower Master, unaware of the bad luck he was spreading everywhere in his path.

 Chapter 573 Final Destination

    Three monthster...


    "Finally..." The Necromancer Tower Master fell to his knees, feeling extremely relieved.


    The incident in Hellhound City had left him injured and caused the forces of hell to be highly alert to his presence.


    He had to take a longer route, avoiding almost all the main cities, which made his journey even longer. Healing alone took a long time, but finally, after three months, he had managed to reach his destination.


    Only he knew how hard this journey had be for him. He had to pass through the forbiddennds of hell to avoid the major cities.


    There was a reason those ces were called forbiddennd. Even the leaders of the Hellhound Family would have a hard time surviving inside. But with no other choice, the Tower Master could only take that route.


    At times, he had fallen into traps that could kill even the most powerful of existences. Other times, he had to face monsters that had no physical bodies or souls.


    There were many times when he had almost died, despite being an almost undying existence. If he had any other option, he would have preferred to return directly, instead of forcing his way through.


    He didn''t even know why he had to go through all this. How did they find out about his presence? He had a lot of questions, but he couldn''t ask anyone.


    He didn''t even know about the recent changes in hell, especially since he had been avoiding almost all the cities. There were times when he came across stray travelers, but to be safe, he killed them right away.


    Now that he had finally reached his destination, he felt a surreal sensation wash over him. Everything he had gone through had been for this moment.


    He stood up and removed his old clothes, which were mostly torn by now. He changed into fresh attire, not wanting to greet the person while looking like a beggar.


    After changing, he retrieved a key from his storage ring. Reaching out, he dropped the key at a precise spot in front of him.


    The moment the key touched the ground, a magic circle spread outward. With the key at its center, the ground split apart, revealing an opening with stairs leading down.


    The Tower Master stepped down the stairs. On his way down, he checked his storage ring to ensure he hadn''t forgotten anything important. It would have been tragic to have left any crucial piece behind after all this. He had to awaken the target at any cost.


    After reaching the bottom of the stairs, he reached out his hand again. The same key materialized, flying out from the dark walls and straight into his hand.


    The moment the key left the walls, the opening above began to close.


    Not far from the location, Eren came out of his hiding. He had been following the Tower Master while maintaining as much distance as possible.


    Normally, he would have been exposed fast. Fortunately, he had the help of the dragon tongue stealth. More importantly, the surroundings of hell and the aura helped mask his presence and scent as long as he was here.


    There was also no thread from the moment he had entered hell, that could lead the Tower Master to him. He had everything covered.


    Even better was that he didn''t have to worry about losing the Tower Master''s trail since the man was carrying a hidden aura trace. Even if the Tower Master had healed, he still didn''t manage to notice or remove the trace that was left behind.


    The only problem was that he was too far from the Tower Master. The moment Eren sensed the presence of the tower master fading, he panicked and rushed forward.


    As he drew closer, he noticed an opening in the ground that had almost closedpletely.  The stairs leading down were mostly swallowed by the earth, with only a narrow gap remaining, just enough for one person to squeeze through.


    Eren didn''t have time to think. He had to reach the Tower Master. He leaped forward, jumping into the darkness of the hole.


    He even changed his bone structure as much as possible, to make himself as skin as possible.


    Even then, the gap was too small for him. He had to force his way through, even as the ground peeled his flesh through his bones.


    He didn''t groan in pain, not wanting to give away his presence to the Tower Master.


    Fortunately, after experiencing the pain that only a peeled vegetable could feel, he managed to pass through the gap andnd on the ground beneath the ground.


    His body was a gruesome sight, covered in blood. His flesh was missing from his shoulder, and most of his arm. Even his back wasn''t safe. Only his bones were safe, but they were visible after his flesh had gone missing, swallowed by the earth.


    Fortunately, his healing was enough to keep up. Flesh started healing again, hiding the bare bones.


    "Hmm?" The Tower Master frowned, suddenly turning around. He wondered if he heard something, but there was nothing behind him.


    Was he overthinking because he was so close to sess? He wasn''t sure. He shook his head and started walking away, disappearing into the dark passage.


    After the Tower Master left, Eren released his grip. He didn''t force himself to stick to the wall, and fell on the ground, sighing in relief.


    "That man is still so alert. But it seems like he still can''t sense my presence."


    Eren was quite intrigued by Tower Master''s deteriorating senses. But only when he tried to trail the tower master, he realized it.


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    While he was underground, he couldn''t sense anything either. He couldn''t even feel the trace that he left inside the Tower Master''s body.


    At this rate, he couldn''t follow him from a distance. He had to stay close, or he might lose that man if the interior of this ce wereplex.


    He ran after the Tower Master while erasing the sound of his footsteps.

 Chapter 574: Ceremony

    Stay connected via empire


    The Tower Master walked through the maze-like structure without getting lost, as if knowing exactly which passage to take.


    There were even times when he came to a dead end. He used the same key to open a passage in the obstructing wall.


    After walking for over twenty minutes, he finally reached his destination. He ended up in arge hall with a coffin ced in the middle.


    Looking at all theplicated paths that had to be taken to reach the right destination, Eren felt extremely d that he hadn¡¯t killed the Tower Master when he had the opportunity.


    Even if he had a key and the whereabouts of his brother, he never would¡¯ve been able to find his way through the maze. It was thanks to the Tower Master, who was leading the way, that he managed to reach the ce.


    Eren was standing right outside the hall. He was about to step inside, certain that his brother was resting inside the coffin. The way that Tower Master treated that coffin, there was no other possibility.


    The Tower Master started circling around the coffin while pouring unknown ash on the ground, creating a circle around the coffin.


    Looking at the scene, Eren grew even more intrigued. Why was his brother inside the coffin? Was he still notpletely alive? Was this the ceremony to wake him up?


    If that was the case, he couldn¡¯t let the Tower Masterplete the ceremony. It was time for him to show himself, and take out another Overlord.


    In the process, he could also gather fresh blood of the Tower Master to remove another seal.


    After preparing himself, Eren took a step forward. However, as his foot was about tond on the ground, he froze in ce.


    A system screen appeared in front of him. He subconsciously took a step back, wondering if the system was warning him.


    Once again, there were four options on the screen, but not all of them were rted to the situation.


    .........


    Option One: Prevent the Tower Master frompleting the Ceremony.


    Reward: Escape Talisman.


    .........


    The moment Eren read the first option, he froze. Normally, an escape talisman as a reward was a signal that it was the most dangerous option. But why?


    If he stopped the ceremony, why did he need to escape? Was the Tower Master that dangerous? That didn¡¯t seem to be the care.


    If it was his old self, the Tower Master would have been an extremely dangerous existence. When faced with him, he would have no choice but to escape. But he had be much stronger. So it couldn¡¯t be because of the Tower Master.


    ¡¯Is it rted to that coffin? What would happen if the ceremony was stopped? What exactly is this ceremony?¡¯ Eren was at a loss.


    He went through the other options to see if there were any clues.


    .........


    Option Two: Let the Ceremony bepleted.


    Reward: Wings of Gaia.


    .........


    Just like before, the second option also left him intrigued, especially since there was no grade of the reward. He didn¡¯t even know if the reward was an ability, or an artefact, let alone the use of one.


    From the name, it felt like something that was rted to flight, but he already had his dragon wings that helped him fly. Did he really need anything like this?


    With each passing second, Eren felt his headache getting stronger. He shifted his attention to the rest of the options.


    .........


    Option Three: Make your presence known to the Tower Master, but don¡¯t interfere in anything.


    Reward: A random low rank bloodline.


    .........


    .........


    Option Four: Directly attack the coffin and break it.


    Reward: Compass of Necessity


    .........


    "I can¡¯t do much with a low rank bloodline. Also, revealing my presence might be more troublesome than anything. That only leaves..."


    He couldn¡¯t obstruct the Tower Master¡¯s Ceremony, but he also couldn¡¯t let him seed. That meant he had to tread the fine line between obstruction and no obstruction, and there was only one option that made sense for him.


    He reached out his right hand, summoning the shadow sword. With his left hand, he selected an option.


    Once he was finished, he rushed out. While on the move, the cloak in his invisibility was removed.


    The Tower Master was stunned, with the sudden appearance. But he couldn¡¯t react in time, let alone stop the ceremony.


    All he could see was a shadow fly past him,nding atop the coffin. Only then did he see the face of the person that had rushed here.


    "It¡¯s you! How did you get here?!" he eximed in disbelief.


    "I came to meet my dear brother. I even brought a gift for him," Eren didn¡¯t waste a single second. He ced the top of the sword in the center of the coffin, and raised it a little.


    His muscles bulged, and he used the Dragon Tongue to further increase his strength. Dragon wings also appeared behind him, scales appearing all over his skin that left the Tower Master in disbelief.


    "Dragon Blood?" The Tower Master eximed, unable to hide his panicked expressions.


    He stopped thinking about anything else and rushed to stop Eren, who only nced at him, revealing a cunning smile.


    "You are toote. With this, I shall end thest chapter of the Northern Continent before it could begin!" Eren thrust his sword down.


    The shadow sword stabbed through the coffin. Even if the coffin was made from jaded materials, it shouldn¡¯t stop the shadow sword that easily passed through.


    "Nooo!" The Tower Master roared, pushing Eren away. He couldn¡¯t hide the panic on his face, worried that Eren had damaged the person that he was here to wake up.


    Eren had stabbed right through the coffin in the middle. There was no way the body inside was unaffected.


    "Do you know what you did, you fool?!" Tower Master roared, ring at Eren who had mmed against a wall, still remaining unharmed.


    "You have ruined everything! You have destroyed the fate of our world!"

 Chapter 575 Twin Brother

    This was the first time Eren had seen the Tower Master look so scared. Was there really a reason for him to be scared, over such a thing? Something didn''t feel right.


    The Tower Master opened the coffin, which had already been broken by Eren. He pushed the heavy top aside, using every bit of strength he had.


    After a long time, he managed to open the coffin, expecting to see the oue of Eren''s attack. However, the moment he looked inside the coffin, his lips separated.


    His panicked expressions were reced with pure confusion. Eren also approached the coffin, trying to see the face of the brother that was killed by him.


    The moment he reached the coffin, his expressions were no different than the Tower Master. He was just as confused, as he could only see the small pieces of the coffin that were broken by his sword.


    Other than those fragments, there was nothing else inside the vision. His brother wasn''t inside. Suddenly, he started having an extremely bad feeling about this. Experience tales with empire


    If his brother wasn''t inside the coffin like the Tower Master thought, then where was he? He would''ve thought that the Tower Master had schemed this, if he didn''t look just as confused as him.


    "Where is he?!" Both of them asked at the same time, looking at each other.


    "How would I know?" Once again, their words came in unison.


    The Tower Master went silent. He thought about it, and it indeed made sense for him. If Eren was behind that disappearance, why would he attack the coffin? It was clear that he was trying to kill his brother, who he believed to be inside the coffin.


    Normally, he would have tried to kill Eren, but he was more concerned about the whereabouts of the person that he was trying to find.


    How could that person disappear from within the coffin? There were no signs of the coffin being opened in the first ce. This ce had been extremely secluded. Although it was near the capital, no one could reach here if they didn''t have the key.


    There was only one key that he had with him. So how? How could that person simply disappear as if he had been an illusion all along.


    He looked at the key in his hand, his frown deepening. He felt relieved and frustrated at the same time. He was relieved that the person wasn''t inside the coffin when it was attacked. If he was, then he might have been killed for certain.


    At the same time, he was frustrated since he didn''t know the present whereabouts of that person. Was he even safe in the first ce, or was he in some danger?


    Eren also silently observed the Tower Master. He was the only person that could lead him to his brother, especially since he didn''t even know what his brother actually looked like in this ce.


    He had to use the Tower Master to find his brother, but could they really do that? What if that person had already left this world, returning to the Northern Continent on his own, starting his main arc? That was certainly the worst case scenario for him.


    Both the Tower Master and Eren are worried, but for different reasons. It was just then that they heard a voice.


    "Are you looking for me?"


    Both of them looked back at the same time, finding a figure standing near the entrance of the hall. Both of them had entered the hall through that ce, but none had seen that person there before.


    From his physique, it clearly looked like a young man that had extremely long hair that came down to his waist. His hair looked extremely rough, as if they hadn''t been cleaned in a long time.


    The man was sitting on a rock at the entrance, his head down as he looked at an ant slowly crawling away.


    As he had his head down, none could see his face properly. However, Eren felt an extremely familiar feeling from the man. He wasn''t a fool to not realize the identity of the person.


    There was only one person who was missing from this ce. It was his so-called brother.


    "Do you know that ants exist in multiple worlds? Even in the tower, I used to see many of them. It looks like they exist here as well. Amusing, right?" he asked, slowly raising his head to look at Eren.


    "Am I right, brother?"


    The moment he raised his head, his face came into full sight. Even if most of it was hidden behind his long bangs, but through the gaps, some of his features could be seen.


    The man lookedpletely identical to him. If there was any difference besides their cleanliness and clothes, it was that their eyes lookedpletely different.


    The young man had blood red pupils, while the parts of his eyes that were supposed to be white, had turnedpletely ck. Those eyes looked like the eyes of a demon.


    "Young Lord, you are awake!" the Tower Master immediately went down on his knees, also recognising the person.


    He looked the most ted out of everyone here. The person he was trying to find was perfectly safe. Moreover, he hadn''t gone missing.


    The Tower Master ced his forehead on the ground, greeting the young man like a servant who was weing their master.


    Even Eren found that sight strange. Why was the Tower Master bowing before that man? Weren''t they supposed to be children of the Tower Master? Why would a father bow before their child? Was it simply because of strength? Was he scared of his child?


    No, it looked like there was something more. There was no sense of embarrassment in Tower Master''s tone. He truly didn''t appear like he was talking to his son.


    He had noticed the same thing when the tower master talked to him, but he simply thought that it was because he hated him for killing his brother. It felt like there was something moreplicated at y.

 Chapter 576 True Monster

    Someone like the Tower Master was on his knees in front of the young man, as if he was simply a servant to the young lord.


    Looking at this scene, it felt like something far different from the temte that he had initially assumed. He knew that his so-called brother was the main character of the Northern Continent, but even he would''ve had to start from weak. He thought it would be a weak to strong temte.


    Unfortunately, the scene gave an entirely different perception to him. It was not weak to strong, but overpowered from the beginning. It was exactly this possibility that had made him n to kill his brother before he could wake up. Albeit, he was a step toote.


    The familiarity he felt towards the young man was undeniable,  yet the demonic eyes filled him with a sense of unease.


    "Brother?" Eren finally spoke. "Is that truly you?"


    The young man, still perched on the rock, let out a low chuckle that echoed through the hall. "Ah, so you do recognize me. I must admit, I was a little worried you wouldn''t. It''s been a while, hasn''t it?"


    He pushed himself off the rock, his movements fluid despite his unkempt appearance. As he walked towards them, the light caught his face, revealing more of his features. He was indeed Eren''s mirror image, save for those unsettling eyes and the strange calm that Eren didn''t possess at this moment.


    "I truly didn''t expect to see you here," the young man replied, a sly smile ying on his lips. He stopped next to the Tower Master and ced his hand over the Tower Master''s head, like a lord petting their dog.


    "Is this the reward that you prepared for me?" he asked the Tower Master who appeared to be overwhelmed by the question.


    It was true that he wanted to bring Eren here as a gift for his master''s awakening. Unfortunately, he had failed and Eren managed to escape.


    After all that time, he gave up on dragging Eren here since he was running out of time. He didn''t think that Eren was going toe here himself. It was true that he wanted to bring this gift, but it was also true that he hadn''t prepared it. Eren came here himself.


    He didn''t know how to answer that question, so that it wouldn''t be a lie.


    "I am d that you are pleased." After a short period of silence, he gave a vague answer. It was true that the young man was happy, after all.


    The young man smiled but didn''t say anything else. He stopped a few feet from Eren, tilting his head as if studying a fascinating specimen. "But you... you seem different. Weaker. More... human." Continue your journey with empire


    Eren frowned at the word ''human'', not understanding what he meant. Weren''t they born as humans in the first ce? Moreover, could he even be called human when he had the bloodline of an Ancient Dragon passing flowing his veins.


    The young man''s smile widened, revealing a hint of sharp teeth.


    "It seems you have much to learn, brother," he said. "But don''t worry, I have plenty of time to teach you."


    He paused, his eyes unable to hide the malicious intent, like someone was looking at a toy that they were going to have a lot of fun with,


    "We have an eternity together." Heughed. "And I promise you, brother, it''s going to be fun."


    Eren didn''t know why he talked in such a way, but this was a perfect opportunity for him to kill his brother. He couldn''t let this unexpected threat exist. Fortunately, the man was extremely close to him, without any guard on.


    Eren already had a shadow sword in his hand. The opportunity was so perfect that it was literally screaming at him to stab the main character of the Northern Continent.


    Unfortunately, there was also a strange sense of unease within his heart. Ever since he entered this world, he had been having bad luck. Meanwhile, his so-called brother was the main character.


    He had read enough stories to know that the Main Characters had heavy plot armors at a time like this. Meanwhile, he wasn''t a main character, even if he had stolen some of their luck, it wasn''t enough.


    Despite that, Eren made up his mind to take risks. He grabbed his sword firmly and thrust it forward. Even if he was going to fail, he wanted to fail trying. He hade all this way, for this one thing after all.


    "As I said, you have grown weaker, brother." The young man smiled, stepping aside, dodging that sword with ease. Even if Eren had used super speed, the man was still faster, which made Eren even more in disbelief.


    The young man didn''t stop. After dodging the sword, he approached Eren, getting even closer. Before Eren could react, the man touched his chest.


    Eren recoiled from the touch, sent flying back like he was fired from a cannon. It felt like a light touch, but it was still able to pass through his defences, despite him maintaining his dragon form.


    Eren mmed against the wall in the back which made the entire cave tremble.


    "You have no idea how much I looked forward to this reunion. Every second, I was thinking about ways I was going to crush you when you came before me. But now that you are here, I am really disappointed. You are weak... Are you really the person that killed me in the past?"


    "Killing you here feels like a waste of time." He let out a tired sigh, even as Erennded on the ground, his body healing at incredible speed.


    Eren was the most shocked out of all. He knew that his brother was going to be strong, but he didn''t expect him to be this strong. At this rate, could he even kill that bastard? Just catching up to his speed was impossible, as the man was faster than teleportation.


    His physical strength was also stronger than the strength of a dragon. And that was when he hadn''t even used his magic or Necromancy.


    After bingparable to the Overlords, Eren thought that he had grown much stronger. But the person standing in front of him felt like a true monster.

 Chapter 577 System Scam?

    Eren felt like a newbie who had been pushed into the highest difficulty map in a game. Just what was with this difficulty? He couldn''tprehend it.


    The Necromancer was supposed to be the main character of the Northern Continent, and he was supposed to be the viin. Shouldn''t there be some bnce between the two? Why did the power scale feelpletely broken?


    Normally, the real Ren Necroline was supposed to be even weaker. He had worked so hard to be much stronger, and even after all that, it wasn''t enough.


    It made him even more confused. Even after bing so much stronger, he was having a hard time against the Northern Continent''s main character. Then how was the original Ren Necroline supposed to face him?


    With this strength, couldn''t the main character have killed Ren Necroline right at the beginning of the story? The story would have ended before it even started. So why? Eren felt like something was missing. He had missed something really important.


    Unfortunately, he didn''t have any idea about the story of the Northern Continent, other than the things that he had managed to learn himself. He didn''t know any of its content.


    ''No, he can''t be this strong. It truly doesn''t make sense.'' Eren didn''t believe it. The existence of the novel about the Northern Continent itself proved that his brother wasn''t this strong. He couldn''t be stronger than the Overlords yet, especially since he had just awakened.


    ''Is he using some trick to temporarily increase his strength?'' Eren thought, his mind trying to grasp even the smallest of details around him.


    "How long can you maintain that state, Zephyr?" he asked, as if he already knew something. "Do you think you can survive after the time is up?"


    Even with his bluff, he carefully observed the young man''s expressions.


    To his surprise, his bluff actually worked. For a moment, his brother flinched, as if taken aback.


    Zephyr quickly recovered hisposure and rushed forward to deal with Eren once and for all.


    "Although I don''t know what you are talking about, I will be merciful and only rip off your limbs, my dear brother. I will make sure to keep you alive and take you back. We have a lot to talk about after all."


    He appeared right before Eren, his speed once again being almost impossible to catch.


    "I was right. You are not omnipotent yet," Eren eximed, his eyes lighting up with realization.


    He was even more certain that the man was using some trick to be stronger. There was no way this state was going tost long, which was exactly why he appeared to be panicked after being exposed.


    That''s why he wanted to immobilize Eren as soon as possible, his calm exterior starting to crack.


    Draconian Wings appeared behind Eren.


    "Haste!" He used the Dragon Language again, and used the wings to fly back. As long as he couldst until his brother''s time ran out, it was his victory. He could certainly kill his brother here.


    The only problem was the Tower Master. He was basically fighting a battle against two people with the second person yet to even join the battle.


    Eren used his speed to the limit, but even then, he wasn''t fast enough. He felt the presence of his brother right next to him.


    The sense of death shrouded Eren, his instincts warning him heavily. He couldn''t dodge it with movements alone.


    "Blink!" Eren eximed, his body disappearing. In the blink of an eye, he appeared a few meters away from his original position, barely avoiding his brother who was about to rip his arms apart.


    Eren didn''t wait for his brother to catch up and started flying back, entering the hallway that was leading him back.


    As long as he was in the narrow hallway, he could keep an eye on his brother, and avoid unexpected variables of being attacked from other sides.


    The Tower Master also couldn''t attack him here, since Zephyr was chasing after him, blocking his view.


    "Stop running!" Zephyr roared in frustration. Every time he was able to get close to Eren, blink was used.


    As Eren couldn''t actually see his brother''s movements, he had to entirely rely on his instincts. Fortunately, his instincts hadn''t failed him yet.


    Just as Eren thought, Zephyr was starting to panic even more. He had a feeling that the time for this skill wasn''t long. Time was soon going to run out, and then it was time for him to start the hunt.


    "Huh?" Suddenly, Eren''s expressions darkened. He saw a wall behind him. He couldn''t move back anymore as he had already returned to the entrance of the cave.


    He could see the stairs that led out of this ce, but there was no opening in the ground above him.


    "Why don''t you run anymore?" Zephyr stopped a few meters away from him, a devilish grin appearing on his lips.


    "You have no idea how long I have waited for this moment! It was all because of you! It was because of you, I had to suffer in this hell, when I could have lived a normal life!"


    "Thanks to you, I grew up in hell. I will definitely repay the favor and make sure to create an even better hell for you, my younger brother." Find your next read at empire


    Eren clenched his fist watching Zephyr, who was certain that he had won.


    "Are you really going to be petty?" Eren asked. "Can''t we forget the past and start fresh? I came here to take you back after all."


    "If that is why you attacked the coffin with the intent to kill me?" Zephyr red at Eren. "You believe I haven''t seen your actions?"


    Eren didn''t know how to respond. It was true that he wanted to kill Zephyr, but he wouldn''t have attacked the coffin directly if it wasn''t for the options. Originally, he only nned to stop the awakening ceremony.


    If it wasn''t for the system''s options, his choice would have been entirely different. Although there was no guarantee that Zephyr wouldn''t have tried to kill him if he chose to stop the ceremony, it was definitely better than directly attacking the coffin.


    ''Did the system... scam me?'' He thought.

 Chapter 578 Looking for this?

    Not only was he scammed into breaking the coffin, but even the reward he received didn''t seem particrly useful in this situation. He was really regretting not choosing the other option that came with an escape talisman as a reward.


    Normally, the rewards given to him were things he could use to protect himself in situations that resulted from the selected option. But this time, he felt like he was screwed over. How could thispass even save him?


    He looked at the Compass of Necessity he had received as a reward. Thepass only had one arrow, and it was still, pointing towards the right side of Zephyr.


    "Hmm?" He was about to answer Zephyr when he noticed something strange.


    He thought it was pointing at Zephyr, making it useless. But it took him a moment to realize there was a slight deviation. It wasn''t pointing at Zephyr, but a little to the right of him.


    Eren was preparing a powerful attack to try and break the roof of the cave and escape, wasting more time in their hide-and-seek game. But the realization about thepass made him change his mind.


    Was there really something that thepass was pointing at? It was called thepass of Necessity, and even the description was vague. Despite that, it was considered a unique tier item, which was much more rare.


    The description only stated that thepass could lead a person to thoughts that were an absolute necessity for them at the moment, but was there really something here that was more of a necessity for him than escape?


    ''The only thing I need more, is a route to leave this ce. If thepass can lead me to an escape route, that might work out. But is there really something like that here?''


    If there was an escape route that could be used without the keys, then what was even the whole point of keys? Although he had many questions, he decided to trust his system one more time.


    Even if his luck hadn''t been particrly good, it was still better to rely on something tried and tested, than to create a new path, especially since he wasn''t even certain if his attack could create an opening.


    "Frost Domain!" Eren eximed, turning the surrounding area into a thickyer of snow. But he didn''t stop there. One after another, he bombarded Zephyr with his skills, holding nothing back.


    He used his sword to cut his own forearm, letting his blood fall on the pure white snow and taint it red.


    "You think I''m going to give you an opportunity to use your tricks?" Zephyr also put an end to their conversation. Like a ghost, he materialized in front of Eren.


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    Eren didn''t dodge. He simply raised his foot.


    "You are slow. You can''t even touch me, dear brother?" Zephyr moved aside, dodging Eren''s kick.


    "Who says I was targeting you, brother?" Eren stomped on the ground, shattering the thickyer of ice.


    From the cracks in the ice, hundreds of blood spikes shot out, each aimed at Zephyr.


    Eren didn''t expect his attack to take Zephyr down. He wasn''t nning for that. He simply needed a distraction, and it worked well, especially since the surroundings were covered in a bloody mist.


    While the blood spikes distracted Zephyr, and the blood mist made it hard to see, anotheryer of blood shot out from the ground.


    The blood took a humanoid form, turning into a clone of Eren. It even manifested the clothes that Eren was wearing, perfectly faking his identity.


    Meanwhile, Eren used blink multiple times in a row, putting his body under a heavy burden. He flew past Zephyr, using blink. But he didn''t stop.


    He kept repeating it, even going past the Tower Master who didn''t expect this either. Eren was trying to escape. They didn''t believe he would return after all.


    "That''s enough!" Zephyr roared, an unknown energy spreading out from his body. The energy destroyed all the blood spikes that wereing for him. Even the blood mist was devoured.


    Only Eren was left behind,pletely untouched as if left there intentionally.


    "I thought you would be begging me for forgiveness. But instead of giving me that satisfaction, you are stubborn till the end! Let me see how long that canst!" Zephyr appeared before Eren. This time, he grabbed both of Eren''s hands.


    He kicked Eren''s chest, ripping apart his arms, sending the rest of his body flying back.


    Eren mmed against a wall, while Zephyr pped with Eren''s hands. "This is just the beginning, my dear brother. We have a lot left to finish."


    He thought Eren was finally going to show a panicked expression, but instead, he again saw a smirk.


    "Hmm?" he suddenly frowned, feeling something wet on his hands. He lowered his gaze and saw that Eren''s arms had already started melting, turning into blood.


    His sleeves were tainted red with Eren''s blood while his arms disappeared. Eren wasn''t different either, as his body also turned into a puddle of blood, with his ankle being thest to be wiped off, as if mocking Zephyr until the end?


    "This was... a clone?" Zephyr mumbled in disbelief. If That was the case, then where was real Eren?


    Suddenly, he thought of a possibility. If there was no way back, then did Eren return to the direction they came from? But why would he go from one end to another end when there was nothing important there?


    "Don''t tell me he already knows..." Zephyr didn''t want to believe it, but he still flew back with all his might.


    The moment he returned to the hall, he saw Eren sitting on the broken coffin. He didn''t look like he was trying to escape. Instead, he was simply waiting. .


    Zephyr subconsciously looked towards the left, and saw a hole in the wall as if someone had wed it off.


    "Are you looking for this?" Eren asked, bringing his right hand forward which was holding an object.

 Chapter 579 Saving it

    Zephyr saw the object in Eren''s hands, which made his expressions darken. The worst possible thing had happened for him. He didn''t think Eren was able to find out, especially since it was kept in such a secure ce.


    The small grey box looked so ordinary that even Eren couldn''t recognize it. If it wasn''t for his Identification Skill, he would have still been confused about the purpose of the small box.


    Even if Eren maintained a calm exterior, but deep down, his heart was racing. He was worried that the power bnce might actually be broken, but thankfully it wasn''t.


    Zephyr wasn''t strong enough to face the Overlords. He had just awakened, which was his weakened state. There was no way for him to be this strong in this state, even if he was an overpowered Necromancer.


    Despite that, he was able to show such overwhelming strength. It could only mean that he was taking help from an external object.


    That was the possibility that Eren wanted to believe the most. And now that the object hade in his hand, he was finally able to believe it.


    The reason Zephyr was able to use hisplete strength, despite just awakening, was because he was borrowing it from this storage device.


    "Did you leave this thing here?" he asked the Tower Master. "You must also be the creator of the spirit gathering formation that gathered the essence of the surroundings inside the storage device?"


    Zephyr had been sleeping all this time. If he was awake, he would''ve long tried to leave this ce. Which means he wasn''t the one who ced this device or made the formation.


    He was simply the source that was connected to the device, to help him when he awakened. The only person that could have done something like this, was the Tower Master.


    "It must have been gathering the Spirit Essence from hell for over a hundred years," he said, observing the small box. "The moment my dear brother awakened, he was able to ess it right away through that connection. Am I right?"


    The Tower Master didn''t answer, but his expressions allowed Eren to confirm his assumption.


    Zephyr wanted to attack Eren, to take that box from him. However, he was also cautious. He could feel that Eren was prepared for that. No... It felt more like Eren was luring him into taking action.


    ''Young Lord, you should attack him. Don''t give him a chance! You are faster than him. You can easily snatch that box from him.'' The Tower Master sent a mental transmission to Zephyr.


    Even if the box was in Eren''s hands, Zephyr was still connected to it and could use that same strength, at least until the box ran out of the stored essence.


    ''It''s a trap. You think he isn''t prepared for that? The moment I wish forward, thinking that I have an opportunity, he will crush that box. I will lose my advantage right when I''m near him. That''s exactly what he wants.'' Zephyr answered using his thoughts.


    There was no other exnation for him as to why Eren hadn''t broken that box yet. It was a trap, but it was such a good trap that even he felt the allure.


    Subconsciously, he thought about taking action as well, but he controlled his urges. His safety was more important than that box, especially since that box was already about to run out of the stored essence.


    Even if it had been gathering essence for years, the consumption was muchrger, especially during his awakening. Moreover, this fight alone exhausted the rest of the stored essence, which was why he was trying to end this battle fast.


    "Do you want it back? It seems like it''s something important for you." Eren reached out his hand, revealing a smirk. "Why don''t you try to take it? Are you scared, my dear brother?"


    "You are still just as scheming, aren''t you?" Even if Zephyr wanted nothing more than to simply kill Eren, he knew that he had missed the opportunity. The moment Eren got his hands on that box, the opportunity was as good as gone.


    Instead of approaching Eren, he started stepping back. His strange actions made Eren frown. Was this guy really trying to leave? Did he really not have the courage to attack?


    "You are just as cowardly as ever, brother. No wonder I killed you," Eren got off the coffin and walked toward Zephyr while his grip on the box tightened.


    He wanted to let Zephyr get close to him before doing it so that there would be no escape, but that n had already failed. In that case, there was no point in keeping the box. Discover more stories at empire


    He crushed the box, letting all the gathered essence spill out, returning to nature from whence it was devoured.


    The connection with Zephyr was cut, and he felt his heart skip a few beats, his body bing much heavier. Even his face had grown pale, and his eyes looked more tired. He wasn''t looking as good as he had just a few moments ago.


    Zephyr flew back with the Tower Master, but his speed was clearly slower now. Eren flew closer to him until Zephyr was almost within his reach. However, just as Eren was about to touch him, an undead skeleton fell from the ceiling, attacking Eren with its dagger.


    Eren jumped back, subconsciously avoiding the dagger that would have hit his back if he hadn''t stopped flying forward.


    He didn''t understand where that skeleton hade from. However, he soon realized where they wereing from, as he saw a hand crawl out of the wall, apanied by the rest of the skeleton''s body.


    From the ground, more corpses crawled out until the entire passage was filled with undead in front of him, with no gap for him to even use blink.


    "I was saving it to blow up the wall, but let''s use it here!" Eren crushed the skull of the skeleton that had attacked him, before summoning his Holy Sword.

 Chapter 580 You talk too much

    "I am not a viin who would let you escape, only for you to return stronger! I am someone who will devour you when you are at your weakest, brother!"


    Eren summoned the Holy Sword that belonged to the Holy Emperor. In hell, there was no better weapon than this, especially since the Holy Essence was poisonous to the undead.


    "If I have to, I will carve a path to you!" He supplied holy essence to the sword and swung it with all his might, releasing a dense de of holy essence. The sword energy spread out as it rushed forth, slicing through the bodies of the undead.


    Eren didn''t wait for the undead to die. He flew behind the sword energy that was cutting through the undead as if they were nothing more than insects.


    The undead were strong, but Eren could see that they weren''t dangerous to him. They were probably thest-ditch effort of the Tower Master to dy him, and he didn''t n to fall for it.


    The Tower Master reached the end of the passage. He hastily pulled out the key, and tapped out of the wall. The key was absorbed by the wall and an opening started appearing above them, revealing a clear view of the sky.


    "I thought about the ways I will kill him when I see him the next time. I never thought that I would be the one running away." Zephyr watched the ground above splitting apart, but instead of being relieved, he felt disgusted at himself.


    The Tower Master avoided his gaze, especially since he was partially responsible. He was followed here by Eren, which allowed him to find Zephyr. If he had been careful, then something like this would never have happened.


    "Don''t feel bad. He is only taking advantage of your temporary weakness. Within a few weeks, you will recover. After that, he would be the one running!" After a long time, he said.


    "You think I need your constion? Don''t forget your ce!" Zephyr scoffed as he started climbing the stairs to leave this ce. "I will definitely kill him! And then I will return to my rightful ce!"


    The Tower Master didn''t say anything in response. He understood what Zephyr was talking about. That was also why he was so respectful to this boy, even though he was weak.


    The identity of these two brothers wasn''t simple. Only one of them was supposed to live, and that person was meant to be Zephyr. Unfortunately, Zephyr ended up dying before the preparation wasplete.


    He had almost lost hope, until he came to learn that Zephyr was still alive even after death. He had turned the world upside down to find that boy, knowing the consequences if he was to actually be dead.


    He had to side with Zephyr, no matter the cost. Only then could he be rewarded for everything he went through.


    The two of them stepped out of the cave, returning to the surface.


    Zephyr looked at the sky above. He couldn''t even recall how long it had been since hest saw the sky. Even if he was being chased by Eren, he still couldn''t help but appreciate the beauty of the sky and the gentleness with which winds brushed against his skin.


    "The Return Portal is in that direction," the Tower Master told Zephyr, bringing him out of his daze.


    Even if the opening on the ground had closed, sealing Eren within the cave for an eternity, but he still didn''t feelpletely safe. There was an ufortable feeling in his heart. He didn''t want there to be any idents.


    Zephyr didn''t make things difficult for him either. He nodded, and started flying in the direction that was told to him by the Tower Master.


    The Tower Master also flew behind him. It was only a matter of time before they could leave this hellish world and return to the Necromancer Tower. By the time they returned, he was certain that Zephyr was going to recover as well.


    Even if there were some initial problems with Eren''s unexpected arrival, things were finally on track. Everything was going as per n. Or so he thought until he heard a loud explosion behind him.


    The ground itself split apart as a giant wave of mes rushed out, destroying everything in its path.


    "Hellhound mes?" Tower Master thought, unable to forget the mes that had harmed him in the battle of Hellhound City. He could still feel that burn that had wrecked his body.


    "Why are the Hellhound mes here?" He wondered.


    Amidst the mes, he saw a humanoid figure flying out of the ground as well. Even if that person was within the mes that could destroy everything with the slightest of touch, the man remained untouched by these mes.


    "Ren Necroline..." The Tower Master mumbled, recognising that figure whichnded in front of them.


    Even if he tried to leave that person behind, he found his way back. Everything that could go wrong, had gone wrong.


    Eren was very strange, and didn''t feel any weaker.  Meanwhile, he had run out of most of his Undeads that were destroyed in the battle with Hellhounds.


    The Tower Master wanted to do a battle with Eren, especially since he was worried about Zephyr''s safety.


    He looked at Zephyr, who was also eager for battle but didn''t look like he was able to fight. That only left one person who could still fight Eren.


    He rubbed the back of his neck, stretching his neck. "Young Lord, can you please stay back? When I''m fighting him, I won''t be able to focus on protecting you."


    "As for you..." He shifted his focus back to Eren. "Just because I avoided fighting with you, you seem to think that it is because I''m scared of you. Did you really think that I can''t kill you?"


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    Even if he wasn''t in his best condition after fighting the Hellhounds, he still believed that he could kill Eren. Even if that brat had be stronger, he couldn''t change his fate.

 Chapter 581 Life and death

    "Do you remember ourst meeting?" he asked Eren. "I don''t know how you escaped at that time, but you should have cherished that opportunity. It seems you became too greedy."


    The Tower Master was already embarrassed that he had made the mistake of bringing Eren to this ce without even realizing it. He felt like this was a heaven-sent opportunity to make up for his mistake.


    As long as he could take Eren down, everything else would be forgotten. Moreover, since they couldn''t avoid this battle, it gave him even more justification.


    "You know what?" Eren scratched the back of his head, appearing somewhat impatient. "You talk a little too much."


    The moment he finished speaking, he disappeared like a ghost. His figure appeared behind Zephyr. He didn''t need to fight with the Tower Master, especially since his target was his brother.


    He didn''t want to give his brother any opportunity to trigger some plot armor. As a viin, he had to protect himself. As for the Tower Master, he could deal with himter.


    "You coward!" The Tower Master was slow to react. By the time he turned around, he saw Eren holding Zephyr in a chokehold and flying high in the sky.


    "Don''t run away!" He was visibly panicked, especially since Eren had created distance from him right away.


    Moreover, Eren wasn''t flying in the direction of the Forbidden Land. He was flying towards the Capital of Hell. If they fought near the Capital, they were going to attract a lot of unnecessary attention. He had to stop Eren from reaching the Capital.


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    He also flew after Eren. Unfortunately, the distance between them wasn''t growing shorter. Eren had used the Draconian Wings, as well as the Dragon Language, to increase his speed.


    Zephyr was struggling in his grip, trying to free himself. But he had just woken up. He hadn''t even recovered yet. He couldn''t resist Eren''s strength. It was the worst possible situation for him.


    "Release me this instant! If you really kill me, you will regret it!" Zephyr eximed, struggling fiercely. Unfortunately, it was all for nothing.


    "My dear brother, I seem to recall you calling me weak. Why are you asking me to free you? Shouldn''t you free yourself?" Eren asked, his grip tightening to the point that Zephyr was almost suffocating.


    He had no sympathy for Zephyr. Even if Zephyr was betrayed by his brother and sent to hell, it had nothing to do with him. He wasn''t going to suffer for the sins of Ren Necroline. He wasn''t going to let Zephyr be stronger ande for revenge.


    "If you kill me, then mother-" Zephyr tried to say anything, but before he could evenplete his sentence, he saw a swording out of his chest.


    Eren didn''t waste any more time talking to his brother, and thrust his sword in Zephyr''s back. Even if he had to go against heaven, he wasn''t going to let another main character live, especially since he was the main viin for this one.


    "You..." Zephyr looked in disbelief as his chest started bleeding. Once again he was stabbed in the back by his brother. Once again, history was repeating itself.


    The only difference was that the sword alone wasn''t enough to kill him this time. But the holy essence was different. Through the sword, the holy essence invaded his body like a poisonous snake, wrecking him from within.


    His pale skin started turning darker, and his already weak body grew even weaker. His clothes were tainted with blood that never stopped flowing.


    "Were you saying something?" Eren asked as he pulled the sword out. He sent his sword back in the inventory.


    Zephyr opened his lips, but this time, he wasn''t even allowed to utter a single word.


    He could only groan in pain as a w stabbed through his back from the opening that was created by the sword. He felt something cold wrap around his heart, taking a hold of it.


    Zephyr could truly feel the fear of death. "P-please... don''t..."


    "Sigh, I am sorry. I could have given you a chance to exin yourself, but I am really worried about your plot armor activating. So please, die for me." Eren pulled out Zephyr''s heart from his body.


    ck veins started appearing all over Zephyr''s skin, and he couldn''t even breathe anymore. He couldn''t utter a single word. He had lost his voice.


    He stood struggling to free himself. Or rather, he didn''t even have the strength to struggle. He weakly raised his hand.


    Eren thought that he was going to try to attack him, to hurt him as much as possible. However, Zephyr simply ced his hand over Eren''s head, as if he was patting him.


    Eren didn''t understand why he was doing that. For some reason, he felt a strange sense of admiration within that patting.


    "Why are you-" Eren tried to ask, but it was toote. Zephyr lost all his strength, his hand weakly falling down. Finally, the main character of the Northern Continent was dead.


    Although he was still curious about the intent behind Zephyr''sst action, he didn''t have time to think about it.


    Even if he had killed Zephyr, he knew that the Main Characters were like cockroaches that might return at any time. He had to take care of Zephyr properly.


    He released the Infernal mes, which wrapped him and Zephyr in its embrace.


    The Tower Master had been following Eren, but the distance between them was only growing. Suddenly, he saw Eren being surrounded by the mes of Hellhound.


    The mes were so fierce that even he might have to struggle to protect himself from these mes. For some reason, they felt even stronger than the mes of the Hellhound Family Leader.


    The fierce mes burned bright like the sun before they eventually went silent. Eren''s figure again appeared in the Tower Master''s sight, but he had stopped flying away.


    The Tower Master didn''t stop flying and the distance between him and Eren was refusing just as fast. He even prepared to save Zephyr, even if it meant risking taking Eren''s attack head on.


    It was only when he reached near Eren, he saw the young man then around. Zephyr was nowhere to be seen.

 Chapter 582 Trap or Acceptance

    "Where is he?"


    Even with reality screaming at him, he refused to believe it. No, he couldn''t believe it! Zephyr couldn''t have died in those mes! Even weakened, he could have protected himself!


    "He is dead," Eren answered, his words falling like thunder, making the Tower Master shiver.


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    "No, it can''t be. He can''t be dead. It''s impossible!" He still refused to ept it. He had sacrificed so much to bring Zephyr back. How could he die here? Didn''t that mean everything he had done meant nothing?


    More than Zephyr himself, he worried about his own future. With Zephyr''s help, he could have ascended to heaven. But if Zephyr was dead, his destiny had also be darkened.


    "What have you done?" He grabbed his head, mumbling in disbelief. He kept repeating the same sentence, as if he had gonepletely crazy.


    Eren didn''t mind the Tower Master going crazy. It gave him an opportunity to take another enemy out, especially when he was distracted. He needed the fresh blood of the Tower Master to unlock his third seal after all


    Unfortunately, before he could react, the Tower Master roared, "What have you done? How could you snatch this opportunity from me, a second time?!"


    The Tower Master had truly gone crazy. He stopped hiding his aura, letting it go wild. He didn''t care if it caught the attention of the Primordials. He had already lost everything.


    He was like a man that didn''t have anything to live for. Or rather, he was scared of life. He knew what was waiting for him, now that Zephyr had died. He was already as good as dead.


    If he was dead in any case, then he was going to drag Eren to the afterlife as well. Even if he couldn''t kill Eren, the Primordials were going to arrive after feeling his aura. Eren couldn''t escape either.


    The Tower Master raised his hand, not holding back anymore. Multiple portals opened around him, and chains of death flew from those portals, rushing towards Eren like poisonous snakes.


    Although Eren was taken aback by the sudden attack, he quickly reached and summoned the Holy Sword again.


    The first time he faced the Tower Master in the outside world, he couldn''t even resist. Just the overwhelming aura of that person was enough to make him freeze in ce. This time, things were different.


    "This time, things are going to be different," Eren said, as he shed with his sword.


    He had already gained Holy Essence after devouring the holy emperor, but his holy essence had only grown stronger after he had taken the Holy Church down.


    He was the god for the people of the Holy Empire, and their faith allowed him to have an almost never ending supply of holy essence. Even his mana reserves weren''t parable.


    As his sword came crashing down, a blinding wave of golden energy erupted, severing the chains of death as if they were mere threads. The Tower Master''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    Even the Holy Priestess couldn''t have sliced through her chains with such ease, as long as she wasn''t in the Holy Empire. How could Eren have such a dense holy essence? He was taken aback.


    Eren didn''t stop there. He charged forward, his movements a blur, the Holy Sword leaving trails of golden light in its wake.


    The Tower Master, caught off guard by Eren''s counter, scrambled to defend himself, summoning more chains and opening further portals to unleash a barrage of dark energy attacks.


    But Eren was unstoppable. He treaded through the onught, his sword deflecting every attack. He wasn''t the same as before. He didn''t have to run away from the Tower Master with the help of the author.


    The Tower Master had already made a big mistake by giving him an opportunity. If he had attacked him right when he was discovered, it would have been a harder battle.


    This was also one of the reasons that Eren went straight for Zephyr, who was like a boss in itself. Even if he was weakened, he was the main character that was worth a lot of experience points.


    For Eren, it was akin to free experience farming. Gaining that same experience would have been much harder if Zephyr had recovered. Fortunately, that didn''t happen.


    Ever since he killed Zephyr, he had also gained experience points. He had levelled up. His stats had also increased.


    He hadn''t even devoured the heart of Zephyr, who was the second main character, and he was already better than he used to be in the past.


    The Tower Master didn''t expect it to be such a one sided fight. He tried his best, but he couldn''t even hurt Eren.


    Instead, he was struggling to protect himself from Eren. Just how did this boy be so strong in such a short time? Did he really have no way to kill Eren?


    The Tower Master clenched his teeth, and realized that something was different about Eren. He understood that he had long missed the opportunity to kill Eren. Now this person had be a monster, that was even harder to kill in the past.


    "Even if I die here, you will still not survive! You will suffer for what you have done!" The Tower Master eximed, as he watched Eren rush forth.


    Since there was no way to kill Eren with attacks, he chose a different way. He started gathering essence within his body to a dangerous extent, while avoiding Eren''s attacks.


    It was only when the energy within his body had reached the limit of instability, he stopped dodging Eren''s attack. Instead, he weed Eren with his arms spread out.


    Looking at his gesture, Eren was somewhat confused. Was this a trap? Or did he finally ept his death? Even if it was a trap, he had to take a chance. It was a perfect opportunity to kill the Tower Master.


    Eren appeared right before the Tower Master and thrust his holy sword forth. His sword stabbed through the Tower Master''s chest, who only smiled in response.


    "You are dead," the Tower Master said as he blew up, the explosion being so powerful that it covered a thousand like radius, destroying everything.

 Chapter 583 Domain of time

    Eren was caught in the epicenter of the explosion, which consumed everything in its path. Even though he tried to release his Absolute Dragon form to cover his body with dragon scales at thest moment, the explosion was still overwhelming.


    He felt the searing heat and the crushing force as if the very fabric of reality was tearing itself apart. Thousands of miles in radius were engulfed in a cloud of fire and smoke.


    Following the loud explosion, there was only a deafening silence as the mes raged, growing weaker with time since there was nothing left for them to devour.


    When the mes disappeared and the dust settled, a crater was revealed that stretched as far as the eye could see.


    Amidst the devastation, only one person could be seen, lying in the middle of the crater. His situation looked far from optimistic as one of his arms waspletely missing, along with his shoulder.


    His dragon wings were also destroyed, leaving only signs on his back that something had once been there. His chest was covered in dragon scales, but most of them were already broken, revealing his charred skin.


    Next to him was the Holy Sword, which had also cracked while protecting his vitals.


    This was the kind of damage that was caused by an injured and weakened Overlord. What about the other Overlords? He could only sigh in relief, thanking his stars that he managed to survive even if his body was in aplete wreck.


    He looked around, and there were no signs of the Tower Master. Even a single fragment of his body wasn''t left intact.


    "That man really went all out to kill me," Eren thought, letting out a tired sigh. "Fortunately..."


    He looked at his inventory, and appeared relieved that there was a new item there. He could see a drop of blood that had originated from the Tower Master.


    Fortunately, he had managed to collect a drop of the Tower Master''s blood while they were fighting, before he could even get the idea of blowing himself up. If not, then Eren might have felt like crying as the blood that could remove one of his seals was forever gone.


    While he was relieved, he didn''t forget his current situation. His wounds were healing, but the process was so slow that he couldn''t wait for it toplete. Just their battle alone was enough to alert the Capital, let alone the kind of explosion that ended this battle.


    He didn''t want to be here when the Primordials came, at least not in his weakened state. As far as his eyes could see, there was only scorchednd. There was not even a single ce where he could hide from the Primordial ls.


    Initially, he flew in the direction of the Capital to deter the Tower Master. He didn''t expect the Tower Master to use something like this, and turn things around on him by hurting him so bad.


    In his current state, he couldn''t affording across the Primordials. They were certainly going to deal with him in a way that he didn''t want to know.


    He used his remaining hand to force his body up, until he was standing with the support of the sword. Only after he stood up, did he realize how bad his situation actually was.


    "Little friend, take me out of here." He summoned the Phoenix from his inventory and barely managed to climb on top of it, falling on his back, exhausted.


    The Phoenix soared in the sky, but this time, Eren didn''t let it go towards the Capital. They flew back towards the direction that they came from.


    Eren also used his abilities to cast a shroud on his Phoenix, erasing her presence. Even though it wasn''t a perfect solution, it was the best he could do as he waited to heal, especially since he could feel powerful auras approaching from the direction of the capital.


    He wasn''t sure if they were Primordials, nor did it matter. Even if they were not Primordials, they were certainly strong.


    "You seem to be in a really bad condition." Suddenly, a voice came.


    "You think so?" Eren subconsciously asked. It took him a moment to realize what it meant. Someone else was already here and he couldn''t even feel their presence.


    He tried to stand up, but before he could even move, he felt someone''s hand on his palm. "Don''t move. It will only slow down your healing."


    He felt a strange essence surrounding his body. He could feel that something was wrong. His initial healing was undone, and his wounds returned.


    Was the man trying to reverse his healing? Didn''t that mean he was truly a threat? Just what was his identity that he couldn''t even feel the presence of that man.


    He was about to resist the man, when he noticed something even more miraculous. The wounds that he had healed, opened up again. But right after that, he saw the dragon scales appearing around his body, just like they used to be before they were blown up.


    It was not healing. It was more like his body was going back in time to the moment before it was almost blown up by the attack. His wings had also started returning to their initial condition.


    He was even more certain that time was being reversed, but it was only happening for him. The man was able to precisely control who to trap within his time domain.


    If that was true, then it was a truly dangerous ability. Even the main characters would drool over an overpowered ability like that.


    Less than a minute had passed, and Eren already felt as if he waspletely healed. Even the essence that he had spent on protecting himself from the Tower Master''s explosion had recovered.


    "Now you look much better," the man said before taking his hands off Eren.


    "Who are you?" Eren asked the person, but he didn''t wait for an answer. He used identification to get an answer himself. Stay tuned for updates on My Virtual Library Empire

 Chapter 584 Did you bully my sister?

    ......


    [Name: Lysander]


    [Level: 109]


    [Identity: First Primordial]


    [Age: 27 (597)]


    [Traits: Calctive]


    [Stats]


    [Strength: 657,000]


    [Agility: 536,725]


    [Stamina: 953,793]


    [Intelligence: 98]


    [Mana: 1,084,448]


    [Cultivation: None]


    [Main Physiques: Immortal Physique]


    [Unique items in possession: None]


    [Unique skills: Unknown]


    ......


    At the sight of the status screen of that man, Eren almost froze in ce. Was his system messing with him? How were these stats even real? The man had almost forty times more stats than him in every category.


    His level was even more overwhelming. The Overlords of his world were also categorized by their levels by his system. Even the strongest Overlord that he had seen was only level 56.


    Even he had barely reached that level after killing his brother, and taking some experience from the Time Lord''s death. But the man was more than fifty levels higher than him?


    Was this the true strength of the First Primordial that seemed to rule over Hell? If that was the case, then was the second primordial also this strong to bepeting with the first Primordial? Or was he simply unaware about the gap between them?


    "Where are you from?" The First Primordial asked Eren, who was regretting taking a nce at that monstrous stats.


    Even if he used the Echo of Eternity and was able to call forth his strongest version, he still didn''t think that he was able to escape from this person if he wanted to kill him.


    He couldn''t afford to make the man hostile to him, but he also didn''t want to be enved as an outsider. Just what was the other option left for him? He had to do something to make sure that the man didn''t try to enve him.


    Just then, he  remembered the stories that he had heard about the first Primordial. It was rumoured that the First Primordial was also from Earth, who had identally ended up in this world.


    He didn''t know how true that rumor was, but that seemed like his best bet in the situation.


    "I am from earth," Eren answered the man, telling him about his real origin.


    "Hmm?" Lysander raised a brow, hearing a familiar name. "Do you know how many people tell me these lies to get close to me? Do you want to guess what their fate ended up being?"


    Just like Eren, many people believed that he was from earth. Because of him, they started gaining interest in earth. To make sure that earth wasn''t harmed because of him, he sealed the portal that connected earth to this world.


    Even then, there were many people that tried to get close to him, calling themselves fellow earthlings. It didn''t take much time for him to confirm that they were lying.


    All he needed to do was ask them things about Earth that weren''t mentioned in books rted to earth that existed in this world.


    He was curious about Eren, since it was the first time he had seen an outsider who was this strong.


    He had survived an explosion that would have hurt the seventh Primordial seriously. However, he didn''t expect that man to tell such lies to get close to him.


    As for how Eren recognized him, he didn''t have to think much about it. As the First Primordial, there were many portraits of him floating around.


    "I don''t see a reason to lie. It isn''t as if my origins will help me in this world," Eren said, pretending to be innocent.


    He made it seem as if he really didn''t know about the identity of the first primordial, or have any ulterior notices. He was simply answering a question.


    "If you are from Earth, then tell me what is-" Lysander opened his lips to ask a question, but before he could, he looked back.


    He saw a giant dragon flying towards them from the direction of the Capital. The dragon wasn''t alone either. There were other powerful figures approaching.


    Even if the phoenix was fast, it wasn''t faster than the Primordials. Within seconds, the dragon rushed past the phoenix. It transformed into a humanoid form and stood before the phoenix, his deep red eyes never leaving the First Primordial for even a second.


    Eren already guessed the person''s identity without having to use identification. There were only two dragons in this world, after all. Since this person wasn''t the girl he had seen in Hellhound City, it could only be the Second Primordial.


    The third, fourth, and fifth Primordials also arrived. Only the two weakest Primordials were missing. It was as if all the strongest beings of hell had gathered around Eren.


    He used identification on each of them and managed to confirm their levels. The Second Primordial was only level 99, certainly weaker than the first Primordial, but not by much.


    The other four Primordials also had their levels in the nies. Their stats were lower than the first or second Primordials, but they he couldn''t judge who was stronger as he couldn''t see their unique skills.


    If levels were absolute, he wouldn''t have been able to kill so many powerful people in his world. At such a higher realm, levels often mattered less than the skills. Even if one was at a lower level, if they had a more formidable skill, they could easily kill higher level beings.


    He wasn''t sure if they also had a skill as dangerous as the first primordial''s time domain.


    ''The Second Primordial doesn''t look scared of the First Primordial. Does that mean he really has some skills that can counter the time domain? Or is it because he is ignorant?'' Eren wondered, having many questions about the hierarchy of this world.


    "Is that the outsider who caused thismotion?" The Second Primordial asked, observing Eren who was still in his Absolute Dragon Form.


    The Second Primordial thought that Eren was going to suffer through a Bloodline suppression when faced with a higher dragon, falling straight to his knees. But that man was still standing tall, as if he didn''t experience even the slightest of Bloodline suppression. Your next journey awaits at My Virtual Library Empire


    It meant his dragon bloodline wasn''t any weaker, which made the Second Primordial even more surprised.


    "Are you also the one that bullied my sister in Hellhound City?" he asked Eren, his voice not having any warmth.

 Chapter 585 Overgrown Lizard

    For his sister, he had destroyed the entire Hellhound City and offended the other Primordials. Even if his sister told him that it was because of another person with the dragon bloodline, he found it hard to believe.


    It was only when his sister''s guards confirmed the presence of Eren, that he started to believe about his existence. Another witness of Eren''s existence was the Princess of the Nightwing n, who was staying in his pce.


    He really wanted to find Eren, but because of the conflict with the other Primordials, he couldn''t spare any time. He had activated his spies to find Eren, but even that didn''t work.


    It was as if Eren had disappeared like a ghost. He couldn''t be found anywhere, which made him eventually drop the search, thinking that Eren might have returned where he came from.


    He didn''t expect to find Eren when he came to investigate the unexpectedlyrge explosion near the Capital. Even more surprising was the fact that he was with the first primordial, and the two of them appeared to be on friendly terms.


    Eren was about to reject the usations that he had bullied the second Primordial''s sister, but before he could open his lips, options materialized before him.


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    [Option One: "Yes I have bullied her. What is an overgrown lizard like you going to do about it?"


    Rewards: Potion of Luck]


    [Option Two: "I have no idea what you are talking about. I''ve never been to Hellhound City."


    Reward: Potion of Agility]


    [Option Three: "Why would I bully that oversized lizard?"


    Reward: Potion of Strength]


    [Option Four: Maintain silence and ignore the question.


    Reward: Potion of Stamina]


    At the sight of the options, Eren let out a tired sigh.


    "Yes, I have bullied her. What is an overgrown lizard like you going to do about it?" he asked in an arrogant tone, as if paying no heed to the Second Primordial.


    He wasn''t sure if he was going to regret this selection, but he didn''t want to miss the reward. A Potion of Luck was something that could create perfect synergy with his Echo of Eternity, which depended on luck.


    If he consumed the potion before using Echo of Eternity, he had a feeling that the one he called forth would definitely be from the future.


    As for antagonizing the Second Primordial, that was an afterthought. Even if he didn''t want to offend the Second Primordial, he had to make a choice, and he selected the First Primordial.


    He needed the First Primordial to learn more about Earth and recover his main body. Even if there was some risk involved, he had to rely on the First Primordial.


    Following his words, there was absolute silence in the ce. Even the other Primordials were looking in disbelief. Someone had actually called the Second Primordial an overgrown lizard while all of them were present.


    The First Primordial also raised a brow, appearing quite surprised by the response. Not many people could be this courageous when standing before the Second Primordial.


    Just where did this boy get the courage? He wondered if it was because of him.


    Instead of hiding behind the first primordial, Eren stood in the lead like a brave warrior. Although he looked nonchnt as if he truly wasn''t scared, deep down, he was really hoping for the first primordial to help him if needed.


    "An overgrown lizard, huh." The Second Primordial mumbled, his expressions being unreadable. "Are you being so courageous because you expect him to protect you?"


    "Do you think he would be able to protect you if I really wanted to kill you?" he asked.


    "Are you saying that he is scared of you?" Eren asked the Second Primordial, twisting those words in his favor.


    The First Primordial frowned, as those words really did sound like that.


    He really didn''t n to save Eren unless that boy was able to prove that he was really from earth. However, the point had been so swiftly changed that if he really didn''t save Eren, it might really look like he was scared.


    It didn''t take him long to realize the kind of trick that Eren was trying to pull, which brought a smile to his lips. This shamelessness reminded him of earth, and his home.


    "I am afraid that I have taken an interest in the boy. So I will be taking him." He ced his hand on Eren''s shoulder.


    Eren inwardly sighed in relief. Did his gamble work? He had truly offended the Second Primordial, but it didn''t matter much. It wasn''t as if he was here to make friends.


    He had alreadypleted his goals ofing to this world. His brother was dead, and so was the Tower Master. He had also received the blood needed to remove the second seal.


    Now all that was left was for him to find a way to bring his real body back from earth and return to the new world to remove the other two seals.


    "Didn''t you hear him ept that he bullied my sister? It''s because of him, that the Hellhound City was destroyed and the longsting peace between the Primordials was broken!"


    The Second Primordial eximed. If Eren wasn''t standing right next to Lysander, he would have already taken that boy.


    He wanted Eren to teach him a lesson, but more importantly, he wanted him because it had been a long time since he had seen another dragon species that had a bloodlineparable to his Bloodline if not stronger.


    He wanted to know if there was a world where dragon species still lived, especially ones that were as strong as him. If he could connect to that world and bring them here, he might stop the Dragons in this world from going extinct.


    He might even create his own dragon army and break the bnce of this world in his favor. The sess of his ns depended on Eren. He had to get Eren back at any cost.

 Chapter 586 Original

    "Hand him over." The Second Primordial told Lysander, not appearing to be joking around.


    The other Primordials watched the conflict brewing with great interest. They had arrived here to find out more about the explosion, but even they didn''t expect to see something so interesting.


    If the two strongest primordials were to fight, then it didn''t matter who won. It was only beneficial for them. If both of them were hurt, then it was even better for them.


    They were inwardly hoping that the two of them were going to destroy each other, which might remove the two strongest primordials from this world.


    "And what if I don''t?" Lysander answered, not backing off.


    At the moment, it didn''t matter if Eren was actually from earth or not. He could always find that after they returned to his pce. If he was indeed lying, then he had his own ways to punish him, but for now, that wasn''t important.


    "The Hellhound City belonged to me. If you''re saying that he was responsible for that, shouldn''t he be given to me instead?" There was only one other Primordial who asked for Eren to be handed over to him.


    Although it was beneficial for him if both the Primordials hurt each other, Eren was also going to die in that battle. If both of them wanted him, then he had a feeling that there was something important about that boy.


    As an outsider, he was indeed rare if the explosion that they heard was caused by him. Moreover, even after that explosion, he didn''t look slightest bit exhausted.


    Lysander rubbed his forehead in frustration. Just because he was talking to them nicely, their demands were increasing. Had he been too soft on them? He wondered.


    "Those who want him,e and take him." After a long period of silence, he spoke. However, something about him had changed.


    He was like an entirely different person, shrouded in heavy killing intent. Even the essence of death in the atmosphere trembled before Lysander''s aura.


    It was as if he was warning them. If they stepped forward, then a fight was inevitable. He didn''t appear to be in the mood to back off.


    The Second Primordial also hesitated at the moment. He wanted to take Lysander down, but his preparations weren''tplete. He was so close to his tenth grand evolution, which was going to increase his strength by leaps and bounds.


    Did it really make sense to risk everything when he was so close to his evolution? As for taking Eren, he could always use other methods in the future.


    As long as Eren was in the Capital, there were thousands of ways for him to get the answers from that brat, especially since he also had the girl from the Nightwing n that seemed especially close to him.


    Meanwhile if they really faught, then the boy might actually die from the destruction caused by their battles. It didn''t make sense for him to lose everything over a moment of impatience.


    "This isn''t the end of it." The Second Primordial said, his body slowly growing bigger.


    He returned to his Dragon Form, and rose high in the sky, flying back in the direction of the Capital to make preparations.


    The other Primordial that had thought about taking Eren, also flinched at the sudden change in the situation. If he worked with the Second Primordial, he still had some chance of fishing in troubled water. But now that chance was also gone.


    "Now that I think about it, Hellhound City wasn''t all that important. If the boy is favoured by you, I will let you have him. I will just send you the bill for the cost of rebuilding that city." The Third Primordial also turned and left as swiftly as he had arrived.


    "Anyone else want him?" Lysander asked the other Primordials, most of whom shook their heads. Although some of them were dissatisfied with the fact that there was no fight, they couldn''t do anything about it.


    "He is still an outsider. I hope you will be careful about him." One of them said before returning with the others.


    Only Eren and Lysander were left behind. His gambling had worked and he survived that situation while getting the reward as the potion of luck. But he knew that the real test was going to begin now.


    "I-" he looked at Lysander, trying to say something. But before he could utter a single word, he was grabbed by his cor and pushed off the phoenix.


    While he was falling, a portal appeared before him and took him to a different space. He fell on the hard floor, inside an unknown hall.


    From the same portal, his phoenix also came flying,nding behind him. Andstly, it was Lysander who arrived.


    In front of Eren, Lysander walked towards the throne that was ced at the end of the hall.


    The interior of the ce looked unique, but also familiar. It was especially the case since Eren saw many things that reminded him of earth. There were many paintings hung on the wall that were extremely popr.


    Most of those paintings were so abstract that he didn''t know anything about them. There were only a few that he recognised like the monalisa. Still, he didn''t worry.


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    He could always use identification to flex his knowledge and prove that he was from earth by naming these paintings. There was no way this wasmon knowledge after all.


    "Is that Monalisa?" he asked, trying to show that he was indeed from earth.


    The painting looked like it was the original, which made him slightly surprised. Even if he used identification, it came across as the original painting which made him wonder what was the painting on earth? Was that the fake instead?


    "You seem to know a little. But there are many skills in this world that can help you get the details about an object. That isn''t enough to prove your identity." Lysander sat on the throne, his gazending on Eren who was observing the painting.

 Chapter 587 Changed Persona

    Lysander''s words were like a bucket of ice water poured over Eren''s head. He had hoped his knowledge of Earth''s art and his skill would be a trump card, but clearly, this Primordial was far more discerning than he anticipated.


    He cursed inwardly.  He needed another approach, something more convincing.  "Fine. How do you want me to prove it then?"


    Lysander thought for a brief moment as he leaned forward, his gaze looking as if he was trying to see through Eren''s soul. "You im to be from Earth. Tell me in which country is the Eiffel Tower?"


    "That''s too simple. It''s France," Eren answered.


    Still, before he could rx, the man asked another question. "What is the capital of France?"


    Eren blinked. Was this a trick question? He was wondering what hard questions he was going to be asked so he could prove his identity, especially since he didn''t know which era Lysander belonged to. However, the questions seemed somewhat simple.


    "Paris," he answered calmly.


    Lysander smiled, a thin, predatory smile that sent shivers down Eren''s spine.  "Indeed.  But tell me, what is the name of the river that flows through it?"


    Eren hesitated. He knew this. He had to know this. It was... it was...  His mind nked.  He was not a geography teacher, but he was sure that he knew the answer. It''s just that the answer wasn''ting to his mind.


    ''Damn it!'' He racked his brain, but the name kept avoiding him. He was starting to panic.


    "The Seine," Lysander said, his voice smooth as silk. "It seems your knowledge of this ''Earth'' is rather superficial."


    The moment Lysander answered, Eren felt like a fool. This was indeed the name and he knew it, but he still failed. This wasn''t going well. He needed to regain control of the situation. He needed to prove himself, and fast.


    "Alright, maybe I don''t remember all the tiny details," he admitted, trying to sound nonchnt. "But I can tell you things that no one in this world would know.  Things about... history.  About science.  About..." his eyes fell on a bookshelf lining one of the walls.  "About literature!"


    He strode towards the bookshelf, scanning the titles.  Most were unfamiliar, likely works of natives of this world. But then, his gazended on a worn leather-bound volume. He pulled it from the shelf.


    "Shakespeare!" he eximed, holding the book aloft. "Hamlet! Romeo and Juliet! You know about Shakespeare, right?"


    Lysander''s expression remained unchanged. "Indeed. Are you going to tell me about the contents of this book? If you are, then don''t waste your time. Copies of this book have already been auctioned multiple times in this world. Many people know the contents."


    "I won''t tell you about the contents of the book, but about the life of the writer of this book. I''m certain it isn''t the knowledge that is widely popr in this world," Eren stated, finally having a way to prove his identity.


    The man grew slightly interested. "Go ahead. Tell me about him. But you better hope that there isn''t a single lie in there. Because your life, and your future depends on it."


    Eren took a deep breath, but he wasn''t scared. He already knew everything there was no know about Shakespeare, even if he wasn''t particrly interested in his books.


    If he was asked to exin every detail of the book without opening it, he might have missed a few things, but not when it came to the life of the Author.


    He was like a fish in water as he started sharing everything he knew about Shakespeare. It was like he was talking about a person that he had known all his life.


    The moment he started speaking, even Lysander appeared surprised. There were a few things that even he didn''t know about, but most of the things that Eren said were certainly notmon knowledge in this world. There were even a few things that even he barely knew, let alone the others.


    The more he heard, the more pleased he appeared. He had be even more certain that Eren was actually from earth! There was no doubt about it. He was a fellow earthling.


    It had been a long time since he ended up in this world. He couldn''t even remember thest time he had seen a person from earth, and now there was one.


    His seriousness started disappearing and a smile spread on his lips. He felt like he had met a long lost kin. Even though they didn''t share the same blood, they had the same home and the same origin.


    "Which year is it on earth now?" he asked Eren, stopping him in the middle of his exnation.


    Even Eren was able to see that Lysander appeared quite pleased. It was clear that he was certain about his identity now. His gamble had worked.


    "When I came, it was the year 2024," he told Lysander. Even he didn''t know what year was there currently, especially since he didn''t know how the flow of time worked in different realms, so he carefully phrases his words.


    "2024, huh. When I ended up in this world, it was the year 2001. It seems that only around two decades have passed in that world." Lysander seemed to be lost in thought, as wrapped his arms around his chest and closed his eyes.


    Through his words, even Eren managed to learn a lot of things. It was said that Lysander had been in this world for hundreds of years, but only twenty years seemed to have passed. The flow of time was really different between the two reasons, and the difference wasn''t too little.


    "Did we start making homes on the moon yet?" Lysander suddenly asked. "Is everyone on earth as strong as you nowadays? What about flying cars? Tell me everything!"


    The overwhelming aura of Lysander was nowhere to be seen, and he appeared like a child that was excited to know how much his home had grown.

 Chapter 588 Lysanders Daughter

    Was it the same Lysander whose existence alone terrified the other Primordials? His words and gestures felt so different, as if he were apletely normal friend on Earth, meeting him after a long time.


    "Why are you standing there? Come and sit before me." Lysander waved his hand, and a seat from the other end of the hall came flying andnded before him.


    Eren was so surprised by this sudden change that he couldn''t even react before his body was caught by the same force. He flew forward andnded on the seat without even intentionally moving a finger.


    This was the difference between them, and Eren had already felt it. The man was like a demigod. He was different from the Author and didn''t feel as almighty, but he was definitely more powerful than any mortal he had met.


    If Lysander wanted to, he could kill him. If he wanted to, he could do a lot of things, but here he was, silently waiting to hear stories about Earth.


    "Do you miss home?" Eren subconsciously asked.


    He had only been away from home for a few years. He didn''t have any family on Earth. He only had a few friends that he asionally missed, but not too much. But Lysander was different. He had been away from home for hundreds of years.


    Did he have a family on Earth? Did he miss them? If that was the case, why didn''t he try to return? Why did he close the only portal leading to Earth instead? Eren had a lot of questions in his mind about the existence of the godlike man before him.


    The smile on Lysander''s face disappeared as he heard the question. A myriad of emotions shed in his eyes, but he didn''t express anything. It was as if those emotions disappeared as soon as they appeared.


    "Who won''t miss their home?" He smiled again, but this time, the smile appeared a little forced. "No matter how much you rise in a foreignnd... No matter how strong you be, some things can never be reced."


    Eren could see that the atmosphere seemed to have turned a little serious, and he didn''t like it. He didn''t know when this man might change his mind about him, so he had to change the atmosphere.


    "Ah, earth has changed a lot in thest two decades, but not as much as you assumed. There are no homes on the moon. As for flying cars... I guess technically that did happen, but..."


    He stopped asking questions about Lysander''s private life and started telling him about Earth, which made the real smile return on his face.


    Lysander heard Eren''s stories with great fascination, especially when he heard about the artificial intelligence and other significant changes that had happened on earth.


    asionally, he could even be seenughing when Eren told him stories about some of the things from earth.


    Hours passed, but the stories never stopped as Eren told Lysander about the developments in the field of literature, science, and even medicine.


    For the people of this world, these developments might appear insignificant since they could use superhuman abilities, bring the dead back to life, heal even the most serious wounds or even destroy cities with a single punch. But for Lysander, they were interesting nheless.


    Eren also felt a little better when he talked with Lysander. It was the first time he could properly talk to someone about his home, who could understand him.


    Even though he had always been busy and didn''t have time to miss his home and friends much, he did miss this feeling a little.


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    Their conversation continued for a long time, only to stop when there was a knock on the floor.


    "Father, are you there?" A woman''s voice came from outside the door. "Did you forget our promise again?"


    "Ah, I got so lost in our conversation that I forgot I nned to have dinner with my daughter."


    Even Lysander came out of his daze, pping his forehead. He truly looked flustered as the door opened. Footsteps echoed across the hall as a woman entered.


    Eren moved to the corner of the seat and looked back, noticing a woman dressed in a tight-fitting gown that firmly hugged her curvaceous figure. The dress seemed a little too tight, and looked as if it might rip at any moment.


    The woman didn''t seem tock anything. She was beautiful, had a good figure and more importantly, she was extremely strong. In fact, she appeared to be even stronger at him, a realization that only hit Eren when he looked at her stats.


    Her level was already in the 80s, much higher than his level. It was as if she had inherited all the talents from her father.


    Eren understood that he had to be cautious before her. Unlike her father, she probably never lived on earth. She had no attachments to that world, and might not like him either.


    He simply turned back and returned to his normal position. He stopped paying attention to that woman.


    "We can talk next time. It''s more important to keep your promise with your daughter," he told Lysander.


    "Nonsense. It''s been a long time since I saw someone from my hometown. Come and eat with us. You must be hungry as well." Lysander patted Eren''s shoulder, before grabbing them to make him stand up.


    He walked to his daughter, and Eren could only unwillingly follow him. He thought it was still a very normal situation. As long as he didn''t screw something too bad, things were going to proceed smoothly.


    At least that''s what he initially thought until more options appeared before him, and this time they appeared to be even more absurd than thest options.


    These options even involved Lysander''s daughter, who looked like a powerful Demoness in his eyes. Eren grew absolutely nk at the sight of the bizarre options.


    [Option One: Tell a romantic poem for the girl, and at the end of it, kiss her hands.


    Reward: Charm +1]

 Chapter 589 Bad Flirting

    Eren barely finished reading the first option before his back was drenched in cold sweat. Was this option trying to get him killed? He had barely managed to win Lysander''s favor, and now this system wanted him to flirt with his daughter!


    Before he could even check the other options, he had already erased the first one from his memory, as if it didn''t even exist. There was no way he was going to sign his death warrant just to gain some charm.


    He quickly shifted to the second option, but it left him even more shocked.


    [Option Two: Tell a romantic poem to Lysander, and at the end of it, kiss his hand.


    Reward: Charm +1]


    Eren''s jaw almost dropped at the second option, which was even more bizarre. Just what was this system thing? He was a straight man! He was never going to do something like this to another man.


    What if Lysander took his words seriously? He didn''t even want to imagine it. At this moment, the first option appeared much better in his eyes.


    He moved to the next option, which almost made him faint. He was even more certain that his system was simply trying to bully him this time.


    [Option Three: Tell a poem insulting the woman. And at the end of it, reveal your open disgust for her.


    Reward: Strength +1]


    [Option Four: Tell Lysander that you lied to him about being from Earth, and that everything you told him was what you heard from someone else.


    Reward: Agility +1]


    He didn''t want to select any of the options. Unfortunately, he had no choice, as the system was simply going to be stuck on these options until he selected one.


    He raised his hand and selected one of the options.


    Lysander finished apologizing to his daughter for forgetting about their dinner ns. After he received forgiveness, he reached out his hand towards Eren.


    "And this is Eren," he said, trying to introduce Eren. "He is my guest. He will be staying with us."


    The girl had already noticed Eren''s presence the moment she entered the main hall. She was curious about Eren''s identity, since it wasn''t often that her father brought someone home.


    To hear her father introduce him as a guest, she was even more surprised, especially since she couldn''t see anything extraordinary about him. Although he looked quite attractive, he didn''t seem to have any overwhelming aura of hell lingering around his body.


    "I am Estelia," she said, observing Eren with great interest. She could feel that her father seemed to have quite an affection for this man for some reason.


    Eren took a deep breath, wondering if his extra life was going to be gone today. Still, he gathered his courage and started speaking.


    "Estelia..." Eren began, his voice surprisingly steady despite the inner turmoil raging within him.


    He had chosen. He would take the risk. He was not great at poetry, as that wasn''t where his interest lied. Still, he tried toe up with one that could satisfy the criteria of the first option.


    He gazed at her beautiful emerald green eyes, and started speaking, "Like a vision, you appeared across the room bathed in candlelight, a truly mesmerizing sight. My world was dark, but you dispelled the darkness, filling my senses with unexpected light."


    He could feel extremely cringe as he tried to say what he came up with. He was certain that if a true poet heard his poetry, they were going to kill him for making such a bad poem. Still, he continued.


    "My heart stumbled like a clumsy fool, never before affected in such a way. Everything else just vanished, hoping you''d look at me, just once, today. You are beautiful, standing in the soft warm glow. Just had to say it, had to let my feelings show."


    He didn''t let the cringe show on his face, fooling his mind into believing that this was nothing but a dream.


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    As he spoke, he saw a flicker of disbelief in Estelia''s eyes. It was as if she didn''t even understand what was even happening. Was the man really saying things like these for her?


    With a graceful gesture, he took Estelia''s hand, his fingers brushing lightly against her skin. He brought her hand to his lips, cing a gentle kiss upon it. He felt her hand tremble slightly at the touch.


    [Charm +1]


    He gently released her hands, as if trying to show that his actions werepletely normal. He didn''t even have time to pay attention to the reward notification, as he was too worried about Lysander''s reaction.


    Cautiously, he looked at Lysander. Just as he thought, Lysander also didn''t know how to react. It was as if he was still trying to make sense of what had happened.


    "You..." Lysander opened his lips, but before he could say anything, he saw Estelia kick Eren''s chest, sending him flying back.


    "He is your guest?! A person like that? Absurd!" Esteliained, not staying behind another second. She turned away and left the hall, still fuming.


    Lysander looked at his daughter, who soon disappeared from the hall. Sighing, he walked back to Eren, who was sitting on the ground with his back resting against the wall that had cracked from the impact of his crash.


    "Are you alright?" Lysander asked while extending his hand to help Eren up.


    Eren also came to a strange realization. He thought that Lysander was going to kill him for flirting with his daughter, but strangely enough, the real danger was somewhere else.


    Lysander didn''t seem to have any anger for him, but Estelia was different. Still, he felt somewhat relieved that he hadn''t offended Lysander. He didn''t care what Estelia thought of him, as long as Lysander wasn''t affected.


    "Are you not angry over what I did?" Eren asked, grabbing Lysander''s hand who helped him up.


    "Why would I be angry? If anything...." He seemed like he wanted to say something, but he controlled himself. There seemed to be some sadness hidden behind his calm exterior.

 Chapter 590: Son in Law

    Chapter 590: Son in Law


    "Is something troubling you?" Eren asked Lysander, wondering what could possibly make the strongest man in the world worry.


    Was there really a problem in this world that Lysander couldn''t solve on his own? If that were the case, it would be a perfect opportunity for Eren to get the man to owe him a favor.


    "If there''s anything I can do to help, please tell me. Even if I''m not as strong as you, I might be able to help in other ways," he added, trying to get Lysander to open up.


    Even after his insistence, Lysander seemed hesitant.


    "It''s nothing. Let''s go and eat." He lightly patted Eren''s shoulders before walking away.


    "Is this rted to your daughter?" Eren asked, making Lysandere to a sudden halt.


    If even the strongest man in this world couldn''t solve this problem, then it could only be one thing. It was a problem that was rted to his daughter. Even if a father was strong, there were times when they couldn''t solve problems when it came to their children.


    "Did I make it that obvious?" Lysander asked, revealing a little surprise. Eren had caught the crux of his problem. After a brief period of silence, he sighed. "I might actually need your help, as I can''t seem to think of a solution to my problem. No... Maybe you''re the only person who can help me."


    He cast a domain around them to slow down the flow of time for them, as if he was worried that he might bete for dinner with his daughter if he spent time talking.


    Within the time domain, he could spend as much time as he wanted and only a few seconds were going to pass outside.


    He looked left and right. Even if he was strong enough to sense even the weakest of presence around them, he still acted cautiously. His hesitation was clear as day.


    After a brief period of silence, he said, "It is a problem rted to my daughter. She seems to be spending a little too much time with another girl."


    "What?" Eren didn''t know how to react. That was the problem? He was worried that his daughter might be interested in another girl?


    Was that the reason he didn''t seem to hate when he flirted with her? Was it because he would''ve been happy as long as his daughter was with a man at least?


    "I have confirmed that there is nothing romantic between them, but I am still worried," Lysander said.


    "They seem to be spending too much time with each other. Every time I try to introduce my daughter to another man, shepletely ignores them, not showing even the slightest of interests."


    "At this rate, she will never get married. No, that''s not even my biggest worry. I''m worried that one day she might fall in love with that girl, and marry her."


    At the end of the day, Lysander was from earth. Even if he lived here for centuries, he was still more conservative in his thinking. He wanted his daughter to marry a man, and start a family of her own. However, for years, it felt like a faraway dream.


    Eren also understood a lot of things. He thought his system was simply trying to bully him with those options, but it became clear that it was to guide him towards this moment.


    It made him have a bad feeling about this. He had already revealed that he had some romantic interests in Estelia. And now he even promised that he was going to help Lysander solve his problem.


    He had already entered the quicksand, and he could already feel what wasing for him.


    "Maybe you''re just overthi-" He tried speaking, trying to ensure that he wasn''t dragged into this mess. Unfortunately, he was toote.


    Lysander grabbed his shoulders, looking at him earnestly. "You like my daughter, don''t you? It''s what we call love at first sight on earth, right?"


    The way Lysander was looking at him, he didn''t seem like he was looking. Eren had already fallen into this trap and there was no way to avoid this assumption.


    If he said that he was not interested in her, it was going to imply that he was simply trying to mess with her when he kissed her hand and said a stupid but romantic poem for her.


    More importantly, Lysander was going to feel like a fool for having exposed his deepest worries when Eren was simply messing with his daughter.


    "T-that is correct. It was long at first sight." He gave up, and lied. Even if he was made to do it by the system, he couldn''t shift that me to anyone but himself.


    "In that case, why don''t you try to win my daughter''s heart?" Lysander said in excitement as his eyes lit up.


    The strongest man in hell was telling him that he wanted to be his father-inw. It was something that would''ve normally made Eren somewhat interested, but the woman in question was Estelia who was even stronger than him.


    He had already been threaded by her for flirting with her once. It wasn''t an easy task as a single mistake might make him end up dead. But if he was sessful, he might ensure his safety in hell for as long as he was here.


    If he had a father inw like Lysander, then did he even need to worry about other Overlords or the people behind them? It was a risk that was worth taking.


    In any case, he couldn''t reject Lysander. It was better to offend his daughter than to offend Lysander, an existence over level hundred.


    "How can I win her heart? She seems to hate me. I don''t think she even wants to see me," he told Lysander. Even though he didn''t say it outright, he made it clear that he needed Lysander''s help.


    "Don''t worry about that. You are going to be living here. I will make sure that you get many opportunities to meet her. As long as you can win her heart before that vixen steals her heart, then..." He didn''t finish his sentence, but the meaning behind his words was clear.

 Chapter 591: Lysanders Act

    Chapter 591: Lysander''s Act


    Eren grew silent, having no way to reject the man. It was as if he had already epted him as a son-inw.


    Eren felt it slightly awkward since they were just talking as if they were brothers from different mothers. And now, they were really on the verge of bing rtives, but in a way that he never could have imagined.


    He wasn''t sure why the man even wanted him as a son inw. Was it simply because he was worried that his daughter might fall for another woman? He seemed to have already tried all other decent men in this world, failing to find someone that could win her heart.


    He also had a feeling that it was also because he was from earth. He had also shown his courage by talking back to the Second Primordial, revealing that he wasn''t on good terms with that man.


    Besides that, he was also stronger. If he survived that kind of explosion, and was on the verge of escaping from that scene, it meant he also had quick thinking skills.


    Lysander could see a lot of talents in Eren, which made him even more interested in this man. And now that man had also shown interest in his daughter, which further strengthened his resolve.


    "I don''t care what kind of help you need from me, or what you have to do! You just became my son inw!" Lysander ced his hands on Eren''s shoulders, his gaze burning like that of a man that had already made up his mind.


    He could only nod before Lysander. If he had already started riding this shark, he could only hold on until he reached the shore.


    "Good! Come, let''s go for dinner! The more you appear before my daughter, the more she might start to be familiar with you." Lysander removed the barrier, and started dragging Eren with him.


    Eren could only sigh silently, wondering just why Lysander had such a bad understanding of women. Even though he himself wasn''t too familiar with women''s thinking, he at least understood that Lysander''s words weren''t quite true.


    If Estelia hated him, it didn''t mean she was going to be fond of him if he appeared more before her. Instead, she must find him even more irritating, which might make her hate him even more.


    Lysander took Eren to a grand hall, where a long dining table was arranged. There were hundreds of dishes prepared by the chef. The appearance of those dishes surprised Eren as well, since they were the dishes that were mainly used on earth.


    At this point, Eren stopped questioning anything he saw. Lysander''s obsession with earth was definitely stronger than he thought. The man had even taught earth''s dishes to his chefs, and was eating them here.


    "What is he doing here?" Estelia mmed her hand on the table, standing up.


    "I told you that he is a guest. Isn''t it good manners to treat guests well?" Lysander asked, trying to calm his daughter. "Are you going to embarrass me in front of a guest?"


    "Didn''t you hear what he told me? Is that what you call a guest?" Estelia eximed, her face turning red. It was unclear if it was simply because of her anger, or because she remembered that moment.


    "You..." Lysander frowned. He was about to say something, but Eren stopped him.


    Instead, Eren stepped forward and approached Estelia who seemed like she was prepared to hit him if he tried to flirt with her again.


    Eren stopped a few meters away from the woman, appearing to be somewhat heartbroken. He put his everything in the performance as he said, "If I offended you, I want to apologise."


    "As you may already know, I''m not from this world. And the world I came from, it''s considered good manners topliment a woman when you meet them. I don''t know why my words offended you, but it''s most probably because they might appear strange to the people of this world."


    "I want to make you know that I never had any intentions to hurt you. If you don''t want me to be here, then I will simply leave. I don''t want to make you ufortable."


    Eren lowered his gaze, appearing as if he was too sad over being misunderstood when he didn''t have any ulterior motives.


    He let out a tired sigh and turned around. When the woman couldn''t see his face anymore, he momentarily raised his head, winking at Lysander, as if trying to signal him to y along.


    Normally, it would be a death wish to let the father of a girl see him trying to fool her. However, the man had already said he was going to help him. It was after all what that man wanted, and not him.


    "You..." Lysander seemed to understand the signal quite well. He didn''t think much about it, only believing it to be Eren''s attempts to fulfil his wish.


    His face also dropped as he looked like he was almost on the verge of crying. "Don''t me yourself! It was my fault that I didn''t introduce you and your culture well, leading my daughter into misunderstanding you."


    "I should be the one to be med, not you. Please don''t..." He ced a hand on Eren''s shoulder, as if trying to stop him.


    Eren internally cringed. He could see the man trying to put on his best act, but he was clearly not suited for it.


    ''With such a bad act that he''s putting, it would be a surprise if his daughter doesn''t catch us. I should''ve made him prepare more...'' Eren thought, but it was toote to give him acting sses.


    He simply pushed the man''s hands aside, and walked away, not giving him any chance to ''act'' more.


    Eren didn''t look back, and walked away. Once again, he was constantly wondering if the girl was going to stop him. Even if she didn''t stop him, he could always find ways to meet her again. It wasn''t the end of the world. It was simply the beginning.

 Chapter 592: Grandchildren

    Chapter 592: Grandchildren


    "Wait!" Eren was about to step out of the hall when he heard Estelia call out to him.


    "Water," he whispered, before touching the corner of his eyes, using the Dragon Tongue to create a drop of water.


    "Huh?" He turned around, revealing his face to the woman with a ''tear'' trickling down his cheek.


    He hated that he had to resort to such theatrics, but he couldn''t afford to be kicked out. If he wanted to bring his real body back from Earth and ensure his safety, he needed Lysander''s help.


    Proving to Lysander that Estelia was straight seemed like the most promising approach, even if it was also the most challenging.


    As for making her fall in love with him, he didn''t really care about that. After all, Lysander didn''t give him a time limit. As long as he made it seem like he was trying, he could drag it for an eternity.


    "Did you say something?" he asked the woman.


    "Ah, sorry for showing such a sight to you." He ''noticed'' the tear that was trickling down his cheeks. He quickly wiped his face, as if embarrassed to show such a vulnerable sight to Estelia.


    Even Lysander looked in disbelief. Was Eren really crying? He wondered. That looked too real to be fake. He even worried if Eren was actually hurt by the rude behaviour of his daughter.


    He started panicking. Did Eren''s love end before it could even grow, because of his daughter''s behaviour?


    "A-are you alright?" he asked, his panicked tone being as evident as day.


    Initially, even Estelia found her father''s emotional behaviour strange, as if it was some kind of act. But Eren didn''t look like he was acting.


    Now that she heard her father''s panicked tone, she was starting to believe that maybe she was overthinking. Her father really seemed to care about this man.


    "I... I guess I misunderstood you. You can have dinner with us. I will forget what happened between us." Her voice grew weaker as he sat down, feeling a little guilty as well.


    Eren was really innocent, and she had actually hit him. She felt a little regretful. She wasn''t wrong either. Eren was truly innocent as it wasn''t his intention to say those words. Just that her line of thoughts about his innocence was somewhat different.


    "See? Even my daughter agreed to forgive you. She made a mistake, so you should also let bygones be bygones." Lysander quickly appeared next to Eren, still worried about him.


    Before Eren could even have a second thought, he dragged him to the dining table like a toy. At this long, Eren had be ustomed to being dragged around.


    Lysander made him sit next to his daughter. After that, he took the seat on the other side of his daughter. He had already started arranging things so they could get close to each other, or at least try to know each other.


    "You said you are not from here? Which world are you from? What is your world like?" Estelia asked Eren, thinking back to his words.


    It was rare for her to see an outsider that wasn''t enved in this world. Moreover, he also seemed strong as he survived despite taking a hit from her, a feat that not many cooks achieve, even if they were born and raised in this world.


    As she was focused on Eren, she didn''t notice the smile appear on her father''s face. He was really happy that his daughter was taking interest in Eren. In his mind, curiosity about the other person was the first step to love.


    He didn''t interrupt them and started eating silently without making any noise. He also cast a barrier around the hall, to make sure that not even servants could enter to disturb this moment.


    ''Am I allowed to tell her about my real origin?'' Eren asked Lysander, wondering if he could take the name of earth.


    He knew that Lysander loved earth as he was originally from there. But his daughter was different. She was born and brought up in this world.


    She didn''t have many attachments from earth. If anything, she might even have some negative thoughts about Earth after seeing her father''s obsession with earth.


    ''You can tell her. She doesn''t hate earth. You can also tell her some of the stories that you told me,'' Lysander answered, not even trying to hide the glee on his face.


    It was as if he could already see his grandchildren, running to him, calling him grandpa. He had already thought about the names he was going to give his grandchildren, and how he was going to dote on them.


    Eren didn''t need to read the man''s thoughts. Just from his expressions, he could already roughly guess what that man was thinking about.


    For some reason, Lysander''s face looked extremely punchable at this moment. Unfortunately, he couldn''t wipe that smug off Lysander''s face. The man was much stronger than him, almost at a demigod level.


    He stopped thinking about Lysander, or even looking at that irritable face. He focused on the pretty face of Estelia, which was much better to look at.


    "I am from a small distant world called earth," he told Estelia, who clearly couldn''t hide her surprise.


    "You''re joking. There is no chance. The portal to earth was already closed by my father," she eximed.


    Her words also made Lysander remember about it. Didn''t he seal the portal that connected earth to this world? Then how did Eren get to this world? He hadpletely forgotten to think about that matter, lost in the excitement of finding someone who was really from earth.


    "Even I''m not sure. One day, I simply found myself here when I opened my eyes. There were no portals nearby, so I simply travelled around his world, trying to find a way back," Eren lied with great conviction, realizing that he didn''t just have to fool Estelia but also her father with his answer.

 Chapter 593: Take him

    Chapter 593: Take him


    "That''s strange. Normally, the only way to enter our world is through portals that randomly connect to other worlds. I don''t think I''ve ever heard of someone waking up here without any portals."


    Estelia was slightly intrigued by Eren''s situation, as it was something that had never happened before.


    Eren spoke the lie so convincingly, that she didn''t even consider the possibility of him lying, since he himself looked confused about the entire situation.


    Eren also didn''t have to put much into this act and story, as he could simply talk about his true experience, where he just woke up on another day without any portals.


    Unlike his daughter, Lysander didn''t say anything. He was simply silent, a slight frown appearing on his forehead, as if he was thinking of something.


    "Do you know something about it?" Estelia asked her father.


    "If he didn''t enter any portal, that means another external force was at y. There are only a few that I can think of," Lysander answered. "But even I can''t be certain about it."


    Even if he was the strongest person in this world, he couldn''t do something like that. The only existences that could do this, were those from the upper realm. Even amongst them, only the strongest few could manipte thews of the world like this.


    He wondered what reason they had in sending him here. It was clear that Eren didn''t know about the reasons either, or he wouldn''t be looking so confused about his own situation.


    "Who was the person that you were fighting?" he asked Eren, thinking back to the scenes of carnage that he had seen when he found Eren.


    "I have no idea. He simply attacked me out of nowhere. Maybe he thought that I was an enemy," Eren innocently answered. He didn''t tell them that he knew that person from his previous world, since it was already a well known fact that the person wasn''t from earth.


    "It seems you were just unlucky." Lysander shook his head, and stopped thinking about it. Even if the gods wanted to mess with his son inw, he could always protect him. For now, his main priority was his daughter.


    He started eating, and left the conversation, giving the two youngsters more time to talk with each other. The more they talked, the happier he became.


    "Estelia, are youing?" Suddenly, a melodious voice came from themunication jade that was wrapped around Estelia''s waist.


    She abruptly stood up, her eyes lighting up. "Ah, my friend is here. We nned to go to the Auction. I will be taking my leave."


    She quickly ate what was in front of her, preparing to leave.


    "Are you going to leave in the middle of dinner? Didn''t we have a n to eat together?" Lysander asked, his lips twitched at the voice of the girl that he hated the most.


    Every time he heard her voice, he was frustrated since it was the girl that he was worried about stealing his daughter.


    "I nned everything. It''s you who waste. If you were on time, we would''ve finished dinner properly by now. Anyways, we can do it next time. The Auction can''t wait!" She swiftly turned around, and walked away.


    Eren didn''t mind her leaving, since he could finally have a moment of peace. But Lysander didn''t seem to ept it.


    "Wait, Eren is new to this city. Why don''t you take him with you? It would be a good experience for him as well."


    He didn''t even give Eren the time to eat properly before using his abilities to send him flying after Estelia.


    "But father..." Estelia tried to say something against it, since Eren felt like a third wheel. Even if she didn''t hate him, he was still a stranger to her friend. Moreover, he was an outsider. Even if she treated him normally, the others were definitely not going to do the same.


    "Either you take him with you, or you aren''t going anywhere either. It''s final." Lysander was stubborn as well. Moreover, since he wasn''t demanding too much, Estelia couldn''tin too much either.


    "Fine." She grabbed Eren''s hand, and started flying, dragging him behind.


    Eren was again being dragged, wondering what was this father and daughter''s obsession with dragging him around. Then again, he didn''t feel too bad, since it gave him an opportunity to leave this ce and look around the Capital of Hell.


    He was also quite interested in what they called an auction, wondering if there was something useful that mighte in handy for him.


    Even if he couldn''t bid for that item, he could always steal it, as long as it wasn''t bought by a Primordial directly. No one was going to doubt a weak little outsider after all.


    Estelia brought Eren out of the Pce, letting Eren witness the true grandeur of Lysander''s Pce. It was the Pce that belonged to the First Primordial, and it certainly wasn''tcking.


    It looked muchrger from the outside, than it felt from inside, as he had only been limited to the main hall and the dining hall inside the pce.


    "Is this outsider your new ve? Why are you holding the hands of a ve?" Eren was distracted by the pce when he heard a woman''s voice.


    He looked back, and caught sight of the woman that Lysander was worried about. And looking at her, he finally understood why even the first Primordial was worried about his daughter''s preference.


    The woman was truly a seductive vixen, having a voluptuous body. She was wearing a tight fitting gown that highlighted all her curves, especially her breasts that were mostly revealed through the cleavage.


    The woman saw Eren ncing at her, as if he was judging her. It made her frown, as anger shed in her face.


    "How dare a ve try to look at me with such a gaze!" She raised her hand in an attempt to p Eren.


    Eren also didn''t like being pped by a woman. Even if he was an outsider, he didn''t give her an opportunity to touch him. He grabbed her wrist.

 Chapter 594: Responsibility

    594 Chapter 594: Responsibility


    "What?" The girl looked at Eren in disbelief as he caught her hand. "An outsider dares to touch me?"


    The outsiders were enved in this world. In many cases, they were treated even worse than any other species in this world. Even if they were to be pped in public, they could only lower their heads like animals and ept being beaten.


    At worst, they might try to move away to protect themselves, but never did they hold the hands of someone from Hell to protect themselves.


    The girl felt disgusted, as a ve was holding her hand. She hadn''t put much force behind her attack before, but she was so furious that she stopped holding back.


    "Estelia, I am going to kill your ve!" she eximed as she pulled out a dagger. The dagger itself was a treasure. Eren didn''t even have to use his identification skill to see that it was a dangerous artefact.


    Even his healing might not be able to protect him if the dagger hurt him. He could''ve let the woman strike him.


    Fortunately, she wasn''t as strong as Lysander. Her level hovered around Estelia''s level, which was in afortable range for someone like him that could jump levels when fighting.


    The girl moved, thinking that there was no way an outsider was going to keep up with her speed. Her dagger came straight for his neck.


    Estelia''s expressions also darkened. She remembered that Eren was the guest of her father. She didn''t know how angry her father was going to be, if his guest was killed, especially when the so-called guest was from his favorite earth.


    "Jenia, wait!" she rushed forward, and grabbed her hand, stopping the dagger that was merely a few inches away from Eren.


    Eren was also prepared to react, when he saw Estelia grab her friend''s hand to stop him.


    "Don''t kill him. He was brought by my father. He might be upset if he''s dead," she told Jenia whose expressions darkened.


    A ve that was brought by the First Primordial himself? If that was the case, it might be quite an expensive ve. Just thepensation alone might be hard to pay, but what if the First Primordial wanted something more?


    She already knew that Lysander didn''t like her being with his daughter. If she killed this ve, then he might use that as an opportunity to seperate them.


    Even though she didn''t tell Estelia about her true feelings of attraction for her, she didn''t want to be separated from her.


    She lowered the dagger, but her anger hadn''t disappeared. "Fine! I won''t kill him. But he still disrespected a noble. Make him crawl on the ground and beg for my forgiveness, and I might forgive him!"


    Estelia also believed that it was fair. Even if Eren wasn''t familiar with the customs of this world, it didn''t mean that his actions had to be forgiven all the time. If he did something wrong, it was fair for him to apologise.


    "Do as she said, and beg for her forgiveness! That''s the most I can do to protect your life. Otherwise, as per the customs of the Capital, your punishment will be even more severe," she told Eren, who looked weirdly at them.


    Fall to his knees and beg for forgiveness? Had they lost their minds? He didn''t do something this disrespectful even before the Northern Overlord when he was much weaker than him. Why would he do something like this before two girls that weren''t that strong before him?


    Even though he had acted and apologized to Estelia, but it was different from falling to his knees and begging for forgiveness. As a man, he also had some dignity.


    "Isn''t she the one who started imagining things and suddenly tried to hit me? I simply protected myself. Why should I ask for forgiveness?" Eren asked, his sharp response stunning the two girls.


    "H-he talked back to his owner as well?" Jenia stuttered in disbelief as she looked at Estelia, still finding it hard to believe that a ve was so courageous. "Do you still want to protect him?!"


    Even if the man was brought by the first primordial, but Estelia was still supposed to be his owner. She was the daughter of the first Primordial after all, and he still didn''t seem to care.


    Estelia also looked at Eren with a frown. She knew that he wasn''t from this world, and hismon sense might be different. Still, she gave him an opportunity to protect himself, and he was so stubborn.


    13:41


    "In this world, a ve isn''t allowed to behave like you are behaving right now. If you were with someone else, you might already be killed. Apologize while I''m still being lenient. Don''t embarrass me any further."


    Estelia also looked at Eren with a frown. She knew that he wasn''t from this world, and hismon sense might be different. Still, she gave him an opportunity to protect himself, and he was so stubborn.


    "In this world, a ve isn''t allowed to behave like you are behaving right now. If you were with someone else, you might already be killed. Apologize while I''m still being lenient. Don''t embarrass me any further."


    Normally, even Estelia would''ve started thrashing Eren for his behaviour, but she was still trying to be calm, being considerate for his origins. But her temper was still rising as an outsider tried to behave as if he was their equal.


    Just because they had dinner with him and talked to him nicely, did he really forget his ce? Or was he never informed about his real ce in this world in the first ce?


    "I think you''re the one who is forgetting something, Lady Estelia," Eren answered, still not hesitating. There was no way in hell for him to beg for forgiveness before these two girls.


    "I might be an outsider, but I am not a ve," he reminded the girl, revealing his wrist that had no envement bracelet.


    He was brought back by the First Primordial, but not as a ve nor as a guest that came from his hometown. Even if there were rules in this world that an outsider didn''t walk free, who was going to enforce these rules before the Guest of the First Primordial?


    "As I am not a ve, I don''t have to follow the rules that are established for the ves. Instead, I am a guest for the First Primordial. As a Guest of a Primordial, my safety and dignity is his responsibility."


    He didn''t step back. Instead, he walked closer to Estelia, each of his words echoing heavily in her ears.

 Chapter 595: Reversal

    595 Chapter 595: Reversal


    "You said I am being disrespectful to you and your friend?" he said as he stepped merely half a foot away from Estelia.


    He looked deep in the eyes, and asked, "Who is she to be disrespected? Is her dignity more than the First Primordial? In this world, who holds more dignity than the first Primordial?"


    His voice echoed in the surroundings, as he wasn''t shying away.


    His words also reached the First Primordial, who was standing near the window, looking at everything that was taking ce outside his Pce.


    Initially, he was also taken aback by the way Eren was being treated. But when he was given a choice to beg for forgiveness, he didn''t intervene. He wanted to see if the boy was really going to beg for forgiveness before the girl that he hated the most?


    If Eren begged for forgiveness, then Lysander would have really been disappointed. He would have definitely started looking down on Eren. He was looking forward to seeing how Eren was going to deal with this problem.


    The moment he heard Eren talk about him, his chest bumped up. He didn''t care about theponents in any way, but when it came from someone who came from earth, he felt quite good.


    It was as if someone from his hometown hade to visit him in the city, and was praising his achievements before the others. The moment Eren asked, if anyone had higher dignity than the First Primordial, he felt really respected.


    At this point, he was even more certain about choosing Eren as his son inw. Even more important was that his son inw also seemed to hate that girl who was trying to steal his daughter. He was like a true son inw already.


    "When she tried to p me, was she not disrespecting the First Primordial?" he asked Estelia, who subconsciously took a step back as if she was being suppressed for some reason.


    "If any random person could p the guest of First Primordial, then whose dignity was lost? Mine? Yours? Or Lord Lysander''s?! As his daughter, not only did you allow her to try to p a guest of your father, but you also asked me to beg in front of her for protecting myself?"


    "I... I..." Estelia didn''t know what to say. Everything Eren said made sense.


    He was an outsider, but he was not a ve. Instead, he was a guest of her father. If he was pped right outside her pce, then it wasn''t the p in his face, but a p on her father''s face!


    13:43


    He was an outsider, but he was not a ve. Instead, he was a guest of her father. If he was pped right outside her pce, then it wasn''t the p in his face, but a p on her father''s face!


    She couldn''t think of anything to counter Eren. Instead, she felt as if she was truly in the wrong for not even considering all this. Eren had protected himself but he also protected the dignity of her father from being sullied.


    "I will ask you again..." Eren''s frown deepened, as he continued. "Do you still think I should apologise to her?"


    Even though it wasn''t noticeable, he also used some of his abilities to momentarily confuse Estelia in a very subtle manner that even she couldn''t know about.


    "You don''t..." Estelia agreed with Eren. He was right about everything. As a guest, he couldn''t be asked to apologize to someone like her.


    "Was I in the wrong?" he asked again.


    "You weren''t," Estelia answered, alreadying to the conclusion that he wanted her to have.


    "Someone was definitely in the wrong, otherwise this wouldn''t have happened. If I wasn''t in the wrong, then who was in the wrong?" he asked, getting to the question that he truly wanted to ask.


    Everything he told her was a setup for this question. She had already epted that he wasn''t in the wrong. It left only one person, who could be considered to be in the wrong.


    "Jenia was mistaken... She was wrong," Estelia mumbled, subconsciously looking at her friend.


    "Then who should be the one to apologise?" Eren asked, his voice bing less louder and more amodating as if he was talking to an old friend.


    "Jenia should apologise," Estelia stated, her words being exactly what Eren wanted to hear.


    Jenia looked at her friend in disbelief, her expressions darkening. What was happening? Weren''t they supposed to punish this arrogant outsider for not knowing his ce? How did she be the one in the wrong instead?


    If there was one person who was the happiest with all this, it was Lysander. He was impressed with Eren. It had only been a few minutes since he left with his daughter, and he had already made her daughter see the wrongs in her friend.


    Even he had tried to make her daughter realize that Jenia wasn''t a good friend, his daughter only became angrier at him for misunderstanding her friend.


    A few minutes with Eren and she was already calling Jenia to be wrong. Lysander felt likeughing out loud as Eren''s performance was even better than him.


    "Of course he''s from earth! We are naturally talented no matter where we go!" Heughed,pletely ignoring the fact that he was also from Earth and had failed to convince his daughter.


    "He''s talking nonsense! I didn''t do anything wrong!" Jenia cried, seeing the situation turn upside down to the point that she couldn''t evenprehend what was happening anymore.


    "Jenia, apologize to him. There''s no point in making things worse," Estelia didn''t take her words seriously and asked her to apologize straight to her face. "He is a guest of father, and you tried to p him. You should apologise before father hears about this."


    "You..." She clenched her fists as she looked at Eren who was silently standing in the distance.


    Even though Eren was expressionless, she could feel that he was having fun with the situation. He didn''t didn''t make it too obvious.


    Unfortunately, she had no choice as Estelia waspletely manipted by him. Nothing she said now was going to matter. She could only count after this whole matter was over.

 Chapter 596: Trap

    Jenia couldn¡¯t believe that she had to apologize to Eren. She somehow convinced herself, knowing that couldn¡¯t fall into Eren¡¯s trap and upset Estelia who was looking at her.


    "I... I..." Even after convincing herself, she struggled to apologize properly.


    She took a deep breath, and looked at Eren, trying to utter an apology in a single breath. But just as she was about to apologise, she saw a smirk appear on Eren¡¯s face.


    "You! See? He is smiling! He is mocking me!" she eximed, making Estelia turn back to Eren.


    The moment she turned back, she saw Eren looking as serious as he had always looked. There was even a frown on his face. It didn¡¯t look like he was going to be smiling anytime soon.


    "Jenia, I know you don¡¯t want to apologise, but you don¡¯t have to make such stories. Please apologise properly." She turned back to Jenia, again losing sight of Eren.


    Once again, that smirk returned to Eren¡¯s face, which made Jenia fume in anger. Eren was not even trying to hide it anymore. He was simply mocking her.


    It was definitely a trap to make her furious, and she realized it. Still, it was hard to control her temper and apologize to a man like this.


    She clenched her fists, feeling as if she had to kill Eren. But it couldn¡¯t be now. She couldn¡¯t lose her patience and upset the girl that she wanted to win over.


    "I am..." she tried apologizing again, but once again, she stopped before she could evenplete her sentence, looking at Eren nkly.


    Behind Estelia, Eren wasn¡¯t simply smiling anymore. Instead, he seemed to be moving his body and dancing. She hadn¡¯t seen a breakdance in her life, but for some reason it felt even more insulting.


    "That¡¯s it! I will kill him!" she eximed as she jumped forward, trying to attack Eren. Even if she knew that it was a trap, she had willingly jumped inside it, unable to control her emotions.


    When she attacked Eren, who had already positioned himself as a guest of the First Primordial. At this point, even Estelia couldn¡¯t sit back and watch things progress in this manner.


    She stopped Jenia, which started their first fight. Meanwhile, as the person in question, Eren simply moved back and watched the battle where one person was trying to kill him and the other was trying to save him.


    He thought it was going to be hard to seperate Estelia from the woman that her father was worried about. But at this rate, he could feel that things were going to be easier than he thought.


    Even if he couldn¡¯t win her heart, it was still a sess if he could seperate the two of them and prove to Lysander that he wasn¡¯t going to get a daughter inw in any case.


    The battle was short lived since Jenia was sent flying back. Estelia was stronger than Jenia, as she had inherited a more powerful bloodline.


    "For an outsider, you hurt me?" Jenia looked in disbelief, blood trickling down the corner of her lips.


    "All you had to do was apologize to him when you were wrong! I told you that he represents my father! When you tried to kill him, did you think I would simply watch?" Estelia asked, "If you truly cared about my feelings, you would¡¯ve listened to me! But of course, your arrogance is more important than my feelings!


    "You..." Jenia also looked at Estelia in disbelief. She was the one who was fooled by an outsider. She was also the one that was hurt. After all that, she was the one being med?


    "He was literally dancing behind your back when you asked me to apologise!" she eximed.


    "Enough! How many times are you going to lie, just because you didn¡¯t want to apologise?!" Estelia clearly didn¡¯t believe her. First she said that he was smiling, which was clearly a lie. And now she made an even more absurd lie?


    "If he was making a trap for you, why would he make it so obvious by dancing behind my back? Do you think I am a fool? Or do you think he¡¯s an idiot?" she further asked, giving Jenia no opportunity.


    Eren was silently watching from a distance. His n was sessful, but he felt slightly hurt by Estelia¡¯sst sentence? What did she mean by calling him an idiot for dancing? Of course it was a clever act!


    "You have been brainwashed by him! Why can¡¯t you see?" Jenia eximed, but again she caught sight of Eren, who was again dancing behind Estelia¡¯s back, asionally sending flying kisses to her.


    "Arghh!" She was losing her mind at this point. She couldn¡¯t let a shameless man like him stay with Estelia. The longer he stayed with her, the more she was going to be brainwashed.


    "I was wrong. I am sorry!" She suddenly yelled, making Eren almost freeze in ce. What did she mean by an apology? Shouldn¡¯t she be more stubborn and attack him? If she simply apologized to him, wasn¡¯t it going to put an end to this conflict?


    To provoke her more, he started pointing at her andughing silently. But it didn¡¯t work this time. Even if he saw Jenia¡¯s face turn even more crimson in anger, she didn¡¯t attack him.


    She simply clenched her fists, almost making her palms bleed. She hurt herself to control her anger as she stopped looking at Eren and focused on Estelia.


    Enjoy new chapters from NovelFire.C?m


    To protect Estelia from this shameless man, she could do anything. As for letting her see his true side, she could only do itter.


    This time, she stood up and walked to Estelia. She held her hand, and turned her so that both of them were facing Eren. This time, he couldn¡¯t insult her when she was apologizing.


    Eren had again returned to his usual seriousness, but this time it wasn¡¯t fake. He was truly frustrated.


    "I am sorry for my behaviour. I didn¡¯t know what got into me. I will make sure that something like that never happens again," she offered a proper apology, even if her eyes were filled with heavy killing intent.

 Chapter 597: Protect Son-in-law

    597 Chapter 597: Protect Son-inw


    "Huh?" An apology was something that Eren had least expected, especially since he tried to annoy Jenia as much as possible. Despite all that, she was willing to apologise. She wasn''t as foolish as he had expected. If he didn''t ept an apology, then he was going to be seen as petty. "Just don''t make the same mistake next time," he told the girl, as he epted her apology. Even though it was out of his expectations, he didn''t worry too much about it. It was only a matter of time, and he didn''t need to be in a hurry. The more important thing was that he had brought Estelia to his side. As long as he was with her, Jenia wasn''t going to attempt to hurt him. And if she wasn''t there with them, and she tried to hurt him, then it was even better. "I will make sure that something like this doesn''t happen again," Jenia said with clenched teeth, her fists so tightly clenched behind her back that cracking noises could be heard. Estelia couldn''t describe how relieved she was that this conflict had resolved amicably. She also felt a little regretful that she had to hurt her friend to reach this stage. Estelia wanted to apologise to her friend for hurting her as well but Eren didn''t give her a chance. He took the lead, and asked, "Weren''t we going to some Auction? Let''s forget all that happened. I am curious to see what auctions in this ce are like."


    "Ah, right." His intervention managed to distract Estelia, and that apology never came. "That''s right. The Auction would be fun. Let''s go there," Jenia also agreed, unable to hide the viciousness in her eyes from Eren. "Alright. Let''s go." Estelia also agreed, and things seemed to return to normal. Inside the mansion, Lysander watched his daughter leave with Eren. Even if her friendship with Jenia had still survived, he was more optimistic about the future. "That child is good," he turned his back on the window and walked back to the dining table. The moment he sat down, he pped his hands once. "My Lord!" Many dark robed figures appeared behind him, as if materializing from thin air. Even when they were clearly in the room, their presence was almost negligible. "Protect my son inw. And if there is something that you can''t handle, contact me. No matter what happens, my son inw must stay safe. Do you understand?" he asked the guards as he dipped a spoon in the bowl of soup. "We will keep him safe, even if it costs us our lives!" The Guards eximed. Even if they were surprised to hear an outsider being addressed as a son inw, but they couldn''t question. They soon disappeared, and silently followed Eren to keep him safe in Hell''s Capital, and where each Primordial n was situated. ....


    Through the streets of Hell''s capital, a majestic carriage could be seen moving. It was being pulled by a fierce beast, whose presence alone caused people to move away from the streets, clearing a passage.


    Even without the beast, the symbol on the carriage alone was enough to frighten the citizens, as it belonged to the First Primordial.


    The capital was huge, evenrger than some countries on Earth. Yet, the carriage moved with surreal speed. Within half an hour, it reached the southern end of the city, stopping before a luxurious establishment.


    The door of the carriage opened, and a girl stepped out. She was apanied by another girl. Many people around the establishment were surprised to see the two people. One of them was the daughter of the first primordial. As for the second girl, even her identity wasn''t simple. However, the two of them didn''t approach the auction house. They turned back, and moved aside, as if waiting for someone to step aside. Many looked at the scene with great curiosity. Who coulde with these two, inside the carriage of the first primordial? Only one person came to mind. They wondered if the First Primordial had also arrived at the auction house. It was a rare sight for the First Primordial to leave his mansion. Many people in the surroundings were looking at the carriage, ready to fall to their knees to greet the First Primordial the moment he stepped out.


    "This is the Obsidian Auction House," Estelia announced, informing the person within the carriage. "It''s where the most valuable and rare items in Hell''s Capital are auctioned."


    "It looks¡­ fancy," Erenmented dryly, as he stepped out of the carriage,nding on the ground. He gazed at the imposing structure, but he soon felt as if he was being watched by many people. He looked around him, and saw many people that looked quite wealthy from their attire, looking at him weirdly. The people here were waiting for the first primordial, but when they saw Eren, they were left absolutely stunned. It wasn''t the First Primordial. Instead, it was simply an outsider. But how could he travel with Princess Estelia in the same carriage?


    Even if a family owned a ve, they never travelled in the same carriage as the owner. It was considered shameless for a noble to travel with a ve. "Hmm? Look, he doesn''t have an envement bracelet!" One person suddenly eximed, his words making the others also notice it.


    The outsider was truly not wearing an envement bracelet. Was he even a ve? Another guest of the Auction House frowned. "I heard a rumor. Could it be that he is that person?" "Which person?" The woman, who was holding his arm, asked. "Do you know him?"


    "Not personally, but I heard that recently there was argemotion outside the capital. Many Primordials went to check it. They saw an outsider there, and fought over taking that outsider with them. Ultimately, that outsider was taken by the First Primordial. Could it be him?"


    The news soon started spreading amongst the others. Eren could hear every word that was being said about him, but he didn''t make it obvious.

 Chapter 598: Recipe for disaster

    598 Chapter 598: Recipe for disaster


    Jenia, who had been unusually quiet since their earlier confrontation, simply nodded. "Of course it''s fancy for someone like you who came from the lower worlds."


    Her eyes, however, held a flicker of something Eren couldn''t quite decipher.


    As they approached the grand entrance, a pair of imposing guards, d in armor made from bones, stepped forward. Seeing Estelia, they immediately recognized her and bowed respectfully.


    "Lady Estelia," one of the guards said. "Wee to the Obsidian Auction House. Please,e in."


    The heavy doors swung open, revealing avish interior. The entire hallway was lit up with gems that were embedded in the ceiling. It reminded him of earth, where such lighting was ced in the ceiling. The only difference was that these gems didn''t use electricity.


    A well dressed man quickly rushed over to the entrance. "Lady Estelia, please allow me to escort you to your reserved room."


    Eren thought that the man was a servant in this Auction House, whose responsibility was to escort the guests to their rooms. Still, out of curiosity, he used Identification, and learned that the identity of the person was not as simple as he had thought.


    The man wasn''t a servant. Instead, he was the manager of this Auction House. In the absence of the owner of the auction house, he held the highest authority in his ce.


    Even a person like this came to escort Estelia personally, which was a perk that only the strongest or most influential in this world could afford.


    Even if Estelia wasn''t the strongest, she was the most cherished daughter of the First Primordial. The Second Primordial cherished his daughter to the point that he destroyed Hellhound City in rage, over a minor altercation with his sister.


    Simrly, the First Primordial cherished his daughter. They couldn''t even imagine what would happen to their Auction House if they offended such people.


    The Manager escorted Estelia halfway, when he suddenly stopped as hismunication jade lit up.


    "What? The Seventh Primordial has arrived?" he eximed, unable to hide his shock.


    Normally, the Primordials never came here personally. They only sent their followers to bid for items that they were interested in. It was a rare sight to see a Primordialing here personally.


    "That pervert?" Eren was also surprised at the mention of the Seventh Primordial. From what he remembered, the Seventh Primordial was staying with the Nightwing n. Did he already return to the city?


    In his surprise, he didn''t control his voice. His words fell in the ears of the manager, and the two girls. Almost all of them looked at him nkly.


    Even if everyone knew that the Seventh Primordial was a scum, no one dared to say it out loud. And here it was, an outsider whose life should''ve been insignificant, saying something like this.


    "Cough, strange. Why did my ears stop working suddenly? I must have grown old. Did anyone say something?" The Manager simply pretended to not hear anything.


    Even if Eren was an outsider, he still came with Estelia. He also didn''t have an envement bracelet, which made his position unknown. He had also heard the rumours that the First Primordial fought with others to take him.


    Normally, he should have killed Eren for insulting a Primordial, but he didn''t want to be caught in this mess. He simply pretended to not hear anything.


    "Lady Estelia, can you please forgive me? As per protocol, I need to escort a Primordial first. Would it be fine if someone else escorted you?" he returned to the topic. But before even listening to Estelia''s answer, he called someone else to escort Estelia to her reserved room.


    He quickly rushed to the main entrance to wee a Primordial, while the servant was awkwardly left behind.


    "T-this way." He was dying on the inside, praying for the woman to not let out her anger on him. Fortunately, Estelia didn''t react much. She seemed to be more interested in Eren.


    As they followed the servant, she asked Eren, "How do you know about him? Have you met him before?"


    "I heard it from someone," Eren answered, not telling her his entire story. If possible, he didn''t want anyone to know that he had kidnapped the woman that the Seventh Primordial wanted.


    It wasn''t because he was scared of the Seventh Primordial. It was mainly because that eptance would''vee with a lot of unnecessary baggage.


    "Why do I feel like you are hiding something?" Jenia frowned, finding Eren''s response suspicious. Even if he heard about Seventh Primordial, it shouldn''t have shocked him to this extent if there wasn''t anything more to it.


    "Firstly, I have no reason to hide something. And secondly, even if I am hiding something, what does it have to do with you? I should be the one asking. Why are you so interested in the Seventh Primordial? Are you interested in him?"


    Eren didn''t want to argue with Jenia, but he also didn''t want her to find ways to mess with him. It was better to put him in his ce.


    At least that''s what he thought, until he heard a shocked gasp as someone called out to him. "Eren?"


    Eren''s face went nk as he recognized that voice. If that person was here, it meant someone else was also here.


    "And here I thought, why wasn''t my luck screwing me over yet." Frowning, he looked at the source of the voice and saw another group that was being led by a servant of the Auction House.


    The person who had called out to him, was the heir of the Nightwing n that he had kidnapped. And next to her, was the sister of the Second Primordial, who was ring at him.


    Behind him, was the daughter of the first primordial. And in front of him was the second primordial''s sister. As if that wasn''t enough, the Nightwing n''s princess was here, while the lustful Seventh Primordial, that was crazy for her, had also arrived at the auction house.


    Eren rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache that was starting to set in. He didn''t know how to deal with this mess. He should see that the recipe of a disaster was delivered straight to him.

 Chapter 599: I told you

    599 Chapter 599: I told you


    The woman that he had taken as a hostage to save his life, was at the Auction House. The person that he stole her from, was also here. But it was not even the least of his worries, as the Second Primordial''s sister was also here.


    If looks could kill, then he would have been killed a thousand times over by now.


    He was sure that she already heard about the things he said to her brother. She was already upset that he made a mess in Hellhound City, and left her to deal with it. On top of that, he went to the First Primordial?


    The reason she wanted him in the first ce was to take the first primordial down. Instead, he became close to the person that he was supposed to help her brother take down.


    "Princess of the Nightwing n." Eren smiled, and pretended as if everything was perfectly normal.


    He didn''t show even the slightest of regret about leaving her behind with the Second Primordial''s sister. In that situation, it was the safest ce for her after all.


    If he had taken her with him, then she would''ve been linked with an outsider. But when he left her with the young dragon, she became a woman that was kidnapped by an outsider and left behind when she ran out of her use.


    He was sure that it was what she would have preferred in any case. Now, she didn''t have to worry about being considered a traitor, as long as he kept his mouth shut.


    He was the outsider in this world, but still, Yevni felt like she had her weakness in Eren''s hands. If he told others that she was properly helping him, then she could only imagine the consequences.


    "This outsider seems to have a history with them. Are you sure he isn''t a spy sent by the Second Primordial?" Jenia whispered in Estelia''s ears. "We all know the ambitions of the Second Primordial."


    "What are you talking about? My father won''t be fooled like that," Estelia found it hard to believe. Even though her father was sometimes very childish, he was a very clever person.


    He couldn''t be fooled this easily. If Eren was a spy that was sent by the Second Primordial, then her father would have realized it.


    "Unless..." She suddenly started frowning, thinking of a possibility where her father might have been overtaken by the emotions of seeing a person that came from his world.


    Even though she didn''t want to believe it, she started seeing Eren with suspicions. She made up her mind to observe him closely, to judge him.


    Jenia thought that she was convincing Estelia to start hating Eren for being a traitor. She didn''t realise that she had only convinced her to stay with Eren even longer, all to see if he was a traitor or not.


    Eren was distracted by the twodies before him, and didn''t know that Estelia had already started paying more attention to him. Initially, she was only going to create distance from him after the auction was over, but now her ns had changed.


    Even if they were back at the mansion, she wanted to be with him. Even if it was because she looked at him with suspicions, Eren wouldn''t have minded.


    "What did you say to my brother?" Second Primordial''s sister asked, almost as if she was resisting her urges to beat up Eren.


    Unfortunately, she couldn''t do it. Now, he was the guest of the first primordial and Estelia was also here with him. It was troublesome to hurt him, at least openly.


    Eren approached the Dragon Princess until there was only half a meter of distance between them. He looked deep in her eyes, and asked, "Did he not tell you?"


    "He didn''t tell me anything. But he was really angry. I only heard that he met you, and had a little conversation with you. So tell me! What did you say to him?" The Dragon Princess repeated the question.


    She had never seen her brother this angry in her life. Even when he destroyed the Hellhound City, he was not this angry. But when he returned after meeting with Eren, he was enraged.


    Eren grew slightly amused. Was the Second Primordial really so angry over being called a lizard? He didn''t even insult him that much. Then again, it made sense for him to not tell his sister that a mere outsider had insulted him like this, and lived to tell the tale.


    He could tell the girl the truth, but he didn''t feel like it. Instead, he felt like messing with her a little more. He still hadn''t forgotten the fact that she tried to screw him over, all so that he had no choice but to beg her for help.


    "You!" The Dragon Princess was stunned to see Erene even closer. She subconsciously moved back, but Eren didn''t allow her.


    He grabbed the back of her head, and stopped her from moving back. He brought his lips closer to her ears and whispered, "I simply asked him for your hand in marriage."


    The moment he finished speaking, he released her and jumped back, not even giving her a chance to attack him. He was already hit by Estelia because he wasn''t prepared. This time, he wasn''t going to give anyone that opportunity.


    However, to his surprise, the Dragon Princess didn''t seem to attack him. She simply looked like she was at a loss of words, as her face had gone crimson. It was unclear if it was because of anger, or shame.


    Did this man really ask her brother for her hand in marriage?! No wonder her brother was so angry when he came back home!


    She opened her cherry lips to speak, but in the end, she didn''t say anything. She simply grabbed Yevni''s hand and walked away, leaving the ce for the private room that was assigned to him.


    Eren watched the girl leave, finding it hard to digest her strange reaction. Just what was going through that girl''s head?

 Chapter 600: To his face

    600 Chapter 600: To his face


    "See? Her reaction was very suspicious. They are definitely scheming something," Jenia said, not missing the chance to fill Estelia''s ears with her conspiracy theories.


    Estelia couldn''t deny it. That girl''s reaction had definitely been strange. Just what had Eren told her? The question kept tugging at her curiosity.


    In the end, she couldn''t control herself and asked him, "What did you tell her?"


    "I just told her that the perverted Seventh Primordial ising. After that, she suddenly left for some reason." Eren made up a story. He didn''t want to tell her that he had simply teased the girl, which probably made her so angry that she had to leave.


    "Why did you have to whisper it then? You''re clearly lying!" Jenia eximed, pointing a finger at Eren.


    "Didn''t you see the reaction of that manager when I said it out loud? He even pretended not to hear it." Erenzily shrugged. "Should I have said it before the servants as well?"


    It was impossible to trap him in the web of his lies, as he had already thought of everything.


    "Oh? Now you''re scared of that? Do you really want me to believe that?" Jenia crossed her arms, clearly not buying Eren''s excuse.


    "Oh? Are you not afraid to say it?" Eren asked, revealing an amused smile as he saw a figure approaching from the distance.


    The person had no aura, or even any presence. But he was being escorted by the Manager himself. Eren didn''t even have to use his identification skill to guess the identity of the person.


    "Of course I''m not scared." Jenia raised an eyebrow. "I''m not a coward like you."


    "Oh? Then why don''t you prove it? Say it," Eren insisted, watching the Seventh Primordial getting closer. Within seconds, he was going to be within range to hear their conversation even if he didn''t use any heightened senses.


    "Hmph." Jenia couldn''t take Eren''s smug face. Did he really think that she was a coward like him? She had to prove him wrong. She could do everything that he could do, and more.


    She took a deep breath, and eximed, "The Seventh Primordial is a pervert!"


    Since she was so angry, she didn''t even control her voice. But just Eren, but even the servants in the hallway heard her words. Even worse was that the person being mentioned, heard her.


    The Seventh Primordial was in a good mood as he came for the auction, especially since an item that he really wanted was going to be auctioned today. It was the reason he came here personally.


    He was even being escorted by the manager, being shown the respect that he deserved. But suddenly, he heard someone shout, "The Seventh Primordial is a pervert!"


    The words thundered in his ears like drums, making his body temporarily freeze in shock. For a second, he even wondered if he was hearing things. But it was clear that someone had actually said such an absurd thing out loud.


    Even the Manager''s face had gone pale when he heard these words. The Seven Primordials were the seven strongest existences in Hell. Even if one of them did something bad, no one had the courage to say it out loud as it meant certain death.


    Meanwhile, there was some fool who dared to say something like this in front of the Second Primordial?


    The Manager was already starting to worry about his auction house. It was fine if the person who said it was going to be killed, but what if this auction house was destroyed in the rage of a primordial?


    "L-lord?" He stuttered, as he looked at the Seventh Primordial Rezekiel.


    He could see that Rezekiel''s lips were twitching in frustration. He was clearly feeling insulted, as he looked at the back of the person who had spoken.


    Jenia had no awareness about the situation she had ended up in. Instead, she looked proud as if she had achieved something incredible.


    She opened her lips, about to tell Eren that she had done what he couldn''t. But before she could speak, she heard a man''s voiceing from behind her.


    "Why don''t you tell me more about it?"


    "Hmm?" She slowly turned around, frowning to see who was talking to her. But the moment she saw that person, her face almost went nk. How was it possible?


    She knew that the Seventh Primordial was arriving at the Auction House, but he was right behind her? Did it mean he heard everything that she said about him?


    "Lord Rezekiel," she mumbled, not understanding what to do in a situation like this. Even if she also came from a significant family, it couldn''tpare to a Primordial.


    "Why are you giving a pervert such respect? I don''t think I deserve it," The Seventh Primordial said with his hands behind his back.


    "I-i didn''t mean it like that." Jenia tried to rify, but it was already useless toe up with an exnation.


    She had said those words with such confidence and pride, that they truly came across as her true feelings. It wasn''t as if there was any lie in those words in the first ce.


    "Youngdy, your tongue is very sharp. But instead of using this tongue to utter such words, you should make good use of that tongue in other ways." The Seventh Primordial was frustrated, but he also caught sight of the First Primordial''s daughter, which made him restrain himself.


    Even though Estelia was so seductive that he simply wanted to take her straight to his bed, he couldn''t do that. Her father was going to bury him alive if he even revealed any intentions like these.


    Moreover, she was also technically his niece, as his sister was Estelia''s stepmother. In front of Estelia, he had to control himself, even if he was furious at Jenia.


    He ced a hand on Jenia''s shoulders, taking a good feel of her skin before walking past her. "Be careful next time. Not everyone is kind-hearted like me."

 Chapter 601: Plan in motion

    601 Chapter 601: n in motion


    Jenia was disgusted by the touch of that man, feeling as if thousands of poisonous insects had crawled all over her body. However, she didn''t show much of a reaction on her face.


    "I will keep that in mind," she said, watching the man walking away. But contrary to the words on her lips, she was repeatedly cursing him in her mind.


    If that man wasn''t a Primordial, she would have definitely killed him for touching her. At the same time, she also knew that if Estelia wasn''t here, things might not have ended at just that.


    After the Seventh Primordial disappeared into the distance, Jenia red at Eren and asked, "You did it intentionally! You knew he was behind me!"


    "What does it matter if he was behind you, or not? Didn''t you say that you weren''t scared of him? Weren''t you the one mocking me for not saying such things out loud?" Erenzily shrugged, not caring much about her words.


    The only reason he even made her do it, was because he knew that the Seventh Primordial wasn''t actually going to do anything to her in Estelia''s presence. He had already known the rtionship between the Seventh Primordial and the First Primordial.


    The Seventh Primordial would have to be a fool to do something like that in front of Estelia. There was another reason he made Jenia do it.


    The Seventh Primordial was a dangerous existence. Even though that man didn''t show it, he had seen a flicker of killing intent in that man''s eyes the moment he saw him. It was as if he already knew that Eren was the one who kidnapped the girl that he wanted.


    Instead of constantly worrying about a poisonous snake that might bite at his back, he decided to proactively take out that snake. And the biggest weapon for him was the first primordial.


    The First Primordial had tasked him with separating Estelia from Jenia. Eren had given himself another task on top of the original task, which was to create a conflict between the two Primordials itself.


    Making the Seventh Primordial reveal his suspicious intentions was just the beginning of that n. There were more things toe next. If everything went ording to n, Eren was certain that the threat of the seventh primordial was going to be over.


    The Servant that was supposed to escort them, was simply standing in the distance, trying to make himself invisible if possible. He couldn''t believe the things that he had seen.


    An outsider was talking to Jenia with such arrogance, but she still didn''t try to hurt him. Was it still the same Jenia that killed a servant of this Auction Housest time, because he served her the wrong drink?


    She looked like apletely different person, as she startedining to Estelia, instead of taking action herself.


    It made him wonder if he had seen something that he shouldn''t have seen. Was he going to be killed for seeing Jenia in such a state? He was truly frightened, and tried to pretend that he wasn''t even here in the first ce.


    "You went overboard. You should''ve warned us if he was here." Estelia told Eren, unable to stay silent in front of Jenia that keptining to him.


    "Would you believe me if I say I didn''t know he was going toe? I''m an outsider. How could I even sense the presence of a Primordial? I was just messing with her, and just as she finished speaking, the man appeared there like a ghost." Eren innocently answered, rifying that he was simply messing with her.


    Before Estelia could think of the ws in his story, he grabbed her hand, shocking her.


    "Let''s go. The Auction might start if we''rete. It''s my first auction, and I don''t want to miss it." He didn''t wait for Estelia''s answer, and dragged her with him, just as she loved to drag him before.


    The Servant also reacted fast, and guided them towards the room, slightly relieved that all the anger seemed to be targeted at Eren, and not at him for seeing such things.


    Estelia was being pulled by Eren, and she simply looked at him in disbelief. If it was before, she would have simply attacked Eren for touching her, but she remembered that he was a guest. Moreover, for some reason, she didn''t hate that touch this time.


    She simply drifted on her feet, as she was taken by Eren. Jenia also followed behind them, herints never stopping. Unfortunately, Estelia didn''t seem to be listening to her, as her gaze remained on Eren.


    Soon, the three of them were brought to the VIP room at the auction house, which had number one carved at the door.


    It was the room that was reserved for the First Primordial, even if he never arrived. If the First Primordial, or any representative from his side didn''t arrive here, then the room was only destined to stay close.


    The servant opened the door, revealing a room that had the best view of the auction stage, with a giant ss wall that allowed everything outside to be seen. However, no one could see through that window from outside.


    Inside the room, there were multiplefortable seats arranged, facing the ss wall. In front of each of the seats, tables were ced that had drinks and snacks already prepared.


    "I will be right here. If you need anything, just give me a call," the servant stopped outside the room, watching the three enter the vip room. He slowly closed the door.


    Only after that, he sighed in relief. He survived today, despite seeing something that he shouldn''t have seen. However, just as he was feeling relieved, he heard a voiceing from inside the room.


    "I need to go to the washroom. I will be right back," the voice belonged to Jenia, who came out of the room. It made the servant tremble, as he started looking elsewhere the moment that door opened.


    Unfortunately, pretending to be invisible didn''t work. The thing that he was most worried about, did happen as a w stabbed through his back, and came from the front with his heart. At the moment, his mouth was closed so he couldn''t even make any noise.

 Chapter 602: The last link

    602 Chapter 602: Thest link


    The servant had believed, for a brief moment, that he might have survived seeing the things that he shouldn''t have seen. But when he saw a wing out of his chest, he realized that the reality was quite different.


    He had seen Jenia being embarrassed by an outsider. She couldn''t let him live to tell the others that she was yed by an outsider. She had to kill him and that''s what she did when Estelia wasn''t here to see it.


    After she killed the servant, she dragged her corpse away from the ce, ensuring that not even a single drop of blood was left behind.


    Inside the room, Estelia was focused on the stage, waiting for the auction to begin. She didn''t care about other things, but Eren was different from her.


    More than the stage, she was interested in the surroundings. His divine consciousness had spread out, to observe the other rooms.


    The rooms were made with the abilities of people from hell in mind. They weren''t made with his abilities in mind, that came from the world of cultivation. His divine consciousness remained unaffected, and was able to spread out.


    He had seen Jenia kill the servant, which made him frown. She was so swift and ruthless in her action, that it surprised him as well. He was sure that it would''ve been him, if he hadn''t fought back when she attacked him.


    Even now, when Estelia had told her that he was their guest that couldn''t be attacked, he didn''t believe that Jenia was going to care much about that if she had an opportunity.


    As Eren peeked into the neighboring room, he saw the Sister of the Second Primordial, who had taken her seat as well. She was here representing her brother and had been provided the second-best room in the entire auction house.


    Yevni was also in her room, but she looked somewhat restless beside the Dragon Princess.


    She told the Princess, "That''s right. From his actions, I''m certain that it was his first time in hell. He arrived around the same time as the other outsiders, most of whom were caught by the Seventh Primordial."


    "Did he know the other outsiders?" the Dragon Princess asked, trying to learn as much as she could about Eren.


    She had already asked everything, but she had failed to find anything significant. The only link she had to Eren''s past was through the outsiders who had appeared in the Nightwing n Territory at the same time.


    ''Keep digging into my past. It doesn''t change anything,'' Eren thought, as he stopped paying attention to the Princess.


    The only way to dig into his past and find his real identity was through those from the Necromancer Tower. Even if some of them were alive, they were likely suffering a fate worse than death after being caught by the Seventh Primordial.


    The Dragon Princess could not ask the Seventh Primordial to hand them over, as the two were in different camps. The Seventh Primordial was rted to the first primordial, and had conflict with her brother.


    As far as he could guess, those prisoners were never going anywhere. It was a dead end for the Princess, and she also knew it.


    He shifted his attention to the other rooms and discovered that almost all the VIP rooms had guests. Some of them even had a few Primordials he had seen before. They were the Fourth, Fifth Primordials.


    Only the first three Primordials were not here personally. It made Eren wonder just what was going to be auctioned here that the strongest Primordials didn''t care about, but the weaker Primordials couldn''t ignore.


    He could also see the manager of the auction house moving from one VIP room to another, asionally wiping cold sweat from his forehead. He had never had such a stressful day in his life, having encountered so many Primordials personally.


    He asked the Primordials if they werefortable in the rooms and if they needed anything to make their stay morefortable. He also handed them the list of the items that were going to be auctioned.


    Atst, the manager entered their room, and Eren stopped spying on other rooms. He watched the Manager enter with the list of the items.


    "We already have a list. We don''t need another," Estelia waved a scroll that was delivered to her home by the Auction House.


    "Of course I know. I was the one who personally delivered the list of auctioned items to our special patrons. But this is the updated list, as there have been a fewst minute additions." The Manager respectfully ced the new scroll on the table, before stepping back.


    "Please go through the updated list, and see if anything catches your attention," he said, before turning to leave. However, not before taking another nce at the mysterious outsider who was sitting right next to Estelia.


    He still didn''t know the identity of this person, only a few vague rumours. There was even a rumor that he was a distant rtive of the first Primordial. If it was true, then his identity was definitely significant.


    He swiftly turned away to leave the room, keeping his thoughts to himself.


    "While you''re leaving, can you arrange a servant outside our room?" Eren reminded the Manager. "Thest one seems to have disappeared, which I''m sure has nothing to do with Miss Jenia''s temper."


    The Manager gulped heavily, understanding the implications. But he could also feel that these words were not directed towards him. He was simply used as a means to an end, and the words were truly meant for Estelia to know.


    "I will arrange for a new one." The Manager respectfully nodded before leaving the room. He had gone through other rooms and met with the other Primordials, but still, this was the most tense he had been in thest few minutes.


    He wanted to send some of his sources to find out the true identity of Eren and his link with the First Primordial, but his fear didn''t allow him to dwell deep into that man''s history.

 Chapter 603: True Villain

    603 Chapter 603: True Viin


    "How do you know that she did it?" Estelia asked Eren after the manager left the room.


    She didn''t question the authenticity of his words as the manager also didn''t seem surprised, as if he had already noticed the servant''s absence. His reaction convinced her of Eren''s words.


    "I should be the one asking you. How did you not know?" Eren countered. He didn''t n to miss any opportunity, especially with Jenia absent.


    Estelia fell silent. She was truly distracted and hadn''t noticed that someone had been killed so close to her. Or perhaps she simply didn''t care?


    "For you people, the lives of those weaker than you are like the lives of insects. If I weren''t a guest of the First Primordial, even I would have been killed, and you wouldn''t have even flinched," he said, and Estelia couldn''t deny his words.


    She knew it was true. His life held no value in her eyes, and she wouldn''t have cared if he were dead, had he not represented her father as a guest in their house.


    "I guess I should be content with the fact that I''ve managed to live so long in a world filled with such cruel people," Eren added,zily shifting his attention back to the stage.


    Even though there were bad people on Earth who could kill others for revenge, power, or influence, it was inherently different. The current state of this world was closer to a medieval one than anything else.


    "Is it wrong?" Estelia asked Eren, recovering herposure. She picked up the updated list of items set for auction. "As you said, some people are inherently more important."


    "You lived because you represent my father. What about me, then? I''m his daughter. If I allowed other people to be disrespectful to me, wouldn''t I be creating problems for myself? Isn''t the best way to ensure no one annoys you to instill fear in their hearts?"


    She knew she didn''t care much about the lives of those beneath her, but she believed she had a good reason.


    "The best way to remove future troubles is by eradicating them in the present?" she asked Eren. "You won''t understand, since you were born in a more peaceful world."


    She had heard stories about Earth from her father. At times, she even felt jealous as the world sounded so peaceful and entertaining.


    Her father didn''t tell her that earth was far from as peaceful as he made it out to be. For Estelia, earth sounded more like the utopia for humans, a world where everyone was equal and didn''t have any special abilities or bloodlines that helped them be better than others.


    Even if she had more influence and strength here, she wanted to visit earth to see what thatnd of peace actually felt like.


    "Sometimes it''s best to eradicate future troubles in the present," Eren repeated Estelia''s words, finding them to beparable to his own philosophy.


    This was exactly his thought process as he eradicated the Main Characters. It was to ensure that he could survive, without worrying about the main characters chasing after him with a sword in their hands in future.


    Normally, he also agreed with Estelia, as he did the same thing. The only difference was that he did it to save his life, not to remove potential annoyances or to remove some kind of embarrassment.


    He knew that he couldn''t change her mind if he told her about the number of people whose blood had stained his hand. However, he didn''t need to tell her the truth. He wasn''t actually trying to change her for the better. He only wanted her to see that Jenia was a bad person.


    "Do you think you are a good person?" he asked Estelia, who frowned in response.


    "What kind of absurd question is that?" Estelia answered without much care. In her eyes, she wasn''t a bad person. If she was, she would''ve killed Eren when he tried to flirt with her. Didn''t she only hurt him a little? He was still alive.


    Even if she killed people, it was only when they deserved it. She didn''t go around finding and killing them for no reason.


    "Answer me. Do you believe that you are a good person?" Eren asked again.


    "That is right. I think that I am a good person." Estelia answered.


    "Then do you think Jenia is also a good person?" Eren changed his question.


    "She..." Estelia frowned. Normally, she would''ve said yes, but if she had killed a servant outside just recently, then could she still say the same thing?


    "You said it''s right to kill someone to remove future trouble. Do you think that''s what she did? Did you really believe that the servant was courageous enough to go around spreading some secret that could easily lead her to him?"


    "We both know that the secret was forever going to be buried deep in his heart. Killing him didn''t remove any future trouble. And if she really wanted to bury some embarrassing secret forever, then why didn''t she kill that Manager who was also there when it happened?"


    Eren kept exining, trying to make Jeniae out as a viin in the eyes of the person that considered her friend. He even felt like some serial vamp when doing something like this, but it wasn''t as if he was wrong.


    "What she did wasn''t removing any future trouble. What she did was to let out her anger that she couldn''t do on me. She killed him, for one reason alone. It was because she could. Do you think I am wrong?"


    Estelia didn''t answer him, pretending as if she didn''t hear him. But each of his words were creating waves in her heart. Even though she already knew the answer, she couldn''t utter it.


    "I will ask you the same question again. Is Jenia a good person?" He asked, hitting a final nail in the coffin.


    Estelia opened her lips, but before she could answer, the door opened.


    "Sorry, I took longer than I expected." Jenia entered the room.

 Chapter 604: Lenniel

    Jenia appeared to be in a better mood when she returned, as if she had truly let out her anger on something.


    She took a seat on the other side of Estelia and asked, "Did the auction begin?"


    "It¡¯s about to," Estelia answered before falling silent. Even she didn¡¯t understand what she was feeling.


    Was Jenia truly the person that she had assumed her to be? At this point, she was starting to have second thoughts. Her favorability of Jenia had gone down as she tried toe to terms with her own emotions.


    Her father had constantly told her that Jenia wasn¡¯t a good person, but she didn¡¯t listen to him. But when Eren said the same thing, she wondered if there was some truth to these words.


    ¡¯So what if she¡¯s a bad person? It shouldn¡¯t change the fact that she is my friend. We have known each other for a long time. Why am I suddenly starting to doubt her?¡¯ She quickly shook her head, trying to stop overthinking about this.


    She didn¡¯t even understand why she was taking Eren¡¯s words so seriously. She felt as if something was really wrong with her. Ever since she had been with Eren, something wasn¡¯t right.


    She even looked at him, wondering if he had done something to her. But how could an outsider do anything to her? She would¡¯ve known if that was the case.


    Her thoughts were cut short as the auctioneer stepped on the stage, holding one end of the chain in his hand. Behind him, arge box-like thing was being carried by two bulky figures.


    The other end of the chain seemed to be going inside the box, which was covered by arge ck cloth that made it impossible to see what was inside that box.


    The two of them ced the box next to the Auctioneer, and stepped back.


    "Greetings, to all our prestigious guests. Today, we have some really special items for you that will make you really pleased. So without wasting any of your time, I will mark the beginning of the Auction with the first item!"


    The Auctioneer grabbed the cloth that had covered the box, and pulled it off, revealing the thing behind the curtain. The revtion caught the attention of many people, as a cage was revealed.


    Inside the cage, there was a human that had a dog-like cor around his neck. One end of the chain was connected to the cor, with the other end of the chain being in the Auctioneer¡¯s hand.


    "Our first item of the day is something that has been added to our auction at thest moment. Ites, courtesy of a very special guest," the Auctioneer said, as he nced at the Room where the Seventh Primordial was staying.


    Looking at the cage and the person inside that cage, even Eren was in disbelief, as he stood up abruptly. He didn¡¯t understand what the Seventh Primordial was trying to do!


    The person inside the cage was the Right Guardian of Necromancer Tower, Lenniel.


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    Eren thought that the person was either killed, or kept in some secure prison by the Seventh Primordial, to be tortured. It was why he didn¡¯t have to worry about the Dragon Princess getting more information about his past.


    To his disbelief, the first auction item was the man that should never have been here. It was as if it wasn¡¯t the Auction of an outsider, but an auction of his past.


    He didn¡¯t know if the Seventh Primordial did it intentionally, or if it was just a coincidence. No matter the case, it was a disaster for him, especially if the Dragon Princess bought him.


    "Do you know him?" Estelia frowned at Eren¡¯s drastic reaction, as he stood up at the revtion of the first item.


    "I¡¯m just surprised that they are auctioning living people," Eren recovered his expressions, and sat down.


    He didn¡¯t want to let Estelia know that he also came from a world that wasn¡¯t earth. If that happened, then no matter how many times he tried to exin his transmigration, he was never going to win the trust of the First Primordial.


    Eren ced hisplete acting expertise while pretending to be nonchnt, but Estelia didn¡¯t believe it. His reaction was too drastic for just that, especially when he already knew that outsiders were enved in this world.


    "The first item of the Auction is a very special outsider that was personally caught by the Seventh Primordial who graciously allowed us to auction him."


    The Auctioneer proudly introduced Lenniel, who was looking lifeless as the mark of envement shone brightly on his body.


    "I¡¯m sure you heard about the Necromancer that caused chaos at the City of Hellhounds! The surprising part was that the person survived, even after fighting the Patriarch of the Hellhound Family, and managed to escape!"


    "The person that we are auctioning today, is a follower of that person, and also the second inmand in that Necromancer¡¯s organization. He himself is a Necromancer, which can make him a very useful ve for you."


    "Just the value of information that he holds about the world that he came from, might be even more useful for you, especially since that world¡¯s portal is still open!"


    Every time the Auctioneer told something about Lenniel to increase his value, the guests grew more interested in him.


    Still, their true interest only arose when they heard that the man came from a world, whose portal had freshly opened. It meant not many had explored that world, which made it even more valuable.


    It was a world that had Necromancers that could even fight the Hellhound Patriarch. Just the value of that world, and the kind of people that could be enved there, was precious.


    "If he¡¯s caught by Rezekiel, that means he was in the Nightwing n Territory?! He¡¯s one from the group that knows Eren!" Dragon Princess also started paying attention to that man, believing that she had to buy him at any cost.

 Chapter 605: The Astronomical Bid

    "I¡¯m sure that I don¡¯t have to exin any more. You can probably see the value of our first offering." The Auctioneer pulled the chain, which in turn pulled Lenniel until his face was pressed against the bars of the cage.


    Lenniel¡¯s clothes were torn from ces, and there were marks all over his body as if he was already tortured very badly by the Seventh Primordial. He was also missing his left arm, which had been ripped apart.


    Even if that arm could be healed in this world, the Seventh Primordial ensured that he went into an auction like this, so everyone could see this work of art created by him.


    "Three Thousand Spirit Stones!" The Auctioneer had barely finished when the first bid came from the room assigned to the Second Primordial¡¯s sister.


    "To all other guests, I want to say that I really need this ve. So don¡¯t fight with me," she further said, her voice almost suppressing every other guest.


    No one wanted to offend the sister of the Second Primordial. At least that was the case for those who weren¡¯t in the VIP rooms. But those that were assigned special rooms were all very special people.


    "Little girl, it would¡¯ve been different if your brother was here, issuing that warning. But you¡¯re still a little too young to pull tricks like this," a voice rose from the fourth special room, which was taken by the Fourth Primordial.


    "Four thousand spirit stones." The same person increased the bid, starting a bidding war.


    The other Primordials also jumped into the bidding war, increasing the bid until it reached three hundred thousand spirit stones. And it didn¡¯t look like it was going to stop anything soon.


    The Auctioneer was looking at the bid increase, unable to hide the glee on his face. He was going to get a fraction of the bidding amount, so the higher it went, the better it was for him.


    Still, he had never expected the bid to get so high for merely an outsider. Within a few minutes, the bid was in the millions.


    It was the highest that an outsider had gone in the bidding. The Auctioneer could only imagine how high this bid might have gone if they were auctioning the Tower Master himself.


    Regrettably, that person had simply disappeared after his battle with the Hellhound Patriarch. Until now, there was no news of that person, as if he had simply been devoured by this world.


    It made him believe that the person has already returned to his world, which further increased the value of Lenniel as the guide and informant of that world.


    Eren was watching the bidding increase, and every time the Dragon Princess was in the lead, he felt his heartbeat increase.


    ¡¯I¡¯m fine with anyone getting Lenniel, except for that woman. Please let it be anyone but her!¡¯ Eren thought, almost on the verge of praying for his luck which he didn¡¯t have much faith in.


    "Fifty million." Suddenly, a bid came that increased the bidding amount by five times in an instant.


    Eren turned to Estelia in disbelief. As the sister of the first primordial, this woman was also filthy rich, which he had forgotten about.


    ¡¯I spoke too soon. Please let it be anyone except that woman and Estelia!¡¯ He quickly rectified his prayer, realizing that it was just as bad if Lenniel was bought by Estelia.


    "Sixty Million!" The Dragon Princess eximed, as the bidding war became even more fierce.


    With every increasing bid, the other Primordials started getting out of the bids. Even if the person was valuable with the information that he came with, the bid was astronomical.


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    No amount of information that he might have had, was enough to recover that amount, especially since that information was also in the hands of the Seventh Primordial already.


    It didn¡¯t take long until only two people were left in the bid, both being young women that came from influential families. It wasn¡¯t just a bidding war anymore, but a battle to show off their wealth.


    It was the battle between the First Primordial and the Second Primordial that was being fought through their proxies in a way.


    Meanwhile, Eren¡¯s shoulders had dropped. The worst thing had happened. Everyone else had pulled out of the bidding. It meant that no matter who won, the loser was going to be him.


    He couldn¡¯t even cry over his luck now, as he already knew what kind of rotten luck he carried in this world.


    He had gotten a little too optimistic after meeting the first primordial, forgetting that a few moments of good luck for him, were always apanied by a truckload of bad luck.


    "Hundred Million Spirit Stones!" Estelia eximed, increasing the bid even more. At this point, almost everyone was wondering if they had heard the wrong bid.


    The bid had reached an amount that it never reached before. Even if the auction amount of the thousand most expensive ves in history wasbined together, it was still less than the current bid.


    The Auctioneer¡¯s voice was almost trembling as he announced the present bid, before looking towards the second vip room.


    The Dragon Princess was biting her nails, as she realised that the bidding amount had truly gone beyond her limit. The money that her brother gave her, was for a different item, which was a true highlight of this auction.


    If she spent any more now, then she was never going to be able to bid for the final auction item. Even though she really wanted Lenniel to know Eren¡¯s past, she also understood her reality.


    She cursed under her breath, as she convinced herself to give up. She stopped bidding anymore.


    "Hah, congrattions on getting that outsider. It was fun to y with you and make you spend more than he is worth. I hope you can get some value out of him," she said, her voice echoing across the auction house.


    Even as she conceded her defeat, she made it seem like she was the ultimate winner and that it was never her intention to win in the first ce.

 Chapter 606: Plan in motion

    "I didn¡¯t know you were so poor that you were buying this ve for profit. Oh, you poor child," Estelia retorted, no less feisty than the Dragon Princess.


    She didn¡¯t forget to taunt the girl who was trying to portray it as her victory. "I simply bought him because I felt like it, not to profit from him. It¡¯s truly sad that you have to resort to the ve trade to earn money."


    "If I knew that you were in such a situation, I might have let you take him. My bad." Estelia rested a leg over the other, as shefortably moved back on her chair like a queen.


    "You!" The Dragon Princess clenched her small fists, hearing the insult hidden in those words.


    She had simply said that she was giving up because she didn¡¯t think the ve was worth it, but her words were twisted to make it sound as if she was trying to buy a ve for profit, like someone desperate for money.


    Even though she couldn¡¯t hear it in the silence of her room, she was certain that many people wereughing at her. She wanted to say something, but the Auctioneer spoke up, marking the end to the bidding.


    "Congrattions to Lady Estelia for buying such an impressive ve. He will be delivered to your room along with any other items that you might buy during the auction, at the end."


    The Auctioneer released the chain, and had the servants move the cage back, still leaving him as a specimen there during the rest of the auction.


    The next item was brought forward, and introduced to the guests. The bidding process again, but after the bidding war on the first item, the bidding on the second item looked a littleckluster, even if the item was impressive.


    Eren also didn¡¯t pay much attention to the second auction item. His eyes kept darting back to Lenniel, who was still in the cage. He was bought by Estelia, which was the worst thing that could have happened to him.


    When Lenniel was going to be delivered to their Auction room, he was certain that things were going to be much worse for him.


    There was no chance that Lenniel was not going to recognise him. And when he recognised, many secrets about his past were going to be revealed, including things that had nothing to do with him in the first ce.


    The past that mighte in the open was the past of Ren Necroline, who had done things that even Eren didn¡¯tpletely know about.


    It was toote to pray for the best oue at this point. Luck had failed him. He was sure that there was only one thing that could be done. He had to take luck in his own hands, and do something drastic.


    Eren was lost in deep thoughts, as his eyes kept observing the Cage that was behind the Auctioneer. Estelia could also feel that something was wrong with him. He seemed much more serious ever since the first auction began.


    Even if he said that he didn¡¯t know that person on the stage, she believed that the reality was different. There was definitely something between the two of them, which made her look forward to the end of the auction.


    "That bitch, she made me look like a fool." The Dragon Princess also hadn¡¯te to terms with her loss. She also refused to give up on Lenniel, even if she had lost the auction.


    She made up her mind to steal Lenniel from Estelia after they left the Auction House. Even if it was a risky endeavour, as long as they were fast and ensured that it couldn¡¯t be linked to her, it doesn¡¯t matter.


    She picked up amunication crystal and started contacting some people, telling them to ensure that their identity wasn¡¯t revealed when they were robbing Estelia.


    They didn¡¯t only have to rob Estelia and get away before the others took action, but they had to do that without revealing their true identity. She was sure that the secret guards of her brother were perfect for something like this.


    While the Dragon Princess was putting a n into motion, Eren was also making a n. However, his n was quite different. Experience exclusive tales on NovelFire.C?m


    His n didn¡¯t begin outside the auction house, and it didn¡¯t include kidnapping Lenniel. Instead, his n only included a single thing. It was to kill Lenniel before he could be delivered to Estelia.


    It was that man¡¯s fault for being caught by these people after all. Moreover, it was much better to be dead than to live the life of a ve in this world. He didn¡¯t think that he had any need to feel bad about this.


    The auction kept moving slowly, and asionally Estelia and the other Primordials made some bids, and bought the items. With every new item that was being auctioned in this world, Eren was able to learn something more about this world.


    Quite a lot of items that were auctioned, were things that belonged to other worlds that had connected to Hell, once upon a time. They were like rare collector¡¯s items. Some of those items were even things that came from earth, and were bought by Estelia and other Primordials.


    There were also a few more ves that were auctioned, and even the more powerful weapons that were used in Hell.


    Some of these artefacts even made Eren raise a brow as greed shed in his eyes, as these things were even more powerful than most precious treasures that belonged to him.


    If he had money to spend, he would have a hard time resisting the urge to bid as well. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t even have a single spirit stone.


    He had lots of time to start arranging for his n, as he analyzed every single detail about this auction house, using his divine consciousness.


    "And now for thest item of today¡¯s auction, that you have all been waiting for!" The Auctioneer said, and almost all the Primordial Demons straightened their backs. It was finally time for the item that they came to buy.


    Meanwhile, Eren also took it as his cue. Now that it was thest item that everyone was going to be interested in, it was the perfect distraction for him to put his n in motion.


    He stood up, "I need to go to the toilet. I will be right back."

 Chapter 607: Chapter 607: Double trouble

    Chapter 607: Chapter 607: Double trouble


    "Yeah." Estelia didn''t seem to think much about it, as she was focused entirely on thest item of the auction, which was about to be revealed.


    This was the item that almost everyone was here for, an item that appeared in Hell only rarely.


    Thest time this item appeared in Hell, it led to bloodshed and a lot of chaos. This was the second time an item like this had appeared, and, moreover, through the auction house.


    Eren took advantage of her distraction and started to leave. He opened the door, but before he could step out, a system screen appeared, which again made him almost punch the wall.


    [Option One: Take thest item of the Auction for yourself before the bidding is over.


    Reward: A Question Voucher]


    [Option Two: Let thest item of the auction be taken by someone else.


    Reward: Luck -50]


    There were only two options that appeared before him, creating a rare sight as there were normally four options before him. This time, his choices were severely limited.


    He had to either take that item forcefully or let it go to someone else. It didn''t matter who took that item; as long as it wasn''t him, it was a failure.


    If he didn''t have toplete it before the auction was over, he might have tried to have Estelia win that item and stolen it from her, even that counted as a failure as per this system.


    His luck was already bad in this world, and on top of that, he was threatened with even lower luck? At this rate, he felt like his back was truly against a wall.


    Not only did he have to kill Lenniel to protect his identity, but he also had to take thest item of the auction even though he didn''t have a single spirit stone.


    Even though he didn''t like either of the options, there was only one that made sense.


    "If I die during this, then I will keep haunting you for an eternity," Eren told the system screen, as he selected the first option.


    He was already going to kill someone inside the Auction House, which was filled with Primordial Demons. And now, he had to steal something from the Auctioneer, which was the main attraction of the entire auction.


    He took a deep breath, before stepping out of the room.


    "It seems the extra life that I saved might be spent finally," he mumbled, before closing the door. Instead of going in the direction of the toilet, he went towards the depths of the Auction House.


    "For thest item, we have something that can only be called a treasure of the universe. An item like this had only appeared once in this world. I''m sure I don''t need to tell you the kind of value this holds."


    The Auctioneer pped once, and the Manager of the Auction House personally stepped on the stage, holding a tray that was covered with a red cloth.


    The entire state was surrounded by the guards that belonged to the Auction House, and the entire ce had suddenly be on high alert.


    The manager removed the cloth covering the tray, revealing a fist sized ck crystal. The crystal seemed extremely ordinary at first nce, but if one was to look at it carefully, they could see that there was something sealed within that small crystal.


    "For thest item of our grand item, we present to you, the Portal Stone of the Upper World!" The Auctioneer eximed.


    Even though many people were already told about the item in advance, they still failed to control their surprised expressions when the item finally appeared.


    This was an item that was extremely precious. Its value was something that should''ve been described in mary terms.


    Hell was connected to multiple words, but most of them were lower or middle Worlds. There was not a single portal that could open a passage to the Upper Realm!


    That''s where this stone was useful. Even though temporarily, that stone could open a portal in hell that connected to the Upper Realm. As for which of the upper worlds it connected, it didn''t matter. All upper worlds werends of gods.


    Thest time an upper world portal stone had been discovered, there was a lot of bloodshed. In the end, many Primordials had died in the battle and the one that finally ended up with the portal stone, used it to leave Hell and enter that upper world.


    This was the second time something like this had appeared, and no primordial wanted to lose it. In fact, many of them had thought about robbing the portal stone before the date of auction, but things weren''t as simple.


    There were many eyes on the Auction House. If any of them even tried something like that, the other Primordials were going to get involved. It was going to lead to the same disaster as thest time, which could lead to the death of weaker primordials.


    That''s why, the Primordials came to agree on a single rule. Instead of brute force, they were going to use civilised means. It was only to the disadvantage of the First Primordial, who was the strongest. But since the other Primordials were on the same side, the First Primordial also agreed.


    All the Primordials had gathered almost all their wealth and treasures, for this one auction. And no one could go against the rules.


    Only the winner of the bid was allowed to use the portal stone, aw that was established through a forceful oath treasure that tied all Primordials, even the strongest.


    It ensured that no one tried to steal it after the auction was over, at least none amongst the Primordials. It was also why the strongest primordials didn''te here personally, since there was no chance for anything going wrong.


    "Hundred Million Spirit Stones!" Estelia didn''t even give the man a chance to exin or hype the treasure before making the first bid.

 Chapter 608: Chapter 608: Tower Masters Return

    "One hundred million spirit stones!" Estelia didn¡¯t even give the man a chance to exin or hype up the treasure before making the first bid.


    Her voice was usually calm and collected, but when she was bidding, it became quite sharp. This wasn¡¯t just another rare artifact. It was a gateway to the upper realm that her father wanted.


    The auctioneer barely blinked. He¡¯d expected the bidding to start high, but this... this was just the beginning.


    A hundred million spirit stones was an astronomical sum, enough to bankrupt most noble demon families. It was a clear indication that Estelia wasn¡¯t ying around.


    "One hundred and ten million," a gruff voice countered from a box shrouded in shadows. The voice belonged to a horned demon, his eyes burning with heavy greed.


    "One hundred and fifty million," Estelia retorted instantly, not even ncing at herpetitor. Her gaze was fixed on the Portal Stone, its obsidian surface reflecting the dim light of the auction hall like a small void.


    The price climbed rapidly due to Primordial Demons¡¯ desperate desire for the Upper Worlds amongst the upper echelon of Hell.


    One hundred and eighty million. Two hundred million. Two hundred and fifty. The hushed whispers of the audience were reced by the sharp derations of the bidders.


    Meanwhile, Eren was moving through the back corridors of the auction house. His heart was beating fast, as he realized that he didn¡¯t even have any escape talismans this time. If he was caught, then he was as good as dead.


    He soon entered the restroom, possibly the only ce that wasn¡¯t under heavy observation. Inside, he created a blood clone and gave his clothes to the clone.


    The clone left, preparing to return to Estelia¡¯s room, so Eren wouldn¡¯t be caught in the web of suspicion when the heist took ce.


    After sending the clone out, Eren started transforming. But he didn¡¯t transform into a person that no one should recognise. He transformed into something that many important people knew about, especially the Seventh Primordial.


    He transformed into the Necromancer Tower Master, who was said to be missing. No one knew that the person who died in the loud explosion outside the Royal City was the Necromancer that many people were curious about.


    In the eyes of these people, that person had already returned to his world. But what if he was to make an appearance? It wasn¡¯t going to raise much suspicion, since that man had already managed to escape from a Primordial and the Hellhound City Lord once.


    If anyone could have courage to rob things that were being auctioned at a ce like this, then it was him. Eren wanted to have them chase after the ghost of Tower Master, while he was simply going to return to hiding behind the First Primordial like an innocent child.


    Once he finished transforming, he also changed his clothes. He wore darker clothes, that were something favoured by the Necromancer Tower Master. He had already robbed the treasury of that person, so he didn¡¯tck clothes with the symbol of Necromancer Tower either.


    "Now, how to get out of here without getting seen?" he thought, thinking about the only problem that was still left. If he was seen leaving a ce where Eren came out from, then it was surely going to raise some questions that he didn¡¯t want to answer.


    He didn¡¯t know if the invisibility of Dragon Tongue could fool these things. He could leave as a shadow, but even a shadow leaving on its own was going to be seen. He needed someone so that a simple shadow didn¡¯t look suspicious.


    Fortunately, the answer walked over to him itself, as he heard the sound of the door opening. Another person entered the grand bathroom. When the person was leaving, Eren also silently stepped out.


    He turned into a shadow, and hid inside the shadow of the man. He left the washroom, apanying a man that turned out to be a guard who was going towards the stage, to his pleasant surprise.


    He passed several locked doors, each guarded by heavily armed demons. And none of them seemed to notice anything strange.


    Back on the stage, the bidding war had reached a feverish level.


    "Three hundred million!" Estelia dered, her voice unwavering, but a faint tremor in her hand betrayed her mounting anxiety. She had expected the bid to reach as high as two hundred and fifty million, since that was theplete worth of the Second Richest Primordial.


    At this point, she was wondering if she had made a mistake by bidding on that ve, being overconfident in her information about other people¡¯s funds.


    To her frustration, the bid had gone far beyond her expectations. She didn¡¯t understand why that was the case. Was the information that was gathered by them wrong? Or was something else at y behind the curtains.


    A chillingly smooth voice entered the fray, "Three hundred and fifty million."


    All eyes turned to the source: a box draped in luxurious velvet. It was the room of the Dragon Princess, but that voice didn¡¯t belong to the Princess.


    It was a man¡¯s voice that Estelia had heard a few times. That voice left her stunned. The Second Primordial had arrived personally, something that she didn¡¯t expect.


    "Even if he came personally, funds can¡¯t appear out of thin air. Even if he sells all his cities and everything he owns, he still shouldn¡¯t have this much wealth! So how?! Is he lying?" Estelia eximed in disbelief.


    "He doesn¡¯t seem to be lying." Jenia chimed in, ignoring the return of Eren who silently took his seat without saying a single word. "If it¡¯s a lie, it¡¯ll be caught since the payment needs to be done right after bidding. Something is really strange. I can think of only one possibility!"


    "What is that possibility?" Estelia asked.


    "The other Primordials must be helping him. They have agreed to share their funds with the Second Primordial. That must be why he came here personally. If that¡¯s the case, then we might never be able to win the bid!" Jenia said, her expressions darkening.

 Chapter 609: Chapter 609: External help

    Chapter 609: Chapter 609: External help


    "If that''s the case, then aren''t we going to lose?"  The more Estelia thought about Jenia''s words, the more usible they started sounding.


    Only the Seventh Primordial was associated with her father. The other Primordials had no loyalty to them, even if they weren''t hostile. If they were sharing their funds with the Second Primordial, then it felt like a war that was almost impossible to win in a fair manner.


    The other Primordials had already realized that they couldn''t win the auction with the bid going above two hundred million. But even then, it didn''t make sense for them to just share their funds and help others.


    Estelia didn''t understand what the Second Primordial offered them, in exchange for their help. Or were they simply helping because they didn''t want her father to win?


    "Four Hundred Million!" She increased the bid, just as the Auctioneer was about to dere the Second Primordial as winner.


    Even though it was an uphill battle, she didn''t want to give it until she hadpletely ran out of her funds. Along the way, she tried to contact her father, to ask for his advice.


    "Hmm? It''s not connecting to him." To her surprise, every attempt of contacting her father, resulted in a failure, even with amunication jade.


    There was some force that was stopping everymunication from going out of the auction house. She wondered if this was some kind of security mechanism that was ced by the Auction House.


    It was the first time that she had seen something like that, but she didn''t question it too much. Today''s auction was the most special out of all after all.


    She didn''t realize that she had made a really huge mistake by thinking that it was a normal phenomenon. The blockade ofmunication didn''te from the Auction House.


    As no one else was trying tomunicate with people outside of the auction, no one else noticed this strange phenomenon. Meanwhile, she had noticed it, but decided to ignore it.


    "Four Hundred and fifty million!" The Second Primordial increased the bid, his voice not fluctuating even a little as if he still had a lot of funds to spare.


    "Four hundred and sixty million!" Estelia eximed, before turning to Jenia.


    "I''ll soon run out of funds. I will need more funds, and there is only one person who can help us. Can you quickly go and tell the Seventh Primordial toe here. If he gives me some funds, then I might be able to win."


    "You want me to go to that pervert!" Jenia looked at Estelia weirdly, as she didn''t want to be in a thousand feet proximity to a guy like that.


    "You just have to tell him that I''m calling for him! He won''t do anything! It''s urgent!" Estelia said, unable to hide her urgency as the bid was increased even more by the Second Primordial.


    "Four hundred and eighty million!" She eximed, raising the bid by a little.


    "Four hundred and ny million," The Second Primordial said, calmly sitting on the seat, looking at the item on the stage. He didn''t taunt Estelia, focusing only on the bidding. However, his sister didn''t stay behind.


    "Are you running out of funds? Why are you increasing by such small amounts? I thought you were supposed to be wealthy!" The dragon princess tried to get back at Estelia, who had previously insulted her.


    "I don''t think you need to worry about my funds." Estelia coldly answered, before shifting her attention back to Jenia. "Go on! There''s no time to waste!"


    Jenia wanted to ask why Eren couldn''t go, but she already knew the answer. It was something extremely urgent, and Eren was weak and slow. He was only going to drag things down.


    That''s why, even if she didn''t want to do it, she had no choice.


    "Just for you, I''m doing this." She stood up and left the room. She rushed across the hallway, going to the room of the Seventh Primordial. After reaching his room, she knocked on the door.


    "The door is open. Come inside," a voice came from inside.


    Jenia took a deep breath, and opened the door. She was prepared to deliver the message to the Seventh Primordial and then rush away swiftly. However, when the door opened, her face turned red and her jaws almost dropped.


    She saw the Seventh Primordial sitting on a chair, looking at the auction through the ss. However, he wasn''t wearing anything on the lower half of his body. Moreover, there were two women that were sitting before him, on their knees, pleasuring him.


    The chair was arranged in such a way that she could see everything from the entrance itself. Nothing was hidden, including how their tongues moved like serpents.


    "I didn''t think you would be interested in me, to the point that you woulde here yourself. I will graciously ept the offering," the Seventh Primordial raised his hand.


    An unknown force grabbed the slim waist of Jenia. She flew towards the Seventh Primordial, only to stop when she was right next to him.


    The Seventh Primordial waved his hand, closing the door before grabbing Jenia''s butt, "Glorious, isn''t it?"


    Jenia flinched like a frightened rabbit, disgusted by his touch. She quickly rushed away, "Please behave yourself!"


    "I''m not here to do anything with you. I''m just here to deliver a message from Lady Estelia. She has asked for an audience with you, urgently," she eximed, slowly moving away from the man, and towards the door.


    "Is it because she needs funds from me? It''s not hard to guess." The Seventh Primordial picked a ss of wine, and took azy sip before pouring the rest of the wine in ss on the extended tongues of the women that were pleasing him.


    "That''s right. The other Primordials are working together. She wants you to help her, as her rtive." Jenia said, trying her best to not reveal the disgust she felt for this man''s actions.

 Chapter 610: Chapter 610: New thief

    Chapter 610: Chapter 610: New thief


    "Of course, I would love to help my dear niece when she needs it. Unfortunately, I am a little short on funds as well. That''s why I was forced to sell a precious ve. I don''t think I will be able to help her," the Seventh Primordial rejected the proposal for a meeting outright.


    He didn''t seem the slightest bit interested in helping Estelia, even if his words conveyed otherwise.


    "You... Alright. I will convey your message." Jenia clenched her fist and turned to leave. She had already delivered the message and received a rejection. There was nothing else for her to do.


    "Well, there might be a way for me to help her. But it depends on your willingness." Jenia was about to step out of the room when he heard the Seventh Primordial''s words.


    Jenia came to a sudden half, and looked back, "What willingness?"


    "As you might know, I just earned a hundred million for selling a ve. But I appeared to have made a mistake and dered something really foolish."


    "As you know, a Primordial can never go back on their promise. So if you can help me keep that promise while getting that money, it will help my dear niece."


    The Seventh Primordialfortably moved back, with his hands on the back of his head.


    "Which promise?"


    "I promised that I will give a hundred million to the person that can make me feel the best here. That''s why these two girls have beenpeting for it," the Seventh Primordial answered, his eyes greedily looking up and down Jenia.


    "If you join, and you''re good enough, you might win. Then you won''t have to ask me for money. You can help my dear niece yourself."


    He talked like he was really troubled, because he had already promised how he was going to spend his wealth. Even if he wanted to help his niece, he couldn''t break that promise.


    Jenia was absolutely certain that this vile man was lying, but she had no way to prove it. If she wanted to get money from him, then she could only y by his rules.


    "Keep that wealth for yourself. I don''t need it!'' she eximed, trying her hardest to not curse openly at that man. Even if she wanted to help Estelia, she wasn''t going to do what that man wanted.


    She quickly left the room, and went back. The Seventh Primordial was left behind with a frown. "And here I thought she might actually take that offer. What a disappointment."


    She shook his head lightly, before waving his hand. The door of his room closed, and he shifted his focus back on the women that were working hard all this time.


    ....


    ''What just happened?'' In another ce, Eren simply looked in disbelief.


    He had been hiding inside the shadow of the Auction House Guard, being led towards the stage. He really thought that the guard was an ordinary guard, but with time, he realized that things weren''t as they seemed.


    The guard was stopped by other guards, who asked him about his identity as if they didn''t recognize him at all. Instead of producing his identification, the guard simply killed the other Guardians.


    Looking at the bloody sight, it became clear that the person he had been following wasn''t a guard of the Auction House. He didn''t have the permission to approach the stage. He was a person like him, someone approaching the stage for his own purpose.


    "I am approaching the stage. Are you in ce?" the suspicious guard asked, bringing his wrist close to his lips.


    "I''m in ce. I will release it on the count of three, so make sure you''re ready!" A woman''s voice came from the watch on the man''s wrist. "The effects won''tst long. You will only have five minutes to get out of there."


    "That''s perfect." The man lowered his hand and continued on his way, not even cleaning the bloody mess that he left in his path.


    Eren didn''t know what he had gotten himself caught up in. He was trying to steal the Portal Stone, but he had ended up following someone who seemed to be scheming something just as big.


    It wasn''t just one person, but felt like an entire group that wasn''t worried about the presence of the Primordial Demons at all.


    Eren didn''t know what to think about it. Should he feel happy that someone was helping him? Or should he be upset that things had already be soplicated.


    The guard cracked his knuckles after reaching his position, stopping merely twenty feet away from the stage that was heavily surrounded by guards. Three seconds had already passed, but he didn''t rush towards the stage.


    Under his breath, he started a count of his own.


    "One..."


    "Two..."


    "Three...."


    The countdown kept going, while the increase in bidding slowed down. At this point, Eren was also starting to feel the stress. If the auction ended before this person took action, then it was all useless for him.


    If the man didn''t take action on time, then he had to rush out himself. Thest bid was from Estelia''s room, and there was no increase from other rooms. It truly felt like the end of bidding, as the Auctioneer also started his count, giving thest opportunity to the other room to make a bid.


    Eren spread out his divine sense to check the condition of the other rooms, to see if this was truly the end or another bid was going toe. But the moment he did so, he was left absolutely stunned.


    Inside the second room, there were multiple Primordial Demons. Even the Second Primordial was there, as if they were working together. But what left him truly shocked was that none of them were moving.


    Only their pupils were trembling in disbelief as an unknown force seemed to have restricted their ability to move. It wasn''t the case for the second room only, as the other Primordial Demons were also restricted by that same force.


    He finally understood what that voice meant when it said that they had five minutes. Something was used to restrict the Primordials, but there was no force in this world that could restrict them for an eternity.

 Chapter 611: Chapter 611: Robbing the Auction House

    Chapter 611: Chapter 611: Robbing the Auction House


    ''It can''t be an ability. If they had an ability like this, then they couldn''t simply force their way through. They wouldn''t need to be so sneaky. It must be some artefact. But how did they get their hands on something like that?'' Eren wondered.


    Artefacts that could even affect the Primordials, were restricted by them. There was no way something like this would''ve been easy to find, for a group of people that weren''t connected to the Primordials. He even wondered if they came from another world as well.


    He watched as the "guard" finally made his move. With the Primordials unable to move, the other guards were no match for him. He moved with incredible speed, leaving afterimages in his wake. In mere seconds, he had bypassed the guards and reached the stage.


    The Auctioneer was caughtpletely off guard. He stared at the intruder with wide eyes, unable to react in time. The "guard" snatched the Portal Stone from the disy case, shattering the protective barrier with a single touch.


    "Now!" he shouted into his wristmunicator.


    Simultaneously, a chaotic energy erupted from the woman''s side, further disorienting anyone who might have resisted. It was clear now; this was a coordinated attack, to exploit the momentary weakness of the Primordials.


    Eren, still hidden in the shadows, was faced with a dilemma. Should he take advantage of this chaos and try to snatch the Portal Stone from the "guard"? Or should he wait and see what their ultimate goal was?


    The presence of a higher realm artifact changed everything. This wasn''t just a simple robbery; it was something far more significant.


    He decided to wait, for now. He stayed inside the shadow, letting the people take the stone. Now that the auction hade to a halt, it meant he wasn''t going to fail his options as long as he could eventually take the portal stone from these people.


    He wanted to know who these people were, what they were after, and most importantly, what they nned to do with the Portal Stone.


    The "guard," having secured the stone, retreated with the same astonishing speed he had disyed earlier. He didn''t bother fighting the guards who tried to intercept him; he simply evaded them.


    He didn''t notice that as he was leaving the stage, a small droplet of blood was left behind, that didn''t seem toe from him. Instead, the blood drop came from his shadow.


    The guards tried to chase after the intruder, while the Auction House Manager fell on his knees, in disbelief over the events that took ce. He looked at the VIP rooms, and begged them to stop the intruder, not knowing that they were also restricted for the time being.


    If anything, the Primordial Demons were even more furious at their helplessness. Someone was stealing the thing that they wanted the most, when they were in the perfect ce to win the auction. It left them infuriated, but they couldn''t do anything but wait.


    Everyone was distracted by the thief, with all guards chasing after him. No one noticed that the drop of blood on the stage had started growing bigger as it moved towards the cage in the back.


    The moment it was near the cage, a blood demon materialized from the blood drop.


    A Blood Sword materialised in the hands of the demon that passed through the gap in the cage, stabbing Lenniel in his chest. But it didn''t stop, and kept attacking, as if not wanting to leave even the slightest chance that he coulde back to life.


    Lenniel was killed while he was inside the cage, and no one was able to save him. Another precious item of this auction was taken, and only a few people in the VIP room saw it.


    They could understand why someone would try to steal the portal stones, but even they didn''t understand why someone would kill the ve. If they wanted it, they should have taken it. But they had no benefit in taking him, unless they had another aim behind it.


    It gave some of them the impression that the thieves might be from the world of that Necromancer. And when they thought about it, they remembered the story about the Necromancer that had fought the Hellhound Patriarch.


    Even though things had deviated from Eren''s n a little, in the end, the burden of suspicions still fell on the head of the Necromancer Tower Master to some extent. He had failed the mission sessfully.


    After the blood clone killed Lenniel, it disintegrated into nothingness, not even leaving a single trace behind that could be used to verify the identity of the person. The only thing that they could verify was that the person had the same shade of blood as the Necromancer.


    The Auction House was in a mess. Many people tried to contact outside the auction house to ask for help, but it proved to be useless. They realized that not only themunication but even the exits were sealed by an unknown barrier.


    Only the thief was able to pass through the barrier, but everyone else was restricted there, only able to watch the thief leave.


    "Stop wasting time! The effects will run out in a minute at most. Get out of there!" A voice came from the watch, telling the thief to hurry up.


    "I''m leaving," the thief eximed, but he still didn''t forget to wave the portal stone at the Guards, as if mocking them.


    He closed the doors of the auction house, watching the people banging their fists on the barrier helplessly before running away.


    The thief soon disappeared into the distance. After a few minutes passed, powerful auras rose from the Auction House, making the entire city tremble before the wrath of the Primordials.


    The roof of the auction house burst open, as a Dragon flew in the sky, roaring like a mad beast. The other Primordial Demons also flew out, furious at what had just happened.

 Chapter 612: Chapter 612: Upper Worlds interference

    Chapter 612: Chapter 612: Upper World''s interference


    The dragon''s roar echoed through the city, filled with pure rage. It shook buildings, and sent lesser beings scrambling in fear.


    The other Primordials'' faces were also twisted with fury, just as infuriated. They had never experienced something like this, where someone had robbed them right under their noses.


    "Find them!" the dragon''s voice roared, brimming with his demonic aura. "Search the entire city! Bring me the one who dared to defy us!"


    As he finished roaring, tossed out a bright beam of light in the sky that rained down every corner of the city, casting a barrier that sealed the entire city within his domain.


    Normally, not even the Primordials dared to seal the city in their domain because the other Primordials also lived here.


    It was no different than challenging their authority, and dering their ownmand as supreme. But the Second Primordial didn''t care about it in the least now that the matter was so important.


    He was convinced that the thief couldn''t have left the city. The only way to stop him from escaping was to seal the entire city before the thief had the chance to escape.


    As for everything else, that could be handledter. For now, retrieving the portal stone was most important for him.


    His shadow guards became active, and started scouring through the entire city. The other Primordials also sent their personal guards to help in the search, while they flew high in the sky, overlooking the entire city.


    "If it was any other city, we wouldn''t have to waste time searching. We could''ve simply blown up the entire city. The portal stone would''ve been left behind for us to take." One of the Primordials expressed his frustration that this just happened in the Royal City out of all ces.


    "If only everyone had followed my suggestion of having an auction in another city, things would''ve been so much simpler." He crossed his arms, not even trying to hide his bitterness.


    Even though he wasn''t going to win the auction stone in the auction, he had a deal with the second primordial. If the auction waspleted and that person won, he would''ve received so many benefits. But everything was spoiled by his theft.


    Themotion was so loud that it even caught the attention of the First Primordial, who was rxing in his pce, wondering about the kind of wedding that he was going to arrange for his daughter and son inw.


    He had almost started working on the invitation list in his mind, but the loudmotion distracted him. He wondered what had made the Second Primordial so furious. Did he lose the auction, so he was throwing a tantrum?


    Soon, he felt the domain of the Second Primordial taking over everything, which finally made him frown. He felt as if the Second Primordial was going too far now. He even worried about the safety of his daughter, and finally took action.


    He disappeared, and materialized next to the other Primordials that were standing high in the sky, overlooking the city.


    He was surprised to notice that there seemed to be something strange going on. His daughter was still inside the auction house, unharmed. The Primordials didn''t seem to be interested in hurting her either.


    "Hmm? She doesn''t have it?" It took her a moment to notice that things seemed to be moreplicated than he had initially thought.


    His daughter didn''t have the Portal Stone. And he could also see the Auction Managed cowering on the stage, which had a ve''s corpse inside a cage.


    "Brother-inw!" The Seventh Primordial also flew out of the Auction House, tightening his pants that he had worn in a hurry.


    He didn''t seem to react when the robbery happened, since the stronger primordials had already taken action.


    The stone wasn''t in his destiny in the first ce even if it was found, so he didn''t care. But with the arrival of the First Primordial, he didn''t stay behind.


    "What just happened here?" Estelia''s father asked, feeling like he had missed something important. It was as if a storm had wrecked through this ce while he wasn''t looking.


    "The Portal Stone was robbed from right under our noses by an Outsider. That person seems to be hiding in the city at the moment, but we don''t know where." Seventh Primordial exined.


    "Hmm?" The First Primordial raised a brow, looking at the other Primordials. "An outsider managed to steal something so important while you were watching?"


    It was truly something that felt like it should''ve been impossible. Outsiders were considered inferior in this world, even the lowest of the low. While the Primordial Demons were the strongest existences, on the threshold of bing true gods.


    Despite that, such a thing happened and they weren''t able to stop it, only to be left raging after the thief went into hiding?


    "It''s useless to mock us. You couldn''t have changed anything if you were here. They used something strange that restricted us for a few minutes. None of us could break that restriction, so it was most probably a treasure from the upper realm," the Second Primordial answered, still in a sour mood.


    The treasures of the lower world and the middle world were useless to them. Even the treasures of Hell were not that effective to the point that they couldn''t break it. There was only one possibility, which also left them scratching their heads.


    The treasures that were capable enough for restricting them for such a long time, could only havee from the upper world.


    The person that took the stone from them was definitely an outsider. But the more they thought about it, the more it looked as if someone from the Upper Realm was involved.


    "After I find them, I will definitely get all the answers that I need. And if it''s someone from the upper realm, then they will be in a world of pain the moment I get my hands on them!" The Second Primordial said, transforming into his human form.

 Chapter 613 613: Taking the chance

    All the Primordials had gathered at the same ce at the same time, a rare sight for people of the city. Unfortunately, no one was there to witness it as the people were in hiding, frightened out of their wits after hearing a Dragon''s Roar.


    The guards of the Primordials were forcefully entering everyone''s home, and checking the ce inside out to ensure that no one was hiding. The entire city was being swept through, with the Auction House at the core.


    Almost every person inside that auction house was feeling like they were at a loss, especially the Auction House manager who appeared to be going crazy at the loss that the Auction House had suffered because of this incident.


    He was still on stage, frozen in ce and praying that the thief was going to be found.


    The only person that seemed somewhat d was Estelia. She even had a smirk on her lips. She was about to lose the auction when the theft happened. If it hadn''t happened, then she would''ve legally lost the portal stone.


    Now that the stone was robbed, she was sure that it was only a matter of time before it was going to be brought back. Until then, she had time to prepare so that she didn''t make the same ignorant mistake again.


    Moreover, even if the stone wasn''t brought back and the thief used it, it was still better than falling in the hands of the Second Primordial Demon.


    The only thing that left her slightly confused was the death of the Outsider that she had bought in the auction. Why did they kill him, when he was more or less useless already.


    Every information that could''ve been extracted from him, was always extracted by the Seventh Primordial. So why was there a need to kill him? Just what were they worried about?


    "What do you think?" she asked Eren, who was the one that was behaving the strangest when that person was put in auction. "What could be the reason behind his death?"


    The clone that was left behind by Eren, didn''t answer her. He simply shrugged his shoulders in ignorance, as if he didn''t know a reason either.


    "I guess we will never know," he said, after a brief period of silence. "Only the person who killed him might have the answer to that question."


    He gazed at the badly destroyed corpse on the stage. Arge part of the threat was removed. The only thing that was still worrying him, were the whereabouts of his main body, that was left with the thief.


    If his main body was dead, then the clone was also going to be destroyed. The clone simply wished that the main body didn''t do anything foolish, but it knew itself really well and understood that it was the most likely case.


    ...


    "Looks like we really pissed them off," a man was walking through a narrow tunnel, asionally hearing the ground itself vibrate.


    "Of course you did. You''re lucky that you weren''t caught by them. It would''ve been very painful for you." A voice came from his watch.


    "Come on. Don''t scare me. My heart is already beating so fast. They were freed much earlier than I thought. If it was a few secondste, I would''ve been turned into minced meat."


    "Have you reached the meeting point?" he asked.


    "Almost there. Jae has already finished the preparation. So the moment you reach us, we can activate the stone. The moment they find this ce, we will be long gone." The voice came again, reminding him to hurry.


    Eren had been hiding in the shadows, hearing everything. Just as he thought, these people had nned everything, including the fact that they couldn''t get far away after stealing the portal stone. They even expected the city to be sealed.


    They had already made preparations, creating a tunnel system under the city without getting detected by others. The tunnels were also deep to the point that they made it almost impossible to find them through just divine sense alone.


    If he was looking for them, even he would''ve had a hard time finding them. It was also to their benefit that this was the Royal City, and the Primordials couldn''t simply destroy it.


    It gave them a lot of time to put thest part of their n in motion, until the entrance to the tunnel was discovered.


    Eren had two questions in his mind. Should he wait until the man reached the others? Or should hee out right now to take the portal stone? If he waited, and the other side was stronger than he thought, it might end up as a troublesome situation for him.


    If he started fighting right now, then it was just as problematic. The man wasn''t weak. If he couldn''t be killed in a single strike, then the resulting battle vibrations might alert the Primordials.


    ''Better now then never.'' Even if there was a risk, he knew that he had to make a choice. And the choice he made was to take a risk.


    He took a deep breath, as he created a shadow dagger while being hidden in the man''s shadow.


    "Hmm?" The man slowly came to a stop, feeling a trace of killing intent that was aimed at him.


    He reached fast, and jumped away, only being followed by his shadow. But when he looked back, he couldn''t see anyone here.


    Suddenly, the killing intent became even stronger, and he felt like a grim reaper''s scythe was against his neck.


    "Who are you?" he asked, even as a shadow knife came straight for his neck. He didn''t try to dodge the attack this time. He only raised his wrist a little, activating some mechanism that cast a thinyer of barrier around his entire body.


    The knife struck the back of his neck, but it failed to pass through the barriers, which were thin yet powerful.


    "I must be getting old, letting someone follow me so far, without noticing." The man sighed, feeling the barrier around his body flicker as it sent the man that had attacked him, flying back.

 Chapter 614 614: You should worry

    The attacker crashed against the tunnel wall, the impact causing a tremor that resonated through the narrow passage. Dust and small rocks rained down Eren pushed himself up. He hadn''t expected such a strong defense.


    "Hmm? Who are you?" the man asked Eren, looking at him weirdly. He had thought that the person who attacked him was going to be someone that worked for the Primordials, or at least a person from hell.


    Strangely enough, the person was none. He was an outsider, something that was noticeable right away.


    "They sent a ve after me?" The man didn''t know why, but he found it somewhat insulting. The person that had managed to follow him stealthily, wasn''t even some strong existence from hell, but a mere human that was probably treated as a ve by people of this world?


    "Does it matter who I am?" Eren patted his clothes, jumping off the rubble. His chance of taking the man out in a single attack had already gone down the drain.


    He was sure that it was only a matter of time since the friends of this man would get here, to help him. At the same time, the Primordials were also going to sense amotion if he fought now.


    "Can you give me that portal stone?" he asked. "It''s really important for me."


    The man frowned, and was just about to speak when his watch buzzed, "What is thatmotion that I heard? Are you alright?"


    "I''m fine. It just looks like a rat managed to follow me. I will deal with the rat fast, and get back to you," the man answered.


    "Don''t take too long," the woman answered, not even trying to offer help as if she hadplete faith in the man''s ability. If he didn''t ask her for help, it made her believe that it was something that he could handle on his own.


    "Yeah, yeah. Stop nagging! Even I don''t want to fail the test because of a little rat," the young man answered, before he tapped his watch, making it go silent.


    He shifted his attention back to Eren, and asked, "You''re right. Your identity doesn''t matter. If you managed to follow me, then you''re probably not half bad. If I let you leave, then you might create more trouble for me."


    "Hence, I will have to silence you here." He snapped his fingers, making his watch shine brightly. A barrier was enacted, with his watch at the core, surrounding upto thousands feet around them.


    "If you were thinking that our battle could attract the Primordials to this ce, saving your life, then you should drop that useless thought. Nothing we do here will affect things outside the barrier."


    "Even if you start banging your head against the wall, nothing will change for you." The man clenched his fist. His words were issued in the form of a reminder, but it was more like a warning to make Eren drop all his hopes and fall into despair.


    "Hmm? What did you say?" Instead of making Eren fall in despair, the words made his eyes light up.


    Eren was even wondering if the man was really trying to threaten him? In that case, why was he delivering one good news after the other?


    He had already told his friends to note here, silencingmunication. As if it was not enough, he even cast a barrier, sealing the surroundings from his own side.


    "Should I thank you for that?" Eren asked, taking off his robe. He tossed the robe in his storage ring, and raised his sleeves.


    He also cast a barrier of his own, sealing the surroundings even further, removing the connection from this ce from the rest of the world.


    If it was just one barrier, he couldn''t be certain about its efficiency, but with the help of the man''s barrier, things had be more certain for him.


    "You''re either a little too confident, or aplete fool. But it doesn''t matter. No one ising to help you this time!" The man moved, his figurepletely disappeared, leaving only a small rise of dust where he was previously standing.


    A gauntlet materialised in his hand, as he appeared before Eren.


    "When did I say I needed someone toe help me?" Eren asked, tilting his head sideways as he grabbed the fist of the young man, only being pushed back by a few steps.


    He wasn''t as strong as the Primordials, but it didn''t mean he was weak in this world. Moreover, he had already seen the stats of the man. Most of his stats were even lower than Estelia.


    The only things that were troublesome about him were these strange tricks that weren''t a part of his own strength. He relied on the artefacts that could even affect the Primordials. Fortunately, it looked like those things were mainly with the girl that was already sent away.


    "You should worry about who wille to help you," Eren answered, as dragon scales materialised around his fist. Draconian Wings spread from his back, tearing off his shirt, while horns came from his forehead.


    ....


    "What is taking him so long? Why isn''t he back? We might miss the deadline!" In another ce, two people were waiting near an altar that seemed to have been properly arranged.


    "He will be back on time. Don''t forget that he needs it more than us." The woman told the chubby man, who was sitting next to the altar.


    "If you are that confident, then why do you seem just as nervous as me? You know that we are already runningte. If we are even a single secondte in returning, we might fail altogether. We will never get a second chance either."


    The chubby man didn''t appear to be calm in the slightest. He didn''t even want to imagine a scenario where they would fail, but he couldn''t help himself.


    "He is always so full of himself. If he iste, I will thrash him myself!" He eximed, but just as he finished, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching them.

 Chapter 615 615: Helping or scheming

    "Is he finally back?" The man stood up, hearing the approaching footsteps.


    The woman also raised her head, but she found it somewhat strange.


    She knew that man. If he wasing back, then he would have been loud and obnoxious, flexing about his achievements before he even arrived. Why was he silently arriving? Even more strange was the fact that the footsteps felt heavier than her footsteps.


    Soon, the person that had arrived, came into sight. The person they were waiting for was there. But he wasn''t walking on his own two feet.


    Instead, his lifeless body was being carried by someone else. The scene made their expressions darken.


    "Just great!" The chubby man tossed his hand in the air in frustration.


    The young man was almostpletely stripped of everything that he held, including the watch. They couldn''t even see the portal stone in his hand that they were here to take.


    "Were you looking for him?" Eren asked. "Don''t worry. He is still alive."


    He tossed the boy towards the woman who looked like she was ready to kill him at a moment''s notice.


    The woman reacted fast, and quickly caught the boy. When she checked him, she finally sighed in relief as she verified that he was indeed alive.


    At the moment, she was so relieved at the fact that the boy was alive, she didn''t find anything strange about the fact that Eren was returning home alive to them.


    "You should really leave this ce. I have already informed the Primordials. Within a few seconds, they would get here," Eren told the chubby man, who looked the most suspicious out of the two as he didn''t care about the boy''s life.


    "Give the portal stone. That''s the only way we can return home!" The chubby boy reached out his hand, almost certain that Eren had taken it.


    He didn''t care about the reason that Eren was returning that boy alive. He thought that maybe it was because he found out about their identity, which was for the better as he could just ask the portal stone back.


    "We both know that you don''t need that portal stone to be able to return," Eren replied. "I have already shown a lot of goodwill by returning him alive. If you don''t want to leave, then we can wait here until the Primordials arrive. Then I can''t guarantee if any of you will survive."


    "You do realize that a few seconds are more than enough for me to kill you, right?" The chubby man asked, his gaze narrowing.


    "Your friend tried. You can also try. But if you can''t finish it in a few seconds, then it will be your loss." Eren didn''t show any fear on his face. He simply shrugged innocently, as if he didn''t have anything to lose in either case.


    Just as he finished speaking, a loud sound came from the distant cavern, as if rocks were falling with someone''s arrival.


    "We are leaving! We don''t have time for this!!" The woman was the first to react, as she heard the sound. She had already used her treasure once. If the Primordials arrived, then they really couldn''t stop them.


    When the chubby man didn''t seem to react to his words, she grabbed his hand, and pulled him back to the altar. "Failing is better than dying here!"


    She knew that if one of them had returned in such a broken state after facing that man, then they couldn''t really defeat him in a few seconds. It was only bad for them.


    "I will remember you." The chubby man said, watching Eren''s smug as he activated the altar, with the sound of destruction getting closer.


    "I hope you do." Eren waved his hand, watching the altar light up. Right before his eyes, the figure of the two guests from the upper world disappeared, as they returned to their world.


    Eren brought out the portal stone, and tossed it in the air before catching it. "They really thought I would invite the Primordials to take it from me after putting in so much hard work. Fools..."


    He tossed the upper-world portal stone into his storage space before looking back at the cave that led to this hall. From the cave, a blood clone emerged, carrying a heavy stone that it tossed onto the ground, creating a simrly loud noise.


    "Good work." Eren reached out his hand, and the blood clone condensed into a small drop of blood, flying straight toward him before merging with him.


    He retrieved a few explosives from his inventory and started cing them all around the area as he left, moving back the way he came.


    He covered the entire ce that might hold any trace of him with explosives from the Necromancer Tower, to erase his presencepletely.


    "I wonder if they will ever find out that their friend has been long dead," Eren mumbled as he reached the end of the cave, at the secret opening.


    "It would be so much better if they didn''t. It would hurt really badly if they found out and destroyed the small soul fragment of mine meant to control it. And losing such a useful pawn would hurt even more."


    He stepped out of the cave, turning into a shadow, and carefully moved away.


    Once he was far enough from the cave and the entrance, the explosions detonated, shaking the entire city and catching the attention of the guards, as well as the Primordials, who flew straight toward the site of the explosion.


    With everyone distracted, Eren increased his speed to return to the Auction House where his clone was waiting.


    Eren quickly returned to the auction house entrance, but just as he was about to pass through, he saw someone''s feet before him.


    "Are you going somewhere, my dear son-inw?" A voice came that almost made him curse out loud.


    "Lord Lysander," Eren said, emerging from the shadow and raising his head to look at the tall figure of the First Primordial, who seemed to be the only person who didn''t chase after the explosion. "

 Chapter 616 616: Wedding gift

    "Is that what you should be calling me?" Lysander crossed his arms, frowning in displeasure.


    Eren looked at him for quite some time, before uttering, "Father-inw."


    "Hahaha, that sounds so much better. Good, very good!" He patted Eren''s shoulders,ughing out loud as his displeasure waspletely gone.


    He suddenly thought of something and looked all around him before bringing his face close to Eren''s ears. "Don''t call me that in front of my little girl until you win her heart. But when she''s not nearby, you can freely call me that."


    He didn''t want his daughter to know about his schemes, to not make her grow more distant from Eren. Still, as someone who had epted Eren as a son inw, he really liked hearing him being called father inw by him.


    Eren thought that Lysander was going to ask him about where he wasing from, but to his pleasant surprise, the conversation never reached that point at all.


    "Now go and get back to my daughter." Lysander turned him around and pushed him inside the auction house. "I don''t feel safe when she''s with that cunning vixen."


    Eren took a deep breath, wondering if he should tell Lysander that his daughter waspletely straight, and that he was overthinking about something unnecessarily. However, in the end, he dropped the thought and started walking away.


    "Oh, and son-inw," Lysander suddenly called out when Eren was about to disappear into the hallway. "Your performance was quite impressive. Treat that stone with care, and don''t let anyone else find out."


    Eren''s feet came to a sudden half as he heard those words. He didn''t look back, and continued walking, even though his mind was suddenly very chaotic.


    It was clear to him that the First Primordial already knew that he had taken the Portal Stone. That was why he didn''t ask where he wasing from.


    It was as if that man was watching everything happen with his own eyes, while the other Primordials didn''t even know where the culprits were hiding.


    Despite knowing everything, the First Primordial didn''t ask for the portal stone back. It was like he didn''t care about that stone in the first ce. Or he trusted him so much that he didn''t feel the need to hold on to the portal stone.


    Eren was lost in thoughts as he disappeared in the maze-like hallways, leaving the first primordial behind.


    After Eren disappeared, Lysander turned around and started walking away as well. "Sigh, and here I thought that I would gift that stone to my son-inw at the wedding. Who could''ve thought that so much would happen."


    He truly didn''t need the portal stone, as he had no interest in going to the upper world. He was very content with his current home. The only ce he wished to visit, if any, was earth.


    Even if the others had bought the Primordials stone in the auction house, he couldn''t have cared about it as that didn''t affect him. That''s why he didn''te here personally.


    The only reason he even told his daughter to buy it, was because he thought that it might make for a good wedding gift if it was bought by his daughter, and handed over to his son inw in the future.


    He didn''t expect that stone to be stolen from the auction house itself. The moment he arrived and heard what had happened, he had already found the whereabouts of the thieves. But he didn''t care enough to take action.


    It was only when he saw his son inw was the person fighting the thief, he grew slightly interested. He even thought about helping his son-inw, but the boy clearly didn''t need any help. Some of his tricks even impressed the strongest primordial demon of hell.


    He was even more pleased with the kind of son inw that he had managed to find. He was sure that it was only a matter of time before the boy could be someone that far surpassed a Primordial Demon.


    "I will have to find another gift. I wonder what he would like. A mythical beast maybe?" He scratched the back of his head, before he flew in the direction of the explosion to catch up with the other Primordials as well.


    He soon disappeared into the distance as well, catching up to the other Primordials that were looking at the surroundings that had been destroyed in the mes.


    They couldn''t feel any aura traces. The only trace that was left somewhat intact were the pieces of altar.


    "This confirms it. They were from the upper realm," the Third Primordial picked up one of the altar pieces, looking at the inscription on it. "It was activated not long before the explosion. It looks like they arranged for this explosive gift before they left."


    "Can you find which upper realm world it connected to?" The Second Primordial asked coldly. Even though he was the strongest in hell after Lysander, but he had the least amount of knowledge when it came to inscriptions.


    "It shouldn''t be hard. Maybe I can even do something better..." The Third Primordial started collecting all the remnant pieces of the altar, of which quite a few were left.


    ....


    Eren reached before his room, and stood outside. He was about to send an instruction to the clone to open the door ande out, but before he could do that, he heard the sound of the door opening.


    He quickly returned to his shadow form, right before the door opened, making himself invisible beneath the door.


    Estelia and Jenia stepped out of the room, and the blood clone followed. Eren came out of the shadow, taking the ce of the clone that merged with him.


    He hadpleted everything that he wanted to achieve. Even though some things had gone beyond his expectations, the end result satisfied him to some extent. Almost all the threats were gone, or so he thought.

 Chapter 617 617: Fooled half the world

    "Aren''t we going in the wrong direction? The exit is that way," Eren said, watching the girl take the wrong route.


    He thought the girls were about to leave the Auction House, as everything was over. But strangely enough, they had taken apletely different direction, which seemingly led to the stage instead.


    "I want to check something. If you want to go back, you can leave," Estelia answered.


    Eren already knew where she was going, since he had taken that route before. It was a route that led to the stage. He couldn''t help but wonder what she wanted to check there.


    He tried hard to remember if he had left anything there that might lead them to him. But he couldn''t think of anything. As far as he remembered, his blood clone had destroyed itself afterpleting the mission assigned to it.


    He followed her with a frown on his face, constantly thinking if he had made any mistake while killing Lenniel. His biggest worry was that Estelia might have a way to bring Lenniel back to life, even though he hadpletely destroyed Lenniel''s body.


    He didn''t think that there was a possibility of that happening, but he still couldn''t put his worries to rest until he confirmed it.


    "Are we going to check the ve that you bought in auction? It was very expensive. I wish there was a way to bring it back to life. Then it wouldn''t be such a big loss," Eren said, trying to test the waters.


    "You don''t have to worry about it. I never make a losing deal. I can bring him back to life," Estelia answered, as she nced back at Eren at that exact moment.


    "You can? That''s a relief." Eren sighed in relief, cing a hand on his chest. There was nothing off about his expressions, even though deep down he was initially very shocked.


    He didn''t show his true thoughts on his face, especially when the girl was looking back at him, not knowing if she was being honest or if she was just testing him.


    Estelia stopped paying attention to Eren, and turned back, continuing on her way. Although it was for a fleeting moment, a sense of disappointment shed in her eyes as if she was expecting something more from Eren.


    The three of them soon reached near the stage, where the Auction House Manager was still on his knees, looking nkly at the hole in the ceiling. The losses that the auction house suffered this time were too many. He knew that he shouldn''t avoid responsibility.


    Even if the portal stone was found, that wouldn''t absolve him of his responsibility. The security of this ce was his responsibility, but the thieves still managed to get near the stage and he didn''t even know about it.


    "I am finished..." He repeatedly mumbled. "When the owner finds out..."


    His face had already grown pale as he thought about it. He knew that he couldn''t afford to take responsibility. He stood up and nkly walked away,ing to a hard decision. Before he was punished by the owner of the auction house, he was going to put an end to himself on his own.


    He walked away from the stage, going past Eren, not knowing that the young man also had a hand in his ruins. Eren didn''t know the man''s thoughts either.


    He simply focused on the cage, which was filled with what seemed like remnants of flesh that once upon a time belonged to Lenniel, but were now beyond recognition.


    Estelia stopped before the cage, looking at a sight that could make any normal human vomit. Eren silently stood in the back, asionally frowning. He was constantly worried about Lenniel. If there was really a method for him toe back to life, then it was bad.


    "The person didn''t just kill him, butpletely destroyed him. It looks less like a punishment, and more as if the killer was worried that he might be brought back to life," Jenia thought out loud, looking at the gruesome scene.


    "It might be because he knew some kind of secret that the person didn''t want to be discovered? Could it be about the whereabouts of their world?" she asked.


    Estelia shook her hand at the assumption.


    "That can''t be it. His memories about his world have already been explored by his first owner. There is no point in killing him after he reached the auction house. It''s more as if the person was worried about something beyond just the memories of this person."


    "The killer definitely didn''t want us to know something. But it wasn''t about their world, or anything rted to it. It was something else... Something that had nothing to do with their world." Her frown deepened as she looked back at Eren. "What do you think?"


    "Won''t we know if we bring him back to life? It''s only a matter of time before we get our answers." Eren innocently smiled, almostpletely certain now that the girls couldn''t bring him back to life.


    They were just trying to trick him into giving himself away with his reaction.


    ''Little girl, I''ve fooled the entire world where I came from. I think you''re a few decades too young to trick me.'' He thought. He didn''t know why Estelia was doubting him particrly, but he acted as nonchnt as ever.


    "I suppose we will find out soon enough. Weren''t there more outsiders that came with him, who were caught alive. I will send someone to deliver a message to the Seventh Primordial. I don''t care how long it takes. I will find out what it was about."


    She looked at Eren, before walking off the stage, leaving the cage behind. Eren watched her walk away, his expressions beingpletely unreadable.


    He looked back at the cage, tapping it onest time, bidding farewell to the Left Guardian of the Necromancer Tower onest time. With this, he had finished all leadership of the Necromancer Tower.


    There were a few more remnants that were caught by the Seventh Primordial, but he didn''t quite worry about them. If he had dealt with this mess, then dealing with that mess was much easier in his eyes. For now, he had survived another day.


    He followed the girls out of the auction house.

 Chapter 618 618: Jenias Abandonment

    Eren followed Estelia out of the Auction House, where the carriage was already waiting. A servant opened the door, and Estelia entered first. Jenia was about to follow, but Eren slipped in ahead of her, leaving her momentarily stunned.


    "What are you doing? Get out!" she quickly retorted, grabbing his hand to pull him from the carriage.


    "Stop pulling me," Eren countered, resisting her tug and pulling back. Though Jenia was strong, he was not weak in the strength department, especially at his current level.


    Jenia couldn''t budge him. Her hand kept slipping as she tried to maintain her grip. Finally, her hand gave waypletely.


    With no one to pull him back, the force Eren used to brace himself propelled him forward. Estelia was also shocked, seeing Eren falling straight at her.


    She thought about attacking him to send him flying back, but she remembered that he was her father''s guest and couldn''t kill him. Moreover, it was clearly an ident.


    It happened so fast that she didn''t have time to react, and subconsciously closed her eyes. However, the impact that she was expecting, didn''te.


    She slowly opened her eyes, and saw Eren''s face right before her, his lips merely inches away from hers to the point that she could even feel his warm breath brushing against her lips.


    His hands were next to her, but they weren''t touching her. Instead, they were resting on the walls of the carriage, which Eren had used to stop himself on time.


    "Are you alright?" he asked gently, looking deep in the eyes of the girl.


    Estelia slowly nodded in silence, her mind being in aplete mess.


    "That''s good. I couldn''t bear to see you hurt." Eren took off one hand from the wall, and tucked Estelia''s bangs behind her ears before pushing him back with his other arm.


    He walked past her, and set down in silence, not saying anything else. But Estelia couldn''t avoid getting the scent of blood. She looked at his hand, and saw his fingers were bleeding.


    She looked back, and saw that there was a sharp edge of the wall, which also had a trace of blood. To protect herself from his fall, he had hurt himself instead.


    Moreover, even when he tucked her hair, he didn''t use his bleeding hand. He didn''t evenin that her friend had caused all this.


    "You are hurt..." she said, frowning. She had thought that Eren was going to take advantage of the situation to touch her when he was falling, but he didn''t even try to do that.


    Instead, he seemed worried that he might hurt her if he crashed on her, for which he tried everything to stop, even hurting himself.


    "It will heal on its own. I''m not that weak." Eren nonchntly answered, not even ncing at his bleeding finger.


    "You fool. You can''t even protect yourself. What''s the point of protecting me?" Esteliained, but still, she moved closer to Eren on her own. "You are a guest of my father. I don''t want him toin that I caused you to get hurt."


    She brought something out of her storage, and grabbed Eren''s wrist. She ced his bleeding hand on herp, and started applying a healing medicine on his wound.


    Jenia stepped inside the carriage, almost about toin about Eren when she saw a scene that made her jaws almost drop. She rubbed her eyes repeatedly, finding it hard to believe the scene that she was seeing.


    Estelia was sitting right next to Eren, their shoulders and legs touching. His hand was on herp, and she was applying medicine on him.


    "W-what are you doing?" she asked, almost on the verge of crying.


    "He is bleeding. I am helping him," Estelia answered, as she continued applying the medicine.


    "How can he bleed out of nowhere? He''s acting! He''s trying to take advantage of you!" Jenia eximed, almost on the verge of yelling.


    Estelia took a deep breath, and looked back at Jenia. "I am not a child. You think I can''t differentiate between reality and act? I''ve been seeing it for a long time. And for a moment I even believed your words. But it''s clear that you seemed to have some enmity for him!"


    "You''ve been trying to prove him wrong all this time. Can''t you just let thest go for a moment?! Stop acting like a child!" She retorted angrily.


    Both of them were older than Eren, so Estelia couldn''t believe how childish Jenia was behaving before Eren, just because he touched her once.


    Even after she repeatedly asked her to let the past go, it was clear that she had already made up her mind about not forgetting. For Estelia, it was truly too petty.


    "I''m just looking out for you," Jenia said softly, her eyes filled with hurt.


    "I don''t need anyone to look out for me. I am as old as you!" Estelia shouted. "The carriage will return to my home. Your home is on thepletely opposite side. I think it would be better if you returned home for now, and think about your behaviour."


    Jenia bit her lip, looking a little taken aback. Although it was true that her home was in the opposite direction, she still didn''t like the fact that she was basically being kicked out of the carriage for a man.


    "I-"


    "We can talkter. I need to return. After the failed auction, father must be waiting for me." Estelia didn''t even give her a chance to reply.


    Jenia had no choice but to step out of the carriage, taking onest nce at Eren and Estelia. This time, Eren didn''t make any mocking gaze, only looking at her with pity.


    Once she was out, the door of the carriage was closed by the servant and it started leaving, going back to the First Primordial''s Pce. Jenia could only watch the carriage leave until itpletely disappeared from her view, abandoning her.

 Chapter 619 619: Mother in law

    "Are you alright?" Eren asked Estelia, who was still applying the medicine on his hand as the carriage travelled back.


    "Why won''t I be alright?" Estelia replied, finishing the application of the medicine.


    "You just fought with your best friend. I know it must be hard for you. So tell me, are you really fine?" Eren repeated the same question again, his voice filled withpassion as he ced his other hand on Estelia''s hand.


    Estelia didn''t react to the fact that he had held her hand. She was more immersed in the question that was asked by him. Was she really fine? Even she couldn''t be sure.


    "I don''t know. We have been friends for such a long time, and we never had a fight until today. For some reason, she had been acting so strange today. That wasn''t the person that I remembered," she answered, looking out the window as the scenery outside kept moving fast at lightning speed, bing nothing more than a blur.


    "I can understand. I went through a simr thing in the past." Eren let out a tired sigh, as he tossed his head back, seemingly remembering an ufortable past. Even then, his hand remained on top of Estelia''s gentle hand.


    "Something simr?" Estelia gazed at him, feeling a subtle sadness in his voice.


    "I also had a best friend. Or at least I thought he was my friend. We grew up ying together. I thought I knew everything about him, until I was stabbed in the back by him," he mumbled, his voice barely audible. However, for someone like Estelia, these words were as clear as they could be.


    "Sometimes, we only see the things that we want to see, in people that we cherish. We ignore all their negative points, and don''t even register these things until it bes too obvious. Then the utopia that we cherish,es down like a house of cards."


    He gazed back at Estelia, looking straight in her eyes. "We have a saying for that on earth."


    "What saying?" Estelia''s brows rose, as she became more serious, which made her look even cuter.


    "Don''t trust what you see... Don''t trust what you feel... Don''t trust anything, even your own blood," he told her vaguely. His words carried a hint about himself, but he knew that she couldn''tprehend it. Still he said it out loud in the form of a saying.


    Estelia was in a daze as these words echoed in her ears. She kept looking at Eren for quite some time. Most people asked her to trust them, but this was the first time she had heard someone tell her to not trust anyone.


    "Do you mean I shouldn''t trust you either?" she asked Eren, breaking a long period of silence.


    Eren slowly opened his lips, and Estelia eagerly waited for his answer.


    "You-"


    The carriage suddenly came to a stop. Estelia could never know what Eren wanted to say initially, as he swiftly changed his answer when the carriage stopped.


    "We are back where we started. Your father must be waiting for you." He said, as he grabbed her hand and led her out of the carriage like a gentleman.


    "Ha... Haa... Haaaaa?!" Standing in the balcony, Lysander''s jaws almost dropped in pleasant surprise, watching his daughter stepping out of the carriage while holding the young man''s hand.


    If he didn''t know better, he would''ve thought that the two of them were already married for years. What made him even happier was that the girl he was worried about was nowhere to be found.


    "He is truly miraculous." He said, trying his hardest to control his urge tough out loud in pride at his selection of a son-inw.


    "Who is miraculous?" A beautiful voice came from inside the room.


    A sweet fragrance arrived, apanying a woman dressed in royal attire. Her long gown wrapped tightly around her curvaceous body, highlighting all her curves and her mature charm. She stopped next to Lysander, and wrapped his arms around his arms, looking where he was looking.


    "Hoh? Is that really our stubborn daughter, holding the hands of a man?" She couldn''t hide her surprise as she looked at Lysander. "Are you using an illusion to mess with me again? You know I don''t like these tricks."


    "Hahaha, I''m not using any illusions. This is as real as it can be!" Lysander puffed his chest like a proud husband on earth telling his wife that he had finished repairing the roof in record time.


    "Look at that man carefully. I hadplete faith. He will be our precious son-inw. It''s only a matter of time."


    The woman didn''t know how to react. She still found it hard to believe, as she was worried that her hopes might be crushed again if this dream didn''t be a reality.


    "Our daughter... is really interested in a man!" Tears of happiness appeared in her eyes as she suddenly jumped off the balcony, yelling, "Son-inw!"


    "Hey, stop! You will ruin the entire n!" Lysander jumped after his overly emotional wife. If there was anyone more eager to have their daughter settle down and find a loved one, it was his wife. Even if she wasn''t from earth, she was more traditional than him.


    "Son-inw!" She called out, running towards Eren and her daughter.


    "Hah? Mother?" Estelia looked at his mother, running towards her, leaving a cloud of dust and lightning in her trail.


    "That is your mother?" Eren''s lips twitched, as he looked at the woman, her status screen appearing before him. It only made him go pale, as almost all her stats had a question mark before them, something that didn''t happen even for Lysander.


    Even her level was a question mark, and nothing more. All that the status screen could properly show was her name.


    "Why can''t I hear her?" Estelia frowned, clearly seeing that her mother seemed to be yelling something, but she couldn''t hear a single word. It was as if some kind of istion magic was cast on her.


    Unfortunately, no istion magic was enough to stop that woman when she reached her daughter.

 Chapter 620 620: Match made in heaven

    "Son¡ª" The woman grabbed Eren''s hand. However, before she could evenplete her word, Lysander appeared behind her and covered her mouth.


    "Hahaha, it''s her first time seeing someone from Earth other than me, so she''s a little curious," heughed awkwardly, offering an exnation to his daughter.


    Immediately afterward, he brought his lips close to his wife''s ear and whispered, "Don''t say anything, or the wedding will end before it even bes possible."


    The woman bit her husband''s hand, making him release her. She was a little confused about his reason for silencing her, but the potential consequences made herply.


    "My dear daughter, you are back from a long journey. Why don''t you go and rest? We have some things to discuss with him." He jerked his hand, which still had the bite mark.


    Estelia looked at her parents, who were behaving strangely. She didn''t understand why, but she nodded. She freed her hand from Eren''s hand and started walking away.


    On her way back, she asionally nced back, wondering what they had to talk about. At first, she had thought that Eren was only a guest that came from the same ce as her father, which was why he was epted.


    However, the more she interacted with him, the more iprehensible he appeared. He didn''t look like someone who hade from a peaceful world. Even his strength wasn''t much weaker than her based on her limited interaction with him.


    At times, she even felt that he might be able to defeat her if he didn''t hold back. But she couldn''t be certain about it, as it was just a feeling. Unless she fought in a life or death battle with him, it was impossible to confirm.


    She soon walked through the door, and disappeared inside the pce.


    ....


    "Are you going to tell me what this was about?" The woman asked Lysander, ring at him.


    It was the first time Eren had seen someone as powerful as Lysander being drenched in cold. He might be the strongest existence in this world as a demigod, but the woman was even stronger.


    If anything, the woman reminded her more of the goddess of light, giving the same suppressive feeling. She was not just a demigod but something beyond.


    Lysander cast a sound istion barrier around them, even after confirming that his daughter was not here.


    Once the barrier waspleted, he started telling his wife everything, including his deal with Eren. He didn''t forget toplement Eren as the best son inw that they could have found, which made him take this step.


    The woman silently heard her husband''s exnation as she looked at Eren. Eren gulped down, feeling like a specimen under a microscope.


    He didn''t feel this suppressed even under Lysander. He wasn''t even sure if he had any possibility of escaping from this ce, at least not unless he was able to sessfully use the echo of eternity.


    He had only killed a god once in his life, that too when he was under the effect of echo of eternity.


    Unfortunately, even he didn''t remember anything from that time, not even knowing how he had killed the goddess of light. If possible, he didn''t want to take that gamble here.


    "So your name is Eren?" The woman asked once the exnation finished, as her gaze narrowed.


    Eren nodded, wondering what that woman might be thinking about.


    "Why do you look so nervous, as if you did something wrong?" The woman frowned, her gaze sharp enough to make Eren feelpletely exposed.


    "It''s my first time meeting you, Mother-in-Law, so I am a little nervous," Eren answered, taking a calcted risk with his words. "After seeing you, I finally understand where Estelia inherited her beauty."


    "You brat, are you calling me ugly?" Lysander''s lips twitched.


    "Not at all. It''s just that Mother-in-Law is so charming. If you hadn''t introduced her, I would have thought she was Estelia''s older sister." Every woman loved apliment, or at least that''s what he had heard, and he put this saying into action.


    "Looking at both of you, you two seem like a match made in heaven." He didn''t forget to make it clear that he wasn''t flirting with Lysander''s wife, bringing him into the picture as well.


    Whileplimenting her, he carefully observed even the smallest reaction. Unfortunately, there was nothing. She remained silent, showing no outward response.


    He wondered if he had made a mistake. Had he overyed his hand? He couldn''t be certain.


    "Did you hear what he said?" Her cherry lips moved as she turned to her husband. "He called me Mother-in-Law."


    Her lips slowly curved into a smile. The words sounded so pleasant to her. She had imagined many times that her daughter would find a life partner and that she would be called "Mother-in-Law" by that person. Now that it had finally happened, it felt surreal.


    Eren had expected thepliments to work on her. Surprisingly, what resonated wasn''t the ttery, but the same title that had worked on Lysander.


    He didn''t show his true emotions on his face, but deep down, he was amazed at how simple these two powerful beings were. They truly loved their daughter so much that they seemed to have been worrying about her future for a long time.


    If he didn''t know better, he would''ve thought they were a little crazy. Then again, he still couldn''tpletely dismiss that possibility.


    "He is so nice. Do you see how heplimented me? Why don''t you learn from him?" she asked her husband, who scratched the back of his head.


    The woman turned back to Eren, not even waiting for her husband''s reply. "Son-in-Law, you were holding my daughter''s hand. Have you two started to ept each other? When can we arrange the wedding?"


    "I fell for her a long time ago. I''m just trying to show her my sincerity so she can also ept me."


    Eren hadn''t wanted to say that he was prepared for a wedding in the near future, or even to give them false hope, but it was already toote. He wasn''t sure what the woman might do if he continued to give vague answers.

 Chapter 621 621: Darkness under the light

    "Why won''t she? Just looking at the two of you walking together, I could already see a future for you two." She patted Eren''s head, like he was her own son.


    "Have you eaten?" she suddenly asked, noticing that they were still standing outside the mansion. She was so eager to know more that she didn''t even allow Eren to enter the mansion.


    "I-" Eren tried telling her that he was hungry. But before he could utter a sentence, Lysander''s thoughts appeared in his head.


    "Don''t reject."


    "I haven''t eaten anything. I was really looking forward to eating something." Eren took the warning seriously and rubbed his stomach, expressing his hunger.


    He followed the woman inside the mansion, walking next to Lysander. He had only talked to that woman for a few seconds, yet he was already so exhausted. He could only imagine how Lysander handled her.


    The only thing for certain, was that the two really loved each other. In fact, it was the most in-love couple that he had seen.


    "Mother-inw, can I ask you something?" he asked.


    "A grandson, or a granddaughter. I''m fine with both." The woman answered, without even waiting for the question.


    Eren almost stumbled, hearing that answer. "Cough, that''s not it. I wanted to ask how I should address you in front of Estelia. I don''t think I can call you mother-inw, or she might be upset."


    "Ah, that. My name is Trisa. I wouldn''t mind you calling me Sister Trisa, but I think that might mess up the hierarchy in my daughter''s eyes. So although I don''t want to feel old, you can still call me aunt when we are with her."


    Trisa seemed quite childish in some ways, but Eren had a feeling that it was only a side that she showed to people that she considered important. He truly didn''t want to see any other side of her.


    "I had another question. More than a question, you can call out my curiosity. Both of you seem worried about your daughter''s closeness with that girl. In this world, you two can easily get rid of anyone. So why haven''t you?"


    Not wanting them to misunderstand, he further rified, "I meant, where I came from, this would be iprehensible. But in this world, I don''t think it is againstmon sense to get rid of such threats. Is there a reason why you haven''t?"


    "It''s because of my dear husband," the woman said, letting out a sigh.


    "Jenia''s father also used to be a Primordial Demon," Lysander took the lead, and started exining. "He was also a dear friend to me, who had helped me the most when I first came to this world."


    "You can say that I owe my life to him. So even if I don''t like that girl, I can''t kill his daughter. It''s also because of consideration for me that Trisa doesn''t do anything either."


    "I tried to have that girl he sent away, but every time, my daughter would start fighting me over it and bring her childhood friend back. So I was stuck in this mess, wondering what I could do. That''s when you came..."


    "I am truly happy that I met you. And I do look forward to the moment when you truly be a part of our family." Lysander truly looked relieved when he looked at Eren.


    Eren couldn''t find a w in their words, but he still felt that the two of them were not telling him everything. Were they really eager to find a son inw because they were worried about their daughter?


    He didn''t have any reason to question it, but there was still a cynical thought inside him that made him wonder, what if something else was going on that he didn''t know about?


    More than doubting Lysander and his wife, he was doubting his own luck. Could his luck really be so good to get such overpowered inws without there anything being wrong with them?


    He was burned so many times by his luck, that he found it hard to believe it, even when everything was logically making some sense.


    Unfortunately, even if he questioned it, he didn''t have any way to confirm it. For now, he could only hope that he was overthinking.


    "Father-inw, I have a suggestion. If I was able to spend more time with Estelia, I might be able to win her heart. Is there a possibility that I could temporarily take her to earth to show her around?"


    Out of nowhere, he offered a suggestion to the couple, finding a way to align his own goals with the goals of Lysander. It seemed like a good way to get Lysander to remove the seal on the portal to earth so he could retrieve his body.


    At least that''s what he had thought. But the moment he finished speaking, all his senses warned him. He felt like the shadow of death had loomed over him, with a terrifying killing intent that flickered for a mere moment.


    The killing intent disappeared as briefly as it had appeared. Even Eren couldn''t be certain where this looking intent came from. It definitely came from Lysander, or his wife. But why? What was about Earth that made one of them behave like this?


    "Did you say something?" Lysander asked, without looking back.


    "Ah, nothing. Now that I think about it, it was a stupid idea." Eren subconsciously answered, backtracking. He didn''t want to repeat the same thing, without knowing the source of that killing intent.


    The three of them entered the Pce. None of them said anything until they reached the dining hall. It took a moment before the atmosphere to return to normal, especially when the food was served.


    Trisa called for her daughter, who also arrived soon after. The dinner was short and swift, and there were even small conversations, as if nothing had happened a few moments ago.


    Even Eren couldn''t be certain what kind of situation this was. He also yed along, and tried to suppress the memory of that frightening killing intent.

 Chapter 622 622: Temple of Light

    "Mother, how long are you back for this time?" Estelia asked her mother when dinner ended.


    "The Upper Realm has been quite chaotic recently, but I don''t think anything bad will happen if I don''t return for a week."


    "Chaotic? What do you mean?" Even Lysander looked surprised, hearing his wife mention something that she hadn''t even told him yet. "Is it dangerous for you?"


    "There seems to be a massive power struggle in the Temple of Light. Their leader died suddenly, and all the heirs are fighting for the position. They have also dragged nearby forces into their mess, so the entire continent is unstable recently."


    "Isn''t the Temple of Light a significant force in the Upper Realm? How did their leader die? If it''s not safe for you there, maybe you should stay here longer."


    "If I returned now, who would take care of the girls? The Sect that I established in the Upper Realm might not be the strongest force, but it has its own ce. I can''t abandon it."


    "Also, the conflict isn''t bad enough. It''s limited to the central region for now, so there''s nothing to worry about."


    The woman seemed carefree as she talked about some very serious things. Most of those things, Estelia couldn''t understand. It should''ve been the same case for Eren, but surprisingly, he was able to understand what this woman was saying.


    The guest that came from the Upper Realm had been killed by him. When he reced the soul of that young man, he had read his memories, which had inspired him to do something like this.


    Just as Trisa had said, there was an organization called the Temple of Light in the central region of the Upper Realm, at least the one that the boy hade from.


    He was surprised to find out that the woman also came from the same Upper Realm, a coincidence that left him quite intrigued.


    The boy hade from a family that was also established in the Central Region, a ce where major forces of the Upper Realm resided. It was the ce where gods gathered and demons roamed.


    Even though the woman had said that she had established a sect farther from the Central Region, that in itself was an achievement. She was a god, and there could be many people in the Sect, with each being as strong as Lysander.


    It was not wrong to say that the woman had her own army. Knowing that, every time Eren looked at her, he could see how terrifying that woman and this family actually were.


    It also made him understand why Lysander truly didn''t care about the portal stone in the first ce. His wife ruled over a sect in the Upper Realm. If he wanted, he could have her take him there any time.


    The other Primordial Demons thought that they were in a fight against Lysander, but they didn''t realize that Lysander himself was administering the fight. He was never in thepetition.


    Eren grabbed his head, struggling to control the chaotic waves in his heart. Just what kind of family had he be a part of? It was truly too frightening.


    If Lysander was like a mediaeval sword that could slice a person in a single strike, then the woman was a rocketuncher. And now, he had be a part of this crazy family and they even had expectations from him.


    It was fine if he could be their son inw, but what if he failed? Even if he didn''t quite like this feeling, he knew that he didn''t have a choice in the matter.


    His gaze shifted to Estelia, who was hisst hope. Moreover, she wasn''t bad looking either, so he couldn''tin. If anything, she was very charming.


    ''Will they kill me if they find out that I already have a few...'' He didn''tplete his thoughts. This was one question that he didn''t want an answer to.


    He didn''t even want to test that response. Before telling them about his true life and the women that were waiting for him, he had to be strong enough to protect himself.


    Fortunately, he still had some time. Moreover, now he also had a pawn, waiting for him in the upper realm, arranging a ce for him when he was to arrive there.


    As for the Temple of Light, he didn''t think much about it. It was a major force,parable to that boy''s family. But there was nothing beyond that in the boy''s memories.


    Other than the people of Temple of Light, no outsider had even seen the lord of the temple. All they knew was that the Temple Lord used to be a woman and she had suddenly died recently.


    The fate of the temple lord had nothing to do with him. Or so he thought, as he thought about his future that looked to be in shambles in front of this family.


    After the dinner, Trisa told Eren to apany her for a walk. Although her husband showed some jealousy, it was only minor.


    The jealousy wasn''t because he thought his wife might have a romantic interest in Eren. It was only because his wife had returned after a long time and she hadn''t spent much time with him.


    He was jealous of Eren, who was able to spend time with her, that he wanted to spend.


    "Are you scared of me?" After a few seconds of walking, Trisa asked.


    "Why would I be scared of mother inw?" Eren answered, not showing much reaction, even though deep down he agreed.


    "I am sorry. I couldn''t hide the killing intent when you talked about going to Earth. I''m sure you noticed that killing intent. It must have shocked you, but you didn''t say anything about it."


    Eren maintained his silence. He wanted to ask her the reason behind that killing intent, but he didn''t want to talk about Earth with her.


    "Don''t you want to ask me why my reaction was so extreme?" Seeing Eren''s silence, the woman asked herself.

 Chapter 623 623: Upper Realm Invitation

    "I believe Mother-inw must have her reasons." Eren finally responded, choosing his words carefully.


    He wanted to know the answer, but his instincts were telling him that it truly wasn''t safe for him to hear.


    Some things were better left unsaid, especially if they wereing from the person that had released such a powerful killing intent. He didn''t want to get anywhere near the topic that activated her killing intent.


    Trisa chuckled softly with a hint of amusement in her voice. "You''re a clever one, aren''t you? Clever people live longer, and I hope you do."


    "Just know that Earth is a ce you must never think of going. It''s... forbidden. For everyone, but most especially for you now. I don''t want you to die for no reason at all." Her voice had lost its yful tone, and was reced with seriousness.


    "I understand," Eren replied simply, nodding his head. He didn''t ask any further, but his mind was truly in a mess. Just what on earth could put his life in danger, ording to her?


    He was sure that she knew how weak earth actually was. For someone like him, there should be nothing dangerous on earth. It should''ve been a ce that someone like him could evenpletely rule over if he wanted.


    At least that was the case unless there was something about Earth that he wasn''t allowed to know when he was living there. Were there also some things that humans weren''t allowed to know on earth?


    Her warning made him have second thoughts. Maybe finding his real body really wasn''t a good n. Even if it gave him some advantages like removing all variables rted to his current life, it wasn''t worth putting his present life in jeopardy.


    "I will remember those words." He lowered his head, expressing his gratitude towards the woman. Even if she hadn''t told him anything drastic, but the hints that she gave him, were still enough to give him some realization.


    "Good. Now, let''s talk about the Upper Realm," Trisa continued, her tone shifting again, bing lighter. "You said you wanted to take my daughter to a new ce to get her closer to you? What are your thoughts about the Upper Realm?"


    "Don''t you think the Upper Realm would be just the right ce for that? My daughter has never been there either. And if it''s that ce, I can also grant you some safety."


    Eren''s heart skipped a beat. The woman was suggesting him toe to the Upper Realm with Estelia? Even though she said it was only a temporary vacation of sorts for him, it was still a big thing.


    People of this world were dying to enter the Upper Realm, while she was simply extending an invitation like it was nothing.


    Although the invitation wasn''t as important to him as before since he had a Portal Stone, what was truly important was the authority of the woman that came with this invitation.


    He couldn''t leave Hell for the time being, thanks to Lysander. If he was already unable to return home, then he could truly find ways to put this trip to good use and get a feel for the Realm of Gods.


    [Option One: ept the invitation and go to the Upper Realm with Trisa and Estelia.


    Reward: Demi-God''s Fragment]


    [Option Two: Reject the invitation.


    Reward: Trisa''s Hostility +50]


    ''Why are there only two options this time? And what''s with the second option? That''s a reward that I don''t think I can afford. Is there even a choice in this matter?''


    Even without the options, he had already guessed what oue a rejection would have resulted in. And the options further reinforced his thoughts.


    "Mother-inw''s suggestion sounds good. If it doesn''t trouble you too much, I would like to go with you and Estelia." Eren scratched the back of his head, and lowered his head, pretending to hide his embarrassment when talking about Estelia.


    Trisa burst intoughter and grabbed Eren''s cheeks and started pulling them. She found Eren too cute, just like a child, especially when he was embarrassed.


    "That''s good. We will stay here for a week. I will talk to my husband and get permission. Until then, try to keep my daughterpany." She freed Eren''s cheeks and turned away. "You know what they say... A day of distance can sometimes be a sword that cuts through even the strongest of bonds."


    She started walking away, leaving a message for Eren. "Don''t let the small flower of your love wither away before it could even grow properly."


    "Hah," Eren sighed in relief, watching the woman leave. Finally, he could lower her guard and rx. In that woman''spany, he had to be on alert always, worried that she might see through him.


    "Not the flower. I might be the one who wither away at this rate." He sat down on the grass itself and brought a bottle of water from his storage. He started gulping down the water, relieving the throat that had almost dried.


    "My dear system, you are sending me to the Upper World. Can you at least tell me if the stolen Main Character''s luck is going to work in the Upper Realm? Or will it be the same as in Hell?" he asked.


    He didn''t expect an answer from the system, and the answer didn''te either. Let alone the answer, even the reward of his option didn''te since it was only halfpleted.


    Eren fell on the ground, turning the garden into a bed while looking at the setting sun. The sun often reminded him of earth in the past. But now, it reminded him more of his second world.


    He remembered the Sect Master, who was probably still unaware about his whereabouts. There were also some people close to his heart that were waiting for him at the Necromancer Tower.


    "The War should have ended already. Without the Tower Master and the main forces of the Necromancer Tower, the Western Continent most probably won. I hope my clone can keep everything in control until I return."

 Chapter 624 624: Accidental Kiss

    Normally, he could at least feel his clone. But ever since he came to this world, he couldn''t feel any connection to his clone. The connection waspletely cut.


    He couldn''t see the clone''s actions or evenmand it. For as long as he wasn''t back, the clone of his was stuck in the Holy Emperor''s form. He was left to his own wits.


    "If only I could send a message back. I could have at least lowered their worries." His voice was filled with longing as he thought about the people back home.


    He couldn''t even connect to the Spirit Realm while he was in hell. Everything rted to the other world was cut off in hell. But the Upper Realm was different. The Upper Realm wasn''t as close to the Spirit Realm.


    He was really hopeful that he could connect to the Spirits when he reached the Upper Realm. In Hell, the Spirits were devoured by the corrupted essence present in the air.


    Even his Spirit Mark was useless for as long as he was here. From the memories about the Upper Realm that he had stolen, it was much less restrictive. The essence present there was also not restrictive of his spirit mark.


    If possible, he could even use transit through the Spirit Realm to return to his second home world after contacting the Spirit Queen.


    Unfortunately, just the thought of returning through the spatial portal alone made him nauseous, almost making him feel like vomiting.


    The portal connecting two continents had almost killed him. What about a connection between the upper realm and middle realm? He didn''t think it was good.


    "This is giving me a headache again." He massaged his temples gently, hoping to relieve the throbbing pain.


    "What is giving you a headache?" A gentle voice came from nearby. "Is it something that my mother said to you?"


    "When did you arrive?" Eren slowly opened his eyes and nced at the woman sitting next to him.


    "Just now. Also, you didn''t answer me. What did my mother tell you?"


    "She just asked me if I was missing home."


    "Is your headache because you started remembering your home?"


    "Possibly. It''s been a long time since I left. I was just worried about the tasks that I left pending," Eren gave an excuse.


    "Are you going to return?" Estelia asked.


    "If I do leave, will you miss me?" Eren smiled, hiding the intricate web of thoughts that was giving him a headache.


    "Why would I miss you? I have better things to do."


    "That makes me feel a little worse. And here I thought we could be considered friends to some extent." He acted like he was hurt as he closed his eyes again. "Though I don''t think I can ever return home."


    "Why can''t you return? You haven''t been enved. Shouldn''t it be easy for you to return?"


    Estelia didn''t understand why Eren couldn''t return. If he appeared in this world, that meant that there was a portal somewhere around the world. If he asked for her family''s help, they could certainly find the other portal to earth that hadn''t been sealed yet.


    Moreover, he wasn''t enved by her family. He was their guest, so her family was definitely not going to reject his request for help.


    "I will tell father that you want to return. We should be able to find a portal to earth. Maybe he can open the one he had sealed." Estelia didn''t even wait for Eren''s answer, as she received the thought of helping him.


    She stood up, not noticing Eren''s face turnpletely pale. He had barely avoided the wrath of her mother thest time he mentioned earth. If her daughter went to her to ask for the same, the me was going to be even worse.


    His body reacted as fast as lightning. He raised his hand, and caught her hand, pulling her back to sit down.


    "There''s no need. I told you I can''t return!" He was so frightened at the thought of her mothering to him for an exnation, he didn''t control his strength when pulling her back.


    Estelia was pulled in his direction instead of where she was sitting. She lost her bnce, not expecting being pulled so suddenly.


    "Eek?" A strange noise escaped her lips as she fell face first on top of Eren. Her body struck close to his body, as her eyes widened.


    Eren was in no less shock as his eyes widened in shock, feeling the wetness of Estelia''s lips on his lips.


    ''I am dead.'' That was the only thought in his mind.


    Tears appeared in the corner of Estelia''s eyes as she stared at Eren, her lips connected to his lips. She was in such disbelief that her mind hadpletely stopped functioning. She even forgot that she was supposed to move back to free herself.


    Eren also couldn''t move back since he was already lying on his back.


    He thought about pushing her back and try to create some distance from this goddess of death that he believed was going to attack him. Unfortunately, his body refused to move as he looked at her eyes that were getting wet.


    At this moment, she didn''t look like the woman that would''ve killed him. She was like a child that had been wronged. Still, there was something that made her hazy eyes even more charming.


    Time seemed to have stopped as the two of them remained like that, away from everyone''s sight.


    It was only when Estelia felt like she was suffocating and needed to breathe, that she finally reached and noticed that her lips were still not free.


    She raised her head back, and breathed heavily.


    "Y-You!" She gathered the strength in her hand, her facepletely red. Eren also noticed the fact that she was preparing for an attack. He grabbed her hand, and restricted them in ce.


    "It was an ident. I just wanted to stop you from asking them," Eren tried exining, but the girl didn''t seem like she wanted to listen.


    She tried to free her hands but she failed to do that before Eren''s strength. Instead, she felt as if her own straight was getting weaker. The more she tried to gather, the more it was leaving her body.


    Unable to free herself, she brought her face closer to his shoulder and bit as hard as she could, as if almost with the intention to chew his chest off.

 Chapter 625: Secret Relationship

    "Were you a hamster in yourst life?" Eren watched the girl, trying to bite his flesh off.


    If it were anyone else, it might have actually been possible, but his physical defenses had long surpassed that stage, especially with his dragon bloodline. Even though it hurt, it was far less damaging.


    "I was trying to stop you, but you fell on top of me. Can you really me me for it?" he asked the girl, who was feasting on him as if he were some kind of delicacy. "Also, can you stop biting me? It hurts."


    "Mmmmd!" Estelia made a noise, trying to say that it was good if he was hurt. She bit down even harder, while resisting his attempt to free her hands.


    "If you don¡¯t stop biting me, I might really do something to you..." Eren warned the girl, who was refusing to let go of his shoulder.


    "You!" Estelia freed his shoulder and looked at him, the corners of her eyes still wet, like a person who had been wronged.


    She tried to free her hands, but Eren kept them in ce, telling her, "I will release you if you promise me that you won¡¯t attack me again!"


    Estelia could simply promise that she wasn¡¯t going to try to hurt him anymore, and he would have freed her.


    But that was one promise that she didn¡¯t want to make, especially since he did deserve a punishment for what he did to her. She couldn¡¯t let him go without at least some proper beating.


    Now that she had some time to calm down, she remembered that she wasn¡¯t alone in this ce. This was the mansion of her family, and her parents were right inside the mansion.


    Did she really need Eren¡¯s mercy to be freed? She could easily be freed without his help, by just getting her mother toe.


    "Mothe-" Estelia screamed at the top of lungs, to call her mother for help.


    "Fuk!" Eren¡¯s expressions darkened, watching the girl scream. If her mother did arrive and misunderstood the situation, then he didn¡¯t even know how he was going to exin.


    His mind went nk and he subconsciously reached, raising his head. He ced his lips on her lips, this time intentionally to close her mouth since his hands were busy.


    "Ummm?!" Estelia¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. She tried to move her head back, but she wasn¡¯t able to separate her lips from his.


    Just as he was worried, Estelia¡¯s family did hear something. Lysander asked Trisa, "Did you hear that? It sounded like Estelia¡¯s voice."


    "I did hear something," Trisa agreed, and approached the window. She looked outside, trying to see what that noise was.


    Eren had cast an invisibility shroud over himself and Estelia to protect them, but the shroud waspletely ineffective before Estelia¡¯s mother.


    "That boy..." Trisa¡¯s face turned red when she saw Eren lying on the grass, and her daughter lying on top of him. They seemed to be busy sharing a passionate kiss.


    Looking at the sight, Trisa also grew somewhat embarrassed and turned away, not wanting to intrude.


    "That boy... I thought he was still trying to win her heart. To think that he had already gone so far. The two kept their rtionship hidden very well." She rubbed her forehead, but there was still a smile on her lips.


    "What did you see?" Lysander watched his wife¡¯s strange reaction and grew even more curious.


    "It¡¯s nothing. The kids are just ying around. Don¡¯t disturb them." Trisa cast a barrier around the room to prevent Lysander from using his divine sense to look outside.


    If Eren and her daughter had kept these things a secret from them, then she thought that they were embarrassed.


    Until they were confident enough to tell them openly, she didn¡¯t want to let them know that she already knew about their rtionship.


    At least, that¡¯s what she believed, unaware that Eren was simply trying to survive. He didn¡¯t have the privilege to think about anything.


    After a long time, Eren released her lips, and told Estelia, "Stop screaming now! If this misunderstanding doesn¡¯t stop, I will be dead!"


    Estelia gasped for breath, the moment her lips were released. Her body waspletely frozen in ce as she looked at him, the heavy scent of her lips left on his lips that were bleeding because of her bite.


    "I told you that I couldn¡¯t return to earth, but it wasn¡¯t because I couldn¡¯t find a way back! It was simply because I am too strong for earth now. If I was to return, I would just be treated like a monster in a world where everyone is much weaker!"


    He gave the best possible exnation about why he couldn¡¯t return to earth. Even though most of it was pure lies, there was no way for her to know that.


    "I didn¡¯t want you to trouble your parents for something that I didn¡¯t want to do in the first ce! So I was trying to stop you, but you lost your bnce and fell on me!"


    He mixed truth with lies. Even if his reason was a lie, the ident waspletely true. However everything else that happened after that, was the true problem.


    "After that you..." Estelia looked at Eren, gasping for breath. Her face waspletely red, but Eren was certain that it was more from anger and less from embarrassment.


    "I told you that I would free you if you promised to listen to me and not attack me. Out of nowhere, you started screaming! If your mother had seen me like this, would she wait for an exnation? I would¡¯ve been killed on the spot!"


    "I had no choice but to kiss you!" he eximed, his gaze subconsciously falling to her lips.


    "Now that I have told you everything, I will free you. If you still think that I was in the wrong, then you can call your parents. Or you can kill me yourself. I will not resist."


    Eren released her hands, and told her that he was going to ept her punishment without any resistance. However, deep down, he knew that he couldn¡¯t really ept death.


    A few seconds passed since he had released Estelia, but she still didn¡¯t get up.


    Her teary eyes were looking at him, as if she was thinking if she could believe him or not. The longer she thought, the more time Eren had, to breathe in her sweet scent.

 Chapter 626: I know nothing

    Eren looked in her eyes, wondering why she wasn''t saying anything. Was she still so shocked that she even forgot to react?


    He wanted to see Estelia''s reactions, but her bangs made it slightly harder to notice every detail about her reaction. He brought his hand close to her forehead, and gently moved her bangs behind her ears.


    "I really hope that we can put this misunderstanding aside. Because I truly had no ill intentions towards you," he said, letting out a tired sigh.


    With Estelia''s face being so close to his face, his warm breath brushed against his lips when he sighed, bringing Estelia to her senses.


    She noticed that her hands were freed and she could really move. She quickly jumped back, finally creating some distance from Eren, and brushed her fingers against her lips, wiping his scent off them.


    Eren also sat up, still worried about the kind of reaction she was going to show. Was she going to attack him outright with the intent to kill? Or was she going to forgive him? He really hoped that it was thetter.


    That''s why, when she outright turned around, his face went absolutely stunned. She had chosen a third choice, and started running towards the mansion.


    "Is she going to tell her mother everything?" Eren watched the girl run away. He knew that if he reached fast enough, he could restrict her again, but she still had a lot of time to scream.


    He had already done enough for one lifetime worth of misunderstanding. If he did any more, then no amount of exnation could help him.


    He stood up, and ced his hand on his waist. Since exining to Estelia was useless, he could only try to exin to his mother inw.


    "I really hope she will give me a chance to exin, and not outright kill me. Is it really the day when I am going to use that extra life I had?" He scratched the back of his head.


    For him, it was an absolute loss. He thought he would have to use that extra life when fighting against some horrifying enemy in the future.


    He never expected to exhaust that extra life because he was pped to death by his so-called mother inw.


    "Can I put up a fight tost for a few seconds?" he wondered, looking at his status screen. He had gathered quite a few skills, but when he thought about the horrifying stats of Trisa, the future looked grim.


    The only thing that could possibly help him survive a battle against Trisa was the Echo of Eternity, but even that depended on his luck.


    "If she doesn''t listen to my exnation, and my extra life is exhausted, this should be thest option."


    He opened his inventory, and arranged the Potion of Luck in the absolute center of his inventory to make it easier to bring it out.


    "I will use the Potion of Luck before using the Echo of Eternity. That should increase my chances of finding someone useful amongst my future selves." He took a deep breath and started waiting for Trisa toe to him.


    Ten minutes passed, and he was standing still, waiting for the inevitable. But nothing strange happened. Not only Trisa, but even Lysander didn''t arrive to kill him.


    "Is something wrong with them?" He tilted his head sideways, and observed the mansion. "This much time should have been enough for them to be informed. Why is it so silent?"


    He had thought that Estelia''s parents were going toe flying out of the mansion, destroying the mansion itself in the process. But all that came to him was the gentle winds from nature.


    The wait was more frustrating than actually fighting the two godlike existences. With every passing second, the expectations of the unknown were making him feel worse, until he couldn''t take it anymore.


    He decided to check things himself, and flew towards the mansion.


    He stepped inside the mansion and used his divine senses to find Lysander and Trisa. And when he did find them, his face went pale, since that presence was right behind him.


    "Mother-inw?" he turned around, and saw Trisa standing there. But the angry expressions that he had expected were nowhere to be found. Instead, her lips had a very suspicious smile.


    "I saw nothing. So you don''t have to worry about it. Until you two are prepared to tell me yourself, I know nothing." She chuckled, covering her luscious lips behind her fair fingers.


    She ruffled Eren''s hair, and walked past him, her sweetughter echoing across the hall.


    "What the heck just happened?" Eren mumbled after Trisa disappeared from his sight. Not only did that woman not kill him like he had expected, but she seemed even more affectionate towards him.


    ''Just what is wrong with this crazy family?'' he wanted to scream out loud, feeling as if everyone was pulling a big prank on him.


    He went deeper into the mansion and found Lysander next, but Lysander didn''t try to kill him either. Everything felt a little too normal. They didn''t even ask him for an exnation.


    ''Either they already know that I was helpless in that situation, or they weren''t informed about anything.'' These were the only two possibilities that Eren could think about when he walked across the empty hallways.


    The second possibility also felt more likely based on their reaction, but that had made him more perplexed. Why did Estelia not tell them what he did?


    "Did she believe my exnation? If she did, she could''ve just told me. I was worried for no reason."


    He went to Estelia''s room to thank her for understanding him, but even after he knocked on her door multiple times, the door wasn''t opened.


    If he hadn''t used his divine sense, he really would''ve thought that she wasn''t in the room itself. But using his divine sense, he was able to see her lying on the bed, with her face buried in a pillow for some reason.


    "Is she so upset that she is crying?"

 Chapter 627 627: Leaving with Mother-in-law

    He opened his lips to call out to her, trying to apologise to her. But after some hesitation, he dropped the thought.


    He turned around and walked away, leaving only the fading sound of his footsteps behind, growing distant with each step.


    Six days passed, with nothing extraordinary happening. The only thing of significance was that the Third Primordial Demon finished studying the broken formation, and managed to confirm that this was a formation that originated in the Upper Realm.


    The Formation was also a very high ranking one, which made him believe that the thieves didn''t simplye here to steal a mere primordial stone. It was more like them ying around.


    He told the other Primordial Demons to simply forget about the Portal Stone, as there was no way for them to retrieve it.


    Instead, he told them to thank their stars since they hadn''t managed to catch the thieves, guessing the kind of terrifying identity they might have had for using this kind of formation.


    The other Primordials were upset, but they couldn''t do anything about it. They simply considered it a loss and decided to forget about the portal stone.


    The Second Primordial was the most frustrated since he had almost gotten his hands on the portal stone.


    Now that the chance was gone, he started focusing on dragging the First Primordial down from his throne, a n that was long in the making.


    During thest six times, Jenia came to Lysander''s Pce to meet Estelia a few times, trying to apologise to her. Unfortunately, she wasn''t even able to meet her.


    Every time she wanted to meet Estelia, she was greeted by Eren. Just seeing Eren was enough to spoil Jenia''s mood, yet she kept trying,ing almost every day.


    Another change within the Primordial City was that the Seventh Primordial had almost disappeared from the horizon. Every so often, the fresh stories of his debauchery would rise within the city, making people silently curse him.


    Through thest six days, nothing like that had happened, even though the Seventh Primordial was clearly within the city. He could often be seen flying back and forth from the First Primordial''s Pce, his face noticably paler every time.


    "Ah, Nephew Eren. How have you been doing today?" The Seventh Primordial maintained a fawning smile on his lips, as he greeted Eren.


    His back was drenched in cold sweat, every time he interacted with Eren, unlike their first meeting when he had outright looked down on Eren. Now, he looked less like a mighty Primordial Demon and more like a person trying to win someone''s favor.


    He still couldn''t forget the time that he had firste to this ce to meet Lysander, not knowing that his sister was back. At that time, he hade across Eren.


    He had talked to the boy outright disrespectfully, treating him like a ve. In the end, his sister saw him. The loud echo of the beating that he received that day was still fresh in everyone''s mind, including the servant.


    That was the day he learned that Eren was considered a son-inw by Trisa, the sister that frightened him out of his wits.


    In thest six days, he never made that same mistake again. It wasn''t wrong to say that he had been treating Eren the same way that he treated Lysander.


    If anyone else in the city had seen this menace treating an outsider like this, they would have been shocked to death. Fortunately, the news didn''t leave the pce.


    Eren smiled in response, and greeted the Seventh Primordial back. "Mother-inw is talking with Father-inw. Should I inform them of your arrival?"


    "C-cough, no need. I can wait. My sister''s matters are more important." The Seventh Primordial smiled wryly. "Though I heard that my sister will be leaving today? Is it true?"


    He tried his best to hide his happiness when he asked the question, but it didn''t escape Eren''s sharp eyes.


    Eren nodded slightly and replied, "We will be leaving today."


    "We?!" The Seventh Primordial eximed, his expressions darkening. "Who else is leaving with my sister?"


    He didn''t care if the ''we'' included just his sister and Eren, but if it included Lysander, then he didn''t know how he could survive in this world.


    Everything that he had, was because his brother inw ruled over hell, since his sister couldn''t care about this ce at all.


    If all of them left, then wasn''t he as good as gone? Most of his authority, including his position as a Primordial, was because people feared his brother inw.


    "Mother-inw is taking Estelia to the Upper Realm to show her around. I am going with them. Father-inw will be staying behind."


    The Seventh Primordial ced a hand on his chest and sighed in relief. His face regained some color, as his biggest fear came to pass.


    "Ha...hahaha, it''s good for you to broaden your horizons. Always listen to my sister when you are in the upper realm, alright? It''s a ce unlike our peaceful hell."


    After recovering, he returned to treating Eren like a concerned family member and gave him some good advice that he could think of.


    Meanwhile, Eren was silently looking at him, wondering, ''Peaceful hell? From which angle is this ce peaceful for people like me? No matter how bad the Upper Realm is, at least it won''t turn outsiders into ves.''


    He didn''t express his thoughts out loud, and nodded respectfully. "I will certainly remember your words, Uncle."


    "Hahaha, that''s good."


    ....


    Half an hourter, Trisa returned with Lysander, who looked somewhat sad that his wife was going to leave within such a short time.


    What made him even more sad was that even his daughter and son inw were leaving. He was going to be alone here, but he couldn''t even object.


    He couldn''t just leave this ce, since his identity was a little too unique. He could only watch them leave and wait for their return.


    Trisa met with the Seventh Primordial and exined to him that she was leaving. She pulled his ears and reminded him not to make trouble for his brother inw, before bidding everyone a short farewell.


    She grabbed her daughter''s hand and Eren''s hand with the farewellpleted.

 Chapter 628 628: My Beautiful Palace Master, only you can...

    ....


    "The Pce Master ising back!"


    Inside a beautiful ice pce, there was arge-scalemotion. Many powerful masters from the Ice Maiden Pce abruptly opened their eyes.


    Irrespective of their whereabouts within the pce, they tore the space apart and rushed to the great hall.


    Within seconds, multiple women materialized within the great hall, each more beautiful than fairies from heaven. They weren''t helpless like beautiful flowers either, but also held overwhelming strength.


    Even the weakest person that was allowed to be present within the great hall to wee the Pce Master, was as strong as Lysander who ruled over Primordial Hell, if not more.


    "Wee Back, Master!" The seven women went down on a knee the moment they saw the fabric of space splitting apart. It signalled the arrival of the Pce Master, but they could also feel that he wasn''t alone.


    "I can feel fluctuating life signals. Is the Pce Master injured?" A silver haired woman raised her head.


    "That''s absurd. There is no one in that ce who could hurt the Pce Master." The woman next to her grabbed the back of her head, and forcefully lowered her head. "Next time you utter such nonsense, I will forget that you are a Pce Elder."


    "I am certain that someone is injured. But as theye closer, it bes obvious that it''s one of the people apanying Pce Master. It seems I was wrong in my earlier assumption."


    Within seconds, the spatial crack stabilized and a person stepped out of the stack. It was a girl, who looked younger than the Pce Master, but still shared some facial characteristics.


    "Is it the Young Lady?" The Elders raised their heads, finding the girl to be a splitting image of the Pce Master.


    After Estelia, Trisa also stepped out of the spatial crack. But she wasn''t alone either. She was carrying a pale young man in her arms


    "Pce Master, he is...?" The Elders grimaced at the condition of the young boy, whose life essence felt seriously injured.


    It was as if his life was hanging by a threat. It was even a miracle that he was still breathing even after his body was wrecked so badly.


    "Check his condition and tell me what''s wrong with him!" The Pce Master ced Eren on the ground in front of one of the Pce Elders who was more knowledgeable about such matters.


    The Pce Elder reached out her hand, and grabbed Eren''s hands. She started using her frozen essence to probe Eren''s body.


    "Hmm?" Her essence was able to enter Eren''s body with ease, but it wasn''t able to return. The moment her essence entered his body, it just disappeared as if there was nothing but a void in his body.


    "I can''t check his condition. Something is really wrong with his body. Who is he?" The Elder released Eren''s hand and raised her head for answers. "If I know what led to this, maybe I might be able to help him even without being able to check."


    "He is someone very important to me. No matter what happens, you must save him! Even if it needs all the ancient herbs that we have stored, use them! But he must not die!"


    The Elders had been with the Pce Master for a really long time, but they had never seen her so serious. For a moment, they even wondered if this young man was the husband of the Sect Master who they had never seen before.


    The misunderstanding made home in their minds, even though Eren looked a little younger. They knew that the Pce Master'' husband had already stayed behind in Hell, refusing toe up for some reason.


    Had he finally decided toe up with his wife and daughter? They thought.


    "What led to this? Was he attacked by someone?" The red-robed elder frowned. She still couldn''t understand just what could cause the man to be in such a broken condition when his body lookedpletely unharmed.


    Despite his body being fine, his life force kept fluctuating back and forth.


    "He waspletely fine until we entered the spatial crack to enter the Upper Realm. But with every passing second, his condition kept getting worse until he passed out. Even I can''t see what''s wrong with him."


    Trisa was extremely worried for Eren, especially since she had already started considering him her family member.


    If something happened to him, then what about his daughter who loved him? The thought frightened her even more.


    "You must save her!" she repeated again.


    The more restless the Pce Master looked, the more convinced the Elders became that the man was Trisa''s husband.


    "I will try my best." The red-robed elder brought out the highest grade healing pill that she had.


    She was about to ce the pill in Eren''s mouth when she remembered something. Eren was unconscious and couldn''t consume the healing pill herself.


    She could use her essence to guide this pill down his throat, but her essence was devoured by the unknown the moment it touched his body. It was also impossible.


    There was only one option that she could see, which was to let his body directly consume the healing pill in its purest form.


    She gulped down heavily when she thought of the method that could help her, and looked at the Pce Master with hesitation. Could she really use that method on the Pce Master''s husband?


    "Why are you looking at me like that?" The Pce Master found that gaze a little strange, and didn''t understand why the woman was wasting so much time. "Stop wasting time and help him!"


    "Ah, Pce Master. In the next step, I will need your help," the Elder quickly gave up, not even daring to try it herself.


    "Something is seriously wrong with his body, and my essence can''t enter his body. I need to guide the essence of the pill inside his body, but it seems impossible for me to do. You will have to do it yourself."


    "By guiding the essence of the pill, do you mean?" The Pce Master frowned, realizing the hidden meaning behind those words. She had to do that?

 Chapter 629 629: Erens unexpected reaction

    "That''s right. Only you are strong and knowledgeable enough to do it here. Please do it yourself," she quickly stood up and handed the pill back to the Pce Master who was left frozen like a statue.


    Wasn''t that boy her son-inw? How should she do something like this to him, especially when her daughter was right there?


    He could tell her daughter to do it, but that girl couldn''t control the essence of such a powerful medicine. This truly left her stuck between a rock and a hard ce.


    "Pce Master, please hurry. We don''t know how long he mightst!" The red-robed Elder reminded Trisa, who was at a loss of words.


    Trisa bit her lips, and looked at Eren''s worsening condition. She nced at her daughter, and came to a decision.


    Saving Eren''s life was more important, even if she didn''t know what ailment had made him suffer to this extent the moment he entered the spatial tunnel.


    "Guide my daughter to her room. She has taken a long journey," she told one of the Elders.


    "I won''t go anywhere. I... I also want to see that he gets better." Estelia stubbornly said.


    She didn''t know what that feeling was. She hated Eren deep down, but at the same time, his words inside the carriage, and everything that happened between them did leave some impression in the depths of her mind.


    She didn''t understand why it was, but she didn''t want to see him die here like this either. She didn''t want to leave when he was fighting between life and death.


    The other Elders looked at her with pity and understanding. Her father was struggling to survive.


    ''She is such a good daughter,'' the Elders thought. ''I really hope nothing happens to her father.''


    One of the Elders took the lead to help the Pce Master, and ced her hand on Estelia''s shoulder.


    "Young Lady, it''s not just you that needs to leave. We also need to leave. The fewer people that stay behind, the better since the medicine efficiency will be better." She made up a lie, and looked at the other Elders to y along with her.


    "T-that''s right. That''s why we are also leaving with you. Only the Sect Master will stay behind with your fa-" another Elder chimed in.


    As she was about toplete her sentence, another elder interrupted, "Enough wasting time. Don''t you know the value of time in such a serious situation? Let''s leave."


    The elders of the great hall with Estelia. If it helped increase Eren''s chances of survival, then she didn''t want to be an obstruction.


    She quickly left with the other elders, and the doors were closed. Only the Pce Master was left behind with Eren, holding a small pull.


    "I don''t know anymore." The Pce Master rubbed her forehead as she sat next to Eren. "It''s a good thing that you are unconscious and can''t see anything. Or I might have died of embarrassment after doing something like this to my own son inw."


    She opened her beautiful red lips that had bite marks caused by her a few seconds ago. She ced the pill on her tongue and closed her mouth, letting the medicine''s essence be absorbed by her.


    She restricted the essence to only her tongue, to prevent her body from exhausting it when she didn''t need any healing. It was necessary to save Eren''s life.


    She took a deep breath, preparing herself mentally as she brought her face forward to Eren''s pale face.


    Soon, her lips connected to Eren''s lips. She knew that it was wrong, even if she was doing it to save Eren''s life. If there was any other choice, then she would have never tried it. But with no other option, there was no point in overthinking it.


    Her lips met Eren''s lips, but Eren wasn''t awake to feel the taste of her lips. Still, her sweet scent was breathed by him.


    Trisa opened her lips slightly, and moved her tongue. Her tongue entered his mouth, and she started transferring the purest form of medicinal essence through her tongue.


    As it wasn''t the essence of a living being, but merely the essence of herbs, Eren''s body didn''t resist it and the essence kept moving down his throat.


    It went to his heart, and from there, it travelled all over his body. The only problem was that the process was extremely slow, and until it was finished, Trisa couldn''t move back and finish the transfer.


    Her cold yet fair hands were around Eren''s cheeks, holding him still as her tongue rubbed over his tongue to transfer the essence to his body faster.


    She couldn''t even release his lips to breathe properly. Her face had also be flushed red. Even though she was doing it to save his life, and it was just the transfer of medicine, this act still felt extremely forgotten, given her identity.


    She knew she was doing something forbidden and she should be hating it. But instead, she hated the fact that she liked it for some reason.


    A few minutes passed, and the transfer continued. However, her neck position made it a little ufortable for her as she was sitting next to him.


    To make it better, she moved the rest of her body closer to Eren, and sat on top of him so that their bodies were in alignment, with her legs resting on either side of his legs.


    With only a little difference between their heights, it made their position even more weird that she hadn''t expected before, as she found herself sitting right under Eren''s waist.


    "Mmm?" A few more minutes passed, when she suddenly opened her eyes, feeling something rubbing against her.


    She was sure that Eren was still unconscious, but his body had still started to react in unexpected ways. She was a little happy because it meant that the healing effects were working.


    At the same time, her face turned even more red as something under her became harder.

 Chapter 630 630: Invitation

    ''This brat! If he wasn''t already on the verge of death, I would''ve pped him to death for this!'' Trisa clenched her fists, and kept transferring the medicinal essence.


    Every passing second felt like an eternity for us. It was only after she finished transferring the essencepletely, she released his lips and gasped for breath.


    "Pce Master, are you done?" The door opened, and the other Elders stepped inside. Only one Elder was missing, as she had taken Estelia to her room.


    "Ah?" The Elders gasped, looking at the sights before them. The Temple Master had a red face. Her clothes were sticking closely to her body, drenched in sweat, even though the surroundings were freezing cold.


    She was gasping for breath, as she looked at the Elders with her teary eyes, while on top of Eren.


    "You..." Trisa was frozen in ce, getting caught by the other Elders in such apromising position with his soon to be son-inw.


    She quickly recovered her expressions and got off Eren, and arranged her clothes


    "Cough, I finished transferring the medicine. Check his condition now," she instructed the medicinal elder, pretending as if nothing had happened. Just the thought itself was too embarrassing.


    The Elder nodded and went past the Temple Master. She sat next to Eren, and checked his physical condition without using her essence.


    "Hisplexion has be better. And..." Her eyes shifted down, noticing something below his waist. "He seems quite lively. The medicine has certainly worked."


    The Pce Master saw that gaze. She took off her robe, and ced it over Eren''s lower body. But even the robe wasn''t quite even, due to his present state. She used her abilities to keep the robe floating a few inches above his body.


    ''Is the Temple Master jealous? So cute... Marking her Territory.'' the Medicinal Elder smiled, and brought her gaze back to Eren''s face.


    "If he is better, then why isn''t he waking up?" Trisa asked.


    The Elder ced a hand over her forehead, and checked for a fever. "His physical state is better. But he is still unconscious. He should wake up soon."


    "Unless..." she mumbled, but didn''tplete her sentence when she saw the relieved look on the Pce Master''s face.


    She stood up and stated, "He should still be kept under observation. If the Pce Master is fine, should I take him with me?"


    "Ah? That''s right. Keep him under observation and tell me as soon as he gets better. I wille to check on his condition regrly. If there''s anything wrong, then you must tell me urgently."


    The Pce Master was still a little embarrassed, having been seen in such a state, even though she wasn''t at fault. Her mind was overwhelmed, and she agreed for Eren to be kept under observation with the Medicinal Elder until he woke up.


    The Elder stepped forward and carried Eren in her arms, not even daring to take off the Pce Master''s robe from his lower body. She was worried that she might be misunderstood by the Pce Master.


    "No matter what happens, he must stay safe. Just remember that..." The Pce Master told the Medicinal Elder once more. "Oh, and don''t use spatial travel with him. That was what worsened his condition. Try to find out what could be the cause."


    "I will protect him more than my life," The Elder nodded, and walked away.


    Even if she could use the spatial travel and reach her destination in an instant, she followed the Pce Master''s advice and flew back.


    The Pce Master also walked back to her throne after Eren disappeared from her sight. She sat on the throne, and tried to recover her mental state, with a hint of red still left on her face.


    "Did anything significant happen in the month I wasn''t here?" she asked the other Elders of the Ice Maiden Pce that gathered before her. "What''s the state of the Temple of Light? Did they select their next Temple Master!"


    "About that..." The Elder was a little hesitant, when she brought out a small envelope. "We did receive a letter from the Central Continent. It has something to do with the state of the Central Continent."


    "Hmm? Who is it from?" The Pce Master frowned, as she took the envelope that had not a single word on it. There was no mention of the sender.


    She opened the envelope and brought out a letter. As soon as the letter came out, the Pce Master was taken aback as a very powerful aura filled the entire hall.


    "The Temple of Light." The aura made the Pce Master realize something. It was the aura that belonged to the people of the Temple of Light.


    "An envoy from the Temple of Light came a few days ago.  He delivered the letter, and told us that it was only for the Pce Master."


    "Their people are fighting to be the next Temple Master, and rule over love of the strongest forces of the Central Continent. Even after all that, will they have the time to go around?"


    The Pce Master opened the letter and started reading it, before bursting intoughter.


    "Pce Master, what''s written in the letter?" The Elders asked. "Are they asking for our help?"


    "It''s an invitation. They want us to attend the Coronation Ceremony of the next Temple Master."


    "The next Temple Master? Isn''t the fight for that position still going, and only getting worse? Did they already select the next Pce Master?"


    "Our informationwork isn''t good enough. So either they have already selected the next Pce Master, or they are confident that it will be done before the date of coronation."


    "Even if that''s the case, why would they send an invitation to us? We aren''t part of the central continent, right?"


    "I suppose they sent this invitation to every decent force, even beyond the Central Continent," the Pce Master said as she folded the letter back in the envelope. "It''s probably because they want the entire upper realm to know that the Temple of Light has not fallen, and is still a mighty force.*


    "It makes a little sense. After all, their reputation has been dragged through the mud after theirst temple master died out of nowhere. Are we going?" An Elder asked the Pce Master, who was lost in thought.


    "I still wonder how their previous Temple Master died¡­"

 Chapter 631 631: Unknown Force

    The Pce Master was sitting on the frozen throne with her lips pursed, thinking how she should deal with the invitation.


    Rejection was outright disrespectful. Even if they didn''t belong to the Central Continent, it still wasn''t wise enough to offend a mighty force like the Temple of Light.


    "Pce Master, are we going to ept the invitation?" An Elder asked, worried that the Pce Master might reject it.


    She went down on a knee and joined her hands. "I believe we shouldn''t reject it. Even if the Pce Master doesn''t go personally, an Elder can be sent. It should be enough to show our sincerity."


    "Hmm. Your words do hold some merit," Trisa nodded. She turned to the other Elders, and asked, "What do the rest of you think?"


    "I think it is a wise idea. We should send an Elder as a representative. We can just say that the Pce Master was in seclusion, and couldn''t be contacted. That should also protect their ego with regards to only the arrival of an elder."


    "I don''t agree. Those from the Temple of Light have very good instincts. They are able to discern lies from the truth. They will immediately know that it''s a lie. I think the Pce Master should go personally, along with a few Elders."


    "But if the Pce Master leaves, then what if it''s a trap? What if something happens to her? Can we put her at risk?"


    "Why would the Temple of Light make a trap for us? The Pce of Ice Maiden might be a powerful force in our region, but we are still not strong enough to catch the eyes of those old monsters from the center."


    "Still, it''s too risky."


    Almost all Elders agreed that the Ice Maiden Pce needed to be represented during the Coronation of the next Master of Temple of Light.


    The only thing that they couldn''t agree on, was who should be the one to represent them. The arguments of both sides held merits, as well as demerits.


    The Pce Master watched the back and forth, and rubbed her forehead. She thought she was going to bring her son inw, and show him around. This was supposed to be a small vacation for her daughter as well.


    Unfortunately, everything had been disastrous since the moment she left Hell. Not only had Eren gotten himself hurt, but she even had to worry about something soplicated like this invitation.


    "That''s enough fighting." She raised her hand, gesturing to them to stop. "We will have a lot of time to think about it. I will make a decisionter. Right now, my mind is a little distracted."


    "Uh, right." The Elders grew silent. Some even felt a little embarrassed. The Pce Master''s husband was injured. It was normal for her to be worried. And here they were, making her think about suchplicated matters.


    "There is still a lot of time for that coronation. I will tell you my decisionter. Until then, try to get as much information about the Central Continent as possible."


    She put an end to the discussion, and told the Elders to return. She also left the ce and went straight to meet her daughter, to tell her that Eren was going to be fine.


    ....


    Eren was lying on the bed, still unconscious. The Medicinal Elder had ced him in a separate room, specially designed to maintain the temperature that was more suitable for a human from the lower world.


    It also had a calming aura that helped soothe the nerves and elerate healing.


    She sat beside him, constantly monitoring his vitals. The Pce Master''s robe was still draped over his lower half, which made her remember the scenes that she had seen before.


    The Medicinal Elder couldn''t help but steal nces at the bulge under the robe, her cheeks flushing slightly each time.


    ''Focus,'' she chided herself. ''He''s your Pce Master''s husband.''


    She gently took his hand, checking his pulse. It was stronger now, more stable. The rampant energy that had been tearing him apart seemed to have subsided, reced by a steady, rhythmic flow.


    "He''s definitely recovering," she mumbled to herself. "But when will he wake up?"


    She recalled her iplete sentence back in the main hall, the one she''d bitten back when she saw the relief on Trisa''s face. ''Unless... his soul is still injured.''


    Even if it was the upper realm, it was harder to heal the soul of a person. It was especially the case if that person''s body was so strange that it devoured every essence that was sent to his body.


    The Medicinal Elder was well-versed in the intricacies of the human body and the energies that governed it. Still, she couldn''t think of a way to help Eren.


    She had already done everything that she could do. Everything else depended on Eren.


    She knew that while the body could heal rtively quickly, the soul was a far more delicate andplex matter. Damage to the soul could take much longer to heal, and sometimes, it never fully recovered.


    She decided to probe deeper. This time, she channeled a tiny wisp of her own essence, carefully navigating it into Eren''s body. She focused on his spiritual core, the seat of his consciousness and the anchor of his soul.


    Unfortunately, the same thing happened again and she went through another failure. The unknown force within his body rejected every probing.


    The Elder of the Ice Maiden Pce was stronger than Eren. In the entire Ice Maiden Pce, there were only a handful of people who were stronger than her, including the Pce Master.


    Still, she couldn''t understand what that frightening force within his body was.


    As she couldn''t check his soul, she just sat there and waited for him to wake up.


    She didn''t know that Eren''s soul was indeed damaged. The chaotic spatial energies had ripped through it, leaving behind cracks on his soul.


    Normally, when a person travelled through space, the chaotic spatial essence couldn''t quite reach their soul as their physical bodies protected themselves. It was also much harder to connect with the souls.

 Chapter 632 632: Old Friend

    For some reason, that wasn''t the case with Eren. Fortunately, his soul was also actively repairing itself. The medicinal essence,bined with his own innate vitality, was working to knit the fragmented soul back together.


    The process, however, was slow. Painfully slow. And there was a lingering trace of that chaotic spatial energy, like a stubborn stain that refused to be washed away. It was preventing the soul from fully healing, keeping Eren trapped in his unconscious state.


    The Medicinal Elder sighed, feeling the weight of responsibility on her shoulders. She was entrusted with the life of the Pce Master''s husband.


    She looked at Eren''s peaceful face, his features rxed in slumber. A strange thought crossed her mind.


    ''He''s quite handsome, actually,'' she mused, then quickly shook her head. ''Get a grip, old woman. He''s practically your brother inw.''


    But the thought lingered, a tiny seed of curiosity nted in her mind. She found herself wondering about the kind of man Eren was, the life he''d led, and the events that had made the Pce Master fall for him.


    She reached out her hand, and ced it on his chest as she mumbled, "Wake up fast. I don''t want to see the Pce Master hurt anymore."


    For now, all she could do was wait. Wait, watch, and pray that he would wake up soon, his soul whole once more. And hope that Trisa would be able to keep herposure, and would not do anything rash in all her worries for her husband.


    The Medicinal Elder knew her Pce Master well, and she could tell that Trisa was not being honest with her feelings.


    ....


    "I knew the spatial portals would kill me one day. But I didn''t expect it to be so fast."


    Eren was sitting on the ground, looking at his surroundings. There was nothing around him, except silence that was only broken by his own voice.


    He had thought that even if he grew a little sick, he might be able to hold on during the spatial travel with the Pce Master. But the moment he stepped inside the spatial crack with her, he felt a tearing pain through his heart.


    In less than a second, everyone was over and he found himself in this white space.


    "Is this the afterlife?" He pondered, "It''s¡­ surprisingly nd. Wouldn''t I go crazy in this afterlife if I''m all alone?"


    He stood up, brushing off invisible dust from his clothes. He wasn''t sure why he bothered; there was nothing here to get dirty on.


    He took a small step, then another. The white expanse stretched endlessly in every direction, with nondmarks, no unique features, no sound except his own breathing and the faint whisper of his thoughts.


    "Hello?" he called out, his voice echoing back to him, swallowed by the vast emptiness. "Is anyone there?"


    Silence...


    He started walking, picking a direction at random. He walked for what felt like hours, days, maybe even years. Time had no meaning in this ce. There was no sun to rise or set, no fatigue to slow him down. He was just¡­ walking.


    "This is worse than Hell," he muttered. "At least Hell had¡­ people. Is this what prisoners who are kept in istion feel?"


    He tried to remember his life to keep him from going crazy, including his past life on earth.


    Their faces were blurry, their voices muffled, like distant memories struggling to break through a thick fog. He also remembered Trisa, her icy beauty, her scary aura.


    He also remembered the Sect Master, the Great Elder that had stolen his heart, as well as everyone that had made a ce in his heart including the Fairy Queen.


    The thought of them sparked a flicker of warmth in the cold void.


    "I thought I would be able to see them again. It is like an impossible dream now. Will they miss me?" he whispered, the name echoing in the emptiness. "I hope they are okay."


    Suddenly, a faint glimmer appeared in the distance. There was a tiny spark of light in the infinite white, that had a faint golden hint.


    Hope surged through him. Was there really something else in this ce? Could it be another soul, or possibly a way back to return to life!


    He started running towards the light, his pace quickening with each step.


    As he got closer, the light grewrger, brighter. It began to take shape, forming a sphere that looked like it held a gxy within that was spinning in the void.


    He reached out his hand, his fingers brushing against the swirling light. A jolt of electricity surged through him, apanied by a feeling of warmth and¡­ familiarity.


    "What is this?" he wondered aloud.


    "You havee across the remnants of the spatial energy that damaged your soul." A voice echoed,ing from both inside his head and all around him.


    Eren froze, his hand still outstretched.


    "Who''s there?" he asked, his eyes lighting up as he finally heard the voice of another person. He was certain that he wasn''t alone here. Even if this was an afterlife, at least he wasn''t going to be bored to death.


    Unfortunately, it was only when he looked back, that he realized who that voice belonged to. There was no other person there. Instead, it was that same familiar interfere with the System Screen.


    [You havee across the remnants of the spatial energy that damaged your soul]


    [You have received new options. Please select wisely]


    Another voice appeared in his head, reading the words on the system screen that had changed.


    "Even in this afterlife, you won''t leave me alone." Eren scratched the back of his head, but he wasn''t annoyed. Instead, for the first time in his life, he was happy to see the system screen.


    "If you are here with options, then I am probably not dead enough for you. Is there a way for me to leave this ce?" he asked the system screen, but there was no answer to his question.


    Only the words on the screen changed, and four options appeared before him.

 Chapter 633 633: Echo

    "You know what, I think we are beyond the point of being surprised at this point." Eren sighed, looking at the four options materializing before him. "I am just grateful that you are here with me."


    Eren thanked the system screen that had already been with him at the time of his need, even though it had often bullied him into following absurd schemes.


    [Option One: Merge with the unknown energy (Chances of Survival: 50 Percent)


    Reward: Soul Healing Talisman]


    [Option Two: Destroy the unknown energy.


    Reward: Question Voucher]


    [Option Three: Wait for three months for your soul to heal naturally.


    Reward: Strength X2]


    [Option Four: Use Echo of Eternity.


    Reward: Hundred Random Low Tier Bloodlines]


    "Soul healing? No wonder you are here. I truly am not dead." The moment he saw the third option, he realized everything.


    His soul was injured the moment he stepped into the spatial portal. If he selected the first option, he could heal his soul outright. But absorbing the unknown energy felt strange, since he couldn''t even use identification on it.


    Even if he trusted the system, it still felt a little unsafe to absorb that energy when his soul was already injured, especially since the option said that the chances of survival were only fifty percent.


    The Question Voucher was also a good reward, something that he wanted the most, but it was also very suspicious.


    The only thing that looked normal was to wait three months and let his soul heal naturally.


    All three options gave value to him in one way or another. There was only one option that was the odd one.


    It would have been fine if they were high tier bloodlines, but the reward was all low tier bloodlines. Even a thousand low tier bloodlines couldn''tpare with one high tier bloodline, let alone a mere hundred.


    He already had a few supreme bloodlines, so the low tier bloodlines felt like trash being tossed in front of him, and being called a reward.


    It wasn''t the first time he had received a bad reward, but he still felt something was wrong with that option. Echo of Eternity was no different than gambling. Was the system telling him to gamble?


    What was the worst that could happen? Even if he failed to summon any worthy incarnation and wasted his time, he could still wait three months and let his soul heal naturally. The only difference was that he wouldn''t be rewarded for that.


    "But if I managed to summon someone who knows better, then I might..." His instincts kept guiding him to thest option, not wanting him to take unnecessary risks.


    He wasn''t sure if it was just his misconception, but thest option also looked a little brighter on the screen, barely noticeable.


    "Fine. I will take thest option." He reached out his hand, worried that he might change his mind. He quickly selected thest option and made the screen, and the allure of other rewards disappeared.


    "You better be useful." Eren closed his eyes, ced a hand on his chest, and whispered, "Echo of Eternity."


    [You have been rewarded with one hundred low-tier bloodlines.]


    The moment he used the skill, he heard the notification as his awareness started fading away.


    "What?" In the real world, the Medicinal Elder was keeping an eye on Eren when she was suddenly pushed back by a powerful aura rising from within him.


    Even the Medicinal Elder felt threatened as she abruptly stood up. Her chair flew back, crashed into the wall, and shattered.


    "Is it my turn?" Inside Eren''s realm of consciousness, his aura and persona hadpletely changed. It was as if he had aged by a thousand years in an instant.


    He looked far more confident, as if he were already aware of everything that was happening.


    He looked at the system screen that was notifying him of the bloodlines he had been rewarded.


    "You are still as helpful as always." Eren reached out his hand and tapped the screen lightly.


    Eren hadn''t been able to touch it in the past, but the future iteration that had taken his ce was able to. Unfortunately, the present Eren was not awake to see it.


    "Did my present self trouble you?" he asked, before shaking his head. "What am I even talking about? Of course, he would..."


    He didn''t finish his sentence, as time was running out. "Let me finish dealing with this first."


    "Sacrifice fifty low-tier bloodlines," he mumbled, and half of the low-tier bloodlines he had gained burned in an instant, granting him a temporary boost in strength.


    The boost of strength didn''t just apply to his consciousness, but also to his physical body. It was as if a true god had descended upon the Ice Maiden Pce.


    The Pce Master also grimaced, feeling that threatening presence. It was no weaker than her own. No, it was slightly stronger. And she was certain that it wasing from the Medicine Peak.


    "Which Senior has arrived?" She quickly stepped inside the void. In a single step, she reached the room where the aura had originated.


    Her eyes widened when she saw the source of this aura. It was a young man, who was lying on the bed. The boy looked like he was simply sleeping.


    "Pce Master, who is this person? This strength..."


    ''It isn''t something that belongs to a person of lower realms. Does he have a special heavenly physique that activated when he was hurt?'' The Pce Master thought.


    Under heaven, there were many people who could be called the favoured son of heaven. They were born with the golden spoon in their mouths, with the strongest physique that made them different from the rest.


    As she couldn''t understand the source of his sudden strength rise, she thought that it might be a phenomena apanying his physique awakening.


    "Seal the Pce! Don''t let anyone know what''s happening here!" The Pce Master eximed, waving her hand to send the Medicinal Elder to activate the sect protection formation, worried that some nearby forces mighte to check themotion.


    Unaware of themotion that was caused outside, Eren reached out his hand and grabbed the source of the chaotic space energy that had injured his soul.

 Chapter 634 634: Might become reality

    The consciousness came in contact with the chaotic spatial energy that had invaded his soul.


    ''Are you trying to destroy my conscience?'' Eren frowned as the spatial energy started splitting into threads that wrapped around him.


    ''You are a little toote for that.'' He held a thread of spatial energy between his fingers. A small me flickered there, and it soon engulfed the threads that were trying to break apart his consciousness.


    The deep blue mes covered the threads that had formed a cocoon around him, burning them to ashes. With the spatial energy gone, it was as if the stake that had been stabbed in his heart was removed, and the soul could start healing faster.


    ''Fifteen seconds still left,'' Eren nced at the system screen that revealed the timer of the skill''s effect.


    ''Should I...?'' A thought shed in his mind, and he waved his hand, healing his soul in the blink of an eye.


    Many protective formations were activated over the Ice Maiden Pce. Many Elders were worried that they might be under attack, unaware about the true reasons the Pce Master activated them.


    They prepared for the enemy invasion, with every member of the Ice Maiden Pce ready to fight to their deaths.


    Meanwhile, the Pce Master was silently observing Eren, who was still lying on the bed. The aura around him made it impossible for her to get closer.


    She had a lot of questions in his mind, but there was no one who could answer her. She didn''t know that she wasn''t the only one who was alerted with the presence of that aura.


    Fortunately, the frightening aura onlysted for fifteen seconds, before itpletely disappeared as if it had never been there.


    Trisha rushed to Eren when the aura wasn''t present to stop her. She reached out her hand to check his condition, but before she could touch him, his hand moved.


    Eren grabbed Trisha''s wrists and opened his eyes, which were not as inexperienced as before.


    "You aren''t Eren! Who are you? Have you possessed him?" The presence of Eren waspletely unlike before, which made Trisha consider possession.


    "Release him!" She reached out her hand, to grab Eren by his throat.


    Her movements were fast like lightning. Still, she wasn''t able to touch him. The moment her fingers even came close, Eren waved his hand lightly, and Trisha was sent back flying like a toy. She crashed against the wall.


    Trisha coughed violently, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. Despite the pain, she clenched her fists tightly, ready tounch another attack to figure out what had happened to the real Eren.


    Eren''s feetnded on the ground. "I am not here to fight you. But it looks like you won''t listen." He nced at the timer on the screen that only he could see.


    "Only ten seconds left. Five should be enough to let you understand."


    Trisha was not the strongest existence in the Upper Realm. There were many in the Central Continent that were stronger than her. Still, she didn''t expect to be suppressed to this extent before a child.


    She couldn''t even watch his movements. Before she knew it, her throat was in his hand. He mmed her against the wall that broke. The two of them flew out, leaving a hole in the wall.


    Eren mmed Trisha on the ground, making the entire Ice Maiden Pce tremble.


    "Nine Seconds..." Eren looked at the sky, and snapped his fingers. "Get to work."


    "Are you really truly to bully our Mother-in-Law?"  A voice came, and another Eren appeared next to Trisha, making her watch in disbelief.


    The person had apletely identical presence to Eren, but he had appeared out of thin air, as if he didn''t even exist before.


    "Enough nonsense. As you already know, we aren''t inside that foolish goddess'' domain this time. This aura won''t be hidden from them. You know what to do, right? You have nine seconds... Eight."


    "Tch... Fine. I will create a false trace so our real self isn''t implicated in this." The second Eren scratched the back of his forehead, before flying away, moving faster than the speed of light.


    Trisha felt like she was dreaming, as she watched that speed. Even without using a portal, the second Eren had reached the Central Continent within two seconds, a speed that bordered on teleportation.


    "You don''t have to be impressed by it. This is a skill we made because we couldn''t use the portals. As you know, the space..." Eren mumbled, watching the surprise of Trisha''s face.


    "Only seven seconds left. Let me finish as well." He ced his hand on Trisha''s forehead, and made her watch scenes of the Ice Maiden Pce beingpletely destroyed.


    The person who destroyed the Ice Maiden Pce was none other than Eren, even in the scene.


    "Do you believe that I can''t make the scenes be reality?" he asked Trisha after taking his hands off.


    He snapped his fingers, and thousands upon thousands of lighting spears materialized above the Ice Maiden Pce, each aiming for a person in the Pce.


    "Enough! I know I can''t defeat you! What do you want from me?!" Trisha roared, even as her face had grown pale from this might.


    This strength... It was something that could make Eren stand out even in the Central Continent. She couldn''t resist him. If he wanted, he could truly turn this ce into a graveyard.


    "See? It''s faster to make you understand in this manner." Eren said, snapping his fingers and the lightning bolts disappeared from the sky, but the suppression wasn''t gone.


    "Now listen well. I don''t have much time left. So remember what I am about to tell you! You must never let me enter the Central Continent, even if I tell you to. I don''t care how you achieve it, but make it happen."


    "Also, you are not allowed to tell anyone what happened here. You can''t even tell me, if I ask you about it. If you don''t listen, then the scenes that I showed you, might be reality."

 Chapter 635 635: Remember

    Trisha was unable toprehend a single thing that Eren was saying. He even appeared like a crazy person in her eyes.


    He didn''t want her to tell him the things he had said to her? He wanted her to listen to him and not take him to the Central Continent, even if it meant not listening to his request to take him there?


    Did he have some kind of split personality? At least, that''s how it came across to her.


    "I will remember," she nodded. She wasn''t nning to take him to the Central Continent in the first ce, after all.


    It was a dangerous ce, and she didn''t think her son-inw was going to be safe there. But after witnessing his strength, it looked less like his safety was at stake, and more like the Central Continent''s safety was at stake.


    "Only two seconds left..." Eren frowned, with the timer slowly ticking away. "And onest thing..."


    "Urgh, nothing." He rubbed his forehead and didn''t say anything else.


    He dropped his thoughts about telling her to stop forcing her to be together with her daughter. He was about to advise her to stop bullying him, but remembered that he had already interfered a little too much.


    "Hmm? What?" His expressions darkened, and he abruptly looked in the direction of the Central Continent.


    "That fool! I only told him to leave a trace behind! Who told him to-" Eren was in disbelief, and even a little frustrated, an expression that was rare for him.


    The timer struck zero, and he fell on the ground, unable to evenplete his sentence.


    He slowly opened his eyes again, but the coldness was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was only confusion on his face when he saw the Pce Master sitting before him, in the middle of a crater.


    There was still a trace of blood trickling down the corner of her eyes.


    "Mother-inw?" he called out, worried about the damage that his future self might have caused during the possession.


    He thought that thirty seconds were barely enough for his future self to find a way to heal his soul. He never thought that within this time, he was going to find ways to hurt the Pce Master.


    Why did his future self do it? Had he lost his mind? When he hurt the Pce Master, did he not think that the Pce Master was going to thrash him when he left?


    Throughout this incident, he had once again been convinced that his future self was stronger than the Pce Master. First, he had killed the Goddess of Light, and now he made the Pce Master bleed. But what how?


    In a situation like this, was he even going to live long enough to be that future self?


    ''Is it toote to ask for her forgiveness?'' he thought, his mind being in aplete mess. ''Should I pretend to be ignorant?''


    "Cough, Mother-inw? Who hurt you? Didn''t we just leave hell? Where are we now?" He chose the second option, not wanting any responsibility for what might have happened.


    The Pce Master frowned, and her expressions made Eren even more frightened. Was he truly going to die today? He couldn''t even use the Echo of Eternity right now, and even if he did, the chances of sess weren''t certain.


    "Cough, don''t worry about it. We are in the Upper Realm. Unfortunately, someone attacked me just when we arrived. I killed that assassin, so we are safe now."


    To Eren''s disbelief, the Pce Master yed along and didn''t expose him. If anything, she looked a little more cautious before him, her arrogant cold self nowhere to be seen.


    It felt more like she was talking to someone equal or superior, than a junior that she could p to death.


    The Pce Master didn''t know if Eren was simply pretending, or if it was truly a split personality and he was apletely different person now. She didn''t want to find out either, as she was a little scared of bringing forth the other Eren again.


    Eren didn''t want to acknowledge what had happened a few moments ago. It was the same for Trisha. The only difference was that only one of them knew the full extent of the storm that had arrived.


    "We... we are?" Eren''s eyes widened in feigned surprise, ncing around the devastated surroundings.


    Chunks of ice and snow were scattered everywhere. He could even see arge hole in the wall not far from him.


    "It must be a scary enemy. I am d that you are safe." Eren brought out a handkerchief from his storage, and rushed to the Pce Master to wipe the blood off her lips gently.


    The Pce Master instinctively moved back, her hands still trembling a little. For some reason, Eren found her reaction amusing, since it used to be his reaction before her in the past.


    He sat next to the Pce Master, and wiped the blood from her face using the handkerchief, as the cuts on her face had already healed. Only the traces of blood were left behind.


    It was a moment of peace that didn''t belong to the Ice Maiden Pce which was on just alert. Many people of the Ice Maiden Pce, including the Elders were still a little scared after seeing those Lightning Bolts in the sky.


    It wasn''t just the Ice Maiden Pce that had suffered. There was one ce in the Central Continent which had suffered even more in thest few seconds.


    Someone was sent to the Central Continent to create false traces. Unfortunately, that wasn''t the only thing he had done. Instead, he had intervened to a much bigger extent than that.


    "T-thank you." Trisha thanked Eren for helping her, but she still couldn''t forget that there was a monster hiding within this seemingly ordinary man.


    She even started to have second thoughts if it was fine to give her daughter to this man. There were many things about him that she didn''t know, especially now.

 Chapter 636 636: Strong Undercurrent

    Eren noticed that Trisha was still scared of him, even if she was trying to hide it. It made him really wonder just what his alter ego from the future had done to her.


    It was just his personality from the future after all. It was limited to his present strength, even if it took over his body. So how could he suppress someone like Trisha?


    There was a nagging feeling in his heart that there was something suspicious lurking within the surface that he couldn''t quite put his finger on.


    Was he really so strong that he could defeat someone like Trisha, surpassing the level difference between them? Just what did his future self know to put his present state body to such good use?


    ''Sometimes I really wonder what kind of monster I will be in the future. With just a soul alone, in this weak body, I could defeat a demigod.''


    "Pce Master!" The shout of Elders brought Eren out of his daze, and he saw the Elders rushing in their direction.


    "Are you hurt?" The Elders were panicked, seeing Trisha being supported by Eren. There were also some signs of a battle taking ce here.


    "I am fine," The Pce Master answered, still being supported by Eren. She thought about pushing him away, to free herself, but when she remembered his alter ego, she couldn''t get herself to do anything to cause a misunderstanding.


    In the eyes of the Elder, it looked like Eren was simply embracing her, with his arm around her shoulders to help her stand.


    "Are there any casualties around the Ice Maiden Pce?" The Pce Master asked, ncing at Eren through the corner of her vision.


    Even if there were any casualties, she couldn''t do anything, even though the person responsible was right next to her.


    "Fortunately, not a single person died. Many of them fainted as they couldn''t bear the pressure, but they weren''t injured. After a little rest, they should be fine."


    "That is good." Trisha sighed in relief. Even if Eren''s alter ego had threatened her, it didn''t hurt a single person in this ce. That made her a little relieved.


    The relief onlysted for a few seconds, before she became grumpy again, remembering how she was beaten instead. Should she be happy that not a single person was hurt, or be upset that she was the only one who was hurt?


    "The person who attacked us... Did you kill him?" The Elders asked, seeing the signs of battle. The attacker was nowhere to be found, and they didn''t even suspect Eren for something like this.


    Even if he was the husband of the Pce Master, he wasn''t that strong. Moreover, he had no reason to fight his wife. That left only one other possibility.


    The Pce Master had already beaten the intruder to the point that even his corpse wasn''t left behind.


    The signs of battle made them believe that it was the intruder getting thrashed, and not the Pce Master who had long wiped the blood from her lips to save some dignity.


    "The Pce Master is truly incredible! You killed the intruder before he couldnd that scary attack to destroy the Ice Maiden Pce!" The Elders didn''t even wait for the confirmation, and startedplimenting her.


    ''Killed him? You idiots, he is standing right before you and you can''t even see! Moreover, I didn''t stop any attacks! He just didn''t attack you all, because he wants to use your lives as a leverage against me!''


    Trisha''s lips trembled in frustration, and she decided to not remove the misunderstanding.


    If they thought the intruder was dead, then the search for the intruder would also end. It would annoy Eren''s alter ego a little less, which she preferred.


    The Pce Master had killed the scary intruder! This news started making rounds around the Ice Maiden Pce. There was not a single person who wasn''t praising the Pce Master.


    Those who had passed out under the pressure, also started waking up with a few hours of rest, and a little healing.


    The Ice Maiden Pce had returned to normal, and the extreme defence formations were deactivated again. But the conversations around the sudden attack didn''t stop.


    ....


    "The Pce Master is truly in love. In thest few days, I haven''t seen her without her husband."


    "Yeah. It''s as if they are stuck to each other. She is so cute."


    Days had passed since thest attack, and the conversation throughout the Ice Maiden Pce had changed, especially amongst the Elders.


    Ever since the attack, they had never seen the Pce Master without Eren. It was as if the woman didn''t want to be separated from her husband for a single moment.


    "She even brought that man to the weekly meeting. No outsider is allowed to attend, but she gave permission to that man, to let him hear such confidential things. Is she preparing to assign that man as an Elder here?"


    "The Ice Maiden Pce has always been governed by women. We don''t even ept a male disciples, even if they are talented. He is the only man here, and the Pce Master is nning to give him every authority possible?"


    "I don''t think it''s right. Even if it''s her husband, we should still... at least talk about it with the Pce Master?"


    "That''s right. We can ept him as a guest, but to make him an Elder?"


    "You fool, so what if he is made an Elder? Isn''t it just a role? As her husband, does he even need to demand authority? As for the meeting, she can always tell him every information that we discuss. For him, it was just a formality, wasn''t it?"


    "That''s right. Stop discussing such foolish things. If the Pce Master heard us, she would be angry."


    The Ice Maiden Pce had split into two groups. One group supported the love of the pce Master, which went beyond rules.


    Tensions had already started brewing under the surface of the Ice Maiden Pce.

 Chapter 637 637: Enemy with the world

    The Elders didn''t like the fact that Eren was hanging around the Pce Master all the time.


    They didn''t know that Eren shared the same thought. He hated the fact that the Pce Master never left him alone, for even a moment. Even when he had to go to the toilet, he could always sense her probing.


    It made him feel as if his privacy was being vited, but he couldn''t do anything about it.


    For the Elders of the Pce, the Pce Master was doing this because she was crazy in love and couldn''t be away from her lover for even a second.


    Eren didn''t know the stories that were going around, rted to his rtionship with the Pce Master. If he knew, he would''ve been even more scared of ever facing Lysander in the future.


    In his mind, there were no ulterior motives towards the Pce Master, who was his mother inw. It was the same for her.


    The one reason she even lingered around him, was to keep an eye on him. The Elders were unaware of it, but Eren was able to guess such things.


    It was not love that made her keep an eye on him all the time. It was the fear... The fear of the unknown.


    The Pce Master was worried that Eren''s alter ego might appear again. If there was someone in this ce that could stop him, then it was her.


    At least that''s what she thought, as she started keeping all the secret treasures of the Ice Maiden Pce with her, to face the alter ego when the time came.


    Unfortunately, even with the treasures, she wasn''t confident that she could face that monstrous existence again.


    "Are you done?" A voice came from outside, just as Eren finished relieving himself.


    He raised his pants, and arranged his clothes properly, before stepping out of the toilet.


    "Pce Master, can you leave me alone for fck''s sake?"


    These were the words that Eren wanted to tell the Pce Master. There was only one problem. He only said these words in his mind, and couldn''t utter them.


    "Mother-inw, sorry to keep you waiting. Also, have you decided on the matter of the Central Continent?" Eren asked the woman, following behind her.


    "What matter of the Central Continent?" Trisha''s expressions darkened when she remembered the warning of the alter ego, that Eren should never be allowed to step foot in the Central Continent.


    She didn''t take the warning lightly, as it came from something dangerous.


    "The Coronation Ceremony of the Temple of Light? Are you going to attend it?"


    "I will send an Elder in my ce to give a gift. I won''t go there personally. Who do you ask?"


    "I wanted to see the Central Continent as well. If an Elder is going, can I apany them?''


    Eren had a pawn established in the Central Continent as a descendant of a major force. He still wanted to contact that pawn.


    More importantly, he wanted to get out of this prison, where he was under observation every second of his life.


    He couldn''t even attempt to contact the Spirit Realm because he didn''t have a single second of not being watched by the strongest existence in the Ice Maiden Pce.


    He hadn''t even met Este in thest few days, since the Pce Master sent her away with the excuse of training.


    He had a feeling that the marriage was as good as gone, which was not something that he hated. If they freed him from this supposed marriage, then he could only be happy.


    As long as he entered the Central Continent, he was going to get far away from Trisha''s sphere of influence. He could gain freedom in the truest sense.


    "Absolutely not!" Trisha abruptly yelled, losing control over her emotions. This was the one thing that she couldn''t let happen.


    It was also one of the reasons she had been keeping an eye on him. Under no condition, could she let him enter that ce, especially after the warning.


    Eren was taken aback by the sharp response. Was it still the same woman that was cautious of him, always talking to him like a child? Why did she suddenly go pale at the mention of him going to the Central Continent?


    "Cough, I mean, it''s not safe there. It''s a very dangerous ce, for someone like you. Moreover, the short vacation will end tomorrow. Aren''t we returning to Hell? My husband must be waiting for you, and our little daughter."


    ''Return with you? No way in hell, am I going to hell through a spatial portal!''


    Trisha didn''t want him to enter the Central Continent, and Eren didn''t want to return through the spatial portal. The two sides were at a crossroads, with each wanting a different thing that the other couldn''t ept.


    "I-" he couldn''t ept it. He tried to say something, but he was stopped with a sudden shout from behind.


    "Pce Master!" The sound of rushed footsteps apanied the shout. "We have new information from the Central Continent! It''s massive!"


    "What happened?" Trisha frowned, wondering what kind of information could make an Elder so panicked. Did the war of the Temple of Light intensify even more?


    "A few days ago..." The Elder breathed heavily. "Someone attacked the Central Continent. The Temple of Light has beenpletely eradicated!"


    "What?" Trisha''s eyes widened in shock. "How could this happen? Who on earth has such strength?"


    She had barely finished asking the question, when she remembered something and looked at Eren. She remembered that someone that looked like Eren, wasmanded by the alter ego to go to the Central Continent.


    Right before that ego disappeared, he looked angry as well. Could it be rted?


    The Elder shook his head, his face filled with worry. "We don''t know yet, but this incident will surely cause a huge upheaval across the entire continent."


    "Exactly how many days ago did that happen?" Trisha asked, and the answer left her frozen.


    Her legs grew weak, and her head started spinning. The person that did it, was right before her. With association to him, they had already be enemies with the entire Central Continent.

 Chapter 638: How did you do it?

    Trisa heard the news that the temple of life waspletely eradicated.


    Even though there was no confirmation about the identity of the culprit, she was absolutely certain that it was the clone-like existence that was sent by Eren¡¯s alter ego.


    She knew that the alter ego was so strong that it could wipe the Ice Maiden Pce within a few seconds, but even she didn¡¯t imagine that it could eradicate something like that Temple of Light.


    It meant that even if Eren was to step on the Central Continent, there were only a rare few forces that might be dangerous for him.


    Except for the powers that were stronger than the Temple of Light, or the Ancient Families, there were not many who could threaten him.


    If he had this kind of strength, then why did the alter ego not want him to step foot in the Central Continent? Was it simply to avoid an annoyance and live afortable andzy life here? Or was something more at y?


    She didn¡¯t know exactly what kind of mess she had gotten herself involved in. The only thing she could confirm was that she was going to be in danger if she couldn¡¯t tread through the murky water carefully.


    Trisa couldn¡¯t keep her bnce, and stumbled the moment she heard the news. Eren was forced to step forward and wrap his arms around her waist to hold her in ce.


    "Are you alright?" he asked, unable to understand why Trisa was behaving as if she had seen a scary ghost.


    "I don¡¯t think you were close to the Temple of Light. Was there someone that you cared about, that might have gotten hurt there?"


    He remembered that Trisa didn¡¯t seem fond of the Temple of Light when she talked about their previous master¡¯s death.


    If anything, she looked like someone who was enjoying their misery. It made her present reactione across as even more surprising.


    "N-no. I was just a little shocked to hear the news. With the Temple of Light being destroyed, the Central Continent will be even more chaotic. It¡¯s going to be a true mess."


    Trisa recovered her expressions, not wanting to let Eren know that everything was because of him.


    "It looks like we have no reason to go to the central continent anymore." She brought out the invitation from the Temple of Light, inviting them for the coronation ceremony.


    With the temple of light being eradicated, the invitation had lost any value that it had. They couldn¡¯t attend the Coronation of corpses after all.


    She burned the invitation in her hands, and watched it turn to dust.


    "Hmm?" She watched the mes slowly die as the letter was destroyed, and a thought crossed her head.


    ¡¯Could it be something nned by his alter ego as well? He erased any excuse we had to enter the Central Continent, which was precisely what he wanted.¡¯


    She didn¡¯t know how urate her assumption was, but it was truly frightening. They had destroyed a mighty force like the Temple of Light just to stop Eren from stepping foot in the Central Continent?


    "I am fine. I think I just need some rest." She rubbed her forehead, the thought slowly overwhelming her.


    She had barely felt a headache in her life, but in thest few days, she often had such headaches. Now, her entire head was spinning.


    She tried to walk away on her own, to calm her chaotic head. There was only one problem. The entire world was spinning for her, and she couldn¡¯t even walk straight.


    Her steps were unstable, and she appeared as if she could fall at any moment.


    "You don¡¯t seem fine to me." Trisa heard Eren¡¯s voice, as an arm wrapped around her shoulders. Another went under her knees, and she was picked up like a princess.


    "At this rate, you will fall somewhere and get hurt. I will take you to your room," he said, holding Trisa close to his chest to stabilize himself.


    He had already seen Trisa¡¯s room, which made it easier for him to escort her back. It was just a little longer journey, since he couldn¡¯t use teleport again. Or rather, he didn¡¯t have the courage to.


    "Cough, that¡¯s right. Lord Eren should escort the Pce Master back." The Elder quickly retreated, not wanting to be an obstruction between the husband and wife.


    "I have a feeling that the Elders look at me strangely. I wonder what it is?" Eren mumbled, watching the Elder disappear.


    He didn¡¯t know what it was, but their gazes felt less like they were looking at a junior, and more as if they were looking at someone who was equal to them. It was a strange feeling that was further intensified when he was with the Pce Master.


    Was it simply because he was the supposed son inw of their Pce Master? Even for that possibility, their reactions felt a little extreme.


    He had even seen some of them giggling in secret when they walked away from them, which made it even more bizarre.


    "I can walk on my own. You don¡¯t have to carry me. My room is far," The Pce Master said, cing her hand on Eren¡¯s chest to push him back.


    "You don¡¯t have to be stubborn. I have already seen how well you can walk. If I let you go, you might fall a hundred times in two hundred steps. So let me carry you."


    Eren held her firmly, to ensure that she didn¡¯t fall because of her resistance. It made him bring her even closer into his embrace as he carried her.


    "Pce Master, can I ask you something? There has always been a question in my mind that I wanted to ask, but couldn¡¯t get the time."


    He didn¡¯t call her Mother-inw as that was only something he was allowed to do when they were absolutely alone. He didn¡¯t want to cross any red line and offend Trisa.


    "What question?" Trisa asked, her resistance growing weaker.


    "When I first came here, I remembered that I was in an extremely bad condition. The Medicinal Elder told me that I wouldn¡¯t have survived if I hadn¡¯t received the healing essence," Eren said, remembering the conversation he had with the Elder when she was asking him about his physique.


    "She told me that my physique was really unique, and it couldn¡¯t ept direct essence transfer. How did you people really transfer the medicinal essence then? I asked the Elder, but she just didn¡¯t answer. She said that I should ask you."


    "How did you do it?" Eren asked, wondering if there was some weakness in his physique that allowed them to pass his bloodline defence.

 Chapter 639 639: We did what?

    "You!" Trisa didn''t know how to react to the question.


    She was in disbelief that this question was even raised to her, especially since she had told the Elders to not mention anything about what happened to Eren.


    She didn''t expect them to pass the question back to her when he asked them. There was no way she could tell Eren what she actually did.


    She felt ashamed and embarrassed that she even had to do something like that with the person that she considered a son inw.


    Although there was nothing wrong with it, since she did it to save his life. Still, just saying that outright felt surreal.


    "You don''t need to know such things." She started looking elsewhere, a faint shade of red appearing on her face.


    ''Why can''t she answer? Just what did she do to me? Something doesn''t feel right. Does she not want me to know that she has some kind of weakness in me?'' Eren didn''t take the rejection nicely, and he started overthinking.


    The woman might not be showing it, but he was sure that she had a conflict with his future self when he was summonedst time. Was she taking precaution against him by not telling him that she knew his weakness?


    "I was just curious about it. If I know what worked, it might save my life in the future if I''m ever in a situation like this. So I would really request for the Pce Master to tell me more," he still insisted, not giving Trisa a moment to breathe.


    This was the one answer that he couldn''t ignore. He even ensured that Trisa didn''t have any excuse to reject him anymore, since he ced his future safety on the line.


    Trisa clenched her fists, seeing Eren not letting the topic pass. If she still kept rejecting, was his alter ego going to appear? That was her biggest worry since she didn''t know how it worked.


    She waspletely ignorant to the fact that even Eren couldn''t summon his future self any time he wanted. It all depended on luck, and even then, he couldn''t always seed.


    In her overthinking and worries that the alter ego might appear if she upset Eren too much, she gave in.


    "I transferred the healing essence physically," she vaguely answered, as her cherry lips moved lightly.


    "You transferred the essence physically? How? Wasn''t that the entire problem that my body couldn''t ept it?"


    "You idiot! Do you really want me to spell out everything to you?!" Trisa eximed, her face growing redder. It was unclear if it was anger, or embarrassment that made her face turn red.


    "I am sorry for being naive, but I truly don''t understand. You will have to be more clear." Eren didn''t want her to get away with such a vague answer that even felt like a lie.


    Trisa took a deep breath, her heart racing fast in anger.


    She ced a finger on her lush lips and said, "I transferred the Medicinal Essence after absorbing it on my tongue. I transferred it physically, to your tongue with my tongue! Are you happy now?!


    "What?" Eren was in such disbelief that he dropped Trisa on the ground. Just the thought of what she exined, happening between them, left him at a loss of words.


    She transferred the purified medicinal essence from her tongue to his tongue? For that, didn''t their lips have to meet?


    ''Fu*k! Lysander will kill me if he finds out that I kissed his wife! He wouldn''t care if I was unconscious at that time or not. He woulde straight for my head!''


    He had never expected that the answer was something like this. If he had known, he never would''ve asked the question. Without knowing this answer, at least he could have maintained some semnce of ignorance and sanity.


    Finally, he understood why the Elders were looking at him suspiciously. He had been kissed by his mother-inw. No wonder their gazes were so strange. He didn''t know that he was stillpletely wrong about the thought of the Elders.


    "Ah, I''m sorry!" He came out of his shock, realizing that he had dropped Trisa. He quickly picked her up in his embrace again, but deep down, he was still thinking about the same thing.


    He had kissed the woman that was his mother inw? Even if he wasn''t to be med for that, it was still a dangerous thing that had happened between them.


    If it was a secret that was kept between the two of them, it could still be kept hidden. But apparently, the Elders also knew about it. The more people that knew about it the harder it was to keep it a secret.


    If Estelia heard about it from the Elders, then it was only a matter of time before it reached Lysander. It was even worse if Trisa told Lysander about this.


    ''I need to get stronger before I return to hell! I can''t return to hell like this! No, I can''te before Lysander! That crazy man would kill me on sight. I need something to protect myself before I see him again. I just can''t take the risk.''


    His mind was in a mess, but he promised himself that he wasn''t going to return to hell. If anything, he never wanted to face that man even if he became stronger than Lysander.


    "Are you going to tell Lord Lysander about this?" he asked cautiously, looking at Trisa who was still ashamed to the point that she didn''t look in his eyes.


    "Are you crazy? You want me to tell him that I kissed another man and even used my tongue?" Trisa scoffed in response, her gaze turning cold. "It was a one time thing, that was the need of the hour to save your life! It can never reach his ears."


    "That is good." Eren sighed in relief. At least Trisa wasn''t going to tell Lysander. Now all that was left was to ensure the Elders didn''t blurt out such things before Estelia.

 Chapter 640 640: Time for Rise

    Eren brought Trisa to her room. He gently ced her on the bed, and pulled his hand from under her.


    "Rest well," he covered her with a nket, and turned away, still thinking about the kind of mess he had gotten involved with, thanks to the way Trisa healed him.


    As a man, he understood that Lysander wasn''t going to care about the reason. Just the fact that his wife did something like that with him, was enough for him to go bonkers. He knew that he definitely would''ve done that if he was in his ce.


    He stepped out of the room, and closed the door behind him. He had thought that he would breathe a sigh of relief when he would finally get some time away from Trisa. But this whole thing had dampened his mood.


    He walked over to the balcony, and looked around to ensure that he was alone. After confirming that he was alone, he finally tried contacting the Spirit Queen and got updated about what was happening with earth.


    He gazed at the back of his hand, where the contract mark was still as bright as ever. He activated the contract mark, and tried to connect the first spirit queen.


    "Yelen, can you hear me?"


    "Where have you been? Why couldn''t I feel your presence? Do you know how worried I was?" A voice appeared in his head.


    Yelen was filled with a sense of relief, yet her voice couldn''t hide the anxiety and worries that she had felt the moment Eren had disappeared after entering hell.


    She had tried everything she could to establish a connection with him, but nothing worked. Just when she was starting to give up hope, she finally heard his voice again.


    "I am d to see that you are safe as well." Eren smiled, hearing the familiar voice that he had missed a lot. "There were some problems and I couldn''t connect with you when I was in hell. But everything is solved now."


    He told her everything that had happened to him from the moment he entered Hell. He didn''t forget to mention that he had killed the Necromancer Tower Master, and even his brother who was the biggest threat for him.


    He didn''t want to tell her about the entire mess rted to Lysander and his wife wanting him to marry their daughter. But it was rted to his trip to the upper realm, so he told her that as well.


    "You are in the Upper Realm?" Yelen''s voice was filled with shock when she heard the mention of the Upper Realm. It was a ce where gods lived after all.


    Even if she was the Spirit Queen, she was insignificant in the Upper Realm. And now Eren was in a ce like that, apanied by a woman who wanted to make him son inw?


    "Can youe back?" she asked Eren. "I don''t think that ce is safe for you."


    "I wish I could," Eren mumbled, but the entire experience with the spatial portal had left him shaken.


    The distance of the upper realm to his home was huge, maybe even bigger than the distance from hell to this ce. He wanted to return, but he didn''t want to travel through space.


    "How is everything back home?" He changed the topic, and started asking more about his home.


    The Necromancer Tower had beenpletely erased. Only three forces were left in that world, which included the Hero Academy, the Demon Sect, and the Holy Empire that was ruled by his clone as the Holy Emperor.


    His clone would have received the credit for wiping out the Necromancer Tower. The Holy Empire would have definitely caught the most attention from the other two forces, so he was also a little worried.


    "Things here..." Yelen''s voice grew weaker as she hesitated about something.


    "Your silence doesn''t give me confidence. Tell me what happened?" Her tone also made Eren panic a little.


    He wasn''t worried about his clone as much as he was worried about the girls that had supported him, including Xiu Ying.


    With the Necromancer Tower gone, most of the threats were supposed to be gone, but there were still two main characters that still existed in that world. He couldn''t predict the kind of changes those two could bring in his absence.


    "Many things have changed in this ce in thest five years," Yelen said.


    "Five years? What?" Eren eximed in shock.


    What did she mean? Many things have changed in thest three years? He had only left that world a few months ago. He was at a loss of words. It was only when his mind clicked that his expressions darkened.


    "The flow of time! Fuck! I forgot to take it into consideration!" He didn''t know about the intricacies of hell.


    Even though he heard Lysander mention that the flow of time was different between Hell and Earth, he forgot to consider the same thing for his new home.


    For him, only a few months had passed since hest saw everyone back home. But for them, five years had passed, which was like an eternity worth of time for the two remaining main characters to grow up.


    "Faaak!" He roared in curse, at the kind of naive mistake that he had made. If he knew about it, he would''ve tried to return earlier.


    Without realising, he had given a new lifeline to the two main characters, one that was hiding in the Hero Academy, and the other whose Identity was still unknown to him, except for the fact that he was born in the Northern Continent.


    "Tell me everything that happened in thest two years! What''s the fate of the Holy Empire? What happened to the Demon Sect? Is Xiu Ying safe? What about Sect Master Feng Yu and the others?"


    "What about the two main characters? I mean, are there two people that appeared out of nowhere and gained prominence in thest two years? Tell me everything about them!"

 Chapter 641 641: The past

    Yelen took a deep breath, the sound echoing slightly in Eren''s mind.  "Five years is a long time. So much has happened that I don''t even know where to start. It would''ve been better if you were here to see for yourself."


    Her voice regained some strength, as she continued, "The Holy Empire... your clone, he did exceptionally well initially. With the Necromancer Tower gone, the Empire expanded its influence rapidly."


    "He eradicated all those that could threaten the Empire in the Western Continent and consolidated his power. He even won over the remnants of the Royal Family, including the brother of the real Holy Emperor who was assigned the position of the Grand General of the Holy Empire."


    "So far, that''s good.  If I was in his ce, I would have done the same thing. The Holy Emperor''s brother was a really important character in the novel of the Western Continent."


    "Even if he isn''t as good as the Main Characters, he was still a talented side character that had the potential to rise."


    Eren nodded in satisfaction. So far, everything was normal. If the Holy Empire could be stabilized, it was a good thing as it would make the other two forces hesitate in attacking them.


    There was only one problem which he could predict even without Yelen telling him. The Holy Emperor was his clone. He was certainly close to the Demon Sect, thanks to Xiu Ying and the others that he left behind in the Holy Empire.


    It was fine as long as there were four forces to keep each other at bay. But if one of those four forces was to be taken out, it became a situation which was a lot moreplicated.


    In the eyes of the hero academy, the Great Demon Sect was close to the Holy Empire. They would have to be foolish to not worry about it.


    "If I was in their ce, I would have worried about the Holy Empire and the Demon Sect joining forces against me," Eren''s frown deepened.


    It was the worst time for the Holy Empire since it was just recovering from the war with the Northern Continent. He doesn''t think that the Academy would just wait and watch the Empire recover.


    "Still, they shouldn''t be able to do much. With the backing of the Demon Sect, the Empire should''ve been able to buy more time to recover and grow. Right?" he asked Yelen.


    Even though he wasn''t in that world, he was able to visualize how things could have progressed as he had good knowledge of all sides. There was only one thing that he couldn''t predict, which was the movement of the Main Character.


    Yelen agreed with Eren, even as she was surprised that Eren was able to predict that much with such ease.


    "That''s right. Even though it wasn''t spoken out loud, the Demon Sect had been quite friendly with the Holy Empire thanks to the links you left behind. But the problem was also something that you left behind..." Yelen sounded like she was ming Eren, which left him a little confused.


    "What do you mean? What did I leave behind?''


    "You remember the girl that you saved from the Holy Priestess?"


    "That girl... Don''t tell me!" Eren''s expressions darkened as the realization set in. He thought that there were two main characters running free but he forgot about one that he himself had saved.


    In the Western Continent, the evil Holy Priestess was a fake. And the main character was a girl that was supposed to overthrow her and bring the Holy Empire back to light.


    He had saved the girl from the false holy Priestess, and wanted to use her against the Holy Empire. His ns diverged a little, because of the Dragon Empress and his new bloodline.


    Things became even moreplicated when he took over the position of the Holy Emperor from another Transmigrator. From that point onwards, he didn''t have any use left for the real Holy Priestess.


    He was so distracted in dealing with the false Holy Priestess as the Holy Emperor that he didn''t have time to consider the true holy Priestess. Then came the whole mess with the Necromancer Tower, and he ended up in hell.


    "What did she do?" he asked, almost feeling like pping himself for forgetting such things. Even though he was fighting for his life, it wasn''t an excuse for him to make such mistakes in his ns.


    "That girl started a resistance against the Holy Emperor, saying that he was an evil man who was controlled by the devil. She started fighting for the re-establishment of the Holy Church and the Empire to return to orthodoxy.


    The resistance also grew stronger, and within the first year itself, there were many uprisings.


    "I thought the Main Character would be useless after I killed the viin in that story. I didn''t expect the story to rece me with the viin, while keeping her arc intact." Eren''s knuckles whitened as he gripped the balcony railing


    The resistance was supposed to rise against the Holy Priestess. The Holy Emperor''s brother and many other heroes were supposed to rise up in her support, and write epic tales of their resistance in the great battles.


    Unfortunately, he had be a target of that resistance. He thought that the biggest worry for the holy empire was supposed to be the Hero Academy, but the problem rose up from within.


    "The Empire had already suffered a lot of losses in the war against the Northern Continent. They also had to assign a lot of guards in the Northern Continent to maintain the stability of the conquered Territory, which-"


    "...which left many gaps in the Empire for that girl to take advantage of." Erenpleted Yelen''s sentence. Even though it was logical, he couldn''t hide his frustration.


    If he was there, he would''ve been able to suppress that resistance with brute force. But the person in charge was none other than his clone, which didn''t have much power.


    Even the power of faith that the Holy Emperor was supposed to possess, mainly belonged to him and not his clone.


    His clone wasn''t strong enough. In his absence, they had to protect the clone a lot as it would disappear if it was hurt to a certain extent.


    That''s why, he had advised them to give an excuse that his clone was injured while fighting the Necromancer Tower Master in which the Tower Master was killed by him.


    It was an excuse made without considering the fact that an uprising was being nned by the Holy Priestess.


    That excuse ended up giving the Holy Priestess even more confidence that it was the right time, and they had to win before the Holy Emperor could recover.


    "You didn''t ask the Demon Sect for help?" he asked. "How foolish of me. The Demon Sect won''t be able to help. They probably had to keep the Hero Academy at bay. They couldn''t leave their own Defences in such instability, especially since it was an internal uprising."


    "That is correct. Xiu Ying and a few other great elders tried to help, but the resistance was spread out, making it impossible to suppress them at once. Moreover, there is also a strange man who is part of the resistance."


    "What strange man?"


    "It''s a crazy man, who bes stronger every time he is killed by an enemy. Even I don''t know how it''s possible. He is the biggest ace of the resistance. Oh, and the girl that you upset in the Necromancer Tower was also seen with him."


    "That girl is still alive?" Eren eximed. He remembered the arrogant girl, who had temporarily be his Senior Sister when he took the Left Guardian of Necromancer Tower as his master.


    If the girl was with that man, and considering his abilities, it meant that the man might havee from the Northern Continent, where thest main character was supposed to be present.


    "A man who can grow stronger every time he is killed by an enemy? What kind of cheat ability is this? How can anyone defeat him?" he mumbled.


    This was the worst kind of enemy to deal with, as there was no end to that person. Killing him only made him stronger.


    "The only solution is to suppress him without killing him. Did you not try that?"


    "Your wife tried that. But the man has some treasure which helps him teleport away every time there is something that could suppress him. It''s because of the Priestess and that man, the Holy Empire had lost seventy percent of its territory in thest five years."


    The continent has basically split in two forces, and the Holy Empire isn''t the strongest here anymore. The territory of the Holy Empire keeps shrinking with each passing month.


    "That''s just the change which happened in the Western Continent. I haven''t even talked about the other two continents yet."


    "Don''t tell me something bad has happened to the Demon Sect as well?"

 Chapter 642 642: Descent

    "Something bad would be an understatement," Yelen said, her words making Eren even more worried.


    Even though the Holy Empire was the greatest force that he could control, the Demon Sect was still his home, and the ce where he could always hide in case everything went wrong for him.


    It was the ce where he had first transmigrated to, and also the only ce whose main character had already died at his hands.


    More importantly, it had the people most precious to him, including the Sect Master whose blood was thest thing he needed to remove thest seal on his cultivation and release itpletely.


    If anything happened to the Sect Master of the Demon Sect, he could only forget about retrieving the true cultivation of Ren Necroline.


    He didn''t think that Ren Necroline''s strength could be stronger than his current strength, but it was still one more hidden weapon that could make him even more stronger.


    He also needed the Sect Master toplete the Path of the Lover and receive the treasure that he was promised by the system.


    "Please tell me that Feng Yu is still alive." He grimaced.


    "She is still alive," Yelen said, making Eren sigh in relief. "As long as she is still alive, that''s good. So what was the trouble with the Eastern Continent that you were talking about?"


    "The Eastern Continent is at war with the Southern Continent. Each side has lost many powerful people. Many Great Elders of the Demon Sect have died, alongside the Professors of the Hero Academy."


    "What? Didn''t you say that the Hero Academy didn''t do anything and the two sides held each other back?"


    "That was only at the start. Just one year ago, things escted when an Elder was found dead in the Eastern Continent, and there were signs of the Hero Academy''s involvement."


    "Right after that, the Southern Continent attacked the Eastern Continent, led by the Hero Academy that med the Demon Sect instead, saying their professor was killed by a Demon Sect Member."


    "I don''t know who was telling the truth, as no one could really verify it. But the war arrived, and the Hero Academy didn''t hesitate."


    Hearing Yelen''s exnation, Eren''s expressions grew moreplicated.


    He didn''t know if the Hero Academy was lying and using it as an excuse to attack and finish the Demon Sect before the Holy Empire could recover, or if there was someone else manipting everything from the shadows.


    Subconsciously, he kept thinking about the Prophet. He suspected that man of being a transmigrator like him, but he hadn''t killed that person, having no such opportunity.


    "If I was there, I could have gathered more information from the Hero Academy, but it''s impossible now. Tell me, what''s the status of the war now?"


    "Ah, it''s not good. The new Leader of the Hero Academy is really clever and strong. In thest one year, the Demon Sect has suffered the most."


    "The Sect Leader also failed to change the tide of the battle, as she was held back by the new leader of the Academy every time she made an appearance. Theirst battle was just two days ago, and both returned with serious injuries."


    "You said the new leader? Is that..." Eren already knew what might have happened. He thought he had a lot of time to deal with that main character of South, who was the reincarnation of a supreme expert that was betrayed by Hero Academy''s Dean Mist.


    As five years had passed, it was enough time for him to show his ambitions.


    "Fortunately I already used Mist''s blood to remove the seal on my cultivation. If I had left that forter, I would''ve been screwed even more." He rubbed his forehead, and rested his elbows on the railing.


    "You can continue," he told Yelen who went silent when he started talking to himself.


    "The new leader of the Hero Academy is a man, who joined the Academy only five years ago. It''s said that he had many s-rank abilities that allowed him to suppress Mist and take over the academy."


    "Did he already kill Mist?"


    "Many people believe it to be the case, but no one knows for sure. No one saw the corpse. That''s why, there are also some rumors that he has just imprisoned Mist. There are also a few rumours that he has some connections with the Upper Realm, which are more serious ones.''


    "You know, every time you give me an update, the situation starts sounding more and more grim. But it''s good that the man isn''t stronger than Feng Yu yet. If both of them were injured, it means that they will take a long time to recover. It should buy me some time."


    If there was any silver lining, it was that the two strongest parties on each side had been taken out of the war, and none could change the tide of the war right away.  It was a stable situation.


    As long as his clone could put an end to the rebellion in time, and the Holy Empire came to help, the situation could be suppressed fast.


    "But it''s just my clone, he doesn''t have what it takes to solve this mess yet. He also has ring weaknesses that can''t be ignored. I need to be there, if I want to do anything. But how..."


    Eren started stressing his head, trying to think about the ways that could allow him to control the situation back home, without taking a spatial passage back.


    "It''s not as if I can just descend without a spatial portal," he mumbled, but the moment he heard himself, his eyes widened. "Descent!"


    The Goddess of Light had used descent to establish a connection with the lower realm and descend into the body of the Holy Priestess.


    Her soul was too strong, and couldn''t stay in the soul of a human for a long time. But he was different. The soul within his clone, and him were identical.


    If he could learn that skill, he could descend into his clone''s body temporarily to control the situation and return when needed. Even his system coulde down with him.


    "Unfortunately, the Temple of Light has already been destroyed by some pathetic bastard. Even if I want to learn that skill, I can''t. But maybe there are still some survivors that might be in hiding. If I can... I have to go there!"

 Chapter 643 643: Freedom

    "If I want to get out of this ce, this might be the perfect opportunity while Trisa is off my trail," Eren thought.


    He had an idea and turned around. Trisa wasn''t feeling well and was resting. Even Estelina wasn''t present.


    The Professors also weren''t paying attention to him because Trisa had told them to stay away. He didn''t think he would get a better opportunity to leave.


    He raised his hand and summoned a diary from his storage ring. He also took out a pen and started writing.


    "Dear Pce Master."


    "I just remembered that I have a friend in the Upper Realm. I thought this might be a good opportunity to meet up with an old friend."


    "I wanted to take you with me as well, but you aren''t well at the moment, so I will have to take this trip alone. I should be back as soon as I can. Until then, please don''t worry about my safety. I will bepletely fine."


    "Yours..." he wrote, but quickly crossed out the word, adding only his name at the end.


    He tore off the page from his diary, and folded it perfectly. He looked back at the door of Trisa''s room.


    There was a small gap under the door, just enough for him to slide the paper inside.


    "No, what if she is awake and reads it before I can even leave? It would be foolish. I can''t leave this letter in her room."


    Instead of delivering the letter right away, he jumped off the balcony andnded outside the Pce where only the higher ups of the Pce could live.


    "Greetings, Senior Eren."


    He started walking away from the Pce, while being greeted by the disciples of the Ice Maiden Pce, who looked like absolute fairies.


    The domain of the Ice Maiden Pce was vast, and it took him a lot of time to go from the Pce Master''s residence to the Medicinal Peak, where the Medicinal Elder lived.


    Out of all the Elders, he was the most familiar with the Medicinal Elder as she came to check up on him a few times.


    "Elder, can I ask for your help?" He called out to the Elder, who was plucking herbs from the field personally.


    "Hmm? It''s you? What are you doing here?"


    "I came to ask for a little help. Actually, I needed to get out of this ce. I had the permission from your Pce Master, but I forgot to get her permission token. And now she fell asleep, and I didn''t feel like disturbing her."


    "Can I use your permission token?"


    "Hmm? Just that? And here I thought you would ask for some big help," the Medicinal Elder stood up, and wiped the sweat off her forehead.


    She approached Eren, and gave him a small token that was barely the size of a marble. "The barrier won''t stop you with this."


    Eren nced at the token, but his gaze subconsciously kept moving above, noticing that her shirt was half open, sweat trickling down between her cleavage.


    Even though they were in the frozen mountain, but the medicine garden was kept at a high temperature for the herbs that were grown here, which couldn''t be kept at a low temperature.


    The Elder clearly wasn''t ustomed to the heat.


    "Are they big?" The Medicinal Elder asked suddenly.


    "Huh? What?" Eren raised his head, stunned at her words.


    "The herbs? Are they big? I put a lot of effort into growing them."


    "Yeah, they are very big," Eren answered, without even ncing at the herbs. He quickly turned around, and left the ce with the token.


    He cursed himself inwardly. He was so old, yet he kept falling for such things. He didn''t know why, but his feelings were more stirred recently. First, it was with Estelia, and now with the Medicinal Elder.


    ''Is it because it''s been a long time since I?'' He thought, before quickly shaking the thought off.


    "Is something wrong?" The Elder asked, watching Eren shake his head fiercely for no reason.


    "Ah, right. There was one more thing I needed your help in. I had something to give to your Pce Master, but as I said, she is sleeping. Moreover, I don''t think she should read this now. It''s for a special asion."


    He brought out the folded piece of letter from his other pocket, and kept it in the charming Elder''s hand.


    "Can you give this letter to her tomorrow?"


    The Medicinal Elder was curious about what was in the letter, but she didn''t know if she could read it. It was a letter from a husband to his wife. If the Pce Master knew that she read something that was for her, it might be bad.


    She controlled her curiosity and kept the letter safely. Instead, she tried to ask Eren directly about the content of the letter. But the moment she raised her head, she found the entire ce empty.


    Eren was nowhere to be seen, and had already left.


    "Hmph, he is fast. It''s not a good quality for a man." She turned around and returned to plucking the herbs for the next concoction.


    Eren had travelled over fifty miles, and reached the threshold of the Ice Maiden Pce Domain. With the token in his pocket granted by an Elder,  the barrier didn''t react to him.


    He was easily able to pass through the barrier. Once he was out of the ce, he didn''t hesitate for a single moment and increased his speed, with Draconian Wingsing out from his back.


    "Finally, I am free of their oversight!" He stretched out his arms, and celebrated, going farther and farther away from the Ice Maiden Pce and towards the Central Continent.


    He had only a few goals for the Central Continent. One was to find the skill of Descent so he could check the status back home. And the other was to contact his spy, who held a high position in the Central Continent.

 Chapter 644 644: Runaway husband

    Trisa thought about the fate of the Temple of Light and its links with Eren. She didn''t even know when she fell asleep after being exhausted from overthinking.


    She woke up the next day, still exhausted from the mental drain. She knew that she had to keep an eye on Eren to ensure he didn''t harm anyone else in the Ice Maiden Pce. At the same time, she still didn''t want to see him.


    Everything she was next to Eren, she always thought about his other personality. She was often overwhelmed. It always felt like a mental exercise to spend time with him.


    Despite that, she changed her clothes and left her room. Even if it was exhausting, she had to keep an eye on Eren.


    She went straight for Eren''s room to wake him up as it was still early morning. She knocked on his door, but the door opened on the lightest of knocks.


    She peeked inside his room, but Eren was nowhere to be found. His bed still looked untouched, and there was no presence to be found anywhere. It was as if he didn''t even sleep in this room at night.


    "Where is he?" She closed the door and asked the nearby guards who informed her that they had seen Eren going towards the Medicinal Peak.


    "How many hours ago was it?" she asked the guard.


    "It was yesterday, around fifteen hours ago."


    "You are saying that he hasn''t returned since yesterday?"


    "That is correct." The Guard nodded. As they were assigned to this ce, they didn''t have any interaction with other regions of the Ice Maiden Pce.


    The Ice Maiden Pce was a single entity, but it was spread across multiple mountains, and just traveling from one mountain to another was harsh and time consuming for guards like them who couldn''t use void travel.


    The Ice Pce Master frowned. Eren had been at the Medicinal Peak throughout the night and didn''t return? Just what was he doing there?


    For a second, she even wondered if he slept with the Medicinal Elder, remembering her suspicious gaze when she had seen him during his treatment.


    "It better not be true." She tore open the void, and stepped inside. Within a second, she appeared before the Medicinal Elder''s cottage, and kicked open her door.


    She found the Elder still on bed, sleeping under a thin nket that was only covering up to her waist, revealing her bare breasts to Trisa.


    "Where is he?" Trisa asked loudly.


    Medicinal Elder''s eyes snapped open at the loud sound.


    "Oh, Pce Master..." The Elder took off the bedsheet and got off the bed. As both of them were women, she didn''t hurry in covering herself.


    She walked over to the wardrobe and brought a few clothes, and started getting dressed.


    "Are you asking about Lord Eren?" she asked, while sliding her skirt up her waist and tying it properly.


    "Who else will I be asking about? I was told that he came here yesterday. He hadn''t returned since then. Did he sleep here? Where is he now?"


    "Sleep with me? I would never sleep with someone who belongs to you. Don''t worry, Pce Master. I have at least that much sense. Although he dide to me yesterday, it was only because..."


    The Elder finished dressing up, and exined everything that had happened between Eren and her. She told her that she had given her the exit token.


    "This is the letter he told me to deliver." She also delivered the letter that Eren left for her. "Why do you look so confused? Didn''t you two already talk about it?"


    "Talked about it?" Trisa''s entire body trembled when he read the letter. She understood what had happened, and how Eren had tricked the Elder into getting the exit pass.


    She tried to locate the token, and senses it right outside the Ice Maiden Pce. Eren had already tossed it away after leaving this ce, to ensure that he couldn''t be traced back.


    "He already left. And I can already guess where he is going. We are doomed if he reaches that ce!" Trisa covered her face with her palms, not knowing what to do.


    She knew that Eren had left a long time ago. Even though he wasn''t faster than her, it was enough time for him to change his direction.


    There were thousands of possible routes that he could have taken. If he was worried about her chasing after him, he would have intentionally taken a longer path.


    It was almost impossible to find him in the vast upper realm. But still, she had no choice.


    She summoned all Elders, and told them that Eren was going to the Central Continent and that they had to find him at any cost.


    The Elders once again misunderstood her. They thought that it was a fight between husband and wife which made the husband run away from home. And now the wife was worried about husband''s safety.


    "Don''t worry, Pce Master. We will definitely find him."


    Within minutes, the entire force of the Ice Maiden Pce was put to work. Immortal women, as beautiful as fairies, were seen all across the continent, on various routes that led to the Central Region.


    Even the other forces were cautious about what they were looking for, and started putting their own people to work, to keep an eye on them.


    Meanwhile, the person in question had already changed his aura, as well as his looks to hide his identity during his travels.


    Moreover, he had intentionally taken the shortest route. If the Ice Maiden Pce wanted to find him, he was certain they wouldn''t think that he took the most obvious route.


    "Have you heard, the Ice Maiden Pce is looking for a person? Whoever gives information about the person would get a half-immortal weapon."


    "Have you seen that person''s portrait? If we can find him, won''t we be wealthy?"


    "They have already started distributing the portraits. Look, this is the person we are looking for."


    Eren walked closer to the table and looked at the portrait, which was perfectly identical to him. Fortunately, he had taken a disguise and lookedpletely different now.


    Still, he was extremely cautious as many had already started considering the possibility that he might have used a disguise.

 Chapter 645 645: How did she know?

    One monthter.


    "Have you still not found him?" In the Ice Maiden Pce, Trisa sat on her throne. There were dark circles under her eyes; she hadn''t slept properly in a long time.


    "Not even a single trail."


    The other Elders also looked to be in a simrly poor condition. In her attempt to find Eren, the Pce Master hadn''t let them rest either.


    They had been guarding the most important entry points of the Central Continent. They couldn''t rx for a single moment, not wanting to miss Eren. Despite this, they couldn''t find him.


    "Could it be that he wasn''t going to the Central Continent in the first ce?"


    "It''s impossible. That''s the only ce he has been interested in. If we still haven''t managed to catch him, it can only mean one thing..." The Pce Master covered her face with her hands, growing extremely anxious.


    "What does it mean?" an Elder asked.


    "It means that he has already managed to slip past you without being detected. At this point, he is most likely already in the Central Continent," the Pce Master said.


    She was absolutely certain that the thing she feared most had already happened. Eren had entered the Central Continent, and they had failed to stop him.


    If his alter egoes, then all of them will pay. Before that happens, she has to bring Eren back.


    She stood up abruptly and told the Elders, "I am going to the Central Continent."


    "Pce Master, you-" The Elders were at a loss for words, wondering how she could decide to enter the Central Continent so suddenly.


    "In just a week, we have this year''s recruitment ceremony. You need to be there for that. We also have apetition with the other Sects. There is also that discussion about the Aura Mine that you need to-"


    "Enough." The Pce Master raised her head and stopped everyone. "I have made up my mind. You all can preside over the ceremony. As for thepetition, just dy it by a few months. The Aura Mine discussion can also be heldter. For now, I have more important things to do!"


    Trisa opened the void, determined to enter the Central Continent and find Eren. She ignored theints of the Elders and left. The void closed after her departure.


    "Sigh, the Pce Master is truly acting like a lovesick girl."


    ....


    "Is this the ce?" After entering the Central Continent, Eren removed his disguise. In this ce, the Ice Maiden Pce had no influence or reach.


    He could move freely in the Central Continent without worrying about the bounty on his head.


    "Thank you for escorting me here." He gave a pouch filled with aura stones. This was the form of wealth used in the Upper Realm, and a resource that even he didn''t have much of.


    Even the aura stones he did use were ones he had stolen from the Ice Maiden Pce, promising himself he would return the value with interest someday.


    "I saw this ce in that boy''s memories, but this looks even more grand in reality..."


    The name ''Aurora City'' hung majestically above the grand city entrance. Just looking at the words, one could feel they carried divinity, as if carved by a god.


    The words gave him the feeling that he needed to get down on his knees and start worshipping them.


    He looked around and saw many weaker individuals on their knees at the entrance, neither going forward nor back.


    "If my mental fortitude weren''t strong, I would also be like them. What a scary ce."


    Only those who were strong enough to resist the power of the words were allowed to enter the city.


    He stepped inside, walking under the wooden name te of the city.


    "Is this where the Temple of Light used to be?"


    The first thing Eren did after entering the city was to go to the center, where he found arge crater. There were no signs of the temple, only destruction.


    Not even a single brick was left intact, as if everything had been evaporated into nothingness.


    "What kind of person could destroy this ce with such ease?" Eren thought, astonished by the destruction before him. "The Upper Realm is truly the realm of gods. Anything can happen at any time."


    The crater itself wasrge enough to cover an area the size of an entire city on Earth, and this was just the area the Temple of Light had upied.


    "The Temple of Light must have offended someone powerful. Truly unlucky." After observing the sight of destruction for a brief moment, he jumped inside the crater.


    He walked inside the crater, which was already filled with thousands of people. They were digging the ground, trying to find treasures that might have been left behind in the destruction, including the legacy of the temple.


    "It''s going to be really hard to find anything useful."


    After taking a walk around the crater, he flew out. Instead of getting his hands dirty, he started observing the others who were digging. It was easier to rob them than it was to actually search for anything in this carnage.


    In the meantime, he approached other spectators and tried to strike up a conversation about the Temple of Light.


    "It''s really a pity. The Temple of Light was wiped out in an instant."


    "Pity? Hardly! I''m d they were destroyed. They had made this ce aplete hell after their master died. The battle for session took so many lives. They made so many enemies that their fate isn''t a surprise."


    Eren didn''t expect an answer like that. He had thought the people here would be sad that the Temple of Light had been destroyed, but when he remembered the chaos they had been causing, he found it understandable.


    "Did anyone from the Temple survive?" he asked.


    "Hmph, a few still survived, unfortunately. They weren''t here at the time of the destruction."


    "Brother, can you tell me where I can find them?"


    "Are you a friend of the Temple?"


    "Not at all. Actually, they owed me some money. I came here to collect it, only to find out that they were destroyed. Fortunately, some are still alive and can repay me. Can you tell me their whereabouts?"


    "Ah, so you''re here to screw them over even more." The man''s smile widened at the thought of the men that he hated, having to pay even after losing everything.


    He didn''t hide anything, and answered, "They went to-"


    "There you are!" A loud yet beautiful voice came, which made Eren almost stumble.


    "How did she know that I would be here?" He rubbed his forehead, and turned around to look at his so-called mother inw.

 Chapter 646 646: Arcadia

    Deep exhaustion radiated from Trisa. She''d rushed here without a moment''s rest. Taking a normal route would have spared her this strain, but time was a luxury she couldn''t afford.


    Instead, she had ripped open the fabric of the void, creating an instantaneous passage straight to the Central Continent''s heart.


    Prating the barrier protecting thisnd via the void strained her body more than a journey to the depths of hell. It was evident from her disheveled hair, torn robes, and the visible tremor in her aura.


    "We leave now," she announced, grabbing Eren''s shoulder to steady herself as much as to im him.


    Eren couldn''t help but ask, "How did you know I''d be here?"


    He had been extremely meticulous, taking detours specifically during his trip to the Central Continent. There was no way someone could have guessed his destination based on his trail alone.


    Did she guess his destination because he had revealed some interest in the Temple of Light? That was the only possibility he could think of.


    "It doesn''t matter. Just know that we are returning." Trisa didn''t offer any exnation. After catching her breath, she took a deep breath and tried to open another void in a hurry.


    "Wait! I can''t enter the spatial void with you! My body... I mean my physique doesn''t allow me to travel through space. You saw what happened to mest time? Even worse might happen this time!"


    Eren tried to stop her, and even gave her an excuse. As there was no lie in his excuse, even Trisa couldn''t force him unless she wanted him to die.


    "You..." Trisa stopped tearing the void open. She thought that she could take Eren back and pretend as if he never stepped foot in this ce. But if they couldn''t return through the void, didn''t it mean they had to take the longer route?


    It meant they had to be within the borders of the Central Continent for longer? She didn''t really mind taking the longer route, but there were two things that worried her.


    If Eren''s alter ego came out while they were on thisnd, then what hell was going to be let loose? Something that worried her even more was the reason that the other personality didn''t want Eren toe here.


    He was so strong, then what could have worried him to this extent? Just what kind of danger was facing him in this continent that even someone as strong as him couldn''t handle?


    "Fine! We will fly back!" With no other choice, Trisa nned to fly back. "I will hire the fastest boat. We should be back within a few days."


    Even if she hade here in a hurry, she didn''t forget to bring aura stones with her. It could be used as a currency, even in the Central Continent.


    She might not be the richest person in the Central Continent, but as the Lord of the Ice Maiden Pce, she was definitely rich enough to hire the fastest and greatest boat back.


    She grabbed Eren''s wrist tightly, and pulled him back with her. "Come with me to the Merchant Union."


    "Mother-inw, can we stay here for a few more days?" Eren asked Trisa, who was pulling him back.


    "Absolutely not. This ce is not safe for you. The faster we get out of here, the better. If something goes wrong, my Ice Maiden Pce will also be dragged down with you."


    "Nothing will go wrong. I told you that I have a friend. I came here to meet him."


    "So what if you have a friend? Can your friend protect you in the Central Continent, where true dragons roam freely? There are too many dangers here. Even I can''t protect youpletely if something goes wrong."


    "My friend can definitely protect me."


    "Hmph. Even I''m not confident about being able to protect you here. And you say that your friend can do that? Go ahead then. Tell me which friend is it?"


    "What if he is someone that is truly able to protect me?"


    "Are you trying to use bluff on me, for me to let you go free? It won''t work. If you truly have a friend that can do it, then I will let you meet him. Go ahead!"


    Trisa was not in the mood to listen. Eren had already used tricks to run away from the Ice Maiden Pce. He had lied to the medicinal elder, using such a story. She was certain that the story about a friend was just an excuse, that he had used to run away.


    ''Does he really think that same excuse will work twice? This time, let''s see what kind of lies youe up with.'' She thought.


    "My friend is from the Arcadia n. His name is Frey Arcadia."


    "Arcadia n?" Trisa''s legs froze in ce the moment she heard the name. Eren had been walking behind her, and didn''t expect her to stop suddenly.


    He collided with her, and subconsciously held her waist.


    "You are saying that your friend is part of the Arcadia n?" Trisa asked, her tonepletely changed.


    If the Ice Maiden Pce was A-Rank Power in the Upper Realm, and the Temple of Light was S-Rank, then the Arcadia n could only be called the SSS-Rank n.


    It was one of the few ancient ns that had millions of years of lineage. No one really knows how long it had been since these ns came into existence. Compared to them, the Temple of Light''s history was like that of a dwarf.


    In the Central Continent, the Arcadia n held a lot of power. If they really wanted, then they just had to issue an order and the Temple of Light would have stopped fighting in an instant.


    At the moment, she was cursing herself for promising Eren that he could meet his friend if he really had the ability to protect him.


    If she knew that his friend was in the Arcadia n, then she never would''ve made that promise. She would''ve just taken him back.

 Chapter 647 647: Sharing a bed

    "Do you know what you''re saying? If you''re just using the name of Arcadia n, then-"


    "I am not lying. In the past, I met someone from the Arcadia n. Now that I am in the upper realm, I thought about meeting them."


    Eren only wanted to take the skills of the Temple of Light. Only after that, he wanted to go to the Arcadia n. But his ns had changed with the arrival of the Ice Pce Master.


    Fortunately, the change of ns didn''t affect things too much, since the survivors of the Temple of Light were in the territory of the Arcadia n.


    Trisa rubbed her forehead. She has already messed up by letting Eren enter this continent.


    She didn''t know what kind of dangers wereing for him, so the Arcadia n was indeed a decent ce to stop. If she could establish a connection with the Arcadia n through Eren, then it was even better for the Ice Maiden Pce''s future.


    "Fine. We will go to Arcadia."


    She entered the Merchant Union''s building with Eren, but this time, it wasn''t for the return trip. It was to make arrangements for the trip to Arcadia''s Territory.


    There was only one problem. She wasn''t even allowed to take five steps into the building before she was stopped.


    "You can''t enter. The Merchant Union is closed for the day. We are attending a special guest right now! Don''t disturb us!"


    The Guards blocked her path. Even though the guards were weaker than Trisa, this was the territory of the Merchant Union. Trisa didn''t force her way through, and tried to talk to the Guards.


    She even told them her identity, but it didn''t help in the least. It only resulted in mockery.


    "The Master of Ice Maiden Pce? Which backwater ce is that in? Why haven''t I heard of it before?"


    The guards were different from the Merchant Union Leaders. Their world view was extremely limited, only to the extent of the Central Realm.


    Even in the central realm, they didn''t know about the weaker and insignificant factions. In their eyes, only the first rate factions and above deserved even the slightest of respect from them.


    "Don''t force us to kick you out. Have some self respect and leave this ce on your own." The Guards didn''t care about an insignificant faction that they hadn''t even heard about.


    Hearing their words, Trisa felt a little embarrassed, especially since she was with Eren. She had told him that shemanded some respect in the upper realm. But even a mere guard of the Merchant Union was scolding her, and she couldn''t even fight back.


    The Merchant Union might not be some grand sect, but it had many branches across the entire continent. It also had rtionships with many great forces, and traded with them.


    In terms of strength, the Merchant Union wasn''t much weaker than the Temple of Light. She might be able to destroy a mere branch of the Merchant Union if she wanted, but when the wrath of the main branch came, even the Ice Maiden Pce couldn''t survive it.


    "It looks like we will have toe tomorrow," She held Eren''s hand after noticing Eren''s clenched fist.


    She was somewhat pleased that Eren was willing to get angry because she was insulted. But she didn''t want him to attack the guards, as he was unaware about the true strength of the Merchant Union.


    If his other personality came out, then it could definitely destroy the entire merchant union with ease. But if that happened, then even she wasn''t going to survive because she had already broken her promise to his other personality.


    Trisa firmly held Eren''s hand, and took him out of the Merchant Union Branch. For the rest of the day, they stayed in the nearby inn.


    Eren wanted to leave the inn and roam around the city, but Trisa didn''t allow him to leave. Not only that, she didn''t take her eyes off him for even a second, worried that she might disappear.


    Just to be sure that he didn''t go anywhere, she chained his hands to her hands and stayed in the same room with him. The chain was only one meter long, and allowed some room for movement, but not much.


    Eren felt extremely ufortable, being chained to Trisa. He even felt like he was some kind of prisoner, who was being escorted back to the prison.


    Throughout the day, he was still able to bear with it. But the real problem arose at night when Trisa refused to remove the chain.


    "I am telling you that I won''t run away. Can''t you trust me this once? If you free me, I can sleep on the couch, and you can sleep on the bed. If you don''t, we will have to share the same bed."


    "I still can''t trust you, after you fooled mest time. This time, I won''t let you get away from me. Also, what''s wrong with sharing a bed? Unless you have some strange thoughts about me?" Trisa red at Eren, as if trying to see through his thoughts.


    "I am your mother-inw. Even if we share a bed, nothing is going to happen. So stop making it moreplicated than it has to be."


    She was stubborn about not releasing Eren, especially at night when it was the easiest for someone cunning like him to run away.


    She had exhausted herself a lot while traveling through the realms. If that wasn''t the case, she wouldn''t need to chain him to her.


    If she wasn''t exhausted, she could have stayed awake the entire night and kept an eye on him. But now, she needed rest, as she was in the central realm.


    ''You... You might not have a problem with it but have you considered my position? We have already kissed once.''


    ''That itself is enough for your husband to misunderstand me. If he finds out that we shared the same bed, do you think he would care about the fact that he didn''t do anything else?''


    He had a lot ofplicated thoughts, but he didn''t express them out loud. He could only give up, since Trisa was so stubborn.


    She had already fallen on the bed and closed her eyes, not in the mood to listen to anything.


    Even if the bed wasrge, the chain''s length restricted how far he could be from her. He could only lie next to her, and face her slightly pale yet charming face that looked even more mesmerising under the moonlighting from the window.

 Chapter 648 648: She would kill me!

    ''Does she really have no self-awareness? Or does she really trust me that much?'' Eren thought, resting his head on the pillow.


    Even though Trisa knew him to some extent and thought of him as her son-inw, she was still sharing the same bed with him. Even if she was confident that she could protect herself, it still felt a little surreal for Eren.


    ''My so-called father-inw,'' Eren mused silently, addressing the absent man in his head, ''I have no ulterior motives for your wife. You really can''t me me for sharing a bed with her.''


    Eren felt it was morally wrong for him to be in this bed, and he had often tried to avoid such situations. Despite that, he frequently ended up in messes like this, through no fault of his own.


    In fact, he had even left the Ice Maiden Pce partly to get away from Trisa. But his luck was so bad that he still ended up in bed with her, barely any distance between them.


    ''No matter how bad I might seem, even I''m not so morally bankrupt as to have ulterior motives in this situation. So you can sleep in peace, my dear mother-inw.''


    He reached out and gently moved a strand of hair that had fallen across Trisa''s face, tucking it behind her ear.


    ''Though I must say,'' he continued thinking, ''Lysander was quite lucky to have someone like Trisa. She is not only beautiful but also extremely strong. It''s like he found the ultimate sugar mommy.''


    Trisa had already fallen asleep, but her body subconsciously reacted, her brows twitching slightly when Eren''s fingers brushed her forehead as he moved the hair back.


    ''I haven''t even done anything, yet I still felt like a viin.'' He sighed, and turned his face. Instead of looking at Trisha''s face, he looked at the ceiling and was lost in thoughts.


    Even though he had no ulterior motives, he was still a man. He didn''t want to gaze at her, worried that he might actually fall to her charms, giving himself a sleepless night.


    He tried to close his eyes and sleep, but his mind was in a mess and he couldn''t find any peace. He wanted to go out to catch a breath of fresh air, but the shackles didn''t even allow him to do that.


    There was something strange about these chains that made it impossible for him to free himself. It was as if the chains hadn''t just tied themselves to his physical body, but also to his aura and soul.


    The only way to free himself forcefully, was to break the chains. It was something that he could still achieve, but there was no point in doing that since it would wake Trisa who would only scold him more for destroying a treasure like this.


    There was only more way for him to free himself. And that was to use the key. He had seen Trisa keep the key in her storage ring, but the ring wasn''t on her finger anymore.


    ''Did she expect me to steal her ring to take the key? Isn''t she a little too cautious about the wrong things?'' With his free hands, Eren rubbed his forehead.


    He opened his eyes again, and looked back at Trisa. The ring wasn''t on her fingers, but he was sure that it was still on her. The storage ring that she used was an extremely high tier storage ring, and couldn''t be kept in any separate space.


    ''Where exactly did you hide that ring?'' He had been with Trisa through this time, but even he didn''t see when she took off the ring. The only thing he knew was that she did that after they entered the room.


    "Could it be under the bed?" He thought of the most viable possibility. Even though Trisa said that he wasn''t allowed to be away from her, but he couldn''t bear this torture, especially since her warm breathing kept brushing against her neck, torturing him even more.


    He moved closer to Trisa, and used his free hands to find the key. He first searched under her pillow without disturbing her much, but the key wasn''t there.


    It made him even more certain that the key was under the bed on Trisa''s side. He tried to reach out his free hand, but he couldn''t reach the edge of the bed.


    He took a deep breath, and steeled his mind. He moved even closer to Trisa, getting on top of her while keeping a few inches of distance between them.


    With that, he was able to get his reach to the edge of the bed.


    While he was on top of Trisa, he kept thinking the same thing, ''Please don''t wake up, for god''s sake! If you do, I won''t know how to exin this situation.''


    His fingers moved under the mattress, and he searched under the mattress. The more he reached out his hand, the closer his body came to Trisa, to the point that her lips were touching his cheeks.


    It was a problem in itself for Eren, especially since the woman could wake up anytime if he created any more disturbance. An even bigger problem was that he couldn''t find the key, even under the mattress.


    At least, as far as his fingers could reach, there was no key. If he wanted to search even deeper, then it was impossible to not wake up Trisa.


    ''If the key isn''t under the bed, then where exactly did she hide it?'' Eren thought while retracting his hand.


    He moved his face back, not realizing that the mark of Trisa''s lipstick was still left on his cheeks.


    With his arms around Trisa, he gazed at her face, wondering where exactly she could hide the storage ring which had the key.


    "If it''s not under the bed, or the pillow, then it can only be on her. But she doesn''t even have any pockets." Eren scratched the back of his head, supporting his body''s weight with a single hand.


    "The only other possibility is... No way, I can''t search through her clothes. She would fcking kill me! It looks like I can only give up."


    He gave up, and prepared to get back to his original position. But before he could move even an inch, an option screen materialized before him.

 Chapter 649 649: Trisas Secret

    A screen materialized before Eren, right between him and Trisa. He froze, reading through the options.


    "You really want to get me killed here, don''t you?" he mumbled once he finished reading all the options.


    [Option One: Find the key hidden inside Trisa''s clothes, free yourself, and run away.


    Reward: Level +10]


    [Option Two: Do nothing and spend the night here peacefully.


    Reward: Escape Talisman]


    [Option Three: Forcefully break the chains and escape.


    Reward: Level +5]


    [Option Four: Find out Trisa''s Secret before sunrise.


    Reward: Tea of Enlightenment (can be used to upgrade one skill)]


    Option One required him to find the key and run away. It seemed the easiest method for escape, but he had to be extremely careful.


    Not only did he have to search for the key, but he would also have to retrieve it from where she had hidden it within her clothes.


    Even if he could manage it without waking her up, he didn''t feel it was the safest course of action, especially given her identity.


    If it was any other person, he might have selected that option, but not with Trisa.


    The second option seemed easiest overall, as it required him to do nothing. He just had to stay put and wait peacefully for the morning. But this option had a hidden danger he''d noticed.


    The hidden danger was the reward. If the system was rewarding him with an escape talisman, it implied this option was actually the most dangerous.


    Trisa wasn''t likely to hurt him in the morning if he did nothing. So where was the dangering from? Elsewhere in the city? He wasn''t certain.


    The only thing he knew was that, because of this option''s reward, waiting for morning in this city felt like a death sentence.


    The third option didn''t require him to find the key. He could simply break the chains, but Trisa would definitely wake up. Could he really outrun her? It was easier said than done.


    He now understood the pros and cons of the first three options and what they entailed. What he truly didn''t understand was thest option.


    It was like the system asking him to solve a puzzle without even revealing what the puzzle was.


    The reward was also tempting. It was perhaps the best of them all. But again, he had toplete it before sunrise, reinforcing his suspicion that something significant was going to happen in the morning.


    He quickly moved aside, getting off Trisa and lied on the bed next to her, lost in thoughts. He didn''t know which option to choose. The second option was the most dangerous in his eyes, and the third option was impossible to achieve without getting caught.


    The only choice for him was between the first option and thest option whose demand he didn''t even understandpletely.


    "Do you like screwing me over?" he mumbled as he looked at the system screen.


    If he wasn''t given any options, then he would have just waited for the morning after failing to find the key under the bed. But these options changed everything.


    He had this system for a long time, and he understood it a little. Only at certain absolute points in his life, did the system give him the options.


    Even the most insignificant of options held extreme significance, sometimes being the difference between life and death.


    "I feel like you really want me to cross over to the forbidden Territory by making thest option so vague. But you made one mistake, my friend."


    Eren moved his fingers towards the screen. "Even if the fourth option is the most bizarre, the reward is something that I will never ignore. Maybe this time, I might really take the risk and go for the harder option."


    Leveling up ten times was a good reward but the reward of the enlightenment tea was something that ignited the greed in his heart.


    No matter how beautiful a woman was, she couldn''tpare to the charm of an item that could help him evolve a skill.


    The reward didn''t mention any limitation on the type of skill it could evolve, and there was exactly one skill out of his many magnificent ones that he wanted to evolve.


    The Echo of Eternity, was his strongest skill, albeit also the most unreliable one. But if he could evolve that skill with enlightenment tea, would it be a little more reliable? At least that''s what he hoped.


    He wasn''t sure if he was going to regret selecting this vague option, but he still tapped on it. And when the option was selected, the screen closed.


    ''Now, how do I go about finding the so-called secret? Can it be any random secret of hers, or does it have to be a precise secret?''


    He had the entire night left to figure out the so-called secret that the system wanted him to discover. There were still over six hours left to dawn, but it still felt like there was not enough time.


    "Would she tell me if I wake her up and ask her for it? Of course she won''t. Then I have to find out that secret without waking her up?" Eren thought to himself.


    "I have a skill that can control people, but I doubt it would be effective on someone at the level of a demigod. That goes out the window. That means... Wait a minute, did I just get screwed over?! Isn''t this back to square one?!"


    He had to find that secret without waking her up, and there were only two possible paths that he could see.


    The first path was to go through her things to see if he could get any clues. But the problem was that her things were in her storage ring.


    If he wanted to check her things, he had to get her storage ring, which brought him back to square one of this conundrum.


    The second option was for him to invade her consciousness. He had a treasure that could allow him to do something like that. He had used it to control the Guardian of the Necromancer Tower in the past.


    The only problem was that Trisa was a demigod. If he entered her consciousness, and things went wrong, he might get obliterated. It was the riskiest option, and thest thing he wanted to ever test.

 Chapter 650 650: Caught Red Handed

    "Should I risk it?" he mumbled, feeling extremely conflicted at the moment. Both the options were dangerous, especially if she woke up in the middle.


    With that level of misunderstanding, he didn''t think he could ever be able to exin his reasoning to clear his name.


    For the next ten minutes, he kept thinking about it. He was growing more and more frustrated with each passing second. The more he thought about it, the harder this choice became. In the end, he simply said one thing.


    "Fck it. I don''t have time to be morally right." He toh a deep breath, and reached out his hand. His fingers gently brushed against Trisa''s wait, tracing her slender curves to check if she had anything hidden there.


    His fingers slowly climbed up, being as gentle as possible to ensure that she didn''t wake up.


    He truly felt like he was doing something extremely perverted. The only good thing about it was that there was no one here to see his actions. If anyone who knew him before, saw his actions, then he would have really died of embarrassment.


    He hoped to find the ring while searching the ces that were not too risky. But that wasn''t meant to be, and he couldn''t find even the slightest trace of the storage ring.


    The only other ce that he could think of, was also the mostplicated ce where he had seen many women hide things even on earth.


    "Please know that I''m not doing this because I wanted to," He mumbled, justifying himself as his fingers moved up to her chest.


    His fingers brushed against the bare skin on her neck, and slowly moved down, to find an entrance within her clothes through her cleavage.


    Before long, his hand was inside her clothes, and he could feel the softness that he could only have guessed until now.


    Even though Trisa was said to be many times older than him, her skin was still that of someone who had barely turned twenty years old.


    Even though he didn''t press hard, he could still feel the softness trying to swallow his fingers as he moved down. She had aplete physique, something that her loose fitting clothes often hid.


    "Hmm?" Soon, Eren''s fingers touched something slightly harder, that blocked one of his fingers. "This can''t be the ring, can it?"


    He brought his thumb closer, and tried to pinch the ring to pull it out.


    "Huh?" There was only one problem. When he tried to pinch the ring, it was easily squeezed. It wasn''t a solid object.


    "Mmmm..." Trisa softly moaned, making Eren almost freeze in fear. He didn''t dare move even an inch, and looked at her face to see if she had woken up. Fortunately, that didn''t seem to be the case.


    He waited for a few seconds, his fingers still pinching on the small yet perky thing that he hade to guess. It definitely wasn''t the ring like he had expected.


    He had identally grabbed her left nipple between his finger and thumb, and he didn''t dare move his fingers to release the pressure, worried about waking her up.


    Throughout the time he waited, he could feel the texture of the thing that he had grabbed. His heightened senses didn''t help him at all.


    "I truly feel like a scum now. But it''s toote to back off."


    After waiting for a few seconds and ensuring that she didn''t wake up, he released the pressure on his fingers, freeing Trisa. Instead, his hand moved over to her other breast in search of the storage ring.


    "Is it...?" Once again, he felt something when he started the search. His fingers hit something, but this time he was more cautious. He moved his fingers carefully, to check the texture of the thing properly.


    "This is it!" He suddenly eximed, feeling the excitement of finding the young that he wanted.


    He was about to pull out the ring, only to feel a sharp killing intent descending on his body out of nowhere.


    His body was covered in sweat when he raised his head, looking at Trisa''s face. Her eyes were open, and she was looking down at her chest where his hand was still grabbing into her breast.


    "G-good morning?" Eren said, feeling as if he was really screwed this time. Even if he was able to survive a fight against her, could he ever wash this stain off his reputation?


    "What do you think you are doing?" Trisa asked, her voice almost shaking. It was clear that she was trying her hardest to control her rage at the moment.


    If it was anyone else, she would have already sliced a hand off at least. But Eren was different. His alter ego was too strong. She wasn''t worried about herself. She was more worried about the Ice Maiden Pce.


    Moreover, she at least wanted to hear Eren''s reasoning. Was he really a pervert that wanted to get his hands on her?


    He was already so young, and good looking. His alter ego was also stronger. Couldn''t he find someone better than her, if he was really a pervert?


    "Would you believe me if I say that I saw an insect entering your clothes, and I was trying to catch it?" Eren smiled wryly, and asked.


    "Would you believe me if I say that your hands were sliced off by that same insect?" Trisa answered, her voice growing even colder. She didn''t believe the reason he gave.


    At their level, a mere insect couldn''t harm her. There was no need for Eren to get that insect. Moreover, she couldn''t even feel that insect. The only thing that she could feel was Eren''s warm hand, resting on her bare breast.


    "If you don''t give me a good enough reason within ten seconds, then I really don''t know what I might do to you," Trisa said.


    Eren didn''t doubt her words. Even if Trisa wasn''t the strongest person in the central realm, but she was at least stronger than him.

 Chapter 651 651: Am I wrong

    Eren withdrew his hand from Trisa''s clothes, revealing the object he held.


    "This is the reason I did this."


    "This is...?" Trisa looked at the object in his hand, her frown deepening. Shock flickered across her face.


    In Eren''s hand, there was no storage ring. Instead, he held an insect that could only be found in the Upper Realm. It was an energy-devouring insect, amon sight in the Upper Realm, including in the city where they were staying.


    It wasn''t a lethal insect, as it could only devour a person''s energy, not kill them. The only danger was that if left on the body for too long, it could consume almost all of their core energy, leaving them weakened for at least a few days.


    "We are in the Central Region. As you said, it''s a dangerous ce where anything can go wrong. If I left the insect, it could have weakened you. It would have made things more dangerous for me in the long term as well, since I can only rely on your protection until I reach the Territory of Arcadia."


    On the surface, Eren was quite calm as if he was only stating something that was a matter of the fact. But deep down, he felt slightly relieved that he managed to think of something in such a short time.


    The storage ring couldn''t be kept in another spatial realm. Even someone like Trisha couldn''t achieve it. However, he was different.


    He didn''t have to rely on a spatial realm to keep items. He had an inventory that surpassed the rules of reality. It could even keep living objects, let alone other objects that used thews of space.


    The moment Trisa issued a warning to him, his mind had almost frozen in ce. He subconsciously blurted out an excuse that he was trying to stop an insect.


    It was that excuse whichter gave him an idea, and he remembered that he actually had an insect to make this excuse more realistic. It was an insect that he had gathered just out of curiosity while traveling from the Ice Maiden Pce to this ce.


    He thought that he might be able to extract some of the poison of this insect to make an even stronger poison in the future to strengthen the effects. He didn''t expect this insect to be useful in another way.


    He quickly switched the insect with the storage ring, and revealed his hand. His actions gave even more validity to his words, but there was still one problem.


    "If that was the case, you could have just woken me up. I would have handled it myself."


    Eren had already thought of an excuse for this as well. He looked like he had been wronged, as he said, "I did it for you."


    "I saw how exhausted you were, and how much you needed this sleep. I couldn''t get myself to disturb your sleep, so I thought of handling this matter myself." He sighed pitifully, and took his hand back. "Still, if you think that I need a punishment, I will ept it."


    Trisa looked at him suspiciously, but even she couldn''t find any ws in his words. Was he really trying to be considerate and nothing else? Did she really misunderstand him?


    She went silent, and didn''t know what to say. Was she the only one misunderstanding his intentions? She couldn''t deny the fact that her mind had indeed been in a mess, especially since she kissed him for the first time.


    She still couldn''t forgive herself for feeling something from that kiss, and his reaction to that. Was it her who had ulterior motives towards him, and kept ming him instead to maintain the distance?


    The more she tried to think about it, the more hazy her mind became.


    "I will forgive you this once then." She should only close her eyes, feeling overwhelmed by these thoughts. "Go back to sleep as well. And next time you see an insect, you better wake me up."


    She didn''t me him anymore, and tried to go back to sleep but this time, it took her a longer time to fall asleep.


    Eren waited until the moment she had actually fallen asleep, and only then did he sigh in relief.


    Inwardly, he thanked the insect for helping him this time. He sent the insect back in the inventory, and finally brought out the storage ring that had made him go through such extensive trouble.


    ''You made me do so many things. You better be worth all the trouble.'' He looked at the storage ring in his hand, which was clearly one of the highest grade storage rings in the upper realm that one could buy from the merchant union.


    These storage rings were also tied to their owners and no one except their owners could open these rings, even after their deaths. But Eren had already thought of this problem before trying to take the ring.


    If it was about the protection, he could easily surpass that thing by just boring a small fragment of her consciousness while she was sleeping. It was much easier than actually trying to invade her mind.


    This time, everything went extremely smoothly and he was easily able to open the storage ring of Ice Maiden Pce Master. The storage ring was filled with various treasures, and aura stones. It felt no less than a small portable treasury of the Ice Maiden Pce.


    Even when faced with so many treasures, Eren didn''t spare a second nce at them. He just wanted to find something that could be hiding some kind of secret.


    His consciousness kept skimming through the items, especially the ones that were kept in the most secure parts of the storage ring, meant to be destroyed if someone tried to forcibly open the ring.


    "Why are there a bunch of papers here?" Amidst the treasures, he soon discovered a bundle of papers that were grouped together, and kept right next to the Identity que of the Ice Maiden Pce.

 Chapter 652 652: Trisas Secret

    "This looks interesting." He brought out the stack of paper from the storage ring that was kept in a secure ce with the identity que that could control all the formations within the Ice Maiden Pce.


    After bringing out the stack of papers, he also brought out everything else that he found useful. Some of the things that he took, included the weapons that he thought could be useful for him.


    Even though he already had weapons of his own, he still took a few extra and kept them in his inventory. His own treasures were useful, but the weapons that could catch the eyes of the Ice Maiden Pce Master were not insignificant either.


    He was careful to only take the ones that looked like they hadn''t been used for a long time, and were slightly far from the core of the storage ring.


    He didn''t forget to take a few herbs, and Medicinal Pills while he was at it, before bringing his consciousness out.


    He kept the ring aside, not thinking about the future problem about how he was going to ce the ring back where it belonged. For now, he focused on the papers that were no less than hidden within the ring.


    The stack contained papers that had already turned pale yellow, showing their age. There were fifty or so papers in the stack, tied securely with a small thread.


    He created an aura knife on his finger, and sliced through the thread to free the papers and started going through them one after another.


    [You havepleted the selected option. Information about Trisa has been updated in the system. Please use identification to see the updated information]


    [You have been rewarded. Please select the skill that you want to evolve]


    The moment he finished going through the papers, his face went ghastly pale. He wasn''t in any state of mind to even consider the words of the system that were suggesting him to select a skill to evolve.


    His mind was overwhelmed, and he didn''t even have the time to celebrate his sess. The things that he had seen in the papers, had left him almost frozen in ce.


    He looked back at Trisa, but this time, his eyes were filled with a sense of fear like never before. He wasn''t this scared of her even when he had seen her for the first time in hell.


    "How is this possible?" he mumbled, gulping heavily.


    In the papers, there was a method written. It was a method of devouring the life force of millions of beings, toplete a spell. And the handwriting that he saw in this paper, didn''t belong to Trisa either.


    It was the handwriting of Lysander, something that had struck his memories as he saw that man write something before.


    This thing was written by Lysander, there was no doubt about him. Moreover, oftentimes, there were things that were crossed out from the letters, and new conjectures were made, as if Lysander was improving this method as he went by.


    Initially, when Eren saw the thing about the sacrifices, he couldn''t help but think that this might be an evil method that Lysander wanted to use to increase his strength. Or maybe, he had already used this method, which made him be so strong in the first ce.


    As he kept reading through the pages, he came to learn that the method written in these papers wasn''t something that could allow a person to be stronger. Instead, the method had only one purpose.


    The purpose of this method was to bring a dead person back to life. Millions of lives were sacrificed, to revive a person that had been dead for a long time.


    It was said that death was the only permanent thing that even gods couldn''t change, especially if a lot of time had passed since the person''s death. But this method turned the impossible into possible.


    Why would Lysander want to bring the dead back to life? Who could be so important to him that he would willingly dabble into such evil methods? As far as he could remember, there were only two people that Lysander actually cared about.


    The first person was his daughter. Eren had already used identification on that girl. As there was not much strength difference between them, he was able to see almost everything about her in the identification.


    The only people that his identification left question marks on were Lysander himself because there was a lot of level difference between him and Lysander.


    There was one more person rted to Lysander that he hadn''t been able to see through with his identification skill. All he was able to see was the level of that person, and their name. He hadn''t even seen their proper stats.


    The name of that person was... Trisa. Was she the person that Lysander created this method for? Didn''t it mean that she had already died once?


    The woman that was lying next to him was an undead? Did Trisa know that she was an undead? Or was she also unaware of this thing? If she didn''t know, then why would she have these papers with her, as it was clear that she took them from Lysander.


    ''Is she...'' Eren gulped heavily. What was worse than being kissed by their married mother-inw? It was being kissed by their dead mother-inw, who was married to a person that had sacrificed millions of life forms.


    His pupils trembled, as he tried to use Identification one more time on Trisa, to see if there was any change in her information now that he knew a bit more about her.


    His thoughts were again turned upside down when he received the updated status screen belonging to Trisa.


    ..................


    Name: Trisa


    Level: 205


    Identity: Master of Ice Maiden Pce


    Status: Dead (Undead)


    Age: 550


    Traits: Cautious


    Stats:-


    Strength: 1,657,000


    Agility: 1,596,725


    Stamina: 1,553,783


    Intelligence: 71


    Mana: 8,084,448


    Cultivation: None


    Main Physiques: Fate Defying Physique


    ..................

 Chapter 653 653: Night out

    Eren blinked a few times to make sure that he wasn''t seeing things. But the information in the status screen didn''t change. Her stats were monstrous. They were many times more than Lysander''s stats.


    The thing that caught his attention the most, was her status. It showed that she was actually dead.


    Even though he had considered the possibility, after seeing the papers and his system''s insistence on finding her secret, it became absolute certainty.


    Trisa was brought back to life by Lysander, but he hadn''t heard about the sacrifices taking ce on such arge scale in Hell.


    If he was actually sacrificing millions of people, then other Primordials would have definitely noticed the disappearance of the people.


    ''Just where did he find so many sacrifices while staying under the radar of other Primordials?''


    The status screen of Trisa disappeared, and Eren closed his eyes. He tried to think back to his time in Hell, to see if there was anything that might have missed his attention.


    ''Could it be that it happened during thest war, in which many Primordials had also died? It would have been a perfect opportunity to arrange the sacrifices. If it''s not that, then it can only be in some lower world, that might be connected to hel-''


    When his thoughts reached this point, he froze in ce. A lower world, that could supply the sacrifice of millions of people, without being detected by the other Primordials?


    ''It can''t be. He couldn''t have used earth, right?''


    Even though he didn''t want to believe that Lysander could actually be so cruel to his home world, there were many signs that kept tugging at his heart, making him see the possibility.


    Lysander had already sealed the portal to earth. He thought it was because he wanted to protect earth, but what if the reason was entirely different?


    The thing that made him the most suspicious was the fact that their reaction was extremely drastic, whenever he talked about going to earth. Even when he talked about merely visiting earth for a few days, he had felt their killing intent.


    It wasn''t something that he could ever forget. He knew that there was a reason that they didn''t want him to return to earth, but he never expected it to be a reason like this.


    "No, I came from the future of earth. If there was such a sacrifice, I would have noticed, right? But then again, the flow of time between earth and our worlds is different. A single day on earth might be tens of years in hell and even more in other worlds."


    Lysander had already spent thousands of years in hell, while he imed to havee from earth merely a few decades ago from the time period that Eren came.


    "If he really did sacrifice the people from earth to bring Trisa back to life, it would exin everything. But this... Could it have something to do with my transmigration?"


    The more he thought about it, the more his head started hurting. There were some secrets that were better left unknown. Now that he knew such a secret of the Primordial Demon and his wife, he was in a much moreplicated situation.


    He couldn''t let them know that he already knew his secret. For that, he had to return the storage ring, but how? Before thinking of a solution, he quickly kept the notes back in Trisa''s storage ring and took the key of his shackles.


    His gaze at this moment was much different than it used to be in the past. Even though she looked just as charming as before, his thoughts were drastically different about her now that he knew more about her secret.


    "How do I put it back without waking her up?" The ring in his hand, had be his biggest problem for now. He started waiting, to ensure that he was in a deeper sleep, before trying to put the ring back again.


    "She should be in a deeper sleep, right?"


    After an hour, he quickly moved and inserted his hand inside her clothes, and quickly left the ring before retracting his hand. His heart was racing fast when he brought his hand out, and he observed her smallest of expressions.


    Fortunately, there were no changes in her expressions. She hadn''t woken up. Eren finally sighed in relief. He had dealt with the temporary problem, and now he had the key in his hand as well.


    He quickly opened the lock on the chains around his wrist, and freed himself.


    "I don''t know why the system wanted me to know this secret before sunrise. But I''m sure it''s important for my survival. I can''t stay here until morning."


    Most of his options wanted him to run away from this ce before sunrise. He didn''t know why that was the case, and he didn''t want to find out either.


    He carefully opened the window, and jumped out under the moonlight. He turned into a shadow and moved as fast as he possibly could.


    He didn''t have time to wait for the meeting with the Merchant Union. He just wanted to run away as fast as he possibly could. His primary goal was to get out of this city.


    "Hmm? Is that a Merchant Union ship?" He was halfway through the city, almost on the verge of reaching the exit when he saw a ship on the ground. The Merchant Union were loading some boxes into the ship.


    "Hurry up! I don''t want to stay in this barren city any longer!"


    The people that were arrogant before, looked very subservient when they loaded the box, especially when they walked past the young woman who was standing arrogantly on the deck of the ship.


    "Are they leaving? This might be a good opportunity." He avoided detection by the woman, and ran around the area to climb the ship from behind.


    He entered the ship, and hid himself. He didn''t stay on the deck, and went to the lower floors, near the servant quarters which were more crowded and easier to hide inside.


    Fortunately, or unfortunately, Eren was able to hide within the ship that was prepared by the merchant union for some special guests.


    Once the boxes were loaded properly, the Branch Head of the Merchant Union personally came to bid farewell to the girl.

 Chapter 654 654: Just what kind of monsters?

    "Seven boxes of ten-thousand-year-old Heaven Grade Herbs, two boxes filled with Demigod Grade Artefacts, and seventeen boxes filled with artefacts that only pale slightly inparison to Demigod Grade."


    The Leader of the Merchant Union Branch read through the list of items loaded onto the ship, and almost every item mentioned was enough to make the eyes of immortal families shine with greed.


    The girl standing on the ship barely showed any reaction.


    The old man stopped only after reaching the twentieth item on the list, having ounted for a total of two hundredrge boxes loaded onto the ship.


    "Young Lady, is everything to your satisfaction?" the Merchant Union Branch Leader asked, maintaining an extremely polite tone toward the girl despite being much older than her.


    "It should be enough as a greeting gift for them."


    The girl didn''t personally check the boxes. She simply nodded, believing everything the Branch Leader told her. After all, he would have to be a fool to lie to her.


    A mere Branch was easy for her to destroy, as she came from the Merchant Union Headquarters. Lying to her was no different than lying to the Headquarters.


    Even if the Branch Leader had a thousand times the courage, he wouldn''t do something so foolish. If anything, he had gone above and beyond to serve the Young Lady, even closing the Branch for a day to ensure that no one could disturb her.


    "Do you have something to say?" the girl asked, noticing a hint of hesitation in the old man''s eyes.


    "Young Lady, if I may ask... does our Merchant Union really need to go this far to win them over?" the old man asked, after gathering his courage.


    Even though theirs was only a Merchant Union that wasn''t as strong as the Ancient Families, they had connections with almost every great power.


    They had so many Branches, and each Branch possessed countless treasures, let alone the Headquarters. For the Headquarters to send the daughter of the Merchant Union Leader was a disy of great respect.


    The Headquarters had sent many treasures with the Young Lady. Along the way, she had also collected more items from the Branches to increase the number of gifts, ensuring her presence would be known at her final destination.


    The old man felt they were going too far. Weren''t a few Demigod-tier artefacts enough? They even included a God-tier artefact, to be used as a mere gift?


    The Merchant Union Headquarters itself possessed barely a handful of God-tier artefacts. To give one away merely for goodwill felt like a significant loss in his eyes.


    As a Merchant who always ced profit above all else, it felt surreal for the Headquarters to make such a move.


    "It''s worth it. You just don''t know it yet." The girl didn''t answer, but her words were enough to make the old man notice that the Headquarters knew something that he didn''t yet.


    "I hope your trip brings you lots of benefits." The man lowered his head respectfully. He watched the ship rise in the air, and disappear into the clouds, marking the departure of the Headquarters representative.


    "Finally she left. I really pity the man who is going to marry that demoness."


    After thedy left, the old man finally sighed in relief. He brushed his fingers through his beard and walked back, finally having a rxed demeanor now that he didn''t have a superior to please.


    "Then again, she is the only child of the Merchant Union Leader. Marrying heres with a lot of benefits. I''m certain the Union Leader will select a very capable man for her."


    He soon returned to the branch, and told everyone that they were going to get back to work from tomorrow, taking more business that they had put off because of the youngdy. The branch was going to open up again.


    With the first day of sunlight falling on the inn where Eren had been staying previously, the window slid open and a person jumped inside.


    "He is not here?" He checked all around the room, but his eyes couldn''t find the one he was looking for. "But the Oracle gave me this exact coordinate. I rushed through all night, so how can it be wrong?"


    He saw the shackles that were tied to the woman''s hand. The other end of the shackle was opened, which made him a little suspicious. Why would she tie her own hand and then go to sleep? Unless, there was someone else who slept with her here?


    "Did he run away? He couldn''t have predicted my arrival. The Oracle even used half her remaining lifespan to hide the cause and effect, worried that she might alert someone like him. So how?"


    The man''s expressions kept getting distorted with each passing second, as he walked back and forth across the room.


    "He couldn''t have gone far." He jumped out the window, and disappeared in the air.


    The moment that man left, Trisa opened her eyes. Her body was still trembling, and her heart was racing. She had woken up the moment that the intruder entered, but every fiber of her instinct was telling her to not open her eyes if she didn''t want to die.


    She had never expected something like this. It was no different than the feeling of having her life and death in someone else''s hand. Thest time she felt this way, was when Eren''s alter ego had taken over his body, and warned her to not let him enter the Central Continent.


    Her face was ghastly pale as she sat up, her entire body drenched in cold sweat.


    She hadn''t even dared to open her eyes to see the face of that person. All she heard was her voice, and even that overwhelmed her brain, carrying the powers ofws.


    Blood trickled out of her nose and ears. She could only look in the direction of the window, from where the person had left.


    "Just what kind of monsters am I dealing with?"

 Chapter 655 655: Kings Clan

    A grand ship, that looked like it was made for the seas, was flying through the clouds at a speed that seemed to defy thews of nature.


    At the moment, the ship was loaded with such precious items that even arge n of the upper realm could only dream to possess a fraction of them.


    The ship was no different than a portable Merchant Union Branch, with heavy security deployed to protect the items. Despite the heavy security, someone had managed to sneak inside without getting detected.


    Within a servant''s room, a middle aged man was lying on the ground. His hands and legs were tied with ropes. Even his mouth was closed to ensure that he couldn''t scream and call for help.


    Just to be safe, Eren had also created a small formation to iste the servant so that even his thoughts couldn''t leave this small space.


    The other of this room was lying on the ground, while an intruder was sitting on the bedfortably.


    The man looked teary eyed, even a little scared for his life. The man had suddenly jumped on him the moment he entered the room. He couldn''t even resist and was instantly knocked out.


    ''Is he going to kill me? I don''t want to die! If I die, who will take care of my seven wives?'' His biggest fear was regarding his life.


    He didn''t care about the other intentions of the intruder. Even if he was here to steal something from the ship, he couldn''t care less. He only wanted to live.


    Fortunately for him, the intruder didn''t seem to have any intentions to take his life. He was just sitting on the bed,fortably sipping on a wine without the slightest care in the world.


    "Do you want to live?" Eren asked the man, who repeatedly nodded his head.


    "I will give you one opportunity to live. I will free your mouth. If you try to scream, then you will die before your voice can leave this time. I''m certain you won''t do something so fruitless, right?"


    Eren kept the wine ss aside, and waved his hand. The servant''s mouth was freed. The clothing strip tied around his mouth was sliced by an invisible force and he was able to cough out the socks that were shocked in his mouth.


    He coughed repeatedly and a sock drenched with his saliva fell out.


    "I thought... I was going to die." The man breathed heavily. He didn''t try to scream or yell, even though the thought did cross his mind. He didn''t want to test the reality behind Eren''s warnings. He loved his head a little too much.


    "What do you want from me?" he asked the young man after catching his breath. "If you want me to help you steal from the ship, then you found the wrong person. The treasures are stored at the depths, and they are surrounded by formations that can even injure a demigod!"


    "Treasures that are being protected by such fierce formations? Did I underestimate this unknown guest of the Merchant Union?"


    Eren knew that he was apanying someone powerful, but even he didn''t expect the ship to be carrying things that required such an extent of protection.


    "You don''t have to worry. I have no interest in your treasures for now, much less if they are under such protection. I only want to rest in this ce until I get far enough from the city."


    "You... You snuck inside because you wanted a ride?" The middle-aged man weirdly looked at Eren. He had thought of many scenarios. He had guessed what might be the motives of this man, but he never expected something like this.


    The man subconsciously grabbed his hair. He was almost on the verge of pulling his hair out in disbelief. The man had snuck inside a treasure trove, because he wanted a ride to the next city?


    "Are you an idiot?" That''s what he wanted to ask the man, but he didn''t have the courage to upset the person that could kill him. He only said these words to Eren in his imagination.


    "Do you know who the owner of this Ship is? Or where are we even going?" he asked.


    "That''s what I wanted to ask you. Isn''t that I freed your mouth?" Eren picked up the ss of wine, and gestured for the man to begin his exnation.


    There was only one problem. The things that the man told him were something that he truly hadn''t expected before boarding the ship. However, even if he knew it, he would have still done the same thing as it was an emergency.


    The middle aged man told him everything, even the things that Eren didn''t ask. ording to him, the ship belonged to the Merchant Union Headquarters, and currently, it had the Union Leader''s precious daughter on board.


    The most shocking thing was the destination of the ship. The ship wasn''t en route to some wealthy buyer of the Merchant Union. It wasn''t even going to some Ancient Family for some kind of celebration.


    The ship had only one destination. Before it reached that destination, it was not going to stop in any city. The city from where Eren had climbed, was thest stop in this ship''s destination.


    "Are you saying that the ship is only going to stop at that ce?" Eren asked as his expressions kept bing worse.


    He had learned some things from the memories of Arcadia Heir when he had killed and left a fragment of his soul to control the body of that person.


    As the man belonged to an Ancient n, he knew a lot of things that ordinary people couldn''t know. And the information about this destination was a small yet impactful part of that information.


    The present destination of the Merchant Union was a n that was called the enemy of the entire Upper Realm. It wasparable to the Ancient ns that ruled over the Upper World, but it was even more frightening to some aspects.


    There was even a time when that single n ruled over the entire Upper World. Even though their influence had significantly waned after their downfall, they were still called the King''s n.

 Chapter 656 656: Main Character vs the Villain

    "It''s been such a long time. Is he even going to return?" In the lower world, a man sat on the golden dragon throne. "I don''t know how long I can hold on. Things keep getting worse."


    His face was distorted with frustration. Even though he was not in any immediate danger, he could feel the walls crumbling around him as he looked at the map of the Holy Continent.


    The authority of the Holy Empire used to cover the entire Continent. Everything had changed since the uprisings began after his return from the conquest of the North.


    On the map, most of the area was marked in red, which were the territories that had already gone beyond his control. Except for the Royal City and three nearby cities, almost everything had fallen to the rebels.


    "I had thought that I would be able to enjoy my life, despite being a mere clone, after returning from the Northern Continent. I thought that the life of a Holy Emperor was more suited to me, where I could just hold the fort and rx. But this..."


    Initially, the people of the Western Continent did celebrate his sessful return from the Northern Continent after the Necromancer Tower had fallen. He hadn''t really felt the need for the real Eren to return to handle things in the Empire.


    Unfortunately, with every passing day, things kept getting worse. And now, he couldn''t wait for Eren''s return.


    The only problem was that there was no sign of him anywhere. It was as if he hadpletely disappeared into the unknown.


    If he weren''t a clone who would die upon Eren''s death, he might have thought that the real Eren had already died.


    "Just where exactly are you? I can''t fight like you. Even the Demon Sect, connected to you, is not in a situation to help me. If you don''t return soon, the Holy Empire will truly fall apart."


    "Your Majesty!" Heavy knocks sounded on the door before a person barged inside. "The three cities have also fallen! Only the Holy City is left! You must run away!"


    The person who had arrived was the brother of the previous Holy Emperor, who still didn''t know that the real Emperor had died long ago.


    Even as the Empire fell apart, the man wanted to save his brother''s life. If any royal had to die in the city, he wanted it to be him. At least his brother could survive, and continue the Royal Lineage.


    "Three cities fell at the same time?" Eren''s clone covered his face in disbelief. It was as if the entire world was trying to destroy him.


    He could certainly run and survive, but for how long? At the end of the day, he was a mere clone. Once Eren returned, and saw that he couldn''t even protect the thing that he was left responsible for, what was going to be his fate?


    He could run away, but with a single thought, Eren could destroy him. Eventually, his fate was simply to disappear. If that was his fate, then he wanted to die proudly.


    Even if the slightest of damage could destroy a clone like him, it was better to die fighting than to run away from one ce to another, eventually disappearing.


    The Holy Emperor''s brother suggested that he hide inside the Northern Continent, which had been cleared recently. He didn''t think anyone was going to guess that the Holy Emperor was hiding in the continent filled with death aura.


    "I am not running away," he told the Holy Emperor''s brother, who was also the Grand Commander of the Army now.


    "Since when has the royal lineage been so cowardly? How can I abandon you and thisnd, to die at the hands of the enemies?"


    He grabbed the armrest of the throne firmly, and stood up. The armrest that was made from the previous metals, crumbled under his grip.


    Even if he was a mere clone that couldn''t use most of Eren''s skills, he had still lived as the Holy Emperor for quite some time.


    Even with crumbling authority, he had gathered some essence of faith through his citizens. Although most of it went to the real Eren, even a small fraction was enough to make him stronger than an ordinary human.


    He picked up a Sword that was resting near the throne.


    "Prepare for ourst stand! If we are to die, we will die fighting!" He firmly held the sword, and made a deration that the Holy City was going to fight the enemies.


    "Brother, you..." The General felt his eyes growing moist. Just as he had thought, his brother deserved to be on that throne.


    In his eyes, the only reason his brother hadn''t joined the battle so far, was because he had been injured in his sight with the Necromancer Tower Master and his guardians.


    At least that was the story that the clone had told everyone, to flex his achievements. And now, despite being ''injured'', he was willing to fight.


    ''I will never let the enemy''s de reach you! I swear on my life! I will stop them, even if I have to burn my own life, and use the treasure that our father left behind,'' He made a silent promise to himself, as he looked at the Holy Emperor.


    War was looming on the horizon. Or rather, it had already reached its climax with only one city left to be conquered.


    The forces of the real Holy Priestess, who was the Main Character of the Continent, didn''t take a break in the conquered city. She used her powers to remove the fatigue of the rebels, and they matched towards the holy city.


    There was another Main Character, who was apanying her. It was the Main Character of the Northern Continent, who grew stronger, each time he died without forcing the death.


    Two main characters had joined forces, unaware of their true roles. And now, they were going to face a mere clone of the viin of the Northern Continent.

 Chapter 657 657: Three days of life and death

    The real Eren was still inside the Merchant Union''s Ship. However, he wasn''t as ignorant as before about the events taking ce in the lower world.


    Now that he was able to talk to Spirit Queen Yelen, he had been receiving constant updates about the events of the lower world. At times, he received information even faster than his clone did from his followers.


    Eren couldn''t even focus on his own problem about being stuck at the Merchant Union''s Ship which was on route to the abhorrent King''s n.


    His mind kept shifting back to the events of the lower world, especially since he heard that almost the entirety of the Holy Empire had fallen, leaving only the Holy City now.


    In the past, the Holy City used to be invulnerable as it was protected within the core domain of the goddess. He had killed that goddess. With her death, the protection was also gone.


    It was also that barrier which had kept the real main character of the Western Continent from doing anything to the false Priestess. If anything, the entirety of the western continent''s story revolved around breaking that barrier.


    In the process, she had gathered many allies, the most important of them being the Holy Emperor''s brother. It was only in thest volume after going through many life and death events, they had managed to break the barrier.


    In thest volume, after the barrier was broken, the real Holy Priestess entered the Holy City and killed the false Priestess. She took her rightful ce, bringing the story to an end.


    Eren''s actions had changed the entire flow of the story. It was as if the barrier was broken in the first volume itself. He had also killed the main viin of the Western Continent and annexed the Holy Church.


    He thought it was going to end the story right there, since the real Priestess had lost the viin and her subordinates that coulde after her. After all, at the end of the novel when she won, she had herself erased all traces of the Holy Religion


    He had done everything that she would have done. He thought it would ensure that the story ended right there. Unfortunately, things went in thepletely opposite direction.


    Somehow, she still wanted her revenge, even though everyone who wronged her had been killed.


    He had be the target of her revenge for some reason, as if the will of the world itself had removed the existence of the viin with his existence after his intervention.


    Even though the story didn''t progress as it would have normally, it didn''t make things easier for him. Things had instead gotten worse, as the main character of another Continent had gotten involved.


    Once again, his actions had changed the story of the Northern Continent as well. Normally, the Northern Main Character would have gone after the Necromancer Tower. But since he destroyed the Necromancer Tower, the arc of their enmity hadn''t even progressed.


    The Northern Main Character, freely entered the Western Continent, as the flow of things had changed. Eren had caused a butterfly effect, and he could only me himself for it.


    Now, the two main characters had joined forces, creating a union that was even worse for someone like him.


    "Is there no way to save the Holy Empire? I really thought it could be an important weapon in my hand," he mumbled, thinking if there was anything he could do, without descending personally. He still hadn''t found a way to descend on his main soul form yet after all.


    He could take the help of the Spirits. The entire spirit realm belonged to him after all. The Ancestor of the Spirits, and even their queen, were his guardians.


    He could indeed make the spirits enter the war for him. But could they really face the might of two main characters, especially one that could be stronger with each death?


    The Northern Main Character wasn''t even the worst enemy for the spirits. The worst enemy was the real Holy Priestess, whose holy spells could truly hurt the spirits.


    If he sent the spirits to fight for him, it was no different than revealing an important card. If they lost, then he was going to be in a bigger mess.


    "Fine. There''s only one city left anyway. There''s no point in trying to save it. Can you contact my dear clone and tell him to abandon the city?" he told Yelen.


    Despite being out of hell, he still hadn''t been able to contact his clone. He could only contact Yelen because she was a guardian spirit that mainly resided in his contract mark.


    Yelen agreed. Throughout this time, she hadn''t really intervened in the lower world. She didn''t even show herself before the clone often, except for the one time where she took actions on her own to bring Eren''s disciples to the Spirit Realm to protect them from the uing war.


    She hadn''t even told the clone that she had managed to establish a contact with Eren, not wanting to do any things without his permission.


    "Wait!" Yelen was about to appear before Eren''s clone when the real Eren suddenly called out to her.


    Eren''s eyes were looking at empty space, as if he could see something that even a spirit like Yelen couldn''t. It wasn''t even the first time that she had seen Eren looking nkly at empty air.


    "Tell him that we must win this war! Tell him to hold on for as long as he possibly can!" Eren hastily said, tapping something in the empty air.


    "Are you sure?"


    "I''m certain. Also tell him that if he can survive for at least three days, I will personally reward him with something that he always wanted! And if he dared to run away from this war, I will eradicate him in the most painful way possible, even if he is part of my own soul!"


    Yelen didn''t understand why Eren had suddenly changed his mind. Just what exactly happened in thest few seconds? She had a lot of questions, but she did as he asked and left.

 Chapter 658 658: Crude Method

    "I hope three days will be enough..." After Yelen left, Eren sighed with uncertainty.


    Before him was a semi-transparent screen listing four options. This time, however, a timer beneath the options counted down from three days. This was the deadline toplete the selected option if he didn''t want to lose the reward.


    Under no circumstances could he afford to fail the selection, as he desperately needed the reward which was precisely the skill he wanted. It was in search of this skill that he hade to this region.


    The reward for one of the options was the partial descent domain, a skill simr to what the Goddess of Light had used to control the False Holy Priestess.


    Even though the other three options also had good rewards, he had no choice in the matter. If he wanted a simr skill, he had to search for the remnants of the Temple of Light.


    Finding them was in itself a hard and time-consuming process, and the worst part was that there wasn''t even any guarantee that the remnants of the temple would know this skill.


    The only shortcut to gaining that skill was through the system reward. But the system had only given him three days toplete the option.


    "Fck. It just has to do with the King''s n. I am not even invited to that ce. Even if I went there, I would be no more than an intruder. If this is the option, just what kind of danger is waiting there for me?"


    The option didn''t ask him to do something absurd. There was no crazy task toplete. Despite that, it gave Eren a bad feeling. The options this time came with limitations.


    [Option Three: Enter the King''s n, and survive for three days.


    Limitations: You can''t stay in the same area for more than three hours. You also can''t go to the same area that you have already been to before.


    Reward: Partial Descent Domain.]


    After reading the first line, he had considered the possibility of just finding the safest ce within the n Territory and hiding there for three days. But the limitations took that possibility away from him.


    He couldn''t even peacefully sleep during the three days, as that would have broken the limitations if he slept more than three hours.


    "You want me to survive there, while also giving me such a handicap? Are you sure you''re on my side?" he mumbled in frustration, but he still selected the option.


    "Let''s see what kind of monstrosity is that King''s n that once ruled the Upper Realm."


    After he selected the option, the system screen disappeared. Instead, a holographic map materialized before him, which depicted the King''s n territory.


    The territory was sorge that it felt like a small world in itself. Hiding in such arge ce was still possible, even if he kept changing ces. But once again, he was faced with a problem.


    Within the territory, a vast amount of area was marked in red. A warning under the map also told him that the area wasn''t suitable for hiding within the selected option.


    Instead, there were twenty four smaller areas that were marked with green. He could only spend three hours in each area, until the three days of survival werepleted. But he couldn''t repeat them.


    Unfortunately, all these green areas were in the core region of the King''s n Territory.


    Some of these areas were such that there was not even a single ce within them for him to hide. There was no shade, or shadow. There were even some protective measures in the treasured areas.


    "Are you intentionally trying to get me caught?" he asked, almost having a heart attack after seeing the difficulty increase to this extent.


    [An additional reward will be issued afterpletion. The grade of the reward will depend on the performance.]


    Another screen appeared, next to the map which tried to pacify him a little.


    It made him wonder if the system was actually clever enough to understand his anger, or if this additional rewarding at this time was just a coincidence that would''ve happened even if he hadn''t expressed his anger.


    "Since I have already selected this option, I don''t n to fail. As for dying, that is thest thing that I want to do, even if I have an extra life."


    He was a little upset, but he still epted his choice. Instead ofining about it, he started his preparation.


    The biggest problem for now was to enter the King''s n Territory, while he wasn''t invited.


    "You said the heiress of the Merchant Union ismanding this ship?" he asked the servant, who was nkly looking at him talking to himself like a crazy person.


    "Y-yes." The Servant came to his senses and answered.


    "Tell me everything about her!" Eren stated, thinking of a way to at least find a way to enter the territory of the n.


    Throughout the night, he learned everything from the servant, even the rumours that floated around the girl. He even learned about some of the treasures being carried in the ship, including the dangerous ones.


    He also learned things that didn''t seem any useful, like the duties that the servant performed.


    "I found a way." Eren suddenly stood up. He knocked out the servant, and locked him in a wardrobe and started his preparation to leave the room.


    He disguised himself as the servant, and stepped out of the room after changing his clothes. But he didn''t go to the Merchant Union Princess.


    Instead, he went to the area where the treasures were being stored, a ce that even the servant he was using didn''t have ess to.


    "What are you doing here?" He couldn''t even get close to the area before he was stopped by the Guards.


    Eren had learned that there were a few Demigod tier guards that were staying inside the treasure room. But fortunately, the guards that stopped him were much weaker than demigods.


    "Of course I''m going to take what''s mine," Eren said, as his figure disappeared.


    A silver sh moved from one ce to another, and within seconds, multiple thuds were heard with the guards falling to the ground.


    "Although it''s a little crude, this is the only suitable method for this situation," he mumbled, as he rushed forth.

 Chapter 659 659: Who told you?

    "This should be the ce." Eren stopped before a golden door, which was marked with a mysterious formation. He was holding onto a guard, who was still alive, yet unable to retaliate.


    "I suppose this is the formation I''ve heard so much about? If someone tried to open this door forcefully, the formation would obliterate them, wouldn''t it?" he asked the guard, who trembled in disbelief.


    The guard had thought Eren was just a thief who would be killed the moment he tried to open the door. He hadn''t expected this man to know so much about the formation.


    "That''s right. There''s no way for you to enter. You''d better give up," the guard said weakly.


    "Who says I have no way to enter?" Eren smiled in response, tightening his grip on the guard''s neck.


    He took a step back and prepared himself. All his strength was concentrated in his arm, and he even used the Dragon Tongue. The target of his spell wasn''t himself, but the person in his arms.


    "I will definitely enter. And you will be helping me." He strengthened the guard''s body as much as possible, and once he was ready, he tossed him at the door.


    The impact of the crash was so strong that it made the entire ship tremble. The formation retaliated, but its target was none other than the guard who was mmed against the door.


    "Argh!" The guard roared at the top of his lungs, his voice soon growing hoarse before he eventually lost his life. He was soon turned to ashes.


    "Just as I expected, this much wasn''t enough to break the door." Eren mumbled, but he didn''t look disappointed at his failure, as he had still achieved his purpose.


    The impact had caused at least a small crack on the door. It was also heard inside the room, where the Demigod was staying.


    Even if he couldn''t enter the room, he still had another solution. He just had to make the person within the room open the door for him.


    The powerful disturbance was felt across the entire floor on the ship and beyond. Even the treasure room that was isted wasn''t different.


    The Demigod inside the room slowly opened his eyes. For this level of disturbance to originate so close to this ce made him worry about the safety of the ones outside.


    If the enemy had managed toe this far, then what happened to the ones outside? What about the Merchant Union Heiress?


    Even though he was strictly told to stay within the treasure room and not to open the door on his own, but he still couldn''t control his unease.


    Even if he protected all the treasures, if the girl was killed, then he couldn''t offer any justification to the Merchant Union Leader.


    A demigod might be a powerful existence, but in front of the might of the Merchant Union, a mere demigod was nothing.


    He stood up, and made up his mind to check up on the safety of the Princess. He was confident in his strength. Even if he opened the door, he believed that he could stop the enemy.


    If it was an enemy that even he couldn''t stop, then it could only be a monstrosity that was stronger than a Demigod. If that was the case, then the destruction of the door was only a matter of time. In any case, there was no point for him to stay behind.


    He touched the door, and opened it from inside. The formation didn''t target him, and the door was easily opened.


    As the cracks between the doors grew wider, he expected to see the enemy outside. But there was no one here.


    "Hmm?" He frowned, stepping within the hallway. He looked everywhere, but there was no enemy there.


    He was expecting to face a strong enemy that had killed his way through to get to this ce. He didn''t think that the enemy would be cowardly enough to run away. So where did he go?


    "Behind me!" He suddenly eximed, feeling a terrifying presence behind him. He quickly turned around and swung his sword.


    Unfortunately, his face grew pale as he turned around. He quickly stopped his sword amidst the attack, even suffering a bacsh in the process.


    He coughed a mouthful of blood due to the bacsh. His sword stopped merely a few inches away from the throat of the person behind him.


    To his disbelief, the person wasn''t an enemy. It was the heir of the Merchant Union. After hearing themotion, she had rushed down with all her guards, only to find the demigod that they had hired suddenly attack him.


    "Did you hurt them?" she asked the demigod, pointing at the corpses along the way.


    "I didn''t hurt them. I heard amotion outside, so I came to check. They were already dead before I came." The demigod exined everything that he had heard, which wasn''t much.


    "You fool! Who told you to get out without permission?" The girl didn''t thank him for worrying about her. Instead, she was more concerned about the treasures.


    She pushed the demigod aside, and rushed inside the treasure room to check if everything was fine.


    It was only after she confirmed that not even a single item was missing, she sighed in relief. Nothing was stolen.


    She told her guards to search through the entire ship to find the infiltrator. Even the treasure room was checked for anyone who could be hiding here.


    The demigod also searched across the entire ship, but he didn''t find the culprit. They only found a servant who was tied inside his room. He had already stopped breathing, which made him useless to the Merchant Union.


    The girl failed to find Eren, and theorized that the thief had already run away, just as sneakily as he had managed to enter the ship. She even thought that some spatial treasure was used for this.


    She assigned the demigod to return to the treasure room, and not to open the door, even if the entire world fell apart.


    The demigod listened as well, and stayed inside the treasure room, activating the formation once more.

 Chapter 660 660: Within the Territory

    "That bastard was fast to run away. If he had fallen into my hands, I would have crushed his skull for wasting my time." The Demigod had walked back inside the treasure room and closed it from the inside.


    Even when he was inside the room, he still kept cursing the intruder. It was because of that person that he had received a scolding from the Heiress of the Merchant Union.


    Inside the room, which was filled with a myriad of treasures, he sat on a chair and closed his eyes. For the rest of the journey, there were no disturbances on the ship.


    The Guards were even more alert throughout this time, but the intruder never showed himself again. All the traps that were prepared for him went to waste.


    "Did he really give up?" Qia Yun rubbed her forehead, showing some disappointment. She had really looked forward to the intruder returning with his spatial treasure so that she could catch him.


    She even left a few gaps in the ship''s defenses to make it easier for him, but the person never returned.


    Soon, the ship reached its destination. At this point, she was almost certain that the person was not going to return. No matter how courageous he was, he wasn''t going to follow them into that n''s territory.


    As the Merchant Union Leader''s daughter, she had faith that her safety was guaranteed even if she entered that n''s territory. But still, she felt uneasy. At the end of the day, this was the same n that once ruled over the entire upper realm.


    Even though they hadn''t really stretched their muscles for decades, the fear of that n was still engraved in everyone''s hearts. There were even many stories about that n which were hard to believe, even for her. Yet, they were all said to be true.


    "Everyone, maintain a respectful attitude, even if you''re talking to a mere servant. If you make a mistake, the Union will not save you!" She warned the entourage that had gathered on the deck with her.


    In the distance, they could see a dark barrier that made it impossible to see beyond it. It was that barrier which had made it almost impossible for anyone to enter the King n''s territory.


    It was said that even a god couldn''t see through the barrier to check on the condition of the king n. Many gods had tried to do that, but all of them had failed.


    If they wanted to check, they had to break the barrier. But the barrier was so strong that it could survive for weeks, even if it was bombarded by attacks from many gods.


    None of the gods wanted to test the strength of that barrier, especially since they didn''t really know if the King''s n had truly weakened to that extent or not. No one wanted to be the first to face that n, even being worried about traps.


    The ship stopped just a few meters before the dark barrier. Qia Yun took a deep breath, and stepped forward.


    Even though she couldn''t see through the barrier, she had a feeling that someone was on the other side. There was no way that n wouldn''t notice them approaching.


    "Greetings. I am Qia Yun, representing the Merchant Union. I am sent by my father, who leads the Union." As she finished speaking, she waited for a few seconds.


    A small section of the barrier started disappearing, and a gap was created which was justrge enough for the ship to enter.


    "You''re the merchants that Master told me about." A man came to sight on the other side of the opening.


    He was dressed invish clothes, dining a long purple robe that draped over his shoulders. The man had eyes that seemed to have gone through centuries.


    If one was to focus on those eyes, he looked like a centuries old monster. But if one was to ignore his pupils, the man looked to be barely twenty years old.


    He wasn''t even releasing his aura, yet Qia Yun felt like she was suffocating. This was a person from the King''s n.


    His blood red pupils, that had a small crescent moon shadow in the middle of those pupils, were defining characteristics of the King''s n.


    She had heard a lot about those eyes. It had been a really long time since someone had seen those eyes in the Upper Realm.


    "Are you scared of me?" the young man said, with a smile on his lips. But the smile made the girl feel as if she was suddenly pushed down an ocean of blood.


    It was a feeling thatsted only for a second, but it left her back drenched in cold sweat.


    "Are you alright?" the man asked, but this time, his voice came from right next to Qia Yun. "You look like you have seen some monster. I don''t look that scary, do I?"


    Qia Yun had prepared herself throughout this journey but when she was actually facing a person from that n, she was truly overwhelmed.


    She took a deep breath, and tried to recover. She opened her lips, but before she could say anything, the man simply waved his hands.


    "It has been a while since we received guests. You may enter."


    The girl couldn''t even say anything, but the ship started moving. It surprised her. She looked back to see who had moved the ship without her permission, only to notice that the person responsible for the movement was also on the deck.


    Without him, the ship was moving? It was being controlled by that man? Just how strong was he, to control a grand ship like this, which was covered with protective formations.


    The ship passed through the opening in the barrier. Once it passed, the barrier recovered again and the gap closed.


    The ship travelled from one territory to the next, and with each change of scenery, the girl was taken aback.


    This wasn''t some abandonednd. Each of the territories in this ce was treasurend, with the purest of aura. Even the Merchant Union barely possessed a handful of territories like that.

 Chapter 661 661: Living in Luxury

    This wasn''t just a handful of territories like the Merchant Union possessed; it was an entire realm.


    The rest of the upper realm had always thought that the King''s n was living an ordinary life after they retracted. Qia Yun was shocked at the reality. She finally understood why her father was so eager to make a deal with them.


    Just their Territory alone was a treasure trove, let alone the strength of this n which didn''t seem to have weakened. Instead, it felt as if the n was even stronger than they used to be when they ruled over the Upper Realm.


    Towering trees with shiny leaves were reaching towards the sky. She could even see many mythical birds sitting on the branches of the tree, many whom she had only read about in books before.


    Rivers flowed not just with water, but with a red liquid, that was the purest form of condensed aura. The river carved paths throughndscapes.


    "Hah!" She suddenly took a step back in surprise when she saw something jump out of the river. "A violet celestial dragon?"


    A dragon jumped out of the water, and soon returned inside the water, disappearing in the depths. The water from the impact sshed for hundreds of miles.


    The more she looked at the territories along the way, the more mesmerized Qia Yun became. She also grew more certain that the King''s n was the strongest n even now. If it wanted to return to the Upper Realm, it could easily carve a bigger ce for itself.


    No one really knew why the n had retracted in the past, giving up its rule over the upper realm despite holding such strength. And the reason they didn''t return to the upper realm was not because they weren''t strong enough.


    Just looking at a single descendent of the n who was standing next to her, she was certain of that. Then why did the n still keep itself sealed from the outer world?


    She nced at the red eyed man, having a strong urge to ask him such a question. The only problem was that she was scared of him. If this question involved some secrets of his n, then how was he going to react? She didn''t want to know.


    She returned her attention to the surroundings, as the ship travelled through millions of miles with each passing minute.


    Along the way, the sights grew even more beautiful. There were mountains that were quite strange. One side of the mountain was covered in snow, while the other side was covered in moltenva that was trickling down slowly.


    The contrast and the simultaneous existences of two different elements made the scene more attention grabbing.


    There was a small house on top of the mountain, right in the middle of the snow and the moltenva.


    "Does someone live in that house?" she asked the young man.


    "Yeah. A very important person within the n lives there. Although she is a little crazy, so even I don''t dare to go there," the young man from the King''s n answered, smiling in response.


    He didn''t say anything else, but there was a subtle difort in his eyes when he looked at the frostva peak.


    "An important member, huh." Qia Yun didn''t ask any further, noticing the hesitation in the man.


    The only thing she was able to learn was that the house truly belonged to someone high ranking within the n, if even that man was calling the owner important. Was it a direct rtive of the King''s n''s Patriarch?


    She knew when to stop herself, and didn''t poke her nose in things that the other side didn''t want to dwell in. She returned her attention to the surroundings.


    As they continued, she felt something akin to envy which she quickly suppressed. The Merchant Union dealt in rare ores, artifacts, herbs and so much more. Everything seemed almost mundanepared to this territorial wealth of this n.


    She had thought that her father was doing an overkill by loading a god tier artefact as a gift. But now, it looked like the right decision. A god tier artefact might be a fairly decent item as a greetings gift.


    Even the guards were stiff, their professionalism barely able to mask their awe and fear.


    The young man with the ancient eyes chuckled softly. It drew Qia Yun''s attention back to him. He stood near the ship''s railing, seemingly unfazed by the marvels around him, as if they were meremonce sights. He had moved from her side back to the railing without her noticing again.


    "Impressed?" he asked, his blood-red pupils fixing on her. The faint crescent moon shadow within them seemed to shine subtly. "This is merely the outer ring. The true Territorial Lands lie deeper within."


    Qia Yun finally found her voice, forcing it to remain steady despite the tremor in her heart. "It... it is magnificent. Far beyond the tales that I had heard."


    She dipped her head slightly. "May I know who we have the honor of addressing?"


    The man smiled again, that unnerving expression that didn''t quite reach his ancient eyes. "You may call me Xie Ran. I am the Seventh Son of the Patriarch."


    He waved a hand dismissively, as if his name held little importance. "Father sent me to bring you back."


    Xie Ran turned and gestured towards the interior of the vast territory. The ship, still under his invisible control, changed direction slightly, angling towards one of the distant, aura-covered mountains.


    After another hour, td battleship


    "The journey to the meeting ce will take a short while," Xie Ran continued, his gaze sweeping over the entourage. "Feel free to observe."


    Qia Yun nodded stiffly. She told her servants to make seating arrangements for Xie Ran, but the man simply refused her.


    He remained standing, with his arms crossed around his chest, like a statue. As long as Qia Yun didn''t ask anything, he didn''t speak.


    Fortunately, the trip truly didn''tst long. After an hour, the ship started going down, reaching its destination. Qia Yun told her guards to bring out the gifts that they had prepared.

 Chapter 662 662: Erens Troublesome Location

    The boxes that were loaded with treasures were brought off the ship. The work of the demigod was almost finished, and he didn''t need to guard the boxes after they were handed over to the servants of the King''s n.


    He returned to Qia Yun''s side to protect her instead. He was the only one who hadn''t seen the scenery along the way, but what he saw after getting out wasn''t any less miraculous.


    The sky was fractured, and there were multiple spatial cracks in the sky. Some of them even looked as if they were made from a sword strike by someone.


    He shook his head lightly, rejecting the possibility. How could someone cut through the sky for a special reason? Just what kind of strength was needed for that? Even if the King''s n was strong, he didn''t think that they could do this.


    He simply thought that the realm was like this when the King''s n came here. There were many such mysterious natural phenomenons across the upper realm after all.


    "Are they not going to bring them with us?" Qia Yun asked Xie Ran when she noticed the gift boxes being escorted in a different direction by the servants.


    "What''s there to see? They would only sully father''s eyes. We only epted your gifts out of goodwill. The only one we need for this meeting is you, so follow me."


    Xie Ran brought Merchant Union Heiress inside the pce. Only her demigod guard was allowed to follow her inside. Everyone else had stayed back on the ship.


    As for the gifts, Qia didn''t know where they were taken. Were they being kept in some random storage made for gifts? Or were they going to be tossed away like trash?


    If that was going to happen, why did they even bring a god tier artefact as a gift? That was the only question in her mind.


    She tried telling Xie Ran that she brought a god tier weapon as a gift, asking him to at least let her offer this gift to the patriarch.


    In response, the young man onlyughed. He didn''t even say anything, and just keptughing. He truly didn''t put a god tier gift in his eyes.


    "Don''t worry about such things. Come with me. Don''t keep my father waiting. He has already been in a bad mood recently after all." The man told the girl to hurry up and follow him.


    The girl had no choice. She could only give in and follow him without any gift in her hand.


    Just as she had thought, the gifts weren''t taken to the main treasury of the King''s n. They were instead kept in an auxiliary treasury that was used to keep items that were either broken, or low tier.


    The servants kept the boxes inside the room and left. They didn''t even bother checking the boxes to make a list of the items within.


    They didn''t even seal the door of the treasury, as no one within the n was interested in broken things kept inside this ce. It was only used by descendants to toss in their broken weapons.


    A few minutes after they left, one of the boxes started making some movements. Initially, there was some trembling, before the box eventually opened on its own.


    From within the box, a man came out, catching his breath.


    Eren was covered in sweat. It wasn''t easy to hide inside a treasure box, especially when he had to even control his breathing and slow down his heartbeat to the point that even a demigod couldn''t feel it.


    Fortunately, the treasure box that was made to keep a god tier weapon, also helped hide his presence along the way, letting him stay within for such a long time.


    "Finally I am inside." He took a deep breath, his heartbeat slowly returning to normal.


    Initially, he had hidden inside the nearest treasure box that could hide him. It was only after entering the box, he noticed that it was keeping a god tier weapon.


    He wanted to change his hiding ce, but it was toote as the demigod was hovering around him like a snake.


    He could only stay inside, worried that he might be found out since the most expensive gift was often personally handed over to the owner of the Territory. To his pleasant surprise, that wasn''t the case.


    An even better thing was that he had ended up in one of the territories where he was supposed to spend three hours. He didn''t have to hurry and rush to the nearest marked Territory and could make a proper n.


    "This is still the best thing though." He smiled, ncing at a small dagger that was kept in such arge box.


    It looked small, but it was the most important thing within the gifts that were prepared. It was the god tier weapon of the Merchant Union that was prepared for the King''s n. And now, it ended up in his possession.


    Eren wasn''t satisfied with just one gift. He opened all other boxes and stole the important gifts inside them, only leaving empty boxes inside so that their absence wouldn''t be noticed by anyone anytime soon.


    "Now, what''s the next territory, and the shortest path to it?" he mumbled after he finished robbing everything in the room. He opened the holographic map in the system screen, and checked his surroundings.


    "It''s strange though. I thought the leader of this n would be living in the center of this realm. But we are quite some way from the central Territory."


    One of the territories where he had to stay was the central territory. He had thought that he could move outward from the central territory, but his n was already ruined.


    If he went towards the center next, he had to return to this ce to go to outer territory. In that way, he had to get past this ce again which only multiplied the danger.


    If he went towards the outer territory, then the oue was still the same as he had to return to this ce.


    "What an absolute mess." He scratched the back of his forehead, only to grow alert as he heard the sound of the door opening suddenly.

 Chapter 663 663: Fluctuations

    Eren was about to use his divine sense to check his surroundings beyond the confines of the room when he heard the sound of the door opening.


    He quickly hid behind the door, and waited for the person to enter the room. After the person entered the room, Eren was finally able to catch a glimpse of the girl who was dressed in a long gown.


    The girlzily tossed a dagger inside the room. The dagger, which had a chipped edge, fell on the ground, making a light noise.


    The girl slowly turned around, not noticing Eren who was hiding behind the door. Or at least that''s what she made it look like before she suddenly teleported behind him.


    Another dagger materialized in her hand, which rested against Eren''s throat.


    "You aren''t from the n. How did you manage to get inside?"


    Eren could feel the killing intent within her voice. And he was the target of the killing intent. Her father had barely touched his throat, and he could already feel cold blood trickling out of the small cut.


    Eren maintained his silence, even though he realized that it wasn''t the answer that she was looking for. There was no answer that he could give her, that would satisfy her.


    He couldn''t even pretend to be part of the Merchant Union, losing his way and ending up here. Only a fool would believe it.


    There was only one right solution to this problem.  He had to kill the girl, even if she was strong enough to be part of this n.


    The god tier dagger that he had taken from the treasure boxes was still in his hand.


    "I am..." He started speaking, only to suddenly scream. "Wait, don''t attack her!"


    The girl flinched for a moment, and looked in the direction where Eren had abruptly looked. She thought that he wasn''t alone and there were other friends with him that were going to attack her.


    He was about to react, only to be stunned when she noticed that there was no one there. She was fooled, and even worse, she found a dagger stabbed in her stomach.


    Even Eren, who was caught by her, turned into a shadow and freed himself from her grasp.


    The girl frowned, and looked at her stomach which was bleeding, tainting her gown red that matched her blood red eyes.


    Even if an immortal was stabbed by a god tier dagger, they would have been seriously injured. But Eren was left in disarray when he saw the girl''s wound heal on its own within seconds.


    "I heard that there were a few outsiders that were brought inside as guests. Are you one of them? I did tell them to not trust the outsiders. They just wouldn''t listen to me."


    The girl brushed her fingers against the blood stains, and the marks disappeared. Even the small cut on her dress mended itself, making everything that happened before look like a mere illusion.


    "Why do I always end up facing such things?" Eren rubbed his forehead, after noticing the unbelievable abilities of the girl.


    "Well, at least you doe with a reward." He brushed his fingers through his long hair, moving them behind. He could clearly see the system screen that gave him another choice rted to the girl.


    "Since it doesn''t give me a coffin as a reward, I suppose you''re not an impossible opponent." He tapped on an option, selecting the one that came with the best reward.


    The option didn''t even require him to kill her. It only asked him to defeat her, which was precisely what he wanted. He needed someone to tell him more about this ce, and who better than a member?


    The god tier dagger had already proven to be useless on the girl. He kept the dagger in his inventory, and brought out the Sword Emperor''s Sword.


    Two dark wings rose from his back, and dragon scales appeared over his body. He even used the Dragon Tongue to boost his abilities as much as possible, while casting debuff on the girl.


    "A dragonkin?" The girl raised a brow. She didn''t seem to care about the fact that she was a little weakened. She didn''t even try to call for help, granting Eren enough time for him to cast a sound istion barrier.


    "Don''t worry. After we are done here, you will be grateful to me." Eren said, rushing forward.


    "Is that so...?" The girl raised a smirk and reacted to Eren''s aggression.


    Eren started his battle against a descendant of the King''s n. The girl who was weaker than the man that had escorted the Merchant Union. Still, her strength wasn''t something to scoff at.


    Even in a weakened state, she was still able to keep up with Eren, using the natural abilities of the King''s n. It was only thanks to the sword that she was on the backfoot.


    She didn''t know what this Sword was, but it was able to pass through her defences. Even more surprising for her was that the wounds she received from this Sword didn''t heal on their own.


    Even godly weapons couldn''t counter their healing abilities, but this Sword was able. She couldn''t understand just what this sword was.


    "If you give that sword to me, and surrender, I promise that I will not kill you. I will even ept you as my servant. You will be able to keep your life." She gave an offer to Eren.


    "Sorry, but I have already epted the choice given to me. It''s toote to back off. Moreover, I have no interest in being your servant. I have more important things to do."


    "Hmm?" The King n''s leader was sitting on his throne, with Qia Yun on her knees before him.


    The heiress of the Merchant Union was offering her greetings to the Leader of the n, but she hadn''t fallen to her knees merely out of respect.


    Her legs had simply buckled as soon as her eyesnded on the man in the throne.


    The man waved his hand, releasing the pressure on the girl. Her body flew up and shended on her feet.


    "You are-" he said, only to abruptly stop and look above.


    He disappeared, and teleported above the pce and looked at the sky. The cracks that were in the sky had started fluctuating. They had remained stable for centuries, but they were finally reacting to something.

 Chapter 664 664: Two Children

    The man looked at the cracks in the sky. The cracks appeared to be stimted by something, which made the man frown.


    In the entire King''s n, only he knew the origin behind these cracks. They weren''t ordinary spatial cracks. They were remnants that were left behind when a man had sliced through the heaven multiple times.


    Normally, even if someone managed to cut through the space, the space would heal itself with the passage of time. But these cracks hadn''t healed, despite such a long time being passed away.


    The spatial cracks didn''t even connect to another opening in the spatial tunnel. If one entered through the cracks, they couldn''t create another opening. It was as if they had entered into a spatial purgatory.


    After such a long time, the cracks had finally shown some movement, but it wasn''t towards closing. The fluctuations onlysted for a short moment before the spatial cracks stabilized once more.


    The size of the cracks remained the same. There was no change. If the man hadn''t seen it with his own eyes, he would have thought that it was only someone''s hallucinations.


    "Is this an omen?" he mumbled to himself. "The person that made us hide from the rest of the world... The man that forced us into entering seclusion. The marks left behind by him... Is this a sign?"


    He waited in the sky for a few minutes, to see if there were any further changes. After nothing happened, he returned to the room where the Merchant Union Heiress was still waiting, filled with confusion.


    "I would have to cut the meeting short," he told the girl, before moving to his seventh son. He told his son to escort the girl to a guest room where she would be staying.


    The girl was even more taken aback, as the man that was said to be able to hold up the entire sky with his hand, looked restless for some reason.


    The Patriarch quickly left the room.


    "It looks like something urgent came up. Please follow me." The Seventh Son gracefully took the lead, and escorted the girl out.


    He brought her to the ship of the Merchant Union. He controlled the ship once more, to bring the girl to another region of their territory.


    ....


    After leaving his pce, the Patriarch of the King n travelled hundreds of thousands of miles in a single step.


    He appeared atop a mountain that was split byva and snow on either side. He stood before a small house made on top of the mountain, and knocked on the door.


    He kept knocking on the house, but there was no response.


    "Sister... I know you are inside." He mumbled.


    He was the leader of the n, but his voice didn''t hold the same authority when he talked before this seemingly ordinary hit. If anything, there was a sense of guilt in his voice.


    If it was anyone else in the n, they would have quickly opened the door and weed the leader of the n with glee. But the door of this ordinary hut didn''t open.


    Instead, a fierce wave of aura rushed out through the wooden walls of the hut. The aura sliced through the imprable defence of the man, leaving multiple scars on his body.


    The man didn''t try to protect himself either. He let his natural healing take ce and heal his wounds, just as fast as they were appearing.


    "I know that you are still angry about your-"


    The man tried saying something, but the aura became even more fierce. The man stopped speaking and sighed deeply.


    "I have news about them," he said, and immediately, the fierce aura disappeared like it was never there.


    The door opened on its own. The middle aged patriarch entered the small hut, and caught a glimpse of a woman who looked extremely pale.


    She had lived in this ce for years, but the passage of time was yet to catch up with her. She looked to be in her early thirties. Her face was yet to lose its charm, but her beautiful red eyes had already be lifeless.


    She was sitting near a window, looking outside. She didn''t even nce back at her brother, even though they hadn''t been face to face for over a decade.


    "I assume you also saw the phenomenon in the sky?" he asked the woman, who had a clear view of the cracks in the sky through the window.


    Even after seeing that phenomenon, she hadn''t reacted in the least. She had already stopped caring about the n''s matter.


    "You said you had news about them," she said.


    It was the first time in a long while that the man had heard the voice of his sister. But that beautiful voice was only filled with sadness and even some malice.


    The man raised his head, and nced at the walls, where two portraits were hung, albeit a little crookedly.


    None of the portraits depicted the woman. In the left portrait, there was a small child who was only a few days old. He was dressed in small yet cute blue attire. In the other portrait, there was a child that was dressed in red.


    Both the children lookedpletely identical, whether it was their face or any other characteristics. Both the children have the signature red eyes of the n.


    Normally, such characteristics like the red eyes only appeared in a n member after they turned eighteen years old. But in these two children, the signature blood red eyes were visible from their birth.


    Looking at the portrait, the man couldn''t help but remember the time that these portraits were made. He was the person who had made these portraits that depicted his dear newborn nephews.


    The moment was still fresh in his mind as if it was just yesterday when he was painting them. His sister was right next to him, repeatedlyining that his art was failing to depict the true cuteness of her children.

 Chapter 665 665: The Missing Twins

    "Those were happier times," the Patriarch mumbled with a rare softness in his voice as his gaze lingered on the portraits.


    He quicklyposed himself, remembering the urgency of his visit. "The fluctuations in the cracks that were created by that person''s sword. What do you think of it? Could he be alive? Or is this just a coincidence?"


    His sister rose slowly from her seat by the window, her movements stiff as if she hadn''t moved in years. The pale fabric of her dress brushes against the wooden floor. She walked towards him, her lifeless eyes never leaving him.


    He remembered the day vividly. The day those ursed cracks first appeared. With a single swing of his sword, the man had managed to split apart the heaven into multiple fractures.


    "The man who did this," the woman''s voice was low, yet cold. "The one whose arrogance scarred the heavens and stole my children."


    "If he is indeed alive, then we might be able to leave this ce and return to the Upper Realm," he said, in response the woman red at him coldly.


    He was only concerned about returning to the Upper Realm, and freeing themselves from this curse. But for her, it didn''t matter.


    The man felt a cold chill when he saw the woman''s gaze. He almost shivered, despite being the Patriarch of the King n.


    "Of course, the thing which is more important is to find out the whereabouts of your children," he subconsciously rified that he hadn''t forgotten about the twins.


    The woman walked towards the portrait, and her fingers brushed against the portrait. She had never once lost hope of reuniting with her children, even though many in the n believed that the children must have died already.


    Only the n Leader kept convincing her that her children would be alive. She wasn''t even sure if he actually believed that, or if he had kept saying that so that she didn''t lose hope and go berserk like thest time.


    "The man didn''t seem to have any intention to kill them. I''m sure they would have grown up healthy and strong just like you and their father. Who knows, my nephews might already be as tall as me by now."


    The woman''s fingers brushed down the portrait, until they had nothing to hold onto. Her hand weakly fell down and she looked back at her brother.


    "Haven''t I already managed to establish a connection with the Merchant Union? With their help, I''m certain we will soon find the whereabouts of my nephews."


    For decades, they had tried to send someone out to find his nephews and the man that had sealed them here. But unfortunately, the curse on their bloodline prevented them from leaving this Territory.


    They had almost given up hope until a man identally entered their realm. Through that man, they learned of all the changes that had happened in thest few decades in the upper realm.


    They had considered for quite some time before deciding on establishing a connection with the Merchant Union.


    Although the Merchant Union wasn''t stronger than the Ancient Families, their resources in the Upper Realm was nothing to scoff at. They had great reach across multiple realms.


    More importantly, as merchants, their greed definitely overpowered their hostility and fear. They controlled the man and sent them out to establish a contact with the Merchant Union.


    Through the next few interactions, they had managed to arrange this meeting. And to show their sincerity, the Merchant Union Leader even sent his own daughter.


    It was partially because the man was inherently greedy and didn''t want to lose the opportunity to establish a connection with the n that once ruled over the upper realm.


    The second, and more important reason was because he was scared. He didn''t really know that the King''s n was cursed and couldn''t leave this realm without breaking the curse.


    Just like the entire Upper Realm, the merchant union also didn''t know the real reasons behind the King''s n leaving the upper realm and secluding themselves here.


    The Merchant Union Leader was still scared. What if he offended the King n, and the n sent someone to annihte his entire family?


    The greed and fear worked as a perfect bnce and he decided to contact the Merchant Union, despite them being the biggest enemies of the Upper Realm.


    They knew that if the Ancient Families learned about this, then they might lose a lot of business. Even the entire Union might be at the verge of destruction. That''s why, he only told this to those that were trusted by the union.


    As the Merchant Union Leader, he could control the life and death of members that were at least elevated to a branch leader position. There was no possibility of betrayal. Still, he acted extremely cautiously.


    Finally, the Merchant Union delegation had arrived at the King''s Realm, still not aware about what the King''s n wanted from them. This was no more than a goodwill visit.


    "With their strength, they will definitely find my nephews. It is only a matter of time before they return to us," the middle aged man consoled his sister, who couldn''t control herself.


    A tear trickled down her fair cheeks, as she finally saw the possibility of her children returning to her.


    The man stepped forward, and wiped the tears of his sister. "Shouldn''t my little sister save her precious tears?"


    The man had always felt guilty towards his sister. Despite being the strongest in the Upper Realm during his peak years, he had failed to save his nephews.


    "I promise you. I will find my nephews, and bring them back. The man who took my nephews... he will pay dearly!"


    Even since he was sealed with his n, he had been honing his strength, all with the goal to have revenge on the man who could even cut the heaven in half.


    Despite being cut from the upper realm, the King n hadn''t weakend. If anything, they had only be stronger.

 Chapter 666: Running out of time

    <h4>Chapter 666: Chapter 666: Running out of time</h4>


    "She was less troublesome than I had thought." Eren sat on the chest, with a girl lying on the ground before him, unconscious.


    The door leading to the room had been closed by him before he even started his sight. Fortunately, the barrier hadsted long enough to ensure that the battle fluctuations didn¡¯t disturb the surroundings.


    It helped that this ce was more or less the junkyard of the elite in the King¡¯s n. Even after using his divine sense, he couldn¡¯t see anyone else nearby.


    "The Sword was more effective on these people than I had thought. It¡¯s as if this was made for them."


    Within a few seconds of the battle starting, he had already finished it after knocking her out. He sent the sword that was known as the Sword King¡¯s Sword back within the mark on his shoulder.


    "Shall we begin?" After catching his breath, he sat on his knees before the girl, and ced a finger on her forehead.


    He started trying to manipte her consciousness to control it, despite knowing that it wasn¡¯t going to be easy.


    She was a member of a n that once ruled over the Upper Realm. There was no way her consciousness was going to be easy to invade, even if she was unconscious.


    It was just as he had expected. The physical battle had taken only a few seconds. But the battle to control her consciousness was much longer, even after he used the treasure that had helped him in controlling the Left Guardian of Necromancer Tower.


    It took him over two and a half hours to finally seed in controlling her. If he was still to fail, he would have outright given up on controlling her, because he had to move to the next mark zone.


    He could only stay within a marked area for three hours. If he stayed longer, it was no different than failing the main task, which rewarded him with opportunities to descend.


    "Only a little over twenty minutes to move. That wasted so much time." He sat with his back resting against a treasure chest, his body covered in sweat.


    Even though he hadn¡¯t fought in a hour long physical battle, but just the attempt to control the consciousness of a mere youngster of the n had almost exhausted him.


    "Wake up. It¡¯s time to leave," he said while bringing out a bottle filled with refined aura used by the people of the upper world to recover some of their strength during emergencies.


    It was something that he had stolen from the Ice Maiden Pce Master¡¯s storage ring that he robbed from her, along with the key of his handcuffs. He hadn¡¯t expected it toe in handy so soon.


    "I should have stolen a few more," he praised the liquid.


    Only half of it had managed to recover hisplete stamina and strength. It was also fortunate that his level was much lower than the Pce Master. Even an entire bottle wouldn¡¯t have been enough for her.


    The girl, receiving his instructions, also opened her eyes. She stood up and respectfully bowed before Eren, calling him master.


    "Do you have something else that you can wear?" Eren asked, with a wry smile on his lips.


    Although the battle was short, most of her clothes were torn, revealing almost everything. Her body had healed, but her clothes hadn¡¯t managed to heal, revealing her bare skin.


    The girl nodded, and waved her hand, taking the remnant of whatever torn clothes that she had on her body, not leaving anything to Eren¡¯s imagination.


    "I could¡¯ve sworn that controlling her didn¡¯t lower her intelligence. Does she simply not see me as a man?" Eren mumbled, slightly surprised at her attitude where she was changing before him.


    She wore new clothes, which werepletely identical to before.


    "Wait, do you have more clothes? Possibly ones that could be worn by a man?" Eren asked.


    The girl shook her head. She only kept clothes that would fit her, as their clothes were often damaged during practice sessions. Of course, they were never destroyed to the extent they were with Eren.


    She didn¡¯t have any n clothes that would suit a male. Eren¡¯s n to disguise as a n member had also gone down the drain.


    If he had more time, he would have asked her to knock out another disciple of the n to steal their clothes. But the time was running out.


    "Fine. Give me whatever clothes you have. Just make sure it¡¯s not a skirt. I want pants that are unisex, and a shirt."


    The girl lowered her head to look at her chest. She had a puzzled gaze as she started unbuttoning her shirt.


    "You idiot, I¡¯m talking about your spare clothes. Are you going to walk out naked if you give me yours?"


    "Master, these are the ones I have left."


    "You only kept one spare?" Eren facepalmed himself while the girl simply nodded.


    "Urgh. Fine." Eren sighed deeply. He showed the girl the holographic map.


    "Can you tell me what¡¯s the fastest way to reach this ce within twenty minutes? The method also needs to ensure that I¡¯m not caught as an outsider."


    "This ce..." The girl tilted her head. "It¡¯s impossible to reach that ce within twenty minutes. Even at the fastest, it would take at least forty minutes, if the criteria is to not be detected."


    "Forty minutes? That¡¯s too much. Is there no other option?"


    "There is one option, but it carries the risk of you being detected. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t include that during the time calction."


    "Since it¡¯s an emergency. We will go with that n. Tell me what¡¯s that method? I will think of something."


    After Eren heard of the method, he was almost at a loss whether tough or cry. The method didn¡¯te with the possibility of getting caught. Instead, it came with a certainty to get caught!


    Her n to reach that ce within twenty minutes was to steal a ship and use it!

 Chapter 667: Ghost of King’s Realm

    <h4>Chapter 667: Chapter 667: Ghost of King¡¯s Realm</h4>


    Even though the n sounded absurd, Eren couldn¡¯t even question it. Time was running out, and he was out of choices.


    He hid himself in the girl¡¯s shadow, and instructed her through his divine consciousness, transmitting his messages straight to her mind.


    The girl was secretly apanied by Eren as she opened the door, and stepped out of the room that was filled with signs of battle taking ce. Most of the boxes in the room were already destroyed, or crushed.


    The girl rushed through the long corridors, soon stepping out of the mansion. Along the way, she came across a few other descendants that invited her to the training arena to continue their battles.


    The girl outright rejected them, leaving them confused.


    "What happened to her? Wasn¡¯t she the one who wanted it before?" The other descendents were left confused, yet they let her leave and returned to the training arena.


    The girl soon left the grand mansion, with only fifteen minutes left in the deadline.


    On Eren¡¯s instructions, she rushed towards the field where the Merchant Union¡¯s Ship was supposed to be.


    Within a few minutes, she reached the destination, which was the entrance of the Patriarch¡¯s Pce. Unfortunately, she was toote.


    She was left standing before the pce, looking at the sky where a ship had already risen in the sky, going farther. She was already toote. The Merchant Union ship had already left.


    "Is there any other ship that we can take?" Eren asked the girl.


    "There is one, but there is a problem with it."


    "We don¡¯t have time to think about the problem. Take me there. We only have a little more than ten minutes left!"


    On Eren¡¯s instructions, the girl started running. And soon, another grand ship rose in the sky, being ten timesrger than the Merchant Union¡¯s Ship.


    Even Eren was amazed at the sight of the ship, which could easily shroud arge city under its shadow.


    Seeing the ship rise in the sky, almost everyone who saw it, was left at a loss.


    "Isn¡¯t that the Patriarch¡¯s personal ship?" A question rose in everyone¡¯s mind.


    It was a ship that hadn¡¯t been flown ever since the King n retreated to this realm. But in the past, it used to be extremely glorious. Unfortunately, in this realm, it was only left to catch dust.


    The ship was not only able to fly through the air, but it could also travel through the void, protecting the people within from the Undercurrent of the Spatial Forces.


    The ship didn¡¯t even need resources to power itself. It could take everything it needed from its surroundings. The operation wasn¡¯tplex either, and only one person could control it.


    The ship took apletely different direction from the Merchant Union¡¯s Ship, and soon disappeared into the distance.


    No one within the King¡¯s n questioned the use of the ship. They couldn¡¯t even imagine that someone would have stolen the ship. They simply thought that it was on instructions of the Patriarch.


    The family head was the only person who could have known that it wasn¡¯t done under his instructions. Unfortunately, he was immersed in his conversation with his sister, far too detached to be aware about the outer realm.


    Once the ship entered the required destination, Eren kept the ship in his inventory, making it disappear from the face of this world. Even if someone was to search the ship, they couldn¡¯t locate it.


    From then on, a strange phenomenon followed. Every three hours, a grand ship could be seen flying through the sky, from one territory to the other, only to disappear at thest moment.


    Initially, no one questioned it. But after some time, many started suspecting something. A few descendants even called it a ghost ship, and tried to find it.


    Unfortunately for them, the ship was never within reach. At times, it appeared where it had disappeared. At other times, it appeared far away from the ce it had disappeared.


    It was as if the ship was ying hide and seek with them. The one thing that was for certain was that the ship appeared within three hours of gap every time.


    Even if the ship appeared right before a descendant, they couldn¡¯t catch up to it, as the ship was much faster than them.


    After the first day of this strange phenomenon, even the Elders of the n and true blood descendants were alerted. They even contacted the Patriarch to ask him if it had something to do with him.


    "Hmm? My ship?" The Family Head had only left his sister¡¯s ce when he was alerted about everything that happened in his absence.


    As the ship belonged to him, he tried to locate him personally.


    "Hmm? I can¡¯t sense it?"


    The Family Head covered the entire realm with his consciousness, to locate the ship. There was no way such arge ship could be hidden from him.


    At least that¡¯s what he thought. But the problem was that he couldn¡¯t see the ship anywhere at all.


    On the second day, the strange phenomenon didn¡¯t appear. Throughout the second day, the ship was not seen at all. But another strange news was heard.


    It was that many distant descendants of the ns had disappeared from various territories. No one could understand what was happening.


    There were even suspicions on the Merchant Union¡¯s involvement as it started after their arrival. The delegation of the Merchant Union was arrested and interrogated, but even they didn¡¯t help.


    Despite the Merchant Union being kept under observation, The strange events didn¡¯t stop. Even after the Elders of the n personally investigated various territories, they couldn¡¯t find anything at all.


    Soon, it was the third day. And Eren had already covered the outer territories of the King¡¯s Realm. Throughout the second day, he didn¡¯t use the ship at all, as he wasn¡¯t in a race against time.


    In most cases, three hours were enough for him to travel from one territory to another.


    At the start of the third day, he had returned to the inner realm. There were only eight more territories for him to travel through, and he couldplete the mission.

 Chapter 668: Gods

    <h4>Chapter 668: Chapter 668: Gods</h4>


    There were only eight more territories left for Eren to explore, but this was also the hardest thing for him to achieve so far.


    In thest two days, the security of the King n was increased to the maximum, especially in the inner regions, especially since the ship wasst seen moving towards the inner territories before disappearing.


    It was also what allowed Eren to have a somewhat easier time while exploring the outer territories. In every territory, he spent around three hours, while trying to avoid all dangerous ces that gave him a dangerous feeling.


    Throughout the time, there were only a few ces that he was scared to explore, and the most prominent amongst them was a mountain that was covered in snow on one side andva on the other side.


    Eren spent three hours at the foot of the mountain before entering the next territory


    He had fooled the King n into thinking that the intruder was entering the Inner Territory. Although it gave him some operational freedom during his outer region exploration, but it had also be the biggest problem for him now that he truly had to explore the inner region.


    This time, he couldn¡¯t hide the ship anymore. If he wanted to reach from the farthest corner of the outer region to the inner region, he had to travel as fast as inhumanly possible.


    He couldn¡¯t hide the ship anymore. Once again, the ghost ship appeared at the farthest corner of the King n, and travelled deeper, leaving an afterimage in its wake.


    Eren still had the girl that he had initially controlled. He made the girl control the ship, and bring it straight, to the depths, not caring about any obstruction along the way.


    The appearance of the Ghost Ship soon reached the ears of the King n higher ups, who rose in the air, as if to wee the ship at the border of their inner territories.


    "It¡¯s not stopping?" An Elder raised a brow, as the ship refused to stop. Even if they had summoned various treasures to create an obstruction, the ship didn¡¯t seem to have any intention to stop.


    An Elder even summoned an entire golden mountain, thinking that the ship was going to be stopped before it shed with the mountain. Whoever was driving the ship wasn¡¯t going to be foolish enough to crash to his death.


    Unfortunately, they soon realized that they were wrong. Not only did the ship not slow down, but instead it elerated.


    "This..." The ship was a treasure of the King n. Even though it hadn¡¯t been used in a long time, it was still one of the most precious things that the n went through a lot of effort to create in the past.


    None of the n members wanted the ship to be destroyed, even though there were rumours that the treasured ship had developed an evil treasure spirit that controlled it.


    "If it doesn¡¯t stop, it¡¯ll be a big loss." The Elder who controlled the mountain started hesitating. It didn¡¯t matter if the ship was destroyed, or the mountain spirit. In either case, it was a loss for the King n.


    He was covered in sweat, as he saw the ship activate the defensive formation right as it was about to crash on the mountain.


    Bang~


    The crash was strong enough to make the entire realm tremble, as two defining treasures of the king n collided.


    The impact was strong to the point that even a few elders were sent flying back, barely regaining their control in the air.


    To their dismay, it was the mountain that was shattered. Meanwhile, the ship only had a few cracks as it zoomed past the rubble flying through the ship. A few elders barely avoided getting hit by the ship.


    "That¡¯s enough." A booming voice rose from the sky. The clouds split apart, and a giant golden hand came down, as ifing straight from heaven.


    The giant hand was evenrger than the ship. Just a finger of that hand wasrger than a mountain. The golden hand grabbed the ship that was rushing through the void, and pulled it back.


    Within that palm, a golden fire lit up, that started burning everything within the ship. Only the materials with which the ship was made from, didn¡¯t burn.


    Everything else besides the ship burned to ashes. It didn¡¯t matter if it was a living being, or a soul. As long as they were on the ship, even their painful cries were burned to nothingness.


    The hand burned everything that could have controlled the ship, not caring in the slightest about the identity of the person. All it wanted was to stop the ship to prevent any further destruction.


    The girl who was controlling the ship, only saw a golden me all around her. The mes burned Eren¡¯s control over her, and she screamed for help, and to tell the others that she was innocent.


    Unfortunately, her voice had barely left her throat before her vocal cords were also burned, along with her flesh.


    She had just regained her mind, and she was already dying. She couldn¡¯t even do anything, except curse the man who had caused this to happen.


    She couldn¡¯t even rest easy in death. Instead, she felt even more wronged since the person who was responsible for this wasn¡¯t even on the ship.


    "What in the monstrosity is that?" Eren mumbled, looking at the sky in disbelief from far away.


    As soon as the ship collided with the mountain, he took the advantage of themotion to jump down from the ship, stepping foot in the inner territory at the right time.


    He had expected the King n elders to be chasing after the ship which took them on a wild ride. He didn¡¯t expect the ship to be caught so soon, especially with something like this.


    He had only heard about the King n¡¯s strength, but this was the first time he was seeing it first hand. If he was caught by them, then he could only imagine his fate.


    Seeing their strength, only one word came to his mind.


    "Gods."

 Chapter 669: The Last Destination

    <h4>Chapter 669: Chapter 669: The Last Destination</h4>


    "Gods." This was the only thought that crossed Eren¡¯s mind when he looked at the sky and the mighty strength that was on disy for everyone to see.


    The King n was already so strong. It was even beyond what he had learned from the memories of the Arcadia n descendant.


    The King n was so strong. Despite that, they were suppressed to a small corner of the upper realm.


    He didn¡¯t think that the n secluded itself from its own volition. But if that wasn¡¯t the case, then who could have forced them to stay in this small realm, without ever daring to step a foot out of this realm?


    "My dear system, no wonder the rewards were so good. Just surviving in this ce is harder than climbing the tallest mountain as a mortal."


    The Elders of the n were looking at a ship with a sigh of relief. The ship was still intact, albeit with a few minor cracks.


    Beneath the relief, they also felt a slight pang of regret as they had lost a few treasures along the way, like the celestial mountain.


    "If I had known that he would be able to stop it so easily, I wouldn¡¯t have sacrificed Celestial Mountain. What a big loss." An old man grabbed his head, and kept shaking his head in frustration.


    The giant palm that hade down from the sky, soon disappeared. And a middle aged man stepped out of the void, cing his hand on the old man¡¯s shoulder.


    "I willpensate youter," the middle aged man said, and the Elder only clicked his tongue.


    "I will listen to the Patriarch." He lowered his head and stepped back, letting the Family Head take the lead.


    The Elders and the Family Headnded on the great ship, and started taking stock of the damage on the ship. Fortunately, there wasn¡¯t much of it.


    "To think that this girl would be behind it all. Did she go crazy or something?" Another Elder cursed under his breath, looking at a ring and identification token before his feet.


    All of them had seen the person who was controlling the ship. It was none other than a little girl from the n.


    "I can¡¯t believe it. Why would she do something like this?" An Elder said in a panicked tone.


    "Are you sure you don¡¯t want to believe it because the girl was your granddaughter? Just what have you taught that foolish girl for her to do something like this?"


    At first, the Elders had thought that the girl was also kidnapped when she went missing with a few other Descendants. But when they saw her controlling the ship to crash on the mountain, it was clear that she was behind it all.


    Although the girl didn¡¯t seem to have any reason for doing something like this, the Elders couldn¡¯t reject what they had seen with their own eyes. They couldn¡¯t deny the reality.


    Even the Family Head was perplexed. The girl was killed in the process of stopping the ship. Even her soul was destroyed, which made them unable to do a soul search.


    "Was she really behind it all?"


    Everyone was distracted by the ship, believing that they had found the culprit behind the ghost ship incident.


    Meanwhile, there was a man who was running on the ground, faster than the speed of lightning. Even his shadow wasn¡¯t left behind as he ran, trying to get to his next destination before the Elders came out of the ship.


    The Elders were regretful that they had lost something important. But Eren was also regretful that he had to give up on such an impressive ship that could be controlled with such ease.


    If he wasn¡¯t in a hurry ofpleting this task, he never would have used the ship as a distraction. Unfortunately, it was the only distraction that was big enough to give him an opportunity and put an end to the heightened security of the King n.


    As long as they believed that the true culprit had died, there was no point in keeping the Elders busy searching the inner region.


    Just as he had thought, the security had considerably gone down in the next few hours. The Elders soon returned to their residences at the end of the ghost ship incident.


    Even the Family Head returned after failing to find any proof of foul y. He released the Merchant Union Entourage, offering him a brief exnation.


    The Merchant Union Princess didn¡¯t me the King n for it. Or rather, they couldn¡¯t afford to me this n. Even though they were locked in a residence and interrogated repeatedly, they weren¡¯t punished or hurt.


    More importantly, they had felt the terrifying aura when the King n Patriarch took action personally. Even the demigod of the Merchant Union didn¡¯t dare look in the family head¡¯s eyes.


    The King n Leader continued his conversation with the Merchant Union Heir, and started telling her his intentions on calling them here.


    "You want us to find two people for you?" The young girl grew immediately alert. She was really intrigued about the identity of the people that even the king n wanted to find.


    Did it have anything to do with the reason behind their disappearance from the upper realm? She wondered.


    ....


    "Just onest ce!" It was almost the end of the third day when Eren stopped before thest territory.


    Just three more hours, and he was going toplete his quest. It was also the area that was in the true depths of the King n territory.


    This was the second time Eren had felt this feeling in the King n Territory. He hadn¡¯t even stepped inside thest territory, but he was already starting to feel a sharp pain in his eyes.


    His eyes started feeling heavy, but this pain didn¡¯t extend to his head.


    "Is this ce the true reason behind you giving me this quest?" he mumbled, questioning his system. But he didn¡¯t receive any response.

 Chapter 670: End of the World

    <h4>Chapter 670: Chapter 670: End of the World</h4>


    Most of the time, the system quests seemed insignificant or unrted. But he had noticed a pattern between them. All these quests came as a guide to him, often helping him in the process.


    The quests were less like random quests and more like vague premonitions that asked him to guess its motives.


    He had almost finished the quest, but he was yet to find anything useful about the King n. The n was strong, and had lots of treasures. In each of their territories that he had visited, there was something special like unique herbs, or unfamiliar beasts roaming around.


    It was precious, but he didn¡¯t think it was anything particrly useful to him, to the point of risking his life ining here.


    "If this ce isn¡¯t it either, then I would have to believe that the ship was what it wanted. It would be a little harder to steal it again though."


    Eren entered thest territory while rubbing his forehead. And as soon as he took a step inside, he felt his heart skip a beat.


    For a moment, it felt as if the entire world around him had turned blood red. The world only returned to normal after he rubbed his eyes.


    "Is this ce making me hallucinate?" He pondered over the strange feeling as thest three hours timer started.


    Once he finished the three hours here, he could finally learn the skill to descend and return to his world to help his clone, even if temporarily.


    "How are they doing?" He asked the Spirit Queen.


    This was supposed to be the most secure ce out of all, but there was not a single person here guarding this ce.


    Even though he was using stealth, it still felt easier to infiltrate this territory than the other territories in the inner region.


    "Not good. I don¡¯t think they can survive for three hours. The castle walls have been breached. The Priestess¡¯s Guards have already entered the city."


    "Did the King¡¯s brother fall?" Eren didn¡¯t have much hope from his clone. But he expected the Holy King¡¯s brother to at least dy the enemies for a little longer.


    "Then again, they are facing two main characters. It might be too much to expect more from the supporting characters."


    Eren increased his pace, even though there was no point to it. He couldn¡¯t do anything until three hours were up anyway.


    "The King¡¯s Brother has not been killed yet. He has been captured by a strange man from the North."


    If even the Spirit Queen called that man strange, Eren didn¡¯t need to guess much about his identity. It was the main character from the Northern Continent.


    The more he was killed by enemies, the stronger he could be with his instant revival. That¡¯s why he had conveyed the message to his clone to ensure that no one in the Empire killed that man.


    They only had to take him down without killing him. Unfortunately, it was easier said than done, as the message was only delivered after he came to the Upper Realm and managed to contact the Spirit Queen.


    "What an absolute mess. Maybe I should¡¯ve avoided entering hell so soon. I didn¡¯t know the entire world would fall apart if I was absent for a few weeks."


    Although the Northern Main Character was dangerous, Eren did manage to learn a few things about him.


    If he could just be killed without any limitations, then wouldn¡¯t he have his friends kill him and keep reviving until he became a god?


    It made him believe that there was definitely a limitation. Either he could only be killed by an enemy stronger than him, to ignite the effects of his passive skill, or he had a certain quota of revivals a month.


    If it was the first case, it would exin why he didn¡¯t just farm his death with his friends. Still, Eren preferred if it was thetter. Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t in the lower world. And it was too dangerous to test this theory while he was trapped in the upper realm.


    "Is this a graveyard?"


    Eren was lost in thoughts while walking when he noticed the surroundings change. He could see tombstones forming long lines.


    As far as his eyes could see, there were only tombstones. And each tombstone had a man¡¯s and number written on it.


    "No wonder there was no security here. Who would even want to steal something from a graveyard?"


    He thought that there was going to be something useful in thest Territory, but it proved to be more useless than he had guessed.


    "Though their corpses might still hold some value. If I can bring them back to life, maybe through necromancy like Lysander used..."


    He thought for a brief moment, before quickly shaking the thought off.


    " No. Just the Ice Maiden Pce needed so much sacrifice. Someone from the Immortal King n might even need an entire upper realm continent to be sacrificed."


    Even if he was to revive them as undead, he couldn¡¯t do that using Lysander¡¯s method.


    "I should still take one as a souvenir though. If the system does give me a skill in the future, I might regret not taking a perfect corpse from here."


    He thought that this might be hisst opportunity to be in the King n¡¯s Realm, as he was just lucky to be able to enter this ce with the Merchant Union.


    Before leaving, he nned to collect at least a corpse of the King n ancestor.


    "If I¡¯m taking one, I might as well take the best." He walked through the graveyard as the timer kept ticking away.


    He looked for the tombstone that stood out the most, amongst the hundreds of thousands of tombstones. And in the end, he ended up reading the end of the graveyard before finally seeing one that was double the size of the others.


    "This should be the most precious one." Not only was this thest tombstone, but this also marked the end of this territory.


    Beyond this tombstone, there was nothing. It was like a white void, that seemed to erase everything that came near it.


    Even he felt a subtle rejection when looking at the white void that looked like it was the end of that world with no reality beyond it.

 Chapter 671 671: Updated Quest; Legacy

    Eren ran a hand over the cold, smooth surface of the massive tombstone. The air here felt different, charged with an unfamiliar energy that prickled his skin. It was as if insects were crawling all over his skin.


    He listened to his instincts and stayed away from the white barrier. He focused all his attention to collecting the body buried beneath his feet and leaving this ce. However, there was a small inscription on the tombstone that caught his attention.


    He squinted at the inscription. Unlike the others, this one had more than just a name and number.


    "From Origin, We Ascended. To Origin, We Return. Our Blood is the Echo of Creation."


    There were only three lines on the tombstone, and each line felt like it was carved using not a knife but someone''s finger.


    "You must have been someone really impressive when you were alive. If it was up to me, I wouldn''t disturb your eternal rest. Unfortunately... I took a lot of effort to get here."


    He crouched, examining the base of the tombstone. There were no obvious mechanisms, no hiddentches. It seemed as solid and immovable as a mountain.


    "Alright, old man," Eren said to the tombstone, a grim smile ying on his lips. "Let''s see if you''re as impressive on the inside."


    The more impressive this tombstone was, the more impressive the corpse was in his eyes. If he could really bring someone back to life as a servant, then there was no better material for him than this person.


    He focused his mana, channeling it into his hands. A faint, dark energy enveloped his palms. He pressed them against the stone, intending to use brute forcebined with a subtle erosion effect he''d picked up.


    The moment his mana-infused hands made contact, the world became red once more.


    The graveyards, the tombstones, the white void ¨C all vanished from his sight.


    He was standing in the midst of crimson light, feeling as if he was in some kind of illusion.


    "There was a trap? Why didn''t [Identification] show anything?"


    He felt an immense pressure, as if something was trying to crush him. It felt as if his bones were cracking under this pressure which was not something that a mere illusion could achieve.


    [System Quest Updated: Ancestral Echo]


    [Objective: Withstand and absorb the lingering will of the King n''s progenitor.]


    [Time Limit: Synchronized with Territory Timer.]


    [Reward: ??? Skill: Descend]


    [Bonus rewards based on absorption percentage.]


    "Absorb?" Eren frowned, the pressure threatening to buckle his knees. "This... this is what the quest wanted? Isn''t this a scam?"


    He was promised the Descent skill if he could just spend three hours in each territory. That was the option which he had selected. And when he was on thest territory, the quest was suddenly updated?


    With this, he finally understood why the options led him to this ce in the first ce. They didn''t simply want him to explore the territories, but to reach this ce to steal this legacy.


    "If you just wanted me to rob another n''s legacy, you could have been more direct. Why waste my time exploring other territories?"


    Eren wanted to be upset, but he couldn''t even be angry at the system since the legacy did feel impressive if it came from the progenitor of this n.


    Moreover, the legacy was able to give him this test. It meant that he didn''t have to be a descendant to take this legacy. It was an unexpected benefit.


    Moreover, even if the system didn''t update the quest, he still couldn''t leave withoutpleting this test. He was already caught in it after all.


    Even without the quest, he was still going to take this reward. It looked just as special as decent skill.


    "Yelen, can you still hear me?" Eren grunted, fighting to resist the pressure.


    "Barely," her voice came, faint and strained, as if filtered throughyers of interference. "Where are you? Why can''t I feel your presence? Are you in danger?"


    The connection with the Spirit Queen was again weakened, and she couldn''te to his help.


    "Don''t worry about that. I just wanted to tell you that-"


    He tried telling Yelen to keep an eye on the situation in the Holy Empire''s war and help his clone survive longer if possible without risking her own safety.


    Unfortunately, the connection was abruptly cut. It was simr to what happened when he was in hell. He couldn''t feel Yelen at all, let alone talk to her.


    The pressure that was trying to force his body to his knees had also disappeared. Instead, there was a more soothing force now that healed him and removed his exhaustion.


    The world was still red, but in this red world, he wasn''t the only person now. There was another presence there.


    It was the presence of a man, who was standing before him, carrying a calm and amused smile on his lips.


    Eren could see that person, but he couldn''t feel even the slightest bit of aura from him. He felt weak. But at the same time, his instincts were telling him that the man was dangerous.


    Thest time he received this feeling from someone other than the author, it was with the Sword Emperor that he saw in his dream, slicing through heaven.


    Even Lysander, who was a demigod, didn''t give him this feeling. It felt like there was an invisible sword resting on his neck and he could lose his head with a single movement.


    Even the Patriarch of the King n, who looked like a god, didn''t give him this existential crisis.


    The man nced at the tombstone that was pulled out of the ground. It was lying t on the ground, next to where it belonged.


    "What is your name?" the man asked. "And what is your rtionship with that man?"


    The man before him curious nces at Eren''s shoulder, as if he could see through the clothes. His eyes were fixated on the sword mark on Eren''s upper arm, which held the Sword Emperor''s Sword.

 Chapter 672: Surpass the Sword Emperor

    <h4>Chapter 672: Chapter 672: Surpass the Sword Emperor</h4>


    Eren didn¡¯t answer the question right away. He used Identification to check the information on the man before him.


    .............


    Name: ????


    Level: ????


    Description: ????


    .............


    "Hmm?"


    A secret appeared before Eren, but it didn¡¯t give any useful information to him at all. This was the first time that even the name of the person was filled with question marks in the identification screen.


    Looking at the screen, Eren¡¯s bad feeling was further solidified. The person in front of him was not someone that he could handle alone.


    Even if it was the Ice Maiden Pce, he could at least find a way to leave. But this man was clearly different. He even knew the Sword Emperor, and managed to guess a link in between them.


    "I will ask you again. What is your name? And what is your rtionship with that man? Why do you carry his sword?"


    The man¡¯s voice had a soothing effect which somehow calmed Eren¡¯s racing heartbeat. The man was dangerous, but so far, he hadn¡¯t disyed any hostility.


    He looked back to the updated quest, which had only asked him to withstand the will of the King n Progenitor. Did it not mean that he had to fight and survive? Could it mean something else?


    Since fighting that man felt like an impossible task, Eren took a different and friendly approach.


    He joined his hands together, and greeted the celestial man.


    "Greetings to the Senior. My name is Eren, and I came here to ept your Legacy."


    "You wanted my legacy?" The corner of the man¡¯s lips crept up. He seemed more amused than surprised.


    He casually nced at his tombstone that was lying on the ground, clearly not where it was supposed to be.


    Eren smiled wryly, feeling a little embarrassed that he had pulled out the tombstone. He wondered if the man knew that he was trying to steal his corpse?


    "It seems that man didn¡¯t send you here," the celestial man said.


    Eren wasn¡¯t sure why the man was so certain about it. If he was sent by the Sword Emperor, would he have a different approach?


    "Fine. I have been quite bored recently. I will give you an opportunity to inherit my legacy." He waved his hand, and the misty sky cleared up.


    Eren raised his head, and saw the cracks in the sky, that were the only constant in this world.


    "Do you see the sword marks in the sky?" the man asked.


    "So they really are sword marks?" Eren had a feeling that the cuts in the sky were made with a sword, but this was the first time he had received a confirmation.


    Just what kind of person could have left these sword marks that didn¡¯t disappear even now? Only one name came to his mind when he thought about it. It was the Sword Emperor.


    "If you can leave even a single mark in the sky that surpasses the ones that are already there, I will grant you my legacy. But if you fail, you will have to stay behind forever to keep mepany."


    The man reached out his hand, and a paper materialised before Eren.


    "If you agree to the deal, then you can put your blood on the binding document. Once you do that, no one will be able to break the contract, no matter the oue. Even if I were to break this contract, my soul will forever disappear, never to reincarnate."


    The man had not only offered him a deal, but he even bought a treasure that could bind a celestial soul as powerful as his. If even that soul couldn¡¯t break the contract, then wasn¡¯t it the same for him?


    The contract was a double headed sword, especially since he didn¡¯t even know if he could seed.


    Despite that, Eren bit his finger and left his blood on the document that disappeared in the void. Still, Eren could feel its presence like a scythe against his skin.


    "You have seven days. You can give it as many tries as you want within these seven days."


    The man crossed his arms, and looked forward to the performance of the youngsters who had managed to receive the sword of that man.


    Honestly, he knew that no matter what Eren did, he was going to fail. That¡¯s why he gave this test to this youngster. How could someone as weak as him create a sword mark that was stronger than the ones created by the Sword Emperor personally?


    Even if Eren had the same sword, it didn¡¯t matter much at all. At the end of the day, it was less about the weapon and more about the skills of the person.


    ¡¯Not seven days. I only have three hours. If I don¡¯tplete it, then my descent skill will...¡¯


    In his eyes, there was no difference between seven days and three hours at this point. If he couldn¡¯tplete it in three hours, then seven hours were just as useless for him since he was on a timer by the system.


    He raised his hand, and summoned the Sword Emperor¡¯s Sword. The sword mark on his arms started shining, and soon a sword materialized in his hand.


    "So I was right. This is that man¡¯s sword." The man¡¯s eyes nced at the sword in Eren¡¯s hand. Even the scratches on the sword were the same as he had remembered.


    "I wonder how he would feel when he finds out this child¡¯s soul has been enved by me. All it needs is for him to fail, which is inevitable."


    The man wasn¡¯t even the slightest bit worried that Eren would seed. After all, even the current Patriarch of this n wasn¡¯t strong enough to leave simr marks in the sky of this realm.


    Eren wasn¡¯t even in the demigod realm, let alone beparable to that man.


    "Once you lose, and are forced to stay behind with me, I will find out all your secrets. An eternity is enough to make anyone go crazy after all. So forward to it, child," he mumbled, while sitting on his tombstone.

 Chapter 673: Descent of Echo

    <h4>Chapter 673: Chapter 673: Descent of Echo</h4>


    Eren ignored the celestial man¡¯s mumbling, his focus entirely on the task ahead and the dwindling clock in his mind.


    At this point, he was already convinced that the marks in the sky were left by the Sword Emperor. That¡¯s why the Ancestor of the King n knew about it. If he had to surpass it, he couldn¡¯t just rely on raw strength.


    The Sword Emperor¡¯s marks weren¡¯t brute force; they were rted to his understanding of the sword, and a concept so profound it could scar the very fabric of a realm.


    ¡¯Surpass them,¡¯ Eren thought, his gaze fixed on the ancient, ethereal cuts in the sky. ¡¯Not just match, but surpass.¡¯


    It seemed like an utterly ridiculous demand. How could he, a mere mortal, hope to achieve what perhaps even the current King n Progenitor couldn¡¯t?


    But the alternative was unthinkable. And more pressingly, the three-hour limit of his descent skill loomed over his head.


    Failure here meant more than just losing his freedom to this ancient being; it meant failing the system¡¯s quest, the consequences of which were unknown but undoubtedly severe.


    He didn¡¯t want to lose his golden finger. For that, he had to seed. And he had to do it within time.


    He wasn¡¯t foolish enough to think that he could surpass the Sword Emperor just because he wanted to do it, at least not within just three hours.


    To surpass the sword emperor, he needed years, or maybe even decades of experience. It was something that he heavilycked.


    So why did he ept this challenge? For him, the answer was simple. If what hecked was experience, then he could just supplement that experience with a little cheating.


    The cooldown time of the Echo of Eternity waspleted. Although he didn¡¯t know if his luck was going to support him or not, this was the best option in his eyes.


    Even if he failed in summoning a good future self, he would only lose a few minutes of his life at most. If his future self and this skill couldn¡¯t help him, then he could always think about other ways to escape from this mess, no matter how difficult.


    Taking a deep breath, Eren closed his eyes. He didn¡¯t try to swing the sword immediately. Instead, he tried to feel it. His mind was extremely focused.


    He focused on the faint, residual will of the Sword Emperor imbued within the de, the echoes of countless battles and infinite insights.


    The Progenitor of the King n nced at him. "Does he really think that meditating would help him surpass the gap between him and that man?"


    Even if the sword was reacting to Eren, it wasn¡¯t to the point that it could shock him.


    Eren could feel that the sword in his hand was indeed a treasure, that could help him surpass his limits. But he wasn¡¯t just meditating to strengthen himself.


    He was simply pretending to meditate, as he opened the system interface and prepared to use the echo of eternity. But before that, he needed something else to increase his chances.


    He had received a small yet significant reward when he was in hell. It was something called the Potion of Luck, that could temporarily increase his luck.


    To have certainty about the sess of this skill, he contained the Potion of Luck, while his back was facing the Progenitor.


    Eren consumed the Potion, which tasted like coconut water. It was tasty, but had only a few drops in it, which feltcking.


    He couldn¡¯t even feel any changes within his body, despite drinking the position. His status screen was also the same, with nothing new.


    Was he scammed? The thought crossed his mind, but he trusted the system. It was risky to use a skill like this near the Progenitor, but he had faith in his future self to handle this situation.


    His lips slowly moved, and a few words came out of his lips. "Echo of Eternity."


    "Let alone one week, even if I was to give you a year, you can¡¯t do anything. How about you just give up and ept defeat?" The Progenitor asked Eren.


    The celestial man watched, carrying a calm and surreal smile on his lips. He¡¯d seen countless geniuses in his life. The only problem with those geniuses was that they were alwayscent, never knowing their limits.


    For him, Eren was the same. Even if he was talented, he didn¡¯t know the difference between heaven and earth. There were some gaps that could never be surpassed. And that man who gave him this sword was that wide chasm that one could never cross.


    None could evere close to matching the Sword Emperor¡¯s legacy in his eyes. Even if he was still alive, he couldn¡¯t do it. That man was the only heavenly genius that he had acknowledged in his life.


    This boy, no matter how he¡¯d acquired that sword, was surely no different than the othercent geniuses. It was merely a matter of time before he failed.


    "Hmm?" The man was sittingcently when he suddenly felt something. It was as if the aura around Eren had suddenly changed.


    The sword that was overwhelming, started trembling for some reason. It wasn¡¯t trembling because it resisted the control of the person who held it. Instead, it felt more like the sword was scared of something.


    "You-"


    The man tried chiming in, but Eren shifted his stance. The Sword Emperor¡¯s sword suddenly felt like an extension of his soul.


    He poured every ounce of his mana, and his nascent understanding into the de. And soon, that sword swung towards the sky.


    The sword sliced upwards, not with the elegant grace one might associate with a supreme swordsman, but with a raw, untamed fury.


    A streak of silver light, thinner and far less substantial than the ancient marks, shot towards the sky.


    "What?" The Progenitor of the King n abruptly stood up, seeing a crescent moon appear in this soul less skies.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 674: Disastrous Freedom of the King Clan

    <h4>Chapter 674: Chapter 674: Disastrous Freedom of the King n</h4>


    In thend where no moon had ever existed, one appeared out of nowhere, turning the sky even brighter.


    The crescent moon kept rising higher, and instead of appearing smaller with increased distance, it felt even bigger.


    With the skies turning brighter, almost everyone looked up, their jaws dropping simultaneously. First, there was the incident with the ghost ship, and now an unknown moon had appeared in the sky.


    Even the Elders of the n and the Patriarch himself were alerted. They rushed out of the pce once more, abruptly leaving the meeting with the Merchant Union.


    The girl from the Merchant Union was on the verge of losing her mind as she was ignored yet again and left there without any exnation. Still, she could only swallow the disrespect.


    This time, she followed the others as well to see just what had alerted the Patriarch of the King n and the Elders.


    "My Lady, be careful. I feel a very terrifying aura. It even makes me shiver." The demigod of the Merchant Union followed after her.


    "Ever since we arrived in this territory, what hasn¡¯t made you shiver? Even I feel like a human amongst gods in this ce," the girl answered, her robe brushing over the ground as she ran.


    "This time, it¡¯s different. It¡¯s not as overwhelming as the King n Patriarch, but somehow, it makes my soul tremble. If there is danger, please hide behind me!"


    ....


    "Is that a Moon?"


    The Elders appeared outside the Grand Pce, and gazed at the sky, only to witness the crescent moon slicing at the heavens, right next to the crack in the sky.


    Thest time they had seen the moon was when they hadn¡¯t been trapped in this realm. Centuries had passed, yet this phenomenon has be an impossible right in this realm.


    "That¡¯s not a moon."


    The Patriarch of the King n raised a brow, and looked back at the person who had spoken.


    "It¡¯s the crazy wo-, cough, it¡¯s her." The Elders subconsciously eximed their true thoughts at the sight of the woman who had also be a sight as rare as the moon in the recent decades.


    The Patriarch red at the Elders, making the Elders turn their gazes back to the sky.


    "Sister, do you also feel it? The aura in that... It¡¯s just like the aura of that man who took..." The Patriarch could see that the crescent arc in the sky wasn¡¯t a moon. It was something created using pure sword aura.


    An attack as powerful as this could only be created by supreme beings, unless a person was aided by a supreme treasure.


    The aura of the sword arc was also familiar to them, as it came from the same sword that had sliced through the skies in the past.


    The crescent arc soon struck the sky, reaching the boundary of the realm. And just as Eren wanted, the sword strike didn¡¯t stop until it cut through everything in its path, even if it were thews of the heavens that restricted this realm from the outside world.


    A mark was left in the sky that was not only wider but also longer than the previous sword marks. And just like them, this mark also refused to be healed by the naturalws.


    Instead, the cracks kept spreading across the skies, even devouring the previous marks of the skies.


    Within seconds, the entire realm was covered in spider web-like cracks, and soon, the barrier that had kept this realm sealed, shattered like a fragile piece of ss.


    "The barrier is broken? Doesn¡¯t that mean we are... Free?" An Elder¡¯s legs grew weak in disbelief, and he fell on his knees.


    Tears started falling from his eyes. He didn¡¯t care about the person who had sliced through the skies. For him, it felt like finally, they had received a reward from their ancestors, that came in the form of their freedom.


    It had been centuries since their n was sealed in this realm. Now that the barrier was broken, they were finally free to step foot in the vast upper realm again.


    They didn¡¯t have to rely on any merchants to get them what they wanted. They didn¡¯t need anyone¡¯s help. Whatever they wanted, they could take it on their own.


    "After centuries, the King¡¯s n will finally return to the Upper Realm!"


    "Hahahah, all those that dered themselves as the kings of the upper realm in our absence, will have to plead before us like they did in the past!"


    "Finally, the shackles of this realm have been undone!"


    Not only the elders, but almost every single member within the King n was ted. Many in the younger generation had only heard about the upper realm. But they could finally see what it was truly like, and meet the prodigies of the upper realm!


    They were excited, as they had grown bored after fighting only the descendants of their n all this time.


    While everyone was happy about the change, there were a few people that were distressed. Amongst them, the leading figure was the Merchant Union Heiress.


    She had heard the Elders say that they could finally return to the Upper Realm. She had also seen the barrier fall apart. She finally understood what had happened!


    The King n hadn¡¯t willingly secluded itself. They had been trapped here by some unknown figure. And now, they were finally freed. Now, they could finally return.


    If they returned to the Upper Realm, then she could only imagine the chaos that was going to greet the upper realm.


    If the Ancient ns of the Upper Realm found out about her visit to the King n, then weren¡¯t they going to think that the Merchant Union helped free these people?


    Things were worse than she could have imagined. At this point, she wished that her father was here to feel such a situation. It was too much for her!


    After the barrier broke, the suppression of the barrier also disappeared. And the terrifying presence of the King n was once again felt across the entire upper realm.


    Many Ancient ns were alerted, and called for a meeting amongst themselves. Things were changing in the upper realm.


    Meanwhile, the person who had brought this change, couldn¡¯t care the least about it.


    He was being controlled by his future self, having a sweet dream in the meantime.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!